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PAGE 2A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JUNE 4. 2009
Tax ..cont’dfrom 1A
Shelter ..cont’dfrom 1A
County commissioners
postponed a decision on the
proposed ordinance on May
21, agreeing to review the
10-page document. Thomas,
who favored keeping the occu
pation tax, said the proposed
$250 to $500 fine for fail
ing to pay the tax seemed too
steep. He proposed that the
commissioners eliminate the
possibility of such steep fines
and instead include a 10-per
cent, $3.50 late fee, and a $20
charge for those who fail to
pay the tax at all.
Thomas has supported the
occupation tax, noting that it
will be a way for county lead
ership to keep tabs on what
businesses are actually in the
county, while also providing
contractors a form of official
licensing.
The occupation tax has been
discussed at length at numer
ous meetings, with debate on
whether people with rental
property would be required to
pay and how business owners
with conservation use proper
ties could be affected.
A number of people pro
tested the tax, saying it was an
unfair burden on small busi
nesses.
Commissioner Bruce Scogin
said he felt the early plans for
a “per employee” fee were
unnecessarily punitive, but that
the $35 fee was reasonable.
However, Scogin said Monday
that he felt the issue has gone
on too long and should be
dropped if it couldn’t be
resolved that night.
“Tonight we’re going to iron
this out or I’m not going to
fool with it anymore,” he said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business Monday,
the board approved a $4,000
budget increase for the
Department of Family and
Children’s Services to $33,000
for next year. An increase in
foster care cases is a primary
reason for the boost in funding.
DFCS employees have also
faced furloughs this past year
and DFCS plans to offset about
$6,000 in losses the employees
have endured if the state ulti
mately approves the plan.
The commissioners approved
a contract with E.R. Snell for
$275,000 for the paving of
Cherokee Road. Commissioner
John Pethel noted that the
county had $385,000 allocated
from the state for the proj
ect. Commissioner Thomas
requested that the road
department cut back vegeta
tion at Crabapple Hollow and
Sanford roads that is obstruct
ing the view of motorists.
Commissioner Youngblood
asked that the board consider
funding for an ice machine for
the EMS station 4 and backup
water coolers at each station
to be used at incidents where
firemen and other emergency
personnel respond.
The group met in closed ses
sion Monday night, but took
no action after the meeting.
They also approved several
zoning requests, including one
from David Peck for an area
variance on the Broad River.
While the state requires just
a 25-foot setback, the coun
ty recently approved 75-foot
setbacks. Peck is planning a
small, “green friendly” home,
with a compost toilet — an
aerobic processing system that
treats excreta, typically with
no water or small volumes of
flush water. Scogin praised
Peck, who has participated in
a four-month Green Advantage
certification program.
“We’ve been preaching green
for years and I appreciate your
efforts,” said Scogin.
Rabies .cont’dfrom 1A
Kelly said she was walking
her small dog “Sugar” in her
yard on Irvin Kirk Road at dusk
when a small animal ran toward
them. Thinking at first that it
was a cat, Kelly only ran when
it got close enough for her to
see that it was in fact a skunk.
"I was doing pretty good
until I tripped and fell,” she
said. Calling out for help as the
skunk attacked her, her friend
Gerry Bridges came to her aid
and began trying to kick the
animal off of her. Bridges was
bitten on the leg. They were
unable to locate the skunk,
which ran away after the attack.
Kelly found that she had been
bitten four times.
"It just kept striking at me,”
she said.
Knowing the potential danger
they both faced, she and Bridges
went to Athens Regional
Medical Center as soon as pos
sible to take the series of shots
required to prevent infection
with the vims, which is fatal in
both humans and animals.
"It was a very scary experi
ence,” Kelly said.
And though Sugar was not
attacked by the skunk, she was
given a precautionary rabies
booster since she was current
on her rabies vaccine.
A month later, Kelly said her
large outside dog. Wiggles, pre
sented her with a dead skunk
which he had killed inside his
enclosure. That skunk tested
positive for rabies as well and
Wiggles was also re-vaccinated
as a precaution.
A total of five skunks have
tested positive for the virus, all in
the Danielsville area, along with
four raccoons in the Sanford
Road/Crabapple Hollow Road
area and a fox about five miles
north of Danielsville.
These forms of wildlife, along
with bats, are the most common
carriers of the rabies vims in the
U.S., according to the Centers
for Disease Control.
No domestic animals have
tested positive for the disease
in Madison County this year,
although 13 unvaccinated dogs
were euthanized due to expo
sure to rabid wildlife. (Rabies
in domestic animals accounts
for less than 10 percent of
confirmed cases in the U.S. in
recent years, according to the
CDC.)
As a precaution, two other
people in Madison County have
received rabies vaccines this
year due to bites by stray cats
who ran way and could not be
tested.
Kelly noted that if dogs, cats,
or other pets are not current on
their rabies vaccines and are
exposed to the virus, the law
requires that they be either euth
anized or quarantined for six
months in a double pen to moni
tor them for the disease. Regular
rabies vaccination of dogs and
cats is also required by law.
Kelly says that incidents of
rabies in Madison County as
well as surrounding areas tend
to fluctuate. For example, there
may be numerous confirmed
cases this year, but the vims may
wane in the area next year.
"It's just unpredictable,” she
said, but advises that the most
important tiring residents can do
is to keep their pets current on
rabies vaccines to avoid human
exposure.
"I vaccinate my horses and
goats as well,” Kelly said.
Colbert ..cont’dfrom 1A
see which way we come
out the best,” Mayor John
Waggoner said.
Colbert is eying four proj
ects that warrant attention
— replacing substandard
water lines on three different
streets and installing a water
line under Hwy. 72 and the
railroad at Canna Street.
Whether the city takes the
40 percent or chooses the
upgrades, Colbert will ben
efit, Waggoner said.
“It’s a pretty good deal
either way,” he said.
The contract extension is
for 15 years, but Colbert
could opt out at any time by
paying a fee.
F.O.J. CELEBRATION
APPROACHING
Colbert's annual
Independence Day celebra
tion is fast-approaching and
the city seeks volunteers.
“We need all the help we
can get on the Fourth of
July,” Mayor John Waggoner
said.
Specifically, it needs
people to man its museum,
log cabin and train caboose
exhibits from 12:30 p.m. to
2 p.m. that day.
Following tradition,
Colbert canceled its July
meeting, agreeing to con
vene only if something “spe
cial happens,” Waggoner
said.
In other news, Colbert
agreed to tackle drainage
problems in Crystal Creek
subdivision next year when
it has money in the budget
to pay for it.
Remedying the problem
required curbing, funds the
city doesn't have currently.
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IT’S THAT EASY.
cessions, a pet adoption, a raffle,
a rabies clinic (from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m.) and, of course, all-day
music.
Five acts — Ramblin' Country,
The Gibsons, The Songsters, Sons
of Shiloh and Clark Kesler — will
take the stage, with sounds rang
ing from bluegrass to country to
gospel.
Admission is free, but there will
be plenty of donation jars floating
around.
"If anybody would like to give
a donation, we would certainly be
appreciative,” Fomash said.
The goal is to raise S3,000 to
aid the cost of housing and caring
for homeless pets in Madison and
Oglethorpe counties.
“I don't know if we'll make it,”
Fomash said. “But whatever we
raise, it will be great.”
Fomash said the shelter is cur
rently “full to the ceiling” with
homeless pets.
She noted that an enormous
influx of puppies and kittens recent
ly, with only a staff of five to tend
to all of them. About 100 homeless
pets reside at MOAS right now.
“There are five people — not
counting me and the receptionist
— that take care of those animals
seven days a week,” Fomash said.
“That’s a big job.”
The shelter hopes to alleviate a
small fraction of that overcrowding
Saturday.
Several dogs will be on display
during an off-site adoption drive at
the music festival.
While raising money is impor
tant, finding pets a home — and
getting the word out about MOAS
— is the ultimate goal of Saturday's
event.
“If we adopt three or four or
ten dogs, that will be a great day,”
Fomash said. “The money will be
icing on the cake."
NOTES
An all-day drawing will be held
at the music festival with numerous
prizes being given away, includ
ing a GPS navigation system, free
oil change and front-end alignment
and gift certificates. Organizers say
entrants do not have to be present
to win.
D’ville ..cont’dfrom 1A
have to go through the process
again,” Hancock said.
Hancock said the line of credit
could be renewed, if the council
chooses, at the end of the year.
In a separate matter, the coun
cil postponed a hearing on a
conditional use permit for auto
sales at the comer of Hwy. 98
and Hwy. 29 due to advertising
criteria.
City attorney Victor Johnson
told the council that the public
hearing had not met the 15-to-45
day deadline for advertisement
in the newspaper. The council
agreed to hold a called meeting
on June 29 at 6 p.m. during its
regular work session.
City maintenance worker
Jerry Riley told the council
that he estimates a new sewer
lift station for Madison Street
may cost as much as $100,000,
plus engineering fees. Mayor
Glenn Cross asked City Clerk
Connie Riley to call School
Superintendent Mitch McGhee
to set up a meeting later this
month, or in July, to discuss
the sewer sedimentation pond,
which is located on school prop
erty. The council wants to begin
discussions with the school sys
tem before the contract ends in
2013 and before they look fur
ther into constructing the new
lift station and/or expanding the
city's sewer system.
The council also agreed to talk
about contracting with county
industrial authority engineer Phil
Munro at its July 6 meeting.
Tire council also discussed,
but took no action on, the need
to raise water rates over the next
few years. Cross told the council
that Danielsville has "some of
the lowest water rates around,”
compared to 18 other local cities
and counties. He said the city
must raise its rates in order to
be able to obtain financing for
future water/sewer projects.
The council also discussed
developing an event ordinance
to regulate events in Madison
County Memorial Park, which
though located in the city, is on
county-owned land. Temple told
the council that she did not see
why the city should be encum
bered with the expense of devel
oping an ordinance and enforc
ing it, since the park grounds are
county property. No action was
taken on the matter.
Also Monday night, the coun
cil approved a beer and wine
license for Royal Food Store.
Williams Bar-B-Que
Best
BBQ Ever
Since
1988
THURSDA Y NIGHT - STEAK SPECIALS
FRIDAY NIGHT - FISH FRY
SATURDAY NIGHT - KARAOKE
706-795-5394 (across from Madison County Hardware)
COMBO SPECIALS
SAUSAGE
Biscuit
1 hash brown, 16 oz. drink
$3.50
BACON
Biscuit
1 hash hrown, 16 oz. drink
$3.25
STEAK I SMOKE LINK
Biscuit I Biscuit
1 hash hrown, 16 oz. drink I 1 hash hrown, 16 oz. drink
$3.50|$3.25
Fountain drink, Coffee or Sweet Tea only
Add Cheese OR Egg for additional 250.
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Mon. - Fri. 5 a.m. - 11 a.m. • Sat. 5 a.m. - 12 p.m.
706-546-6141
706-788-2878 • 706-788-3319
6145 Hwy. 72, West Colbert, Ga. 30628
www.colbertacehardware.com
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