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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021
• Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements • Vol. 54 No. 8
Three Alto
council
seats up for
re-election
this year
By Sharon Hogan
sharon@mainstreetnews.com
Three city council seats
are up for re-election in Alto
this year.
On Tuesday, Jan. 12, the
Alto Town Council ap
proved the city’s 2021 Gen
eral Election Ordinance for
the election set for Novem
ber 2, 2021.
The three are Post One,
currently held by Carolyn
Cabe; Post Three, currently
held by Allen Fox; and Post
Five, currently held by P.J.
Huggins.
The general election will
be held on Tuesday, Novem
ber 2, 2021, from 7 a.m. un
til 7 p.m. at the Habersham
County Mud Creek Pre
cinct. at B.C. Grant Baptist
Church, 1495 B.C. Grant
Road., Alto.
The terms for each post
are four years beginning on
January 1, 2022, through
December 31, 2025.
The qualifying will open
on Monday, August 16,
2021, and continue day-
to-day through Friday. Au
gust 20, 2021. The hours
of qualifying each day shall
be from 8:30 a.m. until
4:30 p.m. (except for a one-
hour lunch break beginning
at 1 p.m. each day), except
that qualifying will end at
12 p.m. on August 20, 2021.
The qualifying fee is $35
per seat.
Qualifying will be held
at the administrative office
of the Election Superinten
dent being the Habersham
County Office of Elections
and Registration, located
at the Habersham County
Administration Building,
130 Jacob’s Way, Basement,
Clarkesville.
In other business at the
Tuesday meeting, the coun
cil:
•unanimously approved
the appointment of the fol
lowing for 2021: Eddie
Palmer, Mayor Pre-Tem;
Robert Sneed, Judge; David
Syfan, Attorney; Joe David
son, Building Official; and
Josh Ivey, Police Chief.
•approved re-bidding the
Georgia Emergency Man
agement Agency (GEMA)/
Federal Emergency Man
agement Agency (FEMA)
Grant generators project
and not to accept the Gord
ian bid.
Continued on Page 3A
MAILING LABEL
‘Virtual learning 9 to continue for Banks
County students due to COVID-19
Schools to
open Jan. 19
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
Banks County students
will continue with “virtual
learning” with schools now
set to open for face-to-face
instruction on Tuesday, Jan.
19.
“Our community con
tinues to experience an in
crease in COVID-19 posi
tive cases,” superintendent
Ann Hopkins states. “Our
area hospitals have reached
capacity and indicate that
the peak resulting from the
holidays has not yet been
seen. In an effort to assist
in helping de-escalate the
surge within our communi
ty. Banks County Schools
will continue virtual learn
ing.”
Plans are to return to face-
to-face instruction on Tues
day. Jan. 19.
School nutrition services
will continue to be provid
ed. Information regarding
distribution will be made
available on the school web
site and through social me
dia.
“Extracurricular activi
ties will continue with an
emphasis on mitigation
strategies,” Hopkins said.
“Should changes to any par
ticipation or fan attendance
need to be made, these will
be posted on the website
and social media.”
She added, “I realize
that these are challenging
times and virtual learning
is not ideal. I appreciate
everything you are doing. I
am sorry for the additional
stress that this instructional
format creates. I am thank
ful for your flexibility and
patience. I know we all look
forward to students return
ing January 19.”
Banks County Primary School teachers are using ‘Virtual learning” to connect with
students.
Homer council approves
salary increase for 2022
By SHERRY LEWIS
When the Homer mayor
and city council take office
in January 2022, they will
get an increase in pay.
On Tuesday the Homer
City Council approved the
increases. Each council
member will receive $100
per work session or meet
ing, while the mayor will
make $150. The council
also approved a $50 stipend
for other meetings in which
they represent the town of
Homer. That total cannot
be more than 12 without the
approval of the mayor.
Presently, the mayor
makes $50 per session and
the council receives $35.
The mayor and town
council seats will all be up
for grabs in a 2021 election.
Qualifying fees for may
or will be $35 and $25 for
council.
Mayor Doug Cheek and
the town council also dis
cussed an increase in water
tap fees, deposits and re
connect fees for water and
garbage service. Most of
the discussion was about
the water tap fees which are
currently $800.
Councilman James Du
mas did a cost comparison
with all surrounding coun
ties, and he reported the av
erage cost is $1,142.
The council discussed if
the town would do the taps
in-house or outsource the
job. If the town goes in-
house, it would pay for a
city employee to get certi
fied to do this work.
This was issue tabled un
til next month.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the
meeting, the council:
•approved Jerry Payne as
Mayor Pro-Tem
•expressed satisfaction
with the resurfacing of four
roads in the county. Those
include Sullivan Drive, Mc
Coy Bridge, Greasy Creek
and Hill Street.
•discussed citizen com
plaints about the garbage
service provided by Waste
Management. Cheek will
meet with officials from the
company later this week,
•discussed the possibility
of raising water rates.
•discussed the Evans
Street well. It is currently
offline while the city leaders
wait for the parts to rebuild
the meter. Once the work
is finished, the EPD must
approve it before it can go
back online.
•discussed the removal
of four fuel tanks. Cliff Hill
presented some bids, and
the council decided to take a
look at them and discuss this
next month. The bids ranged
from $25,000 to $34,500.
but the costs of some items
in the bids were unclear.
•the council reappointed
David Syfan as city attor
ney, Carol Ayers as mu
nicipal court clerk, Judge
Hammond Law, judge for
municipal court, Carol
Ayers as Election Superin
tendent, and Tracey King
and Ayers as Qualifying Of
ficers.
•agreed to extend the
loan from Georgia Environ
mental Finance Authority
(GEFA). The money is part
of the Water Improvement
Project.
Lula city public buildings to
remain closed due to COVID-19
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
Lula Mayor Jim Gri
er opened the city council
meeting Monday night. July
11. encouraging residents to
take precautions to stop the
spread of COVID-19 and
stating that city buildings
would remain closed to the
public.
Mayor Grier pointed out
that area hospitals are at ca
pacity and also encouraged
city residents to write notes
of thanks and encourage
ments to those employees,
as well as donated individ
ually wrapped snacks and
non-perishable food.
The mayor also encour
aged residents to continue
to “wash their hands, wear
masks, keep six-foot dis
tance from each other and
avoid large crowds,” to stop
the spread of this deadly vi
rus.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at the meeting, held
as a virtual “zoom” meet
ing:
•city manager Dennis
Bergin gave a finance up
date, including a report that
$100,000 had been spent
on repairs at Victoria Lane,
which was damaged in re
cent storms.
•discussed the city elec
tion planned for Nov. 2,
where the mayor’s seat
and the District 2 Council
seat (now held by Marvin
Moore) and the District 3
Council seat (now held by
Mordecai Wilson) will be
on the ballot. Qualifying
will be in August.
•discussed RailRoad
Days, which is usually held
the first Saturday in May.
The mayor said if it is go
ing to be held, planning will
need to begin soon.
•it was announced the
January ladies gathering at
the depot has been cancelled
due to COVID-19.
•the status of the planning
commission’s proposed
overlay district was dis
cussed. “We have to have
the draft soon.” Bergin said.
“It will be a great tool for
the town for economic de
velopment.”
•Bergin reported that the
new playground equipment
has been installed at the
park. He said the weather
needs to improve for it to
“dry out.”
•the meeting for next
week was changed from
Monday to Tuesday, Jan.
19, due to the Martin Luther
King Jr. holiday.
Hickory Flat Fire
Station to be staffed
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetne ws .com
The Banks County Board of Commissioners agreed, at
its July 12 meeting, to remodel the Hickory Flat Fire Sta
tion and add staff, including positions funded through a
grant and others already budgeted, in order for it to be open
and in service for citizens on that side of the county.
In other business at the meeting, the BOC approved two
salary issues.
The BOC first agreed to pay Greg Pittman, the Jackson
County extension agent, $500 per month, through July 1.
Pittman is providing extension services for Banks County
through July 1, when an agent is reportedly to be named
for Banks County.
The BOC also agreed to raise the janitorial staff salaries
to $12 per month, as well as giving these employees the
three percent raise that other county employees are receiv
ing.
In other business at the Jan. 12 meeting, the BOC:
•agreed not to abandon a portion of Glenn Road after
holding a public hearing. Two men spoke against abandon
ing the road, including one man who said a feed truck can’t
get in that portion of road if it is closed.
•heard a noise complaint from a citizen who said he
could hear music from a nearby event on property inside
his home. He said other events, including horse racing, are
also taking place on the property.
•discussed with code enforcement officer Paul Ruark re
quirements on application permits for special events being
held in the county.
•approved the annual contract with Legacy Link to pro
vide services to the Banks County Senior Citizen’s Center.
•approved the timber harvest bond ordinance at a rate of
$10,000, an increase over the past rate of $5,000.
•hired a part-time clerk in the extension service clerk’s
office at a rate of $12 an hour.
•agreed to purchase a chassis for the fire department at a
cost of $115,555.
•agreed to purchase cardiac monitors at a cost of $7,614.
•agreed to spend $19,146 for turn-out gear for the fire
department.
•approved an automatic aid agreement with the Baldwin
Fire Department.
•approved a contract with KCI Technology for $7,605
to do a utility report for the Steven Tanger culvert replace
ment project.
Republican Senate candidates
take top votes in Banks County
By ANGELA GARY
While Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock were elected to
the United States Senate by Georgia voters. Banks County
voters overwhelmingly preferred their challengers, Kelly
Loeffler and David Perdue.
In Banks County, Perdue had 6,612 votes, while Ossoff
had 836. In Banks County. Loeffler had 6.586 votes, while
Warnock had 860 votes. State-wide, both Ossoff and War
nock won with over 50 percent of the vote.
In the race for Georgia Public Service Commissioner,
Lauren “Bubba” McDonald was the state-wider winner, as
well as being the top vote-getter in Banks County. In Banks
County. McDonald had 6,584 votes, while challenger Dan
iel Blackman had 802 votes.
The voter turnout in Banks County was 57 percent.
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