Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A — THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. OCTOBER 8. 2009
BOC
cont’d from 1A
Man cleared on all
Williamson.
“We’re being told too much
what we can do by govern
ment,” said Pethel. .. I'm not
in favor of this at all.”
Thomas said he spoke with
no one who favored the amend
ment. He said he favored
addressing noise problems that
are a consistent nuisance. But
he didn’t want to interfere with
people’s parties, fund-raisers
and other outdoor activities.
“Are we going to be the solu
tion to a problem or the cause
of a problem?” asked Thomas.
Youngblood said he was
approached by a disc jockey
and a band that performs at
weddings who were concerned
about the proposed amend
ment.
“That’s their way of living,”
said Youngblood, who said he
supported the county’s current
restrictions on night-time nois
es, but couldn’t vote in favor of
Bond’s amendment.
Bond opened the discussion
Monday, saying he hadn’t got
ten any feedback on the pro
posal.
“I’ve had nobody to call me
one way or another on the
situation,” said Bond, who then
made a motion to accept the
changes.
BOC chairman Anthony
Dove relayed statements from
Lavonda Fyock, who was
unable to the attend the meet
ing. Fyock noted that there
were no noise exceptions in the
ordinance for churches. She
also said he didn’t feel it was
right to impede on her rights
during the day.
County attorney Mike Pruett
said he added a proposed clause
to the ordinance in hopes of
making an allowance for spe
cial events, without instituting
a special code section for such
events in the ordinance.
Under Pruett’s proposed revi
sion, a noise ordinance violator
would be issued a warning for
a first offense. A person would
only be cited if he violated
the noise ordinance at least 24
hours after his initial warning.
That way, people celebrating
birthdays or holding fund-rais
ers could hold the event with
out facing a citation.
“So I can’t celebrate my
birthday for 36 hours?” joked
commissioner Bruce Scogin.
While Scogin voted against
the proposed amendment, he
asked his fellow members to
allow him to work toward a
middle ground on the issue.
Scogin said he feels people
who want to have peace and
quiet have rights, too. And he
asked fellow BOC members
to allow him to work with
the county attorney to develop
something “acceptable to peo
ple on both sides of the fence.”
“It’s a give and take,” said
Scogin. “It’s a two-way
street.”
Scogin said he will come
back later with something to
present to the board.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other matters, the board
approved amendments to the
zoning ordinance that will pro
hibit holding tanks in buffer
areas for streams and rivers.
In a separate zoning matter,
BOC chairman Anthony Dove
noted that some developers
have gone into bankruptcy due
to tough economic times and
that subdivision road mainte
nance has suffered. He pointed
out one subdivision where
manhole covers are missing,
adding that the bonds for all
subdivisions in the county have
expired. The BOC approved
amendments to the subdivision
regulations Monday that will
give the county more oversight
of roads in subdivisions.
The commissioners
approved an agreement with
the Danielsville Volunteer Fire
Department which will allow
the department to lease a new
pump truck, which will be
delivered in about six months.
Danielsville VFD chief Marc
Perry said the new truck will
help the department meet
emissions standards that go in
to effect in 2010.
The board learned that county
nurse Pam Smith is leaving her
position at the county health
department to become the
district women’s health prac
titioner in Athens. The group
agreed to ask her to an upcom
ing meeting to recognize her
service to the county.
The group approved Dove
as the BOC’s regional water
council advisor. The board
agreed to make Beth Harmon
a 75-percent employee in the
code enforcement/animal
control office. The BOC also
moved nearly $15,000 from
that office into contingencies.
The commissioners agreed to
seek price quotes for the instal
lation of a 106-inch pipe at
Moon Guess Bridge.
The commissioners approved
a new records management
contract for the sheriff’s
department for approximately
$13,000. Sheriff Kip Thomas
said the old software is about
10 years old and out of date.
He said the new software will
improve record keeping at the
department.
The commissioners agreed
to adopt Spratlin Pond Road,
Forrest Court and Overlook
Drive as county roads. The
board approved Wayne
Douglas for another four-year
term on the planning commis
sion. The board heard from
commissioner Youngblood,
who said that “we’re farther
along than we’ve been in a
long time” in getting turn lanes
for Fortson Store Road and
Glenn Carrie Road. The board
also approved a request for
a D. Williams Road resident
who wanted to rezone eight
acres of his property to split the
land for his children.
Hwy. 29 .. • cont’d from 1A
teria. That includes commu
nity input, federal environ
mental law and engineering
standards.
That’s not an easy practice,
she said, given that there’s 53
different environmental laws
a route must meet. The fact
that four bypass options are
on the table only adds to that
involved process.
“So it is quite a process to
get them to one route,” Pope
said. “So we’re still in devel
opment stages.”
There’s also no money for
the project yet and won’t
be for some time, meaning
there’s no timeline for the
project.
“We are still years away
from any kind of decision as
we are years away from any
kind of funding,” Pope said.
When or if that happens,
county residents appear to
favor a bypass that goes east
of downtown Danielsville if
a recent online poll conduct
ed by the Madison County
Journal is any indication.
As of Tuesday, readers had
voted overwhelmingly —
nearly nine to one (189 votes
to 26) — for an east option.
As for the opinions expressed
to the DOT, Pope didn’t have
access to those open house
comments at her Gainesville
office — the comments were
sent to Atlanta — but said
response is usually spirited for
these kinds of projects.
“I can pretty much tell you
there are going to be some
who hate it and some who
love it for every alignment,”
Pope said.
But the DOT will use all
relevant input as a guide.
“It’s whittling them down
and finding the information
that is pertinent and relevant
to the project, other than ‘no,
because this is my property,”’
Pope said.
Rotary... cont’d from 1A
on wheels” program recog
nized the need for hand
icapped-accessible ramps
at the homes of disabled
county residents.
The Rotary of Madison
County has proved a role
model for other civic-mind
ed adults in north Georgia,
with other Rotary clubs
adopting ramp-building pro
grams, too.
Dove noted that the Rotary
Club is extremely efficient
at building ramps after years
of practice. He recalled the
first time he watched a ramp
built by Rotary.
“I was impressed with
how efficient and how
quickly they build them,”
said Dove.
According to the Rotary
proclamation read Monday,
the 400 ramps represent
roughly two miles of ramps
at an estimated value of
$600,000, all provided to
disabled citizens at no cost
to them.
The club has enlisted
financial support from the
Francis Wood Foundation,
Trus Joist Weyerhaeuser,
Jackson EMC, Madison
County Hardware and oth
ers.
The club established a
foundation with a $100,000
beginning balance for hand
icapped programs in the
county, as a permanent fund
similar to the international
Rotary Fund, which will
allow the club to continue
its mission to the disabled
in the community for many
years to come.
Several Rotary Club mem
bers were on hand Monday
to receive the BOC’s procla
mation honoring the club.
charges in vehicular
homicide trial
A man charged with killing his wife in a vehicular homicide case
in 2006 was found innocent on all charges last week.
Christian Oliverio was acquitted last Thursday when the jury
reached a not guilty verdict after deliberating for nearly an hour
and 45 minutes.
Oliverio was charged for the Oct. 31, 2006 death of his wife,
Summer Shenk Oliverio, 22, Hull. The accident occurred at the
intersection of Hwy. 29 and Clark Circle, Oliverio was also
charged with driving under the influence and failure to yield.
Defense attorneys can
appeal venue ruling in
local murder trial
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Defense attorneys can appeal a change of venue denial in a
local murder trial to the Georgia Supreme Court.
Jason Moon, Comer, is charged with the January 2007 shoot
ing death of Edouardo Monrico Barnett. His attorney, Jim
Smith, has sought to move the trial from Madison County.
A judge ruled that the murder trial will remain in the county,
but Moon’s defense has gained a certificate to file an appeal
with the state supreme court, according to Northern Judicial
Circuit District Attorney Bob Lavender.
“They haven’t filed it yet, but they don’t have to have filed it
by now,” Lavender said. “But that’s where it is right now.”
Lavender said the defense must file the appeal soon, how
ever, or risk losing the right to appeal.
Barnett’s body was found along Bellew Drake Road Jan. 5,
2007. Investigators allege that Moon lured Barnett to the area
with the promise of drugs, then shot and killed him.
Moon, who was arrested shortly after Barnett’s body was
found, initially confessed to killing Barnett, but later backed
away from that statement.
Moon’s trial was to start in April 2008 in Madison County,
but has since gone through change of venue requests and
appeals.
Lavender said he’s ready to have the case — which has been
tied up in the courts for two years — go to trial.
“I just want to try the thing,” Lavendar said. “And let a jury
make a decision.”
Vaccine... cont’d from 1A
tion fee, officials said.
“You cannot get the flu by taking this vaccine,” officials
emphasized. “The nasal spray sometimes produces mild
side effects. The most common side effects are runny nose,
wheezing, nasal congestion and fever. These are rare and
less severe than any problems created by actually having
the flu.”
The nasal spray vaccine should not be given to the fol
lowing: children who are receiving treatments containing
aspirin; children with a sensitivity to eggs, egg proteins,
gentamicin, gelatin or arginine; children younger than two
years old; children with asthma or less than four years old
with recurrent wheezing; children with health problems that
predispose them to complications from flu; children who
have a muscle, nerve, or seizure disorder that could lead to
breathing and swallowing problems; and/or children that
have a weakened immune system.
“The 2009 H1N1 vaccine will not protect you from the
seasonal flu,” officials stated. “People should get both kinds
of flu vaccine to protect themselves from getting sick this
season.”
Vaccine availability may vary by area. Call the Madison
County Health Department at 706-795-2131 for specific
information about when the vaccine will be given.
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