CMYK Thursday, July 23, 2015
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Christmas Love Box unveiled for 2015. 3B
Nicholson SPLOST spending questioned By LEANNE AKIN
lakin@clickthepaper.com
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners has requested an investigation by District Attorney Brad Smith into the Nicholson paving project which utilized $10,607 in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax dollars. Bringing the recommendation of a citizen committee formed to provide watchdog oversight of spending of SPLOST V dollars, committee chairman Adam Pethel advised commissioners on Monday that a 100 percent reimbursement should be sought. On Friday, eight members of the committee and representatives of the technical committee met to review its findings related to questioned paving projects in Nicholson. Earlier in the week, members of the committee had made a site visit to the James Maxwell Road project area where they explored four sections which were indicated on a map developed using county GIS – a pri-
County commission asks for investigation by DA after citizen panel recommends money spent on nonlegitimate paving be reimbursed vately owned section which remains gravel; a privately owned section which was paved in 2013 but not with SPLOST V dollars; a section which was the remainder of the original county road which was apparently paved in 2014; and a section that was paved by the Georgia Department of Transportation during road realignment in 2005-2006. The committee discussed the issue during a 45-minute meeting, Pethel reported, and voted 4-3 to recommend Jackson County seek reimbursement of funds Nicholson expended for the paving project in question. There had been discussion about whether a lesser percentage should be sought since
some of the property still shows on county tax maps as right of way and is not privately owned although the roadway is not a thoroughfare for traffic. It is used by the property owners, members of the family of Nicholson Mayor Ronnie Maxwell, who, with council, would have oversight of the city approval process. A citizen attending Monday’s meeting advised he had obtained records indicating the 2013 paving of the third section was paid for with SPLOST dollars, but apparently not SPLOST V dollars, according to Jackson County Finance Director Logan Propes. The SPLOST V committee had indicated
issues with that section but any alleged misspending of SPLOST dollars would be an matter for someone other than the SPLOST V committee to address. State law changed which required new SPLOST collections, such as SPLOST V, to have a citizen panel to examine spending and utilize a technical committee to provide needed guidance. County Manager Kevin Poe said if Nicholson paid for the work on section 3 with SPLOST IV funds, no paperwork was turned in indicating that expenditure. At Friday’s meeting, Commission Chairman Tom Crow asked several questions, and commended the committee after its vote. “This has been a difficult situation; I appreciate you stepping up,” said Crow, who noted public confidence needs to be restored about proper properly of SPLOST dollars.
See NICHOLSON, 2A
LeAnne Akin The Paper
Tripp in the spotlight
Nashville songwriter Donna Nolan Wilson, who lived in Winder for 12 years, was inspired to write the song, “The Little Boy That Could” when she saw the number of lives which were being touched as they followed the Tripp Halstead story. The youngster, who now lives in Jefferson, captured the hearts of Facebook followers after he was critically injured when a tree fell on him in the yard of his Winder daycare. She feels connected since her granddaughter attended day care in Winder and there is a Hurricane Sandy connection as that storm not only downed that tree but impacted her family and friends with devastation on Long Island. Tripp is also featured in her new book, and she is donating portion of the proceeds from book sales as well as from song downloads to the family. See more Page 2A.
Hero’s Ball honoring public safety officials being slated for Aug. 14
Temporary fire station should lower insurance rates for homeowners
fbohannnon@clickthepaper.com
WEST JACKSON – West Jackson Fire Department’s Station 2 now has an engine assigned to it, meaning homeowners who had experienced a leap in insurance premiums from $650 to $3,000 should getting some relief. The temporary station, which is being made available by Richard and Audrey Barnes, will not be manned and is not on the department’s land which was purchased for the second station’s construction. That building project has been delayed by a lack of funding; the impact of a tax digest drop dealt a serious blow to plans for the station. Currently, the department is not able to purchase additional equipment needed to properly outfit new recruits and local businesses are conducting fundraising campaigns.
By FARAH BOHANNON
Operations Forces (SOF) members. SOF consists of U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Army Special OperaIt is almost time for the fifth antions Command, Joint Special Operanual Hero’s Ball, a special event tions Command, Naval Special Warhonoring the West Jackson Fire fare Command, Air Force Special Department, Braselton Police DeOperations Command and Marine partment and the Jackson County Force Special Operations Command. Sheriff’s Office. Lt. Bill Stevens, a member of the The Hero’s Ball will be held FriOOV Board of Directors is thrilled to day, Aug. 14, at the Braselton-Stover be a part of yet another Hero’s Ball, House in Braselton. and wants the community to know The Hero’s Ball is hosted by Oper- Chris Irwin, what it is all about. ation One Voice (OOV), a program Hero’s Ball “Not only are we raising funds to designed by police officers, fire- 2015 guest support the families of wounded or fighters and community leaders. deceased Special Operations Forces speaker OOV works to raise funds to help members, but we are honoring the support the immediate needs of children and families of wounded and fallen Special See HERO’S BALL, 5A
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According to Fire Chief Ben Stephens, “When [the Barnes family] found out that we needed a station to help that area of our district, they moved very quickly to make room for us. We still hope to build a complete station at our property on Ednaville Road, however, it is cost prohibitive for the time being.” Stephens is awaiting word that ISO has updated its system and “those homeowners get back to the ISO Class 4 that the rest of the district enjoys. “I plan on going door to door handing out the letter for all of those homes... This is very exciting to me that we are able to fix this problem,” Stephens said. Some citizens were further than five road miles from the station, thus increasing their ISO rating to a 10.
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