Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6, APRIL 13, 2009, THE ISLANDER
Legislation canned
Continued from Page 2
It gives the JWSC 30 days from the
time they receive the claim to consider
and act on it.
According to JWSC legal counsel
Desiree Watson, the sovereign immu
nity and ante litem issues are standard
operating procedure with all govern
ment agencies.
Watson said, "This legislation is
designed to protect the public purse.
It gives us the ability to resolve legal
issues without litigation, without going
to court."
After the JWSC submitted the legis
lation to the general assembly, Senator
Jeff Chapman (Dist. 3) added another
section of his own that the JWSC
felt was too burdensome and created
the potential for situations that would
make it difficult for them to conduct
their business.
Chapman's amendment stated that
whenever the JWSC recommends,
requests or approves any increase in
rates, fees, tolls or charge, two public
hearings must be held, one on the
mainland and one on St. Simons Island,
in different weeks.
Advertisements for the hearings
must be placed in the county's legal
organ for two successive weeks at least
30 days before the first hearing. The
ads cannot be placed with other legal
notices in the Classified Ads section of
the newspaper, but "shall be a promi
nently displayed advertisement or
news article", which is substantially
more expensive than the Classified Ad
page.
The notice must also be placed at
least once in JWSC customer's bills one
billing cycle before the first hearing.
Chapman's amendment would
supersede any local ordinance's provi
sion for public hearings and how they
are advertised.
Currently, Glynn County's ordinance
requires one notice and one public
hearing for rate increases. Brunswick
has no such ordinance and requires
neither the notice or the hearing.
The public hearing notice must con
tain the date, time, location, subject
matter, financial justification for the
increase, a five year projection of oper
ating revenues and expenses (with or
without an increase) and a five year
history of dates and amounts of previ
ous increases.
JWSC has issues
The JWSC discussed a number of
issues and problems they believed
Chapman's amendment would create,
making it difficult for them to do busi
ness.
• Chapman's amendment expands
the public hearing requirement beyond
just a rate increase and includes "fees,
tolls and charges."
First, the JWSC has no tolls. Second
the way it is written, this amendment
would trigger the notice-public hearing
procedure if the JWSC decided to insti
tute something relatively minor, like a
$5 bad check fee.
• It means there would be a 31 day
minimum before they could increase
rates or request an increase from the
city and comity commissions.
For example, this would have caused
problems with the recent rate increase
the JWSC needed to cover the bond
issue for the Exit 29 Wastewater Treat
ment Plant expansion project. This
issue was that some of the bonds need
ed to be obtained in 2008 and some in
2009 in order to get the lowest interest
rates.
• The rate or increase may not be
based on a "financial" justification. The
justification could be environmental. It
could be due to state or federal man
dates. Or it could be based on a compli
■ REAL ESTATE
and YOU <ppmR
By Susan Hardwick v7v AL tv , N (.^/
• St. Simons Island
ABR, CRS, E-PRO, GRI
Service • Commitment • Results
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Clearing clutter; removing personal photos; applying fresh coats of
paint; making the minor repairs needed and keeping a pleasant aroma
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However, industry experts agree that spending remodeling money in
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Use energy efficient products and household goods that are attractive to
buyers. Choose better insulation; replace old windows; do some caulking;
add skylights.
Other items to consider: add crown molding and wider baseboards;
frame windows and doorways to complete the look of a room. Use textured
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and new carpet can make a huge difference. Finally, consider adding a
deck — its one of the pluses that you can enjoy now and the new owner
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For the best in professional service contact Susan Hardwick, 638-6660 office,-
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ance issues or litigation costs.
• The five year projection of revenue
and expenses and the five year history
of rate increases were also burdensome
to the JWSC.
It would take many costly man hours
of work to create the information.
The JWSC's master plan is not com
plete, so it would be difficult to deter
mine five year projections. Plus, the
projections would be speculative and
of not much value, according to the
JWSC.
The JWSC has not been in existence
for five years, so they cannot produce a
five year history of rate increases.
And perhaps the most interesting
of the issues associated with the five
year projections and history - accord
ing to attorney Desiree Watson, this in
not required of any other entity in the
State of Georgia.
Watson said, "I did the research. I
searched through the state statutes
and no one else in the state has to com
ply with this."
• The JWSC says the costs to run
two display ads large enough to contain
all the financial projections and history
would be excessive.
• Finally, in superseding the local
ordinance, Chapman's amendment
would invalidate a Glynn County
ordinance without any input from the
comity commission or administration
on the subject.
During the discussion at the JWSC
meeting, chairman Tony Sammons
said, "We sent this to Atlanta and it
came back with this amendment put in
by Senator Chapman. There is just a lot
of overkill to it. I do not disagree with
Senator Chapman that accountability
is necessary, but this goes far beyond
the scope of accountability. It encum
bers this commission far too much."
JWSC member Tony Thaw asked
if the JWSC's amendment had gone
to the State House prior to going to
the Senate and Sammons said, "Yes,
it had."
"Was there any disagreement
there?," asked Thaw.
"No," replied Sammons, "My sug
gestion is to postpone this for the time
being and try again later. If this (both
the JWSC's and Chapman's amend
ments) is approved, it would be one step
forward and four steps backwards."
Thaw made the motion to defer any
action on the request for legislation.
Calendar
Thursday, April 16, 6:30 p.m. Glynn
County Eagle Club hosts GSU Defen
sive Coordinator Ashley Anders and
Assistant Coach Jeff Koonz. Home of
Joan Harris, St. Simons Island. Low
Country boil dinner. Tickets $10. 912-
638-2228; 912-571-1937.
Saturday, April 18 noon to 3 p.m.
8th annual 'Spring Fling' for Disabled
Citizens. Mary Ross Park in Downtown
Brunswick. Free. 912-267-7613.
Saturday, April 18, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.,
Scottish ceilidh. Ashantilly Center in
Darien. $15. 912-437-4770 or 912-437-
4473. □
Property Sales
on St. Simons and Sea Island
are brought to you weekly as a courtesy of
Elizabeth Johnson
REALTOR
FOX RUN
t£)
912-230-3236 • 912-265-0147
ejohnson@foxmnproperties.com
Transfer
Seller
Buyer
Location/Legal
Tax
Description/Address
St Simons
$ 75.00
Harper, Jerry W;
Squire, Catherine Storey &
Lot 23, West Point Plantation
Hartman, J Benedict;
Helen Whittle Katz
Trust; ETAL
Stephen J
$ 180.00
Johnson, Gale E
Herman, John Timothy &
Unit 922, Courtside Villas
Muriel Lynn
Condos, **922 Wimbledon
Dr
$ 202.50
Powell, Johnny H
Smith, E Steven & Linda M
Unit 301 Bldg 1, Shadow
Brooke Village, **107 Shady
Brooke Cir #301
$ 215.00
Bank of New York;
Guyett, Courtney L; Hayes,
Unit 122, Harbour Oaks
Bank of New York
Patsy B
Condos, **122 S Harbour
Mellon; Bear Stearns
Alt A Trust; ETAL
Oaks
$ 331.00
Polineni, Shalini D &
Harris, Julie K
Lot 26, Ph II, Village Creek
Srinivasa R
Way, **114 Village Creek
Way
$ 349.90
Malcolm, James A;
Endicott, Craig; Halverstadt, Unit 705-B, Beach House
Ragland, David M
Hugh; Venite Partnership
Condos
$ 399.90
Sea Palms St Simons
Bickley, Alton M & Teresa D Unit 1301, Grand View @
Island LLC
Sea Palms
$ 521.00
Hicks, David G Jr &
Johnson, Craig W & Rebecca Lot 9, Blk C, Ph I, Sea Palms
Lori L
R
Golf & Country Club, **119
N Windward Dr
$ 1,000.00
Baranco, Gregory T &
Sea Island Co
Lot 232, Ph 4, Frederica
Juanita P
Township
9 Warranty Deeds for Sea Island & St. Simons for week ending 4/3/2009
