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March 10
EMS station is March 18 meeting topic By LEANNE AKIN
lakin@clickthepaper.com
The March 18 meeting of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners will be followed by the rescheduled discussion of the questions raised about the new West Jackson EMS station under construction. The session had been requested by Commissioners Chas Hardy and Bruce Yates after Chairman Tom Crow and Commissioner Dwain Smith continued to question the new station’s site selection and costs. The meeting was originally scheduled for Feb. 25 but was cancelled as the funeral for Crow’s mother was being held earlier that day. At Monday’s work session, Hardy asked about rescheduling what he has called an air-clearing meeting. The March 18 meeting is expected to have several items of business plus the consent
agenda but the EMS discussion will likely be lively as the finger-pointing surrounding the project remains an issue. Litigation remains in the aftermath of a superior court hearing at which the attorney for the plaintiffs did not appear due to illness. The expense of the project’s delay prompted by the lawsuit has added to the cost of the new station. Also at the work session, County Manager Kevin Poe was requested to obtain additional information about Juvenile Court proceedings of other counties being conducted in Jackson County, host of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit’s juvenile court office. Poe will be talking with Juvenile Judge Kevin Guidry to determine if there should be some adjustment to the annual cost-sharing intergovernmental agreement between Jackson County, Barrow County and Banks County for Juvenile Court services in Fiscal Year 2013. The proposal agreements call for Banks County to pay $2,884.74 per month and Bar-
row County to pay $11,298.57 a month toward the cost for juvenile court services. The three counties divide the expense based on a percapita ratio. Poe said it had been noted that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office must provide security when cases from other counties are heard at the Jackson County Courthouse. If Jackson County is being burdened with additional expenses, he may be making a recommendation to gain credit on the agreements. Expected on the consent agenda are intergovernmental agreements with five other municipalities seeking to have Jackson County conduct city elections. If approved, agreements with Commerce, Pendergrass, Jefferson, Nicholson and Maysville would find the cities paying a fee equal to $1 per registered voter. The Town of Braselton and the City of Talmo are the remaining municipalities expected to request similar intergovernmental agreements. The measure is expected to
Zip code issue is on Braselton strategic plan By LEANNE AKIN
lakin@clickthepaper.com
For the residents of West Jackson who want their zip code to reflect their connection to the Town of Braselton, help may be on the way – although making a change to 30519 will be a process that will take a couple of years. At the council’s annual strategic planning session held March 1, Councilwoman Peggy Slappey broached the subject of the identity crisis which residents complain about as they may live and vote in Braselton but have a different postal code. Wanting to identify themselves with Braselton, the residents want to have a 30519 zip code. Jim Dove, executive director of the Northeast
Georgia Regional Center, who facilitated the strategic planning session with administrative assistant Mott Beck, said those citizens are not alone in wanting to be affiliated with another town. Recently, he said officials for the Caterpillar plant at the Clarke-Oconee line expressed a desire for an Athens zip code, rather than the current Bogart zip. He also said Baxter Pharmaceuticals wants a Covington zip code for its new plant being built on property which currently has a Social Circle zip code. Town Manager Jennifer Dees explained the process for changing the boundaries of Braselton’s zip codes would be easy enough if it just involved Braselton and Hoschton as employees could be
JACKSON CO. SCHOOLS
Eastside community sessions set By KATIE JUSTICE
LeAnne Akin The Paper
kjustice@clickthepaper.com
The Town of Braselton held its annual strategic planning session on March 1 with Councilman Richard Mayberry, Mayor Bill Orr, Councilman Tony Funari and Councilwoman Peggy Slappey working with Town Clerk/Manager Jennifer Dees and facilitators Jim Dove and Mott Beck of the Northeast Georgia Regional Center. They developed policy directives to aid staff in producing a budget and plan of action. shifted, However, with property in four counties, some of the residents live in Hall County while others are in Gwinnett., and have zip codes of Buford and Flowery Branch, so the change would be a “big deal.” The situation will require initial contact with the U.S. Postal Service representative of this area, Dees said. A two-year timeline would be likely as a survey of all affected residents would be required. Residents of The Gates at Braselton have been the most vocal of those who want to see a change from a Hoschton zip code to Braselton’s
Controversy and public disagreement may have ended the Jackson County Board of Education’s discussion of a sixth grade center, but a new proposal for the East Jackson side of the county is up for discussion. The Jackson County Board of Education will be hosting two community meetings – one on Thursday, March 7, and the other on Monday, March 11. Both meetings will take place in the Jackson County Comprehensive High School gymnasium starting at 5:30 p.m. The meetings are open to public discussion
zip plus 5. The Village at Deaton Creek, Reflections and other subdivision residents have also asked about having a Braselton zip code. Chateau Elan originally had a Hoschton zip code as did the property where the new hospital is under construction. Dees said efforts were made to get Braselton zips for both. The council agreed to add the zip code matter to its set of priorities and Dees will begin working to see if the measure can “get some traction.” There would be costs associated with the process, Dees said.
See SCHOOLS, 2A
Apply now for Pre-K By KATIE JUSTICE
Committee seeking Hoschton clerk
By LEANNE AKIN
lakin@clickthepaper.com
Discussion was held in executive session Monday as the Hoschton City Council seeks a new city clerk. Five of the applicants interviewed last week for the Hoschton city clerk position were discussed but the council took no action after 30-minute closed door session with City Attorney Thomas Mitchell. At the Thursday work session, it was announced that more than 60 resumes had been received and six interviews were to be conducted on Friday. It was noted there were good candidates
be on the March 11 meeting of the Braselton Town Council. Also expected to be on the consent agenda after the Monday work session is authorization of the approval of an annual letter of engagement between Jackson County and Bates, Carter, & Co., L.L.P. for professional audit services of the Fiscal Year 2012 financials, internal controls and policies and procedures. Poe said the former finance director had been signing annual engagement letters for $65,000 although he was not authorized to approve expenditures of that value. Poe is requesting the commission approve the auditing firm for another year since it is too late to pursue requests for proprosal. The commission also directed Poe to talk with Sheriff Janis Mangum about additional equipment and vehicles she would like to purchase. The equipment, including new Dodge Chargers, is primarily for the patrol division which is in need of updates.
and it is hoped the selection committee can “fill the position as selectively and quickly as we can.” Mayor Theresa Kenerly and Councilmen Jim Cleveland and Jim Higginbottom are serving on the search committee. Former clerk/administrator Cindy George, who concluded her last official day on the job, assisted in interviews. “Nobody knows her job better,” said Cleveland. George will also be assisting with transitioning the new clerk once hired. The council approved payment on the consent agenda of up to $1,000 to compensate George for hours she helps to train the new
kjustice@clickthepaper.com
Jackson County is currently accepting applications now through April 10 for its school system’s pre-K. The county currently has eight classes, with each elementary school having one class except Gum Springs Elementary (GSES) and West Jackson Primary School, which each have two. Students will be selected based on a lottery held in each respective school zone. Students not selected will be offered the opportunity to be put on a wait list for the program. Like Jackson, Barrow County is expecting waiting lists at each of its eight schools offering pre-K. Barrow currently has 15 pre-K classes which amounts to a total of 330 students. Last year, there were more than 571 applications for
employee. With only two current city employees, Hoschton City Hall may be temporarily closed around the lunch hour or for city business errands. Patience was requested during the interim period until a new clerk is hired. The council’s March 4 business session was short with approval of the consent agenda granting the Hoschton Heritage Arts Council use of City Square for a June 15 arts event. The square will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. to allow for vendor setup and takedown.
See HOSCHTON, 2A
See PRE-K, 2A
Jackson County Airport’s new manager on the job From staff reports
Tom Strong is now serving as the manager of the Jackson County Airport. His first day on the job was Feb. 26, according to County Manager Kevin Poe, who made the announcement on Monday. A graduate of Georgia Southwestern State University, Strong joined the United States Navy and earned his wings as a Navy pilot. After a stint with the Navy during Operation Desert Storm, he transferred to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- Strong
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ministration (NOAA), spending most of his aviation career as a NOAA pilot. With NOAA, he flew numerous weather related missions which included gathering important hurricane and tornado information. He also flew specialty aircraft equipped for conducting missions such as oceanographic research, coastal mapping, and remote sensing. Before retiring from NOAA in 2008, Tom served as both deputy director of NOAA’s Aircraft Operation Center and its chief of staff. After retirement, Strong and
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his family moved to Jefferson and he went to work with Habitat for Humanity in Athens initially as a volunteer. He was later brought on staff as the construction manager leading groups of volunteers in constructing and renovating numerous homes and apartments for deserving families. Since the departure of former airport manager Greg Garner, Poe has been overseeing day-to-day operations at the facility. Strong’s role as airport manager will be management of day-to-day operations of the Jackson County Airport. Working with the Poe and members of the Jackson County Airport Authority, he will pursue new revenue opportunities to attain the long-term goal of
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making the airport operation self¬sufficient. He will also plan for and secure funding for airport improvements to foster growth and increase economic potential for the airport and the county. “We are excited to have Tom Strong join the county’s management team,” said Poe. “We feel that with his background, experience and desire to get back into the aviation field, Tom will do a great job managing airport operations while working with the county and airport authority to develop the airport to meet the needs of Jackson County.” In issuing an invitation, Poe said, “We invite the public to come out and visit the airport and meet Tom.”
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