Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A — THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 5. 2009
Madison Co. BOC
to meet Monday
The Madison County Board of Commissioners will meet
at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 9, in the county government
complex.
Agenda items include:
•Chairman Anthony Dove - chairman’s report to the
board.
OLD BUSINESS:
•Chairman Dove - adopting 2009 General County Policy.
NEW BUSINESS:
•Sandra Webb - transfer station - holiday policy and sec
ond work crew.
•Chairman Dove - application for permit for utility facility
encroachment - Windstream Communications.
•Chairman Dove — renewal of contract with Cummins
Power South for maintenance on generators for E-911.
•Chairman Dove - road projects
•Urgent matters.
Sunrise .cont’dfrom 1A
will dictate the timetable.
“The banks aren’t even loaning money for that kind of
thing right now,” Byram said.
That leaves Byram, owner of the financially-troubled
course since 2002, to mull his options.
“I may partner-up with somebody, so I’m sort of some
what in wait-and-see,” Byram said.
Redesigning the course and laying the infrastructure
for the retirement community will cost between $3-4
million — a tentative figure — according to Byram.
The course redesign plans call for changing four
greens, leaving 14 unaltered.
“That’s the big expense in building a golf course are
the greens,” he said. “We’re utilizing a lot of the existing
course without having to change that many holes.”
Byram had tried three times, unsuccessfully, to rezone
the golf course property before the BOC OK’d his plans
last week.
“I’m just grateful,” he said. “I’m very, very grateful.
I really believe the project will put Madison County on
the map. It’s something that will help Madison County
grow in a positive direction.”
But a number of Madison County residents disagreed,
saying the development will be a clear negative for the
community. Opponents spoke of traffic safety issues,
potential sewage problems, the density of the proposed
residential development, the strains on EMS and fire
services, the impact on the area’s water supply.
“This won’t be a development you can look back on
in 20 years and be proud of,” Charles Hart told commis
sioners last week.
Meanwhile, others said the rezoning was necessary to
keep the course open. They said the development will
help save jobs, that it won’t have much impact on county
services and that it will provide an option for seniors
looking for retirement property.
Byram said he wants to target a regional senior market.
He pointed out that Georgia Club — located on Hwy.
316 — lures retirees who can spend $500,00 for a house.
But the aim of the Sunrise project is to target those want
ing to spend $200,000 to $250,000, Byram said.
“It’s keeping the golf course and yet, giving something
to the community and to the general public that’s needed
in the Athens area,” he said.
With the rezoning, Byram believes he has “saleable
product” now. He said there are a lot of courses out
there, “but there’s not a lot of golf courses with this kind
of plan in place,” he said.
“In my estimation, this is definitely the highest and
best use of that golf course,” Byram said.
But Byram said it’s too soon to submit plans for engi
neering.
“Basically you have to wait until you get ready to con
struct it... I don’t where all this money is going that the
federal government keeps throwing at these banks, why
these banks aren’t loosening up their credit, but they’re
not,” he said.
Until then, he’ll continue to operate the golf course
in its traditional format, even though there’s always the
possibility that, if things worsened enough, he’d have to
close the course and wait out the economic downturn.
“That’s always a possibility, sure,” he said. “If it got to
the point where I wasn’t getting any play at all, yeah. But
I hope that never happens.”
Still, by keeping it open, Byram said he’s running
Sunrise at a loss.
“I want to keep it running until I can either built it (the
development) ... or get a partner or possibly sell it,” he
said.
Byram talks about changes
Byram said Sunrise is designed in such a way that it
would minimize the changes in the conversion to the
executive-level format — whenever that happens.
“Pretty much of the whole left side of the course is
going to be the same,” he said. “The part that borders
Kingston Greens is really not going to be changed at all
hardly.”
The majority of the redesign will impact the eastern
portion of the course, he said.
The entire project would be completed in two or three
phases, Byram said.
The first phase would include the course redesign,
building at least a third of the residences and construct
ing amenities like a clubhouse, tennis courts and a
pool.
Residents’ homeowner association fees would go
toward the maintaining the clubhouse, pool and tennis
courts.
Golf memberships for homeowners would be offered
separately since the course would still be open to general
public.
Byram said maintaining a par-3 set-up would be
cheaper than a traditional course due to reduced costs
with the upkeep of fairways.
He also expects more jobs to be created. Front yards
would need maintenance under the homeowners’ agree
ment, while the clubhouse, tennis courts and pool would
need employees, too, he said.
Comer council approves rezoning request
By Frank Gillispie
frankgillispie67 lmsn.com
A full house greeted the
Comer City Council at its
February meeting to hear
the decision on a rezoning
issue. A prayer circle was
busy on the porch of the
building. Comer Baptist
Church sought to rezone a
house located on Madison
Street from R-l to R-2 for
use by the church as an all
purpose facility.
Two members of the coun
cil abstained from voting.
The remaining two voted
to approve the request and
were joined by the mayor
to make it official.
A second rezoning request
by Bentley Fitzpatrick to
rezone his property form
RR to R1 was also con
sidered. Zoning adminis
trator Jim Baird said the
property had been improp
erly zoned by a previous
council, resulting in the
property being unusable.
The property does not have
enough road frontage for a
RR rating and efforts to get
a waiver had been unsuc
cessful. Baird said the only
practical solution was to
change the zoning to R1
which requires less road
frontage. The motion was
approved.
The Royal Oaks Home
Owners Association
expressed its apprecia
tion for the placement of
“Children at Play” signs
in the subdivision and
requested another stop
sign for the new section.
Members inquired about
progress on garbage pickup
and recycling
The council voted to
repair the children’s slide
in Arnold Park, which was
damaged by vandals. The
cost to replace the dam
aged area is $679.
In other business.
Mayor William Burroughs
informed the council that
he spent $450 in repairs to
the old depot and received
approval to complete the
repairs.
City clerk Stephen
Sorrells recommended that
the city conduct further
studies before selecting a
location for a new well.
The council received two
bids for garbage and recy
cling service. Both compa
nies will be invited to the
March council meeting to
explain their offers.
Fortson .cont’dfrom 1A
Fortson and his attorney,
Joyce Kitchens, met with the
BOC Dec. 25, with the lawyer
responding to the commission
ers’ charges.
Kitchens noted that Fortson
worked for the county for 24
years, 11 as county clerk. She
said that he proved himself as
a dependable county employee,
that he took a pay cut to take the
job of county clerk and that he is
dedicated to helping the citizens
of Madison County. She said
that when the BOC office was
short-staffed, he did the work of
three people.
“You know what kind of man
D’ville ..cont’dfrom 1A
70 checks during that year and
stole approximately $56,000
in city funds.
A four-month investigation
was then launched to deter
mine whether she stole more
from the city during other
years.
The city’s “in-house” report
on the theft case has been
completed. And Riley had a
written report available for
the council to view, but city
attorney Victor Johnson said
the report would become a
public record if she presented
it to the council at Monday’s
meeting.
Johnson then advised coun
cil members to review the
investigation report in closed
session when they meet with
Vance to avoid harming the
criminal case against Dills.
He said the closed session
would be allowed under
Georgia law as a matter of
“potential litigation.”
“That information will
become public at a later date,”
said Johnson to the council.
“What you don’t want to do is
harm the investigation.”
Clerks .cont’dfrom 1A
by an investigator, went into
the Danielsville BP station
on Hwy. 29 North and pur
chased a six pack of Bud
Light with a marked $20
bill. Deputies then arrest
ed the clerk, Tanya Renee
Cromer, 38, P.O. Box 833,
Danielsville, and charged
her with selling alcohol to
a minor.
Following that arrest, offi
cers went to Royal Foods
in Danielsville; Quick Pick
on Hwy. 72 in Colbert; Tiny
Town on Hwy. 72 in Carlton
and to Diamond Hill Grocery
on Hwy. 29 North. Arrests
were made at each of these
locations.
The clerks arrested after
selling alcohol to the infor
mant were: Mary Lowe
Watkins, 125 Lanier Pruitt
Road, Anderson, SC; Valerie
Ann Teet, 1587 Holman
Autry Road, Danielsville;
Richard Vernon Miller, 706
Broad River Road, Carlton
and Michael Daniel Nash,
206 Diamond Hill Neese
Road, Colbert.
Deputies also arrested an
18 year old on Sunday, Jan.
31, after responding to a
call about a camp fire close
to a residence with what
appeared to be underage
drinking in progress. Jakob
Darrin Dwayne Saxon, 18,
1330 Holman Autry Road,
Danielsville, was arrested
Opinion .cont’dfrom 1A
“This ruling makes it clear
that local school systems
should focus on their legal
responsibility of educating
children instead of wast
ing taxpayer funds to pay
lawyers suing the state,”
Perdue said in the press
release. “Too much time,
money and effort have been
spent on this case already,
but now we can put this dis
traction behind us and con
tinue to focus on improving
student achievement.”
The consortium started
in 2004, seeking litigation
against the state for alleg
edly failing to fund schools
adequately.
The consortium dropped
its lawsuit in September
as a strategic move when
Perdue replaced the judge
SPLOST ..cont’dfrom 1A
county government totaled
$139,116 last month, down
23.3 percent from $181,456 in
January 2008.
Overall, sales tax collections
dropped four percent in 2008,
down $88,752, from $2,129,010
in 2007 to $2,040,258 last
year.
While the nationwide decline
in consumer spending certainly
hurt local SPLOST revenues,
the sharp spike in gas prices last
summer actually helped keep
Sheriff s
office offers
security
checks
The Madison County
Sheriff’s Office is now
offering security checks
for homeowners who plan
to be out of town.
According to Major
Shawn Bums, chief depu
ty, residents can come by
the sheriff’s office and fill
out a “request for security
check” form that lets depu
ties know they need to pro
vide extra patrol by their
homes during a certain
period of time. The request
will last for a period of
30 days from the time the
form is filled out, but the
request may be extended
by calling the sheriff's
office at 706-795-6202, or
by coming by the office at
1436 Hwy. 98 West.
sales tax revenues from taking
an even deeper flesh wound.
As people forked over around
$4 per gallon of gas bought in
the county, Madison County
saw some of its highest month
ly SPLOST totals in recent
years. For instance, the county
collected $225,363 in sales tax
funds this past September when
gas was around $4 a gallon.
Like other local govern
ments across Georgia, Madison
County relies heavily on sales
tax funding to carry out needed
improvement projects.
Madison County voters said
“yes” last year to a renewal
of the one-cent SPLOST. And
county leaders projected that
the one-cent tax would raise
roughly $12.6 million for coun
ty and municipal improvements
over the next six years.
Typically, the Madison
County government has seen a
yearly increase in SPLOST rev
enues. However, the economic
The Madison County Journal is your
source for local news. Subscribe by
calling us at 706-795-2567 or visit us
online at MadisonJournalTODAY.com
It/omtH's Hukttl AppointiK&Kts
Nom awifailt, at
MEDfLINK
f COLBERT
Welcom* Colette Thompson, C-FNP
Regular check-ups save lives.
Don’t put off you PAP tests and other preventive screening.
Call for an Appointment
706-788-2127
11 Charlie Morris Road at Highway 72
Colbert, GA
Medicaid, Medicare
Most Insurance, State Health Benefit plans, Tricare
and PPOs Accepted
Visa Mastercard
he is,” Kitchens told the commis
sioners. “You know his character.
You know if he works hard. You
know those things about him.”
The BOC voted 4-0 that day to
uphold the termination.
Mayor Glenn Cross said the
city does not have a total dol
lar figure on the funds Dills
allegedly took.
“That’s what we’re wait
ing on with the auditor,” said
Cross. “He’s going to give us
a final figure, next week or
whenever he meets with us.
And then at that time we’ll
turn it over to the GBI.”
and charged with one count
of underage possession of
alcohol after deputy Josh
Smith found him at the
campfire with three open
cans of alcohol.
Sheriff Kip Thomas said
that he appreciates all the
county businesses that follow
the law on alcohol sales and
added that his department
will conduct random checks
on businesses throughout the
year.
presiding over the case.
It is looking to re-file the
case.
McGhee said back in
November that Madison
County pays roughly
$4,700 a year in dues to the
consortium.
downturn is forcing leaders tc
questions those projections.
For instance, Madisor
County Commission Chairmar
Anthony Dove has suggestec
that the county govemmeni
take a wait-and-see attitude or
sales tax projects, such as the
expansion of the county jail
noting that the county needs tc
get a better grip on how mucl
SPLOST money is actual!}
going to be available for those
endeavors.
Founder’s
Corner
Buhl Cummings
NOTE...from an ACS parent.
“Thank you for providing our son
with an excellent education and a
wonderful spiritual atmosphere in
which to receive it. We appreciate
all the hard work of the ACS
faculty and staff. I would like to
thank you for providing
transportation as well. Without the
bus he would not be able to
attend.”
We certainly appreciate this
encouraging note from one of our
parents. Yes, our goal is to provide
a “Quality Education in a Christian
Atmosphere”. We also provide bus
transportation from most areas.
You can find out more about
ACS (including our very moderate
tuition) at athenschristian.com.
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com