WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
Lula Oks zoning
for new business
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Lula City Council
approved a rezoning on
Monday that clears the way
for a new business in town.
The rezoning for .36 acre
located at 5853 Hood Street,
owned by H.R. Miller LLC,
was approved unanimously
with a condition on signage.
The property changes from
R-2 residential to Highway
Business.
Miller’s son-in-law, Hank
Parker, with Jordan-Parker
Land Surveying, plans to
open an office at this loca
tion. The signage condition
allows for a low-profile sign,
ground elevated.
In other business:
• City manager Dennis
Bergin advised the council
that notice was received
Monday afternoon that as of
Friday, July 21, the city would
lose its inmate work detail.
Bergin said Warden Walt
Davis informed him that Hall
County would no longer pro
vide four inmates, a correc
tional officer and a vehicle
for a set contracted amount
each year. The county wants
Lula to provide a vehicle and
hire a correctional officer
for the work detail. Council
member Garnett Smith said
it might “make more sense”
for the city to hire two addi
tional city employees. Bergin
advised the starting pay for
a correctional officer was
$17.67 per hour plus benefits.
The council asked Bergin to
provide a comparison for the
city providing its own cor
rectional officer and vehicle
versus hiring two additional
employees.
•The council approved
spending $75,000 to pur
chase a Case bobcat from
Border Equipment, Conley,
plus $1,518 for a manual
quick-disconnect for the
backhoe.
•The council postponed
action on bids for correc
tive work on the old city hall
building. Bergin said two bids
had been received thus far.
Action was also postponed
on the adoption of the city’s
millage rate.
• Mayor Milton Turner said
he wanted to let the pub
lic know that the reason the
city had not closed on the
purchase of The Depot was
due to the Lula Area Bet
terment Association (LABA)
not having a clear title to
the property. Turner said the
city approved the purchase
price of $25,000 - $2,500 to be
paid up front with the $22,500
balance to be paid within
five months. However, when
work began to get a clear
title it was determined that
the LABA doesn’t have clear
ownership of the property.
The issue with the property
actually began as far back as
1981, Bergin reported. The
issue of getting a clear title is
up to the LABA, not the city.
This issue has been going
on for more than a year with
no solution. “The city can’t
do anything more than we
are doing,” Bergin said. The
council approved a meeting
with the LABA attorney Jane
Range, Mary Barbee and city
staff to discuss the issue. The
council agreed to give the
LABA 14 days to resolve the
issue or the city will move on
to something else. Council-
men Mordecai Wilson and
Vince Evans both voiced
concern with the amount of
time that has been spent on
this issue already.
• The council agreed
to check with the Georgia
Department of Transporta
tion about placing a city sign
on GDOT rights-of-way along
Athens Street at Highway
365. The private landowner
that the city had considered
leasing property from for a
sign is asking for $100 per
month, Turner advised.
•The council denied a
citizens’ request to remove
a tree located on Toombs
Street. The property owner
came before the council in
2011 and asked that the city
remove the tree, but with
out a survey, it could not be
determined if the city should
claim ownership and take
liability for its removal. After
an inspection, the tree was
found to be healthy at that
time. Since then the tree has
split and half of it has fall
en and the property owner
is again asking the city for
assistance.
•The council discussed
setting a meeting next week
to meet with attorney Ken
Jarrard, Forsyth County, and
city attorney Blake Poole and
or Lucky Chandler, to dis
cuss the Hall County Service
Delivery Agreement (SDA)
status and strategy. The city
did not sign the proposed
SDA. However, Bergin said
the county had submitted the
agreement without the city
signing off, but he did not
know if it had been approved
at the state level.
•The council denied a
request from the Historical
Society for $1,000 to fund the
entertainment at the annual
Fall Festival set for Oct. 21.
• The council unanimous
ly approved a high bid of
$1,406.50 from Jack David
son for the 2004 Ford F-250
truck the city had up for bid.
A bid of $1,227.79 was also
received from Mike Ingram.
•The council discussed
holding a Saturday work
shop retreat in September.
The date will be determined
and announced later.
•Turner announced that
the next Hall County Joint
Municipal Association (JMA)
meeting was set for 5:15 p.m.
on Monday, July 24, hosted
by the Gillsville City Council,
•Turner announced the
following Yard of the Month
winners for July: Rodney Fos
ter, David Wiley, Ginger Wal-
don, Christine Ogrich and
James J. Davidson.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Please take notice that the Town of
Homer Planning Commission will
hold a public hearing at Town Hall on
Thursday, July 27, at 7:00 P.M. to receive
public comments on the application
of Banks County Golf, LLC for a
proposed amendment to the Zoning
Ordinance of the Town of Homer to
zone property located at 491 Scales
Creek Road, Homer, Georgia from R-l
Single-Family Residential District to
R-2 Multi-family Residential District.
A copy of the application is available
for public inspection at the Homer
Town Hall.
The public hearing of Town Council
will be on Aug. 8, 2017, 6:00 P.M. The
Town Council will consider adoption
of the zoning request at the regular
meeting immediately following the
public hearing.
.i* NY
BALDWIN FARMERS' MARKET RIBBON-CUTTING
A ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the City of Baldwin Farmers’ Market was held July 14. Several
Habersham County Chamber of Commerce members; Habersham County Board of Commissioner
Andrea Harper; Baldwin council members Larry Lewallen, Jeff Parrish and Theron Ayers; Mrs. John
Kollock; Mark Sundermeyer; Scott Achankeng; and city staff turned out to help Mayor Jerry Neace (with
scissors) cut the ribbon to officially open the market. Photos by Sharon Hogan
MURALS ENHANCE PARK
Murals, like the one shown, enhance the new
downtown Baldwin Park. The mural shown was
painted based on original art done by the late John
Kollock. Mark Sundermeyer, Braselton, and Scott
Achankeng, a native of South Africa, painted the
mural in the park in downtown Baldwin.
NEACE AND KOLLOCK
At the grand opening of the Baldwin Farmers’
Market on July 14, Mayor Jerry Neace (L) talked
about the murals painted on the walls surrounding
the new downtown park. Neace introduced Mrs.
John Kollock, whose husband’s painted the origi
nal art used for the murals.
17^ nragfflro to
Cold Laser Therapy can be use to treat the following:
• Disc Hernation
• Carpal Tunnel
• Neuropathy
• Shingles
• Shoulder Pain
• Arthritis
• Plantar Fascitis
• Foot Pain
• Bursitis/ Tendinitis
• TMJ
BENEFITS TO LASER THERAPY
FDA Approved • Fast Results
Affordable • Safe
PAIN FREE • Effective
Natural, Drug Free Solution to Pain!
Homer Family
Chiropractor
Dr. K. Anthony Merati, D.C.,NRCME
706.677.1010 • www.homerchiropractor.com
1253 Historic Homer Hwy. • Located in Homer Shopping Center
Tuesdays & Thursdays 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Saturdays 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday @ Duluth Clinic
Expert care.
For your whole heart.
Athens Regional Cardiology Group is now Piedmont Heart Institute
At Piedmont Heart Institute, we offer the most advanced treatments available.
But we also know it's ultimately people who heal people. So we're proud to
welcome Athens' finest to the Piedmont family. Their expertise and compassion
make us—and you—stronger.
piedmont.org/AthensCardiology
706.752.7343
["1 Piedmont
HEART
