Commissioners O.K.s Bids for SPLOST Road Paving
The Jasper County Commissioners last Thursday accepted bids for paving of Hodges Farm Road, Bullard Road and Feldspar Road.
All three are considered “Tier 1” roads that voters were told would be fixed if they passed the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax in 2005.
Work was expected to begin almost immediately on Bullard and Hodges Farm Roads, however several drainage and erosion control improvements were needed on Feldspar Road before work could begin.
A controversial vote was taken to apply to participate in a program with the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Council on an agriculture protection plan.
Commissioner Jack Bernard wanted the item added to the agenda, and Commissioner Mary Patrick said there had been much discussion on the proposal, and since it was not on the agenda that was printed in the paper and posted, she did not feel like the commission should discuss it.
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The proposal concerns enhancing and protecting agricultural lands, and any proposal would be shaped by the community selected to work on guidelines. The idea is to work with the agricultural community to develop guidelines that can help property owners keep their property agricultural and not be forced to sell it to developers for economic reasons.
Commissioner Alan Cox said the proposal was too vague. He said anytime they can’t tell me the commitment required from the county he is suspect. He said he can’t commit to what he doesn’t understand.
Commissioner Patrick said she had talked to farmers and they don’t want people coming on their land; they don’t want more government interference, they are concerned it could cause them hardship.
The motion to apply for the program passed 3-2 with commissioners Cox and Patrick dissenting.
The commissioners discussed the work overseen by Larry Kaiser with Collaborative Infrastructure Services (CIS) in regards to Pitts Chapel Road and the striping/signage grant. Public Works Director Will Brown said that the signage people had just finished late that day (last Thursday), and the county would be getting another reimbursement check soon.
Commissioner Patrick said she was concerned because the commission was told in October 2009, that every paved road in the county would be signed and painted. She wanted to know what happened to the money. Mr. Brown explained the costs of the work, saying thermoplast which was to be used to line the roads is very expensive. He said Mr. Kaiser negotiated so paint could be used and more roads done. He said 27 roads for a total of 100 miles had been striped. He said there are 127 miles of paved road in the county (not including state highways).
He said 300 intersections were to be completed with stop ahead signs, speed limit signs, and stop signs. He said he is working to validate the work.
County Manager Greg Wood commented that prior to this the county did not know how many miles of paved roads there were.
Commissioner Patrick said it seems to her that “we’re getting about one-third of the roads rather than all of them.”
Mr. Brown said that Mr. Kaiser worked with the state grant-in-aid coordinator and the federal aid consultant to make the most of the $400,000 grant.
Commissioner Carl Pennamon asked Mr. Brown if he thought the county is getting its money’s worth from the grant, and the PWD director said yes. Mr. Bernard then made a motion to pay CIS, and the motion passed unanimously.
The Jasper County Commission heard a request from the Deer Festival organizers to use the Courthouse steps and facade to place a banner and trophy mount display. The banners have been placed there for a number of years, and the commissioners had no problem with it. However they had reservations about the trophy wall which would be a collection of mounts of trophy bucks killed in the county to promote one of the county’s best natural resources. The trophy wall would be placed at the Courthouse only on the day of the Deer Festival—November 6.
When announcing this item the county manager said that from what he has heard the Courthouse porch and steps often get trashed at the Deer Festival and this might be one solution for that problem. None of the commissioners commented on that aspect.
Commissioner Cox said he had a problem with the deer wall—a lot of people are opposed to deer heads hanging on a wall.
Commissioner Patrick said from the photo she did not think that the wall would fit on the steps.
Commissioner Bernard made the motion to approve hanging the banner for the Deer Festival.
One item on the agenda was introduced by Zoning Clerk Sherry Braley of the planning and zoning office. The proposal was for the county to institute a policy requiring a permit for “special events.”
The proposed ordinance was drawn up by Code Enforcement Officer Raymond Rogers, said Ms. Braley when questioned by Commissioner Patrick. It would require that the permit hold provide temporary garbage receptacles at any event at which 20 or more persons are expected to be in attendance. In addition, at any event in which 50 or more persons are expected.
