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PAGE 2A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL THURSDAY. AUGUST 27. 2009 Madison County BOC to meet Monday The Madison County Board of Commissioners will meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 31, in the county government complex. Agenda items include: •Chairman’s report. (Chairman Anthony Dove) •Report from IDA - Marvin White. •Statements and remarks from citizens on agenda items. •Consider proclamation for Scott Edwards, Owner of Fertile Crescent Gardens. (Chairman Dove to recognize Mark Wiles) •Consider proclamation for 2010 Census. (Chairman Dove) •Consider vendor recom mendation for E-911’s new computer aided dispatch sys tem. (David Camp) •Consider ACCG 7.5 per cent safety discount verifica tion. (Donna Sisk) •Consider personnel policy amendment, vacation allow ance. (Donna Sisk) •Consider renewing con tract with Edimis for EMS. (Chairman Dove) •Discuss the removal of bats from the old courthouse and the Strickland House. (Chairman Dove) •Consider ACCG Inmate Medical Program. (Chairman Dove) •Discuss2009budget amend ments. (Chairman Dove) •Consider contract with Northeast Georgia Regional Commission. (Chairman Dove) •Consider adoption of Spratlin Pond Road. (Commissioner Mike Youngblood). •Discuss curfew for Madison County Memorial Park for amplified sound. (Commissioner Pete Bond) •Discuss amending county noise ordinance. (Commissioner Bond). •Roads update. •Urgent matters. •Review Sept. 8 agenda for business meeting. •Statements and remarks from citizens. •Closed session to discuss land acquisition, personnel matters and/or potential litiga tion (if needed). Seasonal flu vaccine available Aug. 31 Seasonal flu vaccines will be available Aug. 31, while swine flu vaccines are expected to be available in October. Routine seasonal flu vaccines will be available a month early this year, according to local health department officials. Health departments in the 10-county health district sur rounding Athens (Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Walton) have flu vaccines available for the public beginning Monday, Aug. 31. The usual high-risk patients should get the shot as they have every year, according to health officials. People over 65 and people with high-risk conditions are at greatest risk for complica tions from seasonal flu. However, as has been rec ommended for several years, the shot is also recommend ed for people of all ages from 6 months old and up. (The Vaccine for Children flu shots for children 18 years of age and younger will arrive later - call the Madison County Health Department to verify VFC flu shots have arrived.) Just as for the last several years, flu shots cost $25 and are covered by Medicare and Medicaid. No appoint ment is necessary, officials said, just walk in to your local health department. Hours are: Monday 8-11:30 a.m. and 1-6 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday 8-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Officials say the shot contains antigens for the three flu viruses believed by experts to be the most likely to affect the United States this fall and winter. This seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against the pandemic strain of the new H1N1 (swine) flu virus, officials stress. Vaccine for that virus is being devel oped and tested but is not expected to be released until late in the fall. Symptoms of flu include sudden onset of fever, head ache, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches. In the U.S., flu usually peaks in late fall or winter. In addition to getting the annual flu shot, public health officials recommend these steps to prevent the spread of flu: wash your hands, especially before you touch your face or eat, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available; don’t breathe where someone has just coughed or sneezed; cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper sleeve and stay home from work if you are sick to avoid spread ing germs to others. Information on other clinic s can be found by calling the Public Health Information Line at 1-800-4PD-HELP, or by visiting www. PublicHealthAthens.com. Budget .cont’dfrom 1A Board of Education/Extension Office. They were also scheduled to discuss their own county commission and chair man’s budgets. The group has met with department leaders, trying to shave expenses from the 2010 budget. County revenues are projected at $13 million for 2010, while requested expenses currently stand at approximately $14.9 million. But commission chairman Anthony Dove said Monday that the $13 million estimate is a conservative guess. He noted that budgets are typically set based on a 97-percent property tax collection rate. But the $13 million revenue projec tion is based on a projected 90-percent collection rate. “We still might adjust that 13 num ber when we get closer to setting the entire budget,’’ said Dove. “That was the number we had to go on probably two months ago when we first started the budget hearings. But if they (revenue projections) still hold, we’ll have to make some adjustments.” If expenses significantly exceed rev enues, will the board raise the tax rate, cut jobs or dip into the county’s fund balance (reserves that the state suggests counties maintain at 15 percent or more of their operating budget)? Dove said he won’t recommend a tax rate increase. He noted that property owners will already get a tax increase thanks to the state government’s decision to eliminate the Homeowners’ Tax Relief Grant, which will add roughly $230 to tax bills for Madison County homeown ers this year. “We’ll have to see when we get there (at the end of the budget process),” said Dove. “I wouldn’t recommend a tax increase. We’ll have to do some cut ting.” Bats ..cont’dfrom 1A for the summer to get done,” he said. County commission chair man Anthony Dove said the bat problem is more severe at the vacant Strickland House than at the courthouse. “It's worse at the Strickland House,” he said. ‘That thing is really damaged.” But he said the situation needs to be addressed at the courthouse for safety reasons. “It could potentially be (a health hazard) if it goes on unchecked,” he said. Chamber of Commerce presi dent and industrial authority director Marvin White, whose office is at the courthouse, said the downstairs air quality is fine, but upstairs at the courthouse could be another matter. He said a bat will sometimes find its way downstairs. “We’ll occasionally see one if someone leaves a door open upstairs,” he said. “We usually just put them out and they go on their way.” White said the chimneys were sealed off in recent years, which helped with the bat problem, but didn't eliminate it. “It’s been a problem for a long time and we’d like to get rid of them,” said White. Of course, the bats have made more use of the upstairs in the historic county courthouse than people in recent years. The coun ty government moved its office from the old courthouse to the former Danielsville Elementary School in 1997. But the build ing's downstairs has been reno vated in recent years and the rustic old building with high ceilings and pretty wood floors is home to the county’s Chamber of Commerce, water department and the mentor program. Dove said he would like to see the upstairs renovated at some point, too. The county tagged $90,000 in the most recent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) for court house renovations. ‘That’s a valuable room,” said Dove of the old courtroom. “I’d like to see the upper floor refur bished. It could be used for a lot of different things.” Eliana (front), an 11-year-old lab shepherd mix, and Santa (back) a 4-year-old lab mix are available for adoption at the shelter. Jojo (left), a 5-year-old spaniel mix, and Heidi (right) a 9-year-old boxer mix are available for adoption at the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter. Adoptions .cont’dfrom 1A old lab mix; Lizzie, a female 6-year-old cattle dog; and Foxy Gretchen, a female 7-year-old retriever. Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter director Susan Fomash said she expected there would be increased adoptions after recent media attention at the shelter. But she said that hasn’t been the case. “I told the staff to be ready; we had several phone calls,” said Fomash. “But for whatever reason, they didn’t come.” Fomash said the shelter has seen a drop in adoptions as the economy has gone south. “Adoptions are down; donations are down,” she said. “The only thing up is surrenders (pets left at the shelter).” The Oglethorpe couple's seven dogs are available for a reduced “last chance” price of $45 each, down from the stan dard $75. For more information on the dogs, call 706-795-2868 or visit the shelter on Colbert-Danielsville Road, next to the county transfer station. Meanwhile, the Athens Humane Society, 706-353-2287, has the couple’s 20 cats. COLBERT CITY HALL Closed Labor Day, September 7 TRASH PICKUP Tuesday, Sept. 8 SEPTEMBER 14 PUBLIC HEARING on Re-Zone at 6:30 P.M. COUNCIL MEETING at 7:00 p.m. LANDSCAPING & HORSE ARENAS • RIVER SAND • TOP SOIL • RIVER ROCK • WHITE SAND • FILL DIRT •PEA GRAVEL WILLIAMS SAND 770-967-6501 OR 706-789-3779 Danielsville, GA • www.williamstransportco.com Highway 106 to Jot-em Down Rd. to Young Harris Road to Serenity Lane NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC City of Colbert A petition has been filed requesting that the property located at 5846 Highway 72 West in Colbert, GA be changed from C-1 to C-2. A public hearing will be held at the Colbert City Hall on Monday, September 14 th at 6:30 p.m. All those having an interest in this petition should be present. City of Colbert City of Comer MUNICIPAL ELECTION The City of Comer will hold municipal elections on November 3, 2009. The following offices are scheduled for election: Mayor: Incumbent: William E. Burroughs Term of office will begin on Jan. 1, 2010 and end Dec. 31, 2011. Councilperson District 1: Incumbent: Melissa Yarbrough Term of office will begin on Jan. 1, 2010 and end Dec. 31, 2013. Councilperson District 4: Incumbent: Laquita Bridges Term of office will begin on Jan. 1, 2010 and end Dec. 31, 2013. Candidates for Councilperson must be a resident of the district for which they qualify. Qualifying will begin on Monday, August 31, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. and will close on Friday, September 4, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. at the Comer City Hall at 70 Hwy. 72 E. during normal business hours. Section 21-2-131(a)(l)(A) of the State of Georgia Municipal Election Code requires a qualification fee of $60 for mayoral candidates and $45 for councilperson candidates. WJJC RADIO & INTERNET FOR THE BEST IN LIVE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ACTION EACH FRIDAY NIGHT THIS FALL COMMERCE TIGERS - Live WJJC Radio & WJJC.net BANKS COUNTY LEOPARDS - Live WJJC.net JEFFERSON DRAGONS - Live WJJC.net www.WJJC.net 706-335-1270