About The Madison County journal. (Hull, Ga.) 1989-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 2025)
THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2025 - PAGE 5A Rendering continued from 1A issue during the public hearing portion of the Franklin Springs City Council’s Marcli regular business meeting. The council rescheduled this meeting from Marcli 20 to Marcli 11, on account of a scheduling conflict on behalf of Mayor Lee Moore, who drives the bus for the Franklin County Higli School Baseball team. Moore stated that he could have run the meeting remotely, but wanted to re schedule and be physically present after “all this has transpired in the last two weeks.” The rescheduled Marcli 11 meet ing was then initially set to begin at 5:30 p.m., but was rescheduled again, just the day before, to start at 5 p.m., be cause Moore wished to attend a Franklin County Higli School baseball game in Soutli Carolina following the meeting. Moore’s son plays for the team. “As you could tell, I’m dressed to go to a baseball game,” said Moore, ad dressing a crowded room of concerned citizens wanting answers from their elected officials. “If I get to make it, that’s great. If I don’t, I will be disap pointed, because my kids come first.” MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS SPEAK Moore, aware of the rumors going around pertaining to the chicken pro cessing plant, addressed the situation at the start of the meeting. “The City of Franklin Springs has not entered into any agreement witli any in dustries, and we have not and will not do anything unless it’s done in a public meeting,” he said. Moore then posed a question to eacli of the city council members: “Would you be in favor of bringing anything into Franklin Springs that would be det rimental to Franklin Springs or Franklin County?” The council members all responded “no.” Neither Moore nor any other council member mentioned Pilgrim’s Pride, or whether the city had been in communi cation witli them or any other businesses about coming to Franklin Springs. PUBLIC COMMENTS Following a number of regular busi ness items, the board then opened the floor for public comment. A Canon resident addressed the board first, regarding the chicken processing plant, saying that “it’s great to hear you say nothing is coming. A local contrac tor assured me 100 percent that it is, so I don’t know what’s the true story.” A council member asked who the lo cal contractor was, but the Canon man declined to provide his name. The man added that he recently moved to the area and flunks that it “seems like a nice place to live,” but he worries a chicken processing plant might change that. “I sure do hope what you guys just said is true and that it’s not happening,” he said. A Danielsville resident and member of the Broad River Watershed Associ ation spoke next, addressing the reason he believes the community was “super fired up.” “I don’t think anybody really wants what’s detrimental,” he said, referencing Mayor Moore’s question to the council. “That’s a pretty subjective term, what you guys think might be detrimental.” The Danielsville man went on to say that he and many others enjoy living in the area because of the close-knit com munity and small-town atmosphere. “We want to be able to enjoy the com munity,” he added. “We want Franklin Springs and Franklin County to thrive, and it’s not going to do that if a render ing plant comes.” The man also expressed Iris concerns about the incoming wastewater treat ment plant, stating that dumping any thing into the river, even treated water, is “not good.” “The Broad River is pretty pristine,” he said. “It is one of the cleanest rivers in Georgia and it is because industry like this is not there.” The man also lamented the idea of local government officials making deals behind closed doors. “The idea to me that somebody could have knowledge about this and, for whatever reason, is not voicing this to the citizens that elected these people is incredible to me,” he said. “I don’t want to think that about anybody up here on this board. I hope that you can prove me wrong.” A Franklin County resident spoke next, informing the board that she was recently diagnosed witli a rare lung dis ease. “That makes the quality of air that I breathe precious to me,” she said. “These rumors of Pilgrim’s Pride would not only threaten our air qual ity, but it would also effect the water, increase traffic congestion on our roads and raise the noise levels,” she contin ued. She also cited the community’s small town “charm” and stated that local prop erty values rely on that charm remain ing intact. She asserted that bringing a chicken processing plant to the area would result in decreased property val ues. The Franklin County woman referred to the Broad River as a “national trea sure,” and asked the council members to protect the river from pollution. “We deserve responsible, sustainable growtli that preserves our quality of life, our healtli and environment for decades to come,” she said. A Carnesville resident spoke next, ex pressing that she believes that both a po tential rendering plant and the incoming wastewater treatment facility will botli be bad for the river. She said that based on her experi ence working in related industries and conversations she has had witli others, no amount of treatment or filtration can make wastewater clean enougli to be safe. The Carnesville woman also said that she heard that a rendering plant would provide roughly 90 jobs, and she did not believe that justified the negative costs of bringing sucli a facility to the com munity. The woman also lamented the may or’s comments about missing a baseball game due to the meeting. “The cost of what this is going to effect is so mucli more than missing a baseball game, driving the bus or ‘my life is for my students’,” she said. “We appreciate teachers,” she contin ued, “but at the same time, I’m asking Franklin Springs City Council to be forthcoming.” She also added that she previously worked for the Winterville municipal court and that, in her experience, not all decisions that go througli local govern ment offices are made public. “Transparency is questionable in this situation,” she said in closing. A Royston resident came up to speak next, and bluntly asked the mayor and council members a question: “Are there now or will there be any contracts or plans in the future to bring to Franklin Springs any industry that disposes of or burns organic matter like rendering plants or biomass plants?” The council remained silent for over ten seconds before someone in the au dience finally interjected, asking, “ques tions require answers, right?” “Ma’am, do not speak out of order please,” Mayor Moore responded to the audience member. The Royston woman clarified the rea son for her question, saying, “I’m just asking for the folks here tonight, we just want to know.” The council again remained silent. The speaker told a story about hik ing near the Chattahoochee River in the 1990s and seeing signs that warned against swimming in the river due to higli levels of pollution, and that would- be swimmers were met witli tickets and fines. “It’s taken them 30 years to clean up the Chattahoochee River,” she said. “The decisions that get made are not just for now, but they are decisions for future generations of people that live here.” The next concerned citizen, another Royston resident, stated that she was not opposed to industry, but felt it was important to choose the right industries to fit the community. She said that she hoped the coun cil would be transparent, and work to bring in industries that would not harm the community’s values, legacy or the healtli of community members. The next speaker, a Franklin County resident and dahlia farmer who lives on the Broad River, expressed concerns that the rumored industry would harm her farm’s success. She said that ev erything is currently “on hold,” as she is delaying expansions to her farm due to concerns about the possible industry hurting her business. She said that she hosts workshops at her farm, and that people come for “the beauty, the experience of being on a farm, for the fresli air and for the peace ful rural charm that makes this place unique.” “I am 100% opposed to industry that will consume massive amounts of water and that will potentially produce bio- mass effluent and emissions right next to my farm whicli is a mile away,” she said. She added that she supports smart growth, but that “this kind of industry doesn’t attract growth, it prevents it.” A Franklin Springs resident spoke next, stating that, “most often where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” She said that partnering witli a com pany like Pilgrim’s Pride would be a mistake. Another concerned citizen from Franklin Springs spoke on behalf of her mother, who wished to express that she was “vehemently opposed” to a chicken processing plant coming to the city. The next speaker expressed concerns about the river not having enougli water to support new industry or the wastewa ter treatment facility. He also warned the Council to be cautious of what they put back into the river. He added that he has been around meat processing plants, and that they create a foul stencli for miles around. He said that the people of Franklin Springs do not want to be exposed to that. A Carnesville resident spoke next, asking the mayor and council members why they are refusing to answer ques tions while rumors are allowed to form and spread. He expressed concerns that decisions are being made in secret and stated that the reason people are so upset is because of a lack of transparency. The Carnesville resident said that he attended a Franklin County Board of Commissioners meeting on Nov. 4, 2024, in whicli former Commis sion Chairman Jeff Jacques said that, “Franklin Springs has an agreement witli an industry that would help pay for the wastewater management plant.” The Carnesville man said that he called Mayor Moore on Marcli 3, and was told that “Franklin Springs is pay ing for it all, 100 percent.” The man closed by saying that de cisions about industrial growtli effect everyone and again asked for transpar ency. The next speaker said that, in his opinion, a rendering plant does not fi nancially make sense for an area like Franklin Springs. He said that sucli a plant is better suit ed to an area witli a declining popula tion, low income and few prospects. He added that he does not think it is wortli the sacrifice to quality of life to bring that type of industry to Franklin Springs. A concerned citizen from Royston came up next, saying that he did not understand why the council refused to answer questions. He said that he chose to come to the meeting to speak to the council face to face, rather than just posting on social media. “Here we are, and you can’t get the words out of your mouth,” he said. He asked that the council “think about the future generations that you’re going to be putting at stake.” The Royston man finished by saying that the only reason he could think of that the council might be considering a rendering plant was money and warned them that, “money don’t buy every thing. It don’t buy happiness.” The next concerned citizen, a fellow Royston resident, said that she walks the sidewalks of Royston and Franklin Springs every day, and that she was op posed to a Pilgrim’s Pride chicken pro cessing plant. She cited concerns over a potential plant lowering local property values. The next speaker spoke on behalf of Slow Water, a kayak and tubing rental service downriver of the rumored loca tion of the rendering plant. She said that Slow Water is her fam ily’s legacy and provides entertainment in a community that does not have a lot of entertainment to offer. “I plead witli y’all, no rendering plant,” she said. “I want my river to stay the same.” The woman’s daughter spoke next, and agreed that the river is currently clean, and a great place for people to enjoy themselves, and she would like to see it stay that way. She also mentioned that there are two other kayaking rental businesses outside of Slow Water along the same stretcli of the Broad River that would be impacted by a potential plant. The final speaker, a Danielsville res ident, spoke on behalf of Broad River Outpost, another kayaking rental busi ness. He echoed the sentiments of others who had spoken, citing concerns over industries wanting to come in and pol lute the river and lack of transparency from the council. MAYOR’S RESPONSE At the end of the meeting Mayor Moore thanked everyone for com ing, and invited all to a public hearing about the wastewater treatment plant on Thursday, Marcli 20. Speaking on the wastewater plant, Moore said, “the city is the only entity that has paid for this, there is no contract witli anybody. There is not contract witli any industry.” “We don’t have to have this hearing on Marcli 20 for engineers to come. We are doing that because we want to be transparent,” he added. He went on to say that the facility would be “very beneficial” to the Broad River and would not hurt downriver kayaking businesses. A member of the audience interjected and accused Moore of lying, citing for mer Commission Chairman Jacques’s statement about Franklin Springs hav ing an agreement witli an undisclosed company that was helping to pay for the wastewater treatment facility. Moore responded by inviting those who “want to learn” to attend the up coming meetings about the wastewater treatment facility. Comer Community Market set to return April 5 Submitted photo Vendors offer fresh produce at the Comer Community Mar ket. I SAI Seed and plant swap coming up on March 22 The Comer Community Market, in conjunction witli The Perch, will host a Seed and Plant Swap and potluck on Saturday, March 22 at 5 p.m. The market also plans to open for the season on Sat urday, April 5. The opening day market will feature eggs, honey, micro-greens, winter greens and vegetables, early spring greens, baked goods, mushrooms, early starter plants, kids activities, music and crafts. Following a “successful and event filled season” in 2024, according to market organizers, the market is also actively seeking new vendors. The market will be open April througli October on Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to noon. The market will also ac cept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) this season. SNAP is a feder al program designed to assist low-income individuals and families witli access to nu tritious food. According to organizers, the Comer Com munity Market is now able to accept SNAP tlirougli a MarketLink grant and part- nership witli Wliolesome Wave Georgia, a non-profit organization that fights food insecurity. “Make our town your town and make our market your market,” organizers said. “Visit Comer and grow witli us.” For more information about becoming a vendor, contact farmersmarketcom- er@gmail.com The market accepts ven dors on a week by week basis. The market can also be followed on Instagram at comercommunitymarket or on Facebook. Chamber continued from 1A recommending appropriate action, as may be necessary to government agencies, Cham ber membership, strategic part ners and the public. • establishing and strength ening working relationships with partners on the local, re gional and state levels. • developing and implement ing strategies and marketing tools to increase membership. • providing members with value-added programs that drive membership growth and retention. • implementing the Board-approved Strategic Plan as it relates to the Chamber op erating budget and fundraising activities. • overseeing collection of member dues, event sponsor ships and publication adver tising. • maintaining fiscal respon sibility for both the short term and annual budget, and report ing to the Board monthly. • providing leadership in developing organizational and financial plans with the Board and other staff, and carrying out plans and policies as autho rized by the Board. • maintaining a working knowledge of significant de velopments and trends in the business community, not for profit organizations along with economic and political chang ¬ es that affect the business com munity. • overseeing, updating and making recommendations to current programs of the Chamber and working with staff to develop new programs to achieve objectives of the Chamber’s Strategic Plan. • identifying and cultivating partner organizations locally, regionally and nationally for mutual program benefit. • leading a strategic plan ning process that positions the Chamber to effectively deal with emerging and changing business trends and needs. • management of Chamber staff to include hiring and ter mination of employees through an annual employee perfor mance review process. The job is a full-time, sal aried position, located in Danielsville. Hours are Mon day through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus availability to work occasional nights and weekends. Compensation will be com mensurate with experience. Those who wish to apply are asked to submit a cover letter of interest, resume and a list of references to the Chamber by noon on Friday, March 28. Applications should be emailed to Board Chair Erica Roquemore at erica@erica- roquemorelaw.com.
