County Receives $250,000
The Jasper County Commissioners were presented a check for $250,000 from Shane Short and Steve Jordan of the Four County Development at their regular meeting Monday evening. The check represents money returned to the county by the authority now that it is self-sufficient, since attracting Shire and Facebook to the Four County Development at Stanton Springs.
The county has invested about $900,000 in the development, and anticipates millions in return over the next 20 years. Mr. Short said the authority is actively marketing more land in the park, and has had a good level of interest. Mr. Short represents Walton County on the Four County Authority, and is the marketing person for the authority. Mr. Jordan is Jasper County’s representative on the authority along with Commission Chairman Carl Pennamon.
Those pictured include (left to right) Mr. Jordan, Mr. Pennamon, Commissioners Don Jernigan and Bruce Henry, Mr. Short, and Commissioners Craig Salmon and Doug Luke.
Mr. Short said that both Facebook and Shire are currently hiring, and said interested people should go to the companies’ websites to apply. He stressed that not all jobs are highly technical; they have positions like any major manufacturing facility.
Commissioners approved a tax levy for the Board of Education which it would use if money from the bond sale does not cover the cost of improvements approved by the voters in May. Jasper County Charter School Superintendent Mike Newton spoke to the board, and the bonding attorney explained the county has the authority to levy taxes, which is why the county must take action. There is no anticipation that the levy would come to pass, but it is necessary for the bond sale.
Commissioners held a public hearing on a new cell tower site on PalAlto Road. No one was opposed, and the P&Z Board recommended it 4-0. Later in the meeting, the site was approved.
The developer of The Peninsula at Jackson Lake came before the board to request that he provide a bond in lieu of improvements. The result would be he could move forth more quickly and begin selling lots this fall. Without the bond, the project will be slowed down, and it will be next spring before lots are sold. After much discussion and advice from the county attorney, the commission said the ordinance does not provide for bonding in lieu of improvements so they could not approve it.
Two items on the agenda concerned the November ballot. County Attorney David Ozburn said case law says that counties cannot put straw polls on the ballot. Therefore, neither consolidation nor a one mill tax increase for public safety will be put on this year’s ballot.
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During County Manager Items, Mike Benton said that he had approached the city of Monticello about a meeting next Monday, August 13, to discuss Service Delivery. He said the city did not want to move forward until September. (City Council voted at its meeting last week to wait until after a ruling on a case concerning Union Point and Greene County.)
Mr. Pennamon spoke about the city refusing to come to an agreement, and complained about having to take over law enforcement with no notice or consideration when the city closed its police department. He also said the first bone of contention was code enforcement, but now the city wants the county to take over its roads. He said House Bill 489 prevents double-taxation. He spoke of the 700+ acre megasite the city recently purchased, but has not announced plans for the site.
Commissioner Craig Salmon said the county did not want to take on the city’s debt, but should consolidate services where practical.
Because the city cannot meet next Monday, and the commissioners already had it on their calendars, they will have a work session August 13.
In other action at Monday’s meeting:
• Commissioners agreed to buy a new dump truck. They received four bids, but eliminated the low bid as it was not heavy-duty enough for the county’s uses, said the county manager.
• Re-Appointed Ashley Cedars to the Recreation Board and added Bill Stanley and Shaye Ellison to the board, making it now a seven-member board.
• Learned the timber in the area of the mail, senior citizen’s building and recreation department, where improvements are planned, is worth some $88,000, and agreed to go ahead with removing it, with the county engineering firm of Jordan Engineering to oversee it. Commissioners suggested leaving the hardwoods for aesthetic purposes, but removing all the pine.
• Approved the indigent defense services agreement for Fiscal Year 2019.
• Determined not to purchase a crack sealer at this time, but to rent one next winter and work on it for a month and then decide if one should be purchased. They did agree to purchase a limb lopper.
• Approved the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission writing the grant application for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for the Jasper County Health Department. The building is old and faces a lot of issues, so the county is hoping to get $750,000 to fix it or possibly build a new facility. The county’s portion would not exceed $30,000. The grant application deadline is next spring, so they need to begin, said the county manager.
• Heard a proposal about another set of mowers and operators for the public works department (PWD) Currently, the PWD gets around the whole county to cut grass less than three times a year, and more is needed, said the county manager. Commissioners agreed to look at the proposal, but in the meantime to offer overtime to current employees to work on Fridays and Saturdays and get more cutting done.
• Learned that there is a Comprehensive Plan meeting set Monday, Aug. 30.
At the end of the meeting, the commission went into closed session to discus compensation, but took no action when they got through.
A large crowd attended Monday’s meeting and Commissioner Bruce Henry said he was glad to see everybody, and encouraged them to be informed and come back. Commissioner Salmon echoed those remarks.
