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JANUARY 16, 2020
Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
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Vol. 36 No. 48* Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 16 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements
LOCAL LAKE
‘The dam problem’
Leaders discuss IDA-owned Seagraves Lake Dam
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetne ws .com
A dam that the county
industrial authority pur
chased over a decade ago
to utilize as a potential wa
ter source has turned into a
headache for county lead
ers as they look for a way
to upgrade the potential
hazard of the dam at the
least cost to taxpayers.
About 30 people attend
ed a public hearing in the
public meeting room of the
historic county courthouse
to discuss the situation last
week. Those present in
cluded lake property own
ers, concerned citizens,
board of commission mem
bers. county engineers and
IDA members.
The county took own
ership of the Seagraves
Lake Dam in 2007 with
the intention of repairing it
and using the lake as a wa
ter source. Brian Kimsey
and Clayton Hunnicutt of
Carter Engineering gave a
Seagraves Lake was once seen as a potential water source for the county.
presentation to the crowd,
explaining that the dam
is considered a Category
I “high hazard dam” and
that they have since deter
mined that the lake is not
a feasible water source for
the county, leaving the IDA
with having to upgrade the
dam to mitigate the poten
tial hazard in the event of a
dam breach.
Kimsey said there are
two major concerns: min
imizing the reduction in
the lake level for proper
ty owners along the lake
and while also minimizing
costs to taxpayers for re
pairing the dam.
When state senator Frank
Ginn became the IDA’s
executive director over a
year ago, he requested that
engineers do a study to de
termine how many homes
would be in danger should
a breach occur. They have
See Dam, page 2A
ENVIRONMENT
GRP cited for ‘fugitive emissions 9 violation
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetne ws. com
Georgia Renewable
Power (GRP) was issued
an environmental viola
tion in December by state
regulators for mishandling
chipped wood that was be
ing blown onto neighbor
ing property.
“In this case, it was spe
cific to particulate matter
coming from where the
conveyor dumps regular
wood chips (no railroad
ties) onto the wood pile,”
said Sean Taylor, manager
for the Stationary Source
Compliance Program for
the state Environmental
Protection Division (EPD)
Air Protection Branch.
“The height of the convey
or was significantly higher
than the height of the wood
pile and wind was blow
ing smaller pieces onto the
neighbor's property.”
GRP had not responded
to a request for comment
on the matter as of press
time.
The EPD said the com
pany did not follow regu
lations regarding “fugitive
dust” or “fugitive emis
sions.” The agency said it
has received a number of
complaints about emis
sions from the plant since
the business started in
2019.
“The causes of the re
ported emissions com
plaints have been deter
mined to be the result of
the either operational pro
cedures. inoperable control
devices or the use of im
proper equipment,” stated
Taylor in the EPD's Dec.
23 notice of violation to
GRP.
The EPD met with GRP
See GRP, page 2A
Knight begins new role
with county extension office
Carol Knight is Madison County’s new Extension
Agent for Agricultural and Natural Resources.
INSIDE:
Index:
News:1-3A
Opinions: 4-5A
Crime: 6A
Socials: 7-8A
Schools: 9A
Churches: 9A
Classifieds: 10A
Legals:11A
Sports: 12-13A
Obituaries: 14-15A
Contact:
Phone: 800-795-2581
Mail: P.O. Box 658,
Danielsville, Ga. 30633
MAILING LABEL
EXTENSION
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Carole Knight says she
is here to help.
The new Madison Coun
ty Extension Agent for Ag
ricultural and Natural Re
sources wants to provide
local farmers and citizens
with whatever resource
they need to improve their
lives as it relates to agri
culture.
“I want people to know
that I am here to help them
in whatever capacity that
might look like, whether
that's just riding around
with someone to look at
cows with them or we’ve
got a serious turf problem
going on.” she said. “I’m
here and available and it's
really what I’m passionate
about and what I enjoy do
ing.”
The Bulloch Coun
ty native, who replaces
former extension agent
Adam Speir, was heavily
involved in ag activities at
an early age.
“I was involved with
youth livestock and really
all things 4-H has to offer
because my dad was an ex
tension agent,” she said.
Knight and her husband,
Kyle, have a son, Beau, 7.
The family moved from
Bulloch County to Comer
before Christmas.
They had a farm at their
previous home and remain
cattle farmers at their new
home. Knight estimated
that the family will keep
40-to-45 cattle at their new
home compared to about
60 in Bulloch County.
She said she hopes to help
farmers, adding that she is
one of them.
“I want folks to know
that I feel like I’m one
of them,” said Knight. “I
raise cattle, too. We farm
on the side. So I do those
same kind of day-to-day
things that they're doing.
I want to be able to serve
as a resource. No, I don’t
know everything, but I
have learned who to call to
find the answers, or I will
do my best to find the an
swers wherever those may
fall.”
See Knight, page 2A
WATER/SEWER
D’ville OKs
rate hikes
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Danielsville officials approved a significant hike
in water and sewer rates Monday, citing the need to
boost rates to qualify for grant funding.
“An average residential household can expect to
see a monthly increase of approximately $5 in wa
ter fees and $7 in sewer
fees,” wrote Daniels
ville City Clerk Susan
Payne in a press release
about the rate changes.
Meanwhile, rates for
the county school sys
tem and government of
fices will see a hefty in
crease. The City of Danielsville provides water and
sewer services to schools in Danielsville as well as
the county government, including some facilities
within and outside of the town.
The school system’s water/sewer bill was $2,435
for December. Under the new rates, that same bill
will go up to $6,042, a 148-percent increase. The
county government, which was paying out-of-city
water rates to Danielsville for some services, paid
$7,321.24 for water/sewer services in Decem
ber. Under the new rates, that payment would be
$10,392, a 42-percent increase.
City officials said the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) turned the city down for
water and sewer grants, because the town wasn’t
charging enough for its services.
“We tried applying for a USDA loan for im
provements only to be told 'no,' that the city wasn’t
charging enough for water and sewer services,”
said Danielsville Mayor Michael Wideman before
the council’s unanimous vote to approve the in
creases Monday.
City officials said the rates have been lower than
the state average and surrounding areas. And offi
cials said they don't want to see city residents bear
ing the burden of school and county infrastructure
needs.
“The City of Danielsville, being county seat for
Madison County, has long struggled when it comes
to balancing the needs of its citizens, growing eco
nomic development and servicing the needs of the
county government and public education facilities
serviced by its infrastructure,” wrote Payne. “The
See Rates, page 2A
-
DANIELSVILLE
CITY HALL
POLICE DEPARTMENT
'
HOLIDAY
MLK celebration set for Jan. 20
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration by the
Madison County Pastor’s and Layman’s Fellowship
will be at Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Hwy. 29 North at
noon, Monday, Jan. 20.
The guest speaker will be retired Magistrate Judge
Harry Rice.
WATER
Ginn approaches Jackson
Co. about water supply
By Cindy Edge
Madison County has
asked the Jackson Coun
ty Water and Sewerage
Authority for water and a
30-year agreement for the
service.
Jackson County authori
ty manager Eric Klerk said
the request is a big deci
sion because if approved,
it would be the first time
the county would provide
water outside of the four
member counties of the
Upper Oconee Basin Wa
ter Authority.
During a meeting held
Jan. 9, the board reviewed
Madison County's request.
Klerk aid other members
of the UOBWA — Clark.
Oconee and Barrow coun
ties — would have first
right of refusal before the
authority agreed to sell to
Madison County, which
isn't part of UOBWA.
The request for water
came from Sen. Frank
Ginn, who also serves as
the executive director of
the Madison County In
dustrial Development Au
thority.
Ginn requested the au
thority consider going
outside the standard three
year water sale agreement
and instead enter into a
30-year agreement at a
cost of $2.30 per thousand
gallons.
Klerk said $2.30 is an
old price and under the
current agreement, anoth
er government current
ly contracting with the
county is paying closer to
See Water, page 2A
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