Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A-THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JUNE 29. 2023
Budget
continued from 1A
receive transportation to and
from home. In total between
trips and transportation, the
center averages about 4,500
miles per month.
Tyner presented options
from two companies —Cre
ative Bus Sales and Com
mercial Bus Sales. Creative
Bus Sales has 2022 models
and Commercial Bus Sales
will have 2024 models
available in October.
The Creative Bus Sales
models are quoted at a to
tal price of $196,381 and
the Commercial Bus Sales
models are quoted at a total
price of $238,035.
Tyner said that the county
could use a variety of fund
ing options including this
year’s capital funds, next
year’s funds, or grants from
local EMC’s.
She also suggested cre
ating a planned budget line
item in future years, allow
ing for money to be rolled
over from year to year to be
used when vehicles need to
be replaced.
The property valuations
department is also looking
at purchasing vehicles, with
a need for two four-wheel
drive work tracks.
Chief appraiser/depart
ment head Robin Baker
expects the vehicles to total
around $72,445 after re
ceiving quotes from Akins
Ford and Brannen Ford.
Other parts of the de
partment’s budget request
include two additional field
appraiser positions, wage
increases for the Tax Asses
sor Board, software updates
and a retail audit.
In related budget consid
erations, the recreation de
partment is also requesting
more personnel to meet the
demands of growth in the
county.
Director Shelley Parham
said the recreation depart
ment is needing another
full-time athletic coordina
tor specifically for baseball
and softball and an addi
tional full-time ground-
sperson. The department
is also needing a part-time
program coordinator, a part-
time athletic coordinator to
manage the PATH Volley
ball Academy and another
part-time groundsperson.
The rest of the recreation
department’s requests will
be discussed at the next
budget work session on
July 17. There will also be
revenue information for the
department provided at that
meeting.
Hull
continued from 1A
erating budget and it has
missed out on approxi
mately $30,000 in the first
half of the year.
Currently, the city only
officially provides one of
the necessary three city
services required to re
ceive those funds. That
service is water.
The city has a volunteer
fire department. Howev
er, the contract with the
department lapsed dining
the time the government
did not have a quorum to
meet. The fire department
had been contracted at
about $705 a month until
January but has operated
without a contract since
that time.
Pou and Barber are un
clear if the fire department
received payments from
September to the end of
its contract in December
of 2022. The council will
take up the fire department
contract at its July meet
ing, as the mayor and city
clerk have not had direct
access to bank account
balances prior to the spe
cial called meeting.
Attorney Dale Perry
suggested the city’s easiest
path toward providing the
third service requirement
is to contract with a san
itation service to provide
dedicated trash pick-up.
The council agreed and
approved a recommenda
tion to advertise requests
for bids.
Hull will resume its
regularly scheduled meet
ings at the fire department
on Daniel Street. Those
meetings take place on
the fourth Thursday of
the month at 6:30 p.m.
However, the city may
also advertise any special
meetings needed to contin
ue restoring business oper
ations.
Citizens needing busi
ness licenses or other city
information may now con
tact Pou or Mayor Barber
with any needs.
Unemployment rises across
Northeast Georgia region, state
All Regional Commissions
across the state reported a rise
in unemployment rates in
May, according to an update
from Georgia Labor Com
missioner Brace Thompson.
“Despite an uptick in the
unemployment rate, Geor
gia’s economy and job mar
ket remains red hot while the
number of claims remains
relatively low — especial
ly compared to the national
numbers,” Thompson said.
“While one month does not
signal a trend, my adminis
tration will continue to keep a
close eye on the labor market
to identify any new develop
ments.”
In May, the labor force
rose in all Regional Commis
sions.
Employment was up in the
Georgia Mountains Regional
Commission. Heart of Geor
gia Regional Commission,
Southern Georgia Regional
Commission and Southwest
Georgia Regional Commis
sion.
In May, initial unemploy
ment claims decreased in the
Atlanta Regional Commis
sion, Coastal Georgia Re
gional Commission, Georgia
Mountains Regional Com
mission, Heart of Georgia
Regional Commission and
the Northwest Georgia Re
gional Commission.
Highlights from the North
east Region include:
•The unemployment rate
was up seven-tenths to 3.2%
over-the-month, the rate was
2.7% one year ago.
•The labor force was up
1,036 over-the-month and
up 4,718 over-the-year, to
326,106.
• The number of employed
was down 1,458 over-the-
month and up 2,758 over-the-
year, to 315,547.
• Initial claims were up 34
(3%) over-the-month and up
314 (43%) over-the-year, to
1,038.
The Northeast Regional
Commission includes Bar-
row, Clarke, Elbert, Greene,
Jackson. Jasper, Madison,
Morgan, Newton, Oconee,
Oglethorpe and Walton
counties.
Local News - In whatever format you prefer
Yes! Sign me up for ore year of:
Madison County Journal
$
/YEAR - 52 issues*
(55 and older is just $40/year)
Please mail to:
Subscriptions
Madison County Journal
P.O. Box 908
Jefferson, GA 30549
*Taxes and USPS delivery is included in prices. Offer is good for new & existing customers. Please allow two weeks for processing.
jifllGflJJiltl
Subscribe at MadisonJournalTODAY.Com
Or mail in this coupon
L
Name Phone
Delivery Address
City State Zip
Check Enclosed $ Email (for access to web site)
Or charge to: □ Visa □ MasterCard DAMX Card# Amt Charged.
Billing Address (if different from delivery address)
City State Zip
Exp. Date / / Signature
J
BOG moving forward on
moratorium for kennels;
hearing scheduled for July 10
By Hannah Barron
hannah@mainstreetnews.com
The Madison County
Board of Commissioners
has approved a temporary
moratorium to halt the
acceptance of conditional
land use applications for
dog kennels.
Planning director Chris
topher Roach discussed
the large influx of ken
nel requests the county
has been receiving during
Monday’s BOC meeting.
“Compared to surround
ing counties, we are very
lax on our conditional
use for kennels,” he said.
He added that many look
to the county as “open
grounds” for kennels.
The moratorium would
give the planning depart
ment time to research what
surrounding counties have
done to be able to draft an
ordinance to mirror those
requirements.
The end date for the
moratorium hasn’t been
set yet, but commission
ers think the moratorium
should be in effect for six
months.
The BOC will hold a
public hearing to discuss
the moratorium on July 10
at 6 p.m.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business June
26, the BOC:
• proclaimed July as Park
and Recreation Month.
• approved the deeding
of the American Legion
Post 39 property to the
City of Danielsville for its
community center project.
• approved a resolution
authorizing investments.
• re-appointed District 1
commissioner Dennis Ad
ams to the NEGRC Joint
Development Authority.
• heard about the re
structuring of building
permit fees. Roach said
the department would like
to research the surround
ing counties’ fees to make
a comparable fee schedule.
The research will include
incorporated and unincor
porated areas. Roach plans
to have a recommendation
at the board’s August 7
meeting.
• heard a report from
chairman Todd Higdon.
Higdon stated that the
Madison County Food
Bank will be hosting an
open house for the new ad
dition to its facility on Fri
day, June 30, from 7 a.m.
to 12 p.m. at 1547 Hwy. 98
W in Danielsville. He also
discussed Colbert’s annu
al Fourth of July parade
which is scheduled to be
gin at the old Colbert El
ementary School at 9 a.m.
on Tuesday, July 4. In
other event updates, reg
istration for the recreation
department’s fall sports
season is live through July
2, with late registration
scheduled for July 3-6.
The department’s “Chalk
the Park” will be held at
Sammy Haggard Park on
July 16, with entries due
to director Shelley Parham
by 5:30 p.m. that day.
PROCLAMATION
Photo by Hannah Barron
The recreation department is recognized by the Madison County Board of Commissioners for
Park and Recreation Month.
HARRIS DOOR
AND MILLWORK
A Family Atmosphere Work Environment in Pendergrass, GA
Now Hiring for Certified
Fork Lift Operators
Average wage $950.00 paid weekly
Monday - Friday 6 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Closed Saturday and Sunday
• Full Benefits Package
• Health Insurance
(Starts within 30 days or less)
• Dental and Vision
(Starts within 30 days or less)
• Matching 40IK (Starts Day 1)
• 3 weeks paid vacation
(Accrual Starts Day 1)
• Long Term Disability Insurance
(Company Paid)
• Short Term Disability Insurance
(Company Paid)
• 1 hour lunch break and
two 15 minute breaks per day
(5786 Hwy. 129 N, Suite A)
Pendergrass, GA
Call 706-693-0060 (Jennifer)
or email HR@harrisdm.com