Commission Shows Unity at Initial Meeting

The new Board of Commissioners (BOC) for Jasper County voted unanimously on all items presented at the first meeting of the BOC on Monday.

Veteran Commissioner Carl Pennamon was elected chair, and Distirct 3 Commissioner Gene Trammell was elected vice-chair.

The meeting was opened with an invocation given by Ed Westbrook, pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Shady Dale.

Chairman Pennamon thanked the other commissioners for the vote of support, and said he was looking forward to staring off the new year working together as a board.

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Commissioners also named Jim Alexander to continue as county attorney; Lorri Smith as interim county manager, and Sharon Robinson as county clerk. They also named Whitley Engineering to continue as the county’s engineer, and named Commissioner Trammell to represent the county on the Board of Health.

After that housekeeping was out of the way, the commissioners went into a brief closed session to discuss personnel and litigation.

The commissioners heard from state Rep. Susan Holmes who said that she wanted them to be aware that she is working on some small projects. She anticipates the Department of Transportation (DOT) will resurface 147th Street soon, and also install a turning lane at Piedmont Academy.

She told the commissioners and audience that she will gladly help with anything she can, indicating she can’t move mountains, but can help with things such as permitting delays, small paving projects, and numerous issues affected by state government.

She praised the commissioners for opening the meeting with a prayer, and said she has a proud, new exciting, positive feeling about this group of commissioners. And she encouraged them to not get bogged down locally, but to attend trainings and meetings elsewhere. She said there is no need to reinvent the wheel. They can learn from others.

She also encouraged them not to air their dirty laundry. She said there are ways to resolve conflict, and told them not to do it in a public meeting. She thanked them for their service, and reiterated her desire to help.

After a second, longer, closed session, commissioners voted to make its “highest and best offer” on Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) proceeds to be the county would receive 30 percent the first year (2013), 29 percent in 2014, 28 percent in 2015, and 26 percent in 2016 and until it is negotiated again after the next census.

The LOST distribution must be renegotiated between the cities and the county every 10 years. Current negotiations began last year, but a standoff was reached, so the county went to mediation, and now “baseball arbitration.” The county attorney indicated they would meet with the judge again soon.

Commissioners approved 13 holidays for county employees for 2013, including New Year’s Day. They approved this past January 1, as well as January 1, 2014, since that is an order of business taken up at the first meeting each year, and the first meeting is after the holiday.

Holidays include Martin Luther King, Jr. day, presidents’ day, Good Friday, memorial day, independence day, labor day, Columbus day, veterans’ day, as well as Thanksgiving and the Friday after and Christmas eve and Christmas day.

Commissioners learned the county charter calls for one meeting a month, on the first Monday, but does not specify time. Several commissioners have expressed their desire to have mostly evening meetings, as most have day jobs.

The next meeting is planned for Monday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m.

Commissioners had a “first reading” on the county manager ordinance. The current ordinance calls for the county manager to live in the county. Mrs. Smith, the interim county manager for several months, lives in neighboring Newton County, and could not be considered for the permanent job as the ordinance is currently in place. Commissioners agreed to change the ordinance. Mr. Alexander said it would need to be considered a “first reading,” and the second reading will be held at the next meeting.

Commissioners heard the status of some public works equipment. The county will be reimbursed $153,000 for the motor grader that burned on Oct. 31, 2012. However, it was leased, and money was due at the end of the lease, so Mrs. Smith suggested they take the insurance check to pay off the two motor graders at the end of the lease in March.

Then, after a Public Works Director is hired, the county can determine what further equipment is needed and the best way to purchase it. It will leave the county with two working motor graders until additional purchases are made.

Commissioners agreed to contract with Central Georgia Electric Membership Corporation for electricity to an antenna off Jackson lake Road which is needed for the new narrow-band radios to work. The cost will be $41 monthly for the first 18 months, then it will drop to $25 monthly.

Commissioners also received a list of all boards that the county appoints members to, and learned of numerous openings. They agreed to advertise the openings, and encouraged interested persons to apply to serve. They also discussed the need to let those volunteers know they are appreciated by the BOC.

Commissioners heard a proposal from Mrs. Smith that would allow for automatic check signing, rather than two commissioners having to sign each check the county generates. They were interested and encouraged Mrs. Smith to look further into it. She said they would have a check register in their agenda packets each month, so they would see what checks are written and for how much, but they would not manually sign them, and would approve them all as a group.

Commissioners also approved securing the county’s portion, 10 percent, of a $5.9 million GEFA loan for sewage pre-treatment at the Baxter International facility in Stanton Springs. The way the agreement is drawn up, it is anticipated the county’s will be receiving revenue from Baxter before they have to pay on the indebtedness. The 30-year loan will accrue no interest during construction, and afterwards the rate will be 1.8 percent.

After the meeting, commissioners were guests at the Monticello Kiwanis Club lunch meeting (see related story, page 3).