Commission Talks About Water
The Jasper County Commissioners Monday heard from Ken McMichael with the Jasper County Water and Sewer Authority (JCWSA) about water resources he feels should be identified on the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
Mr. McMichael told the commissioners of four high yielding feldspar aquifers that the said should be identified on the Future Land Use Map. Mr. McMichael said, all we’re doing is identifying areas on a map.
Commissioner Craig Salmon, who previously served on the JCWSA, urged the commission to take the action because of contamination concerns.
The commissioners first concern was the validity of the study and if the water is really there, and if it is indeed an anomaly. The study cited by Mr. McMichael was from 2005, and commissioners expressed a desire for more recent data.
There was also some concern how the designation could affect growth and future land use. Those wanting the areas identified, stressed it is merely a protection. Mr. McMichael said the geographic formations here, creating the acquifers, is rare and occur nowhere else in North Georgia. He said the county needs to secure its water future.
After considerable discussion, commissioners agreed that officials from the city, economic development, JCSWA, and Robert Jordan as the county engineer should get together and make a recommendation to the BOC by its February meeting.
Also at Monday’s meeting, commissioners approved numerous budget amendments to finalize the 2018 budget. The amendments took all of the budgeted contingency money, as well as dipped slightly into fund balance.
After some discussion, commissioners approved the low bid from Shepco Paving to pave Shepherd Road going into Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center.
The state had approached the county about the improvement, and expressed willingness to help. It is an additional project for the county, and the state said it would pay 70 percent or $160,000 whichever was less. The $160,000 will fall a little short of the 70 percent, so County Manager Mike Benton is going to go back to Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and try to get more funding. Whether it comes through or not, the county voted to move forward on the project. Jasper’s portion will come from the 2012 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).
On another issue, commissioners approved a proposal to complete the county wide property assessment reviews. Chief Appraiser Lynn Bentley explained that each parcel in the county is to be physically visited. The county has contracted with Million Pines Company to do the work, and it is on a revolving six year plan. The county budgets $30,000 a year for this.
Mrs. Bentley suggested the county go ahead and move forward, doing the next three years’ worth of reviews in about 18 months.
She explained that the county is getting a higher amount than originally anticipated from the utilities, and that overage will cover the extra expense of Chris Kight and his company doing the work. Then, all parcels in the county will have been visited once, and they county will go back to the six year review process.
The physical visit helps determine depreciation and finds things that have been added without a permit being obtained.
Mrs. Bentley explained, that she still does her job, which can change values in areas, but each individual property is more fairly assessed if this has been done. The commissioners agreed that consistent appraisals are important and voted to move forward.
In other action at Monday’s meeting, commissioners:
•Delayed appointing anyone to the Recreation Board as there was only one opening and there were two qualified, interested candidates, both of whom were at the meeting. Rather than choosing one over the other, the commissioners agreed to enlarge the recreation board.
•Approved a new signage policy for signs and GDOT rights-of-way.
•Approved the annual update of the Capital Improvement Element for FY 2018.
•Approved county meeting days and holidays for 2019.
•Approved the 2019 alcohol licenses.
•Approved a contract with Triple Point Engineering Services for work at the landfill.
•Heard an update from the county manager about the Pitts Chapel East bridge replacement project. It is set to have a final plan ready by March, with a let date of May, 2019. Construction could begin as early as August 2019.
•Commissioners heard from Mary Alice Carter, also on the JCWSA, who spoke about protecting the watersheds in the county.
•The commissioners went into closed session at the end of the meeting.
