Commissioners hear State Route 5 updates from GDOT

Board of Commissioners
State Route 5 Project

FANNIN, Ga. — The Fannin County Board of Commissioners heard updates on State Route 5 construction projects and approved purchases for the county’s jail and recreation center at their latest meeting

State Route 5 Projects

District Engineer Grant Waldrop, along with others involved in the project, spoke to the commissioners about current and future construction along SR 5. The board was presented with a map that detailed the six projects that will take place in the coming years.

District Six Project Manager Sonja Thompson explained “The purpose of the project is to provide improvements between Blue Ridge and McCaysville … to construct a truck alternate route around McCaysville and Copperhill downtown areas … and we are also making operational and maintenance improvements along the state route,” and that the project will widen SR 5 from a two lane road to a four lane road with a center turn lane until Old Flowers Road.

She also noted that the project is divided into six sections, and briefly described what each project section entailed:

Project 0017040, an approximately 1.23 mile stretch of SR 5, will include upgrades to the Progress Circle traffic signal and a designated bike lane.

Thompson noted that Project 0017039 is the largest section of project at approximately 5.55 miles of State Route 5, beginning at Pineview Lane and ending near Wash Wilson Road. She told the board “It’s going to take approximately about two years to acquire [the right of way] because there’s over 200 parcels in this section of roadway,” emphasizing the size of the project section.

Project 0017038, approximately 1.52 miles of SR 5 between Wash Wilson Road and Old Flowers Road, is already under construction. “It’s exciting to come provide this update for the Highway 5 widening project, especially now that we’re actually into a phase where you can start seeing some of that heavy civil construction,” Waldrop told the board. In further conversation, the board was informed that the contractor intends to shift traffic when the project starts.

Thompson said Project 0017782, at a length of approximately 1.83 miles, is commonly referred to as the “side walk roundabout section.” It will include new sidewalks, curbing, a roundabout at School Street, and a signal at West Tennessee Avenue.

Project 0017784 will bypass downtown McCaysville and Copperhill. It will veer off from the School Street roundabout and stop at the state line. On the Tennessee side, Project 620490 will continue and loop into Ocoee Street, said Thompson.

Costs and Letting Dates

In an email, District 6 Communications Officer Joe Schulman shared the estimated letting dates and costs of each project: “Cost for the projects are updated each year as a minimum, along with any major changes and are estimated using the current design.” Letting for Project 0017040 will begin at the start of 2024 with an estimated approximate cost of $17 million. Project 0017039 letting begins in the summer of 2024 at an estimated cost of $53 million. Letting for Project 0017782 is mid-2022 with a $14 million cost estimation. Project 0017784 and 620490 both have an estimated letting date of mid-2024 but an approximate cost of $5 million and $15 million respectively.

Other Business

Recreation Director Eddie O’Neal presented the bids for security cameras at the Fannin County Recreation center. The commissioners compared three bids and approved the bid from Mountain Valley Systems LLC. At a total cost of $8,278.25, 15 new cameras will be purchased for the recreation center.

At Sherrif Dane Kirby’s request, the commissioners approved the purchase of dual view X-ray equipment for the Fannin County Jail. The purchase, a total of $165,250, will come from SPLOST Public Safety funds, and will include the installation and calibration of the equipment, operator training, and two years of warranty. In addition, the board considered a potential purchase of an additional three years of warranty at a later date.

The board also approved two appointments during the meeting. Both Angelina Powell and Anita Weaver were unanimously appointed to the Tax Assessors Board and Fannin County Water Authority Board respectively.

 

Commissioners name March as American Red Cross Month

Board of Commissioners
FBOC American Red Cross Month in Fannin

FANNIN, COUNTY — The Fannin County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting on March 8. During the meeting they approved several purchases and proclaimed March as American Red Cross Month.

Chairman Jamie Hensley read and signed a proclamation during the meeting that named March 2022 as American Red Cross Month in Fannin County. “In Fannin County, the contributions of local Red Cross volunteers give hope to the most vulnerable in their darkest hour,” Hensley said. He continued, “Their work to prevent and alleviate human suffering is vital to strengthening our communities’ resilience. We dedicate this month of March to all those who continue to advance the noble legacy of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton.” Hensley also encouraged residents of the county to support The Red Cross’ mission

Purchases

Fannin County Public Works Director Zack Ratcliff attended the meeting to request purchase approvals from the board. Shallowford Bridge, which is currently closed, needs repairs to prevent it from being shut down, Ratcliff noted. The cost of the repairs would total $82,577.90, but the county was offered a grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation that will cover 70 percent of the total cost. The board approved the remaining cost, $24,773.37, to be taken from SPLOST funds for the project. The board also approved a $15,000 purchase of a rubberized asphalt distributor, and approved the purchase of three trucks for a total of $127,248.

The commissioners also discussed a piece of property the county purchased to use for employee parking. Chairman Hensley sought approval to move forward with developing the property. The board discussed and approved spending $7,800 to begin the process, including conceptual site plans and erosion control plans according to Hensley. Chairman Hensley discussed the same piece of property during a recent Blue Ridge City Council meeting on downtown parking.

Other Business

The board appointed Charles Donaldson to the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission on March 8. The commission, according to the NWGRC website, serves “to improve the qualify of life for every Northwest Georgia resident, through orderly growth, conservation of the region’s natural and historic resources, and care and development of the region’s human resources.” Donaldson will serve as a non-public member of the commission, which consists of 15 counties and 49 municipalities.

The board also approved a resolution that will allow the Fannin County Water Authority to refinance two loans. The county attorney noted the loans will be reduced from a 40 year payout to a 20 year payout, along with a reduced interest rate.

Fannin’s Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Patrick Cooke spoke at the meeting requesting the commissioner’s approval to join the Tri-State Mutual Aid Association. Cooke said joining the agreement would give the county greater access to emergency resources. “There’s a $100 per year fee,” Cooke noted, “but in the event we call in resources, there’s no cost to us at that point.” The Tri-State Mutual Aid Association says their mission is to “provide routine 2nd alarm through 5th alarm response and special calls to fire, haz-mat, specialized rescue incidents, and unusual events such as firefighter funerals and major water outages.”

 

A proposed Alarm Ordinance was also on the March 8 meeting agenda, but was tabled again.

Water Authority Considers ServLine Insurance Plan for Customers

News, Water Authority

BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – The Fannin County Water Authority discussed a potential new ServLine Insurance Plan for its Customers during their meeting on Wednesday, July 17, 2019.

Customer water leaks aren’t the fault of the Water Authority, and thus is the responsibility of the customer to fix. This can be rather costly on the water bill.

Jenna with ServLine

As Jenna with ServLine explained, the purpose of this insurance would be to cover such costly water bills from water leaks by reimbursing the Water Authority directly.

This reimburses what customer’s owe on their bill because of the leak, not what it costs to fix the leak.

This insurance would cover one occurrence in a 12-month period, that can cover two consecutive billing cycles, with a two times
average qualifier.

This means customers would be able for a one leak claim in a 12-month period. It can cover two months, but in order to qualify, the customer’s bill would have to be at least twice their average.

Leaky toilets, dripping faucets and commercial coverage is also optional, should the Water Authority choose to cover them as well.

Fannin County Water Authority would be the name insured on the policy, and the Water Authority customers are beneficiaries of the policy.

The cost of the insurance would be added to the water bill, or added to the base water rate.

If written into the cost of base water rate, this would basically be a rate increase. Customer’s won’t see as a line item on their bill. There would be a 10% discount from ServLine for going this route.

Or, will show up as a line item on customer’s bills if customer’s do not choose to decline to participate.

The optional maximum limits are as follows: $2,500 max that ServLine will pay for a leak.
$500 leak adjustment limit = $1.75/month
$1,000 leak adjustment limit = $2.00/month
$2,500 leak adjustment limit = $2.35/month

These are residential only rates. This is one reimbursement per 12-month period coverage, as mentioned above.

Rates are guaranteed not to be raised within two years.

The Water Authority may add a small administrative fee (five – 15 cents) if they choose to do so.

There is a second, optional part to the program as well. Customer’s may opt in for one or both.

This second option deals with outside water lines.

If there’s an issue with the lines outside of the home from the meter up to the foundation (ServLine doesn’t go under the foundation or inside the home), you can be reimbursed directly for the plumber, parts needed to fix the leak, etc.

This would be an additional $5.75/month for a $10,000 max reimbursement, and this is unlimited, so you would get more than one reimbursement per year, unlike the leak protection.

Customer’s can opt-out through ServLine directly at any time.

Educational materials will be mailed to customers of the Fannin County Water Authority prior to implementation of the plan.

The board has yet to make a decision on this, so be sure to stay tuned for future updates on the matter!

https://youtu.be/j-YYm0FZfTo

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Fannin County Water Authority rate increase

Community, News

Blue Ridge, Ga. – Discussions on whether the Fannin County Water Authority (FCWA) would see a price hike has been a hot topic this year, and the Blue Ridge City Council solidified that this rate increase would take place at their Nov. 13 meeting.

Currently the FCWA purchases water for its customers from the City of Blue Ridge at a wholesale rate. This rate had been debated early this year as being under normal wholesale prices.

Rebecca Harkins, Utilities Director for the City of Blue Ridge and Alicia Stewart, the city’s Finance Director, presented to the Blue Ridge City Council a breakdown of why a wholesale rate increase is necessary.

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Blue Ridge City Council, Mayor, Council Member, Donna Whitener, Harold Herondon, Kenneth Gaddis, Nathan Fitz, Rhonda Haight, Robbie Cornelius, Utilities Director, Finance Director, Rebecca Harkins, Alicia Stewart, Fannin County Water Authority, Rural Assistance Community Project, Phillip Reid, Water Rate, Increase, Wholesale

Rebecca Harkins and Alicia Stewart address city council on their findings regarding the wholesale water rate.

“Earlier in the year Alicia and I have gotten to together and calculated a wholesale water rate,” Harkins said of the internal work done by the city. “We based it on our expenditures from the water system versus what our normal everyday customer paid.”

Harkins pointed out that the expenditures and data collected was based on the previous year of 2017.

Currently FCWA purchases water at a wholesale rate of $3.25 per 1,000 gallons. This rate is approximately 25.65 percent of what a consumer directly supplied by the city pays. The goal of the City of Blue Ridge is to bring the wholesale rate up to 50 percent in yearly increments.

The proposed rate increase would put wholesale prices at $4.25 per 1,000 gallons and bring the percentage closer to 33 percent.

Harkins and Stewart also had a third party rate study conducted by Phillip Reid, Georgia State Manager for the Rural Assistance Community Project. This third party review was conducted at no cost to the city.

According to Harkins, Reid looks at the percentage of water used versus the percentage of revenue and through his findings had also recommended the rate be set at $4.25 per 1,000 gallons with an increase to $5.00 per 1,000 gallons the following year.

“The only difference I came up with is that in the second year of rate increase it would look more like $5.25 if you factor in inflation,” Harkins stated of her findings.

Council member Rhonda Haight questioned the current total amount of debt the City of Blue Ridge faces in regards to its water system. Stewart replied approximately $14 million.

This debt according to Haight must be taken into consideration when negotiating rates. Haight further commented that she felt the city should not be locked into a set price with the FCWA and should be able to evaluate rates if more debt is obtained.

Mayor Donna Whitener suggested the city holding a workshop where Reid could go over all findings and explain to the public the cost of running a water system.

While contracts are still being worked through between the City of Blue Ridge and the Fannin County Water Authority, the city council did vote to raise the wholesale water rate to $4.25 per 1,000 gallons effective Dec. 2018.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Fannin County Water Authority looks to expand services

Community, News

The Fannin County Water Authority (FCWA) discussed expansion of their utility services to include the Lake Cove development area. This topic was thoroughly evaluated by board members and consultants at the regular monthly meeting of FCWA held on Aug. 15.

Kurt McCord, Project Engineer with Carter and Sloope, Inc., ran initial fire flow testing for this project on July 27. It was determined from these tests that there is currently enough water pressure on existing lines to adequately supply water in the event of an emergency.

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Fannin County Water Authority, Lake Cove, Rocky Point, Morganton, Expansion, Service Area, Chairwoman, Anita Weaver, Board Member, Angie Arp, Carter and Sloope, Kurt McCord, Project Engineer

FCWA looks to expand service areas and plans for possible future demand.

“When you look at size and lines, you look at two things,” McCord said explaining his findings and offering recommendations to the board. “You look at one, just normal domestic use, and then you look at fire flow.”

McCord explained that in an area such as Lake Cove and Rocky Point that there is not enough development to base the size of the pipes on domestic use, and that the FCWA must look to fire flow to determine the appropriate specifications to move forward.

While the expansion to the Lake Cove area could take place in the foreseeable future, McCord pointed out that now would be the time to go ahead and plan for the possibility of expansion to the Rocky Point area as well.

To be able to expand to Rocky Point, the board would need to plan on installing an 8 inch pipe, rather than the 6 inch pipe needed to just supply Lake Cove. By going ahead with larger capacity piping the FCWA would only have to pay a difference in material costs.

McCord said by being preemptive in this matter, it would cut future costs and added, “If there was more development, these lines would be able to handle that.”

Showing concern of residents following through with water hookup and services, Board Member Angie Arp questioned the limited security a signed letter of intent and inquired about recieving a upfront deposit.

After a brief discussion and careful thought, the board decided that residents wishing to have county water lines run to their area would need to sign a letter of intent and pay a $125.00 fee. This one time fee is per lot where a tap will be placed.

The fee, however, will be deducted from the overall cost to the consumer for water hookup once construction is completed.

The board agreed that there needs be at least 20 residents express interest in the Lake Cove area before the project begins. Estimates for the total number of customers this line will accommodate currently exceeds the minimum requirement of 20.

“This is the kind of project SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) was designed for,” FCWA Chairwoman Anita Weaver stated.

FCWA voted unanimously to move forward with finding the level of interest in the area for this extended line. Surveying and permitting will be the first phase of the project and could take approximately 6 months to complete.

Once surveying and permitting is done, construction can begin.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Rate increases for Fannin County Water Authority

Community, News

BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – Customers of the Fannin County Water Authority (FCWA) were left wondering if their bills would see an increase after the city of Blue Ridge implemented a rate increase for wholesale customers.

The city of Blue Ridge increased their rates by $1.00 per 1,000 gallons of usage in June 2017. This increase affected all city water customers. The city announced recently that their wholesale buyers, FCWA and the city of McCaysville, would see another similar increase in 2018.

Fannin County, Georgia, Blue Ridge, McCaysville, Fannin County Water Authority, Rate Increase, Chairwoman Anita Weaver, Vice Chairman Larry Chapman, Zack ratcliff, David Falls, Angie Arp, Mark Burger, Kay Kendall

FCWA board members discuss the impacts of a rate increase.

“The city of Blue Ridge has made an increase for our water services. I know a lot of you are here today to see how it is going to effect your rates,” FCWA Chairwoman Anita Weaver addressed the crowd at the April FCWA meeting.

Weaver also acknowledged that the news of this increase has not left the FCWA with time to discuss its potential impact: “The water authority has really not had an opportunity to go over all of this at the present time, to look at our budget, to see if there will be an increase.”

Following the June 2017 rate increase from the city, the FCWA passed on 75 percent of the increase to its customers.

FCWA board member Kay Kendall was present at the city meeting when the wholesale rate increase was implemented and explains why there was a need to raise prices: “I was at the meeting and if I understand it right, it was due to the cost for them (city).”

FCWA is currently in a three-year contract with the City of Blue Ridge, and there is little in the contract to prevent any kind of increase the city might enforce.

“There’s no promise that in terms of looking at increases,” Weaver said explaining the current contract, “just a very vague statement that says, ‘we (city) can do whatever we want, every time, every year.'”

Questions arose from current FCWA customers asking the board what can be done to renegotiate the terms of the contract, and what the board plans to do moving forward.

The board was unable to discuss the reworking of the contract, and Kendall added, “We fully recognize that, right now, the city holds the cards.”

Assuring customers that the board is not taking the matter lightly, Weaver said, “I have talked with a couple of the council members and I plan on continuing to talk to them to see what we can resolve in this matter.”

FCWA Vice Chairman Larry Chapman added to Weaver’s thoughts, “A lot of the questions you folks have are the same questions we have and we’ve got to find the answers to those.”

The FCWA hopes to have more answers in their next monthly meeting scheduled to be held Wednesday, May 16, at the Fannin County Courthouse.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Fannin County Water Authority evaluates customer rates

Community, News

BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – Projects continue to make progress as the Fannin County Water Authority (FCWA) expands its service area. Two such projects, Dry Branch Road and Blue Bird Road, have been in the works for several months now, and the board received updates on both.

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Fannin County Water Authority, Carter and Sloope, Kurt McCord, Larry Chapman, Anita Weaver, David Falls, Kay Kendall, Water Rates, Residential, Commercial

Blue Bird Road project moves towards completion.

Kurt McCord, a project engineer with Carter & Sloope, Inc., informed the FCWA board that plans for the Dry Branch Road expansion are complete and that all approvals needed for the continuation of Blue Bird Road have been granted. McCord says that the Blue Bird Road project could possibly be complete in two months.

With this expansion comes the need to discuss rates for water customers. FCWA continues to grow and McCord presented the board with recommendations for pricing to its customers.

“We basically looked, really at the neighboring systems, kind of around us, ” McCord said, explaining how the pricing recommendations came about.
By comparing rates of the city of Blairsville, city of Blue Ridge (inside), city of Blue Ridge (outside), Ellijay-Gilmer County Water & Sewer, city of McCaysville, and the city of Morganton, Carter & Sloope came up with a set of prices for FCWA customers.

Fannin County poses a unique set of difficulties when pricing water rates in that many of the homes in the county  are second homes or rental properties, leading to less water use on average than that of full-time residents.

“I think it was wise at the time to adopt a higher base rate,” McCord explained of the proposed numbers, “because I think we have come to find out that they (part-time residents) may only be using 2,500 to 3,000 gallons a month.”

FCWA board member David Falls explained that the rates need to be enough to cover maintenance, employee’s salary, and any other costs associated with providing water to Fannin County residents.

Discussion arose about industry specific pricing. FCWA Vice Chairman Larry Chapman brought this issue to the board’s attention: “If we have chicken houses or something like that, we are going to have to look at a guaranteed minimum usage on something like that.”

Chapman cited that industries such as the chicken houses would likely use county water as a backup system.

Fannin County Attorney Lynn Doss explained that commercial rates could be broken up into different categories of industry and could also be examined on a case-by-case basis.

“You set the base lines. Then you have to negotiate certain things,” Doss described of providing water for commercial use on a case-by-case basis, “especially while you’re still in the mode of expanding your lines, your overall services.”

Board Member Kay Kendall asked if impact fees were being set aside into a separate account, and suggested that if not, these fees could be put into a separate account for capital improvements.

“Just set aside so that we would know that that is our building fund,” Kendall explained of the need. “Put them in a separate capital improvement account with the idea that in an emergency situation, we could use for operations, but it would require authority approval.”

The board unanimously voted to open a new account for impact fees, with the understanding that the board could approve to use these funds in another area if an emergency need arises.

Chapman suggested a small impact fee be added to residential service. The board unanimously approved these impact fees on residential. The new impact fees would include $25 on 3/4-inch residential water line and $50 for one-inch residential water line.

The board approved the recommendations for water rates in Fannin County with the added impacts fees. Commercial pricing will mimic irrigation pricing.

The board will re-evaluate rates on an annual basis.

 

Monthly Billing:
$38.00 monthly charge (does not include any water)
$5.00 per 1,000 gallons up to 5,000 gallons
$7.00 per 1,000 gallons over 5,000 gallons

Tap Fee:
For 3/4″ Residential Water Line:
Tap Fee: $1,465.00
Impact Fee: $25.00
Deposit: $125.00
Admn. Charge: $35.00
TOTAL: $1,650.00

For 1″ Residential Water Line:
Tap Fee: $1,890.00
Impact Fee: $50.00
Deposit: $200.00
Admin. Charge: $35.00
TOTAL: $2,175.00

Other Fees:
Late Fee: $15.00
Returned Check: $30.00
Disconnection: $50.00
Reconnection: $75.00
After hrs. Restore Service $100.00
Meter Tampering: $150.00
Admin. Fee: $35.00
Hydrant Meter/Bulk Water Purchase:
Deposit: $750.00
Monthly Rental: $50.00
Water Usage: $5.00 / 1,000 gallons

Irrigation:
$38.00 monthly (no water included)
$6.00 / 1,000 gallons up to 5,000 gallons
$8.00 / 1,000 gallons over 5,000 gallons

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Angie Arp appointed to Fannin County Water Authority

Business, News

BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – The Fannin County Water Authority will see a new board member in March while other departments saw reappointments to boards during the Feb. 13 Fannin County Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting.

Post 2 Commissioner Larry Joe Sosebee made recommendations for both the board of the Fannin County Water Authority and the board of the Fannin County Tax Assessors. Sosebee’s recommendations were met with approval of fellow BOC members.

Janie Bearden, a current member on the Board of Tax Assessors, saw reappointment to this board for another term.

Another reappointment came to the Fannin County Water Authority as Larry Chapman was unanimously approved to serve another term.

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Board of Commissioners, Chairman, Post 1 Commissioner, Post 2 Commissioner, Stan Helton, Earl Johnson, Larry Joe Sosebee, Littering, Trash Services, Land Developement, Marie Woody, Fannin County Sheriff, Dane Kirby, Tax Assessors, Dawn Cochran, Janie Bearden, Fannin County Water Authority, Larry Chapman, Angie Arp, Department of Family and Children Services, Family Connection, Sherry Morris

Board of Commissioners get straight to business at February’s first meeting.

Angie Arp was also recommended by Sosebee for the Fannin County Water Authority board and was unanimously voted into this position. This three-year term will begin on March 1.

The BOC’s first monthly meeting opened with public commentary that brought about discussion from the board as well as from Fannin County Sheriff Dane Kirby.

Epworth resident Richard Sims discussed the ongoing littering problem throughout Fannin County: “The trash that’s littering the highways, I believe a large part of that is due to the home pick up services. These individuals are not securing garbage that they are picking up from homes and allowing it to literally blow off their trucks.”

Sims suggested possible solutions such as requiring these haulers to have hard top covers or begin strictly enforcing the county fines and issuing tickets for the maximum amount of $1,000.

Fannin County Commission Chairman Stan Helton took personal interest in this commentary, “I feel the board has been very assertive since day one on trying to attack this trash issue. That is something I don’t like to see myself.”

Helton believes that current county ordinances address this issue, and it is just a matter of finding an effective way to enforce the laws. Chief Land Development Officer Marie Woody is tasked with imposing these ordinances.

Unfortunately, Woody is only able to ticket these offenders if caught at current waste disposal facilities, and as Sheriff Dane Kirby pointed out, officers are unable to ticket offenders unless they personally witness the act.

“It’s a state law, in the state statute, that you can’t make traffic offenses based on what somebody else tells you,” Kirby explained.

Commissioners along with Kirby agreed to be more vigilant about this issue and pursue current county ordinances and fines in dealing with offenders.

Kirby, while not on the agenda, had an emergency expenditure arise that needed the board’s immediate approval. The dishwasher in the county jail recently quit operating, and upon inspection, it was recommended that the stove in the jail also be replaced.

Both appliances have been in use since the current jail opened several years ago.

“We don’t put items like that in our budget,” Kirby explained of the department’s predicament to the board. “We just don’t plan for things like that happening.”

Ed Hawkins, with the Fannin County Maintenance Department, researched replacement appliances for Kirby, and Kirby deferred to Hawkins’ recommendations.

The industrial dishwasher found would cost the county approximately $20,000 and the new stove would run around $2,500.

Kirby described the two quotes that were obtained for the replacement dishwasher: “One of them was a $20,000 dishwasher and they installed it for free, and the other one was a $15,000 dishwasher and they charge you $5,000 to put it in.”

Helton motioned that the county replace both appliances for the jail, Post 1 Commissioner Earl Johnson seconded the motion, and all three commissioners voted in favor of the new appliances.

Commissioners re-entered into a contract with the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) regarding funding from the county.

No representatives from DFCS were present to discuss this funding.

Helton explained that this is an annual agreement that Fannin County has been involved in for years: “This is basically the budget we approve for 2018 – $50,558 – and we’re required each year to sign this showing that we are in fact going to fund them the amount that we say we will.”

Sherry Morris, director of Fannin County Family Connection, Inc., was present to ask the BOC that Fannin County continue to serve as Family Connection’s fiscal agent.

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Board of Commissioners, Chairman, Post 1 Commissioner, Post 2 Commissioner, Stan Helton, Earl Johnson, Larry Joe Sosebee, Littering, Trash Services, Land Developement, Marie Woody, Fannin County Sheriff, Dane Kirby, Tax Assessors, Dawn Cochran, Janie Bearden, Fannin County Water Authority, Larry Chapman, Angie Arp, Department of Family and Children Services, Family Connection, Sherry Morris

Post 2 Commissioner Larry Joe Sosebee inspects the Tax Assessors new vehicles at the Fannin County Public Works Department.

Morris updated the board on services provided through Family Connection during 2017. According to Morris, 105 people were served through the pantry. This number is actually down about 9 percent from 2016.

Morris also personally thanked the BOC for entering into opioid litigation: “Thank you so much for working on that opioid (litigation), because as you (Helton) know from being a volunteer at Family Connection, we see first hand, day to day, what happens with families who are in the opioid crisis and the poverty that results from that.”

Chief Appraiser Dawn Cochran from the Fannin County Tax Assessor’s Department presented the BOC with a number of bids for two new vehicles for her department.

Two used vehicles will be purchased from North Georgia Ford. The 2016 Ford Escapes will come with a price tag of $20,000 each.

Through negotiation, Cochran was able to receive a seven-year, 125,000-mile warranty on one of the vehicles, and an extended warranty on the other. The extended warranty will cover an additional 90,000 miles.

After a long debate on the need for these new vehicles the board unanimously approved the purchase of the two used Ford Escapes.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Shallowford Bridge Road could see improvements

Community, News
property jail

BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – Shallowford Bridge Road could see upgrades including paving in the future. Public Works Director Zack Ratcliff discussed with the Fannin County Board of Commissioners (BOC) the possibility of receiving federal grant money to complete these projects.

“This is a federal grant on paving Shallowford Bridge Road,” Fannin County Chairman Stan Helton began. “It’s an 80/20 grant.”

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Board of Commissioners, Chairman, Post 1Commissioner, Post 2 Commissioner, Stan Helton, Earl Johnson, Larry Joe Sosebee, Public Works, Zack Ratcliff, Emergency Management Agency, EMA, Robert Graham, Land Development, Marie Woody, Fannin County Water Authority, Jackie Seabolt, Mark Burger, David Falls, Fire Station, Nixle, Stop the Littering, Shallowford Bridge Road, paving, condemnation

Public Works Director Zack Ratcliff discusses  a federal grant to pave a portion of Shallowford Bridge Road.

Ratcliff explained the grant in more detail: “We’re looking at probably a $172,000 grant.”

If allotted this grant amount through the Forest Service, the county would be responsible for $34,543.

“They’re going to let us do a mile in forestry service property,” Ratcliff said, explaining that special permission had already been given to conduct this project.

Post 2 Commissioner Larry Joe Sosebee commented, “I think it’s a good deal. It will cut down on some of the dust and mud.”

Post 1 Commissioner Earl Johnson, who is no stranger to the paving business, questioned, “Are we paving or tar and graveling?”

Ratcliff replied that it would be paving and also informed the board that the work would need to be contracted out. The county can also reapply for this grant in the future to continue similar pieces of work in the county.

All commissioners were in agreement to apply for this funding with Johnson acknowledging the benefits: “We can’t pave any roads that cheap anywhere else.”

Fannin County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Robert Graham approached the BOC with a request regarding the county’s emergency alert system, Nixel.

“Tonight, I would like to ask for the commissioners to consider the renewal of the contract for our alert system for the county,” Graham opened the discussion with the BOC.

The Nixle Alert System is one of the county’s many tools in providing citizens with up-to-date information regarding any emergencies or situations within the county that require resident’s attention.

“The Nixle Alert System is a countywide alerting system that we can send out both text, email, or voice messages in case of emergency,” Graham explained of how the system works. “We can also do a reverse 911, where we can send out to every number in our 911 system with a voice message.”

Fannin County’s Nixle currently has 4,075 residents signed up for text alerts, 1,636 signed up for email, and the reverse 911 option has the ability to presently reach around 14,000 people.

The current contract for the Nixle Alert System expires at the end of this month. The new contract is for three years with a guaranteed price of $8,022.67 per year. This is an increase of $233.67 from the county’s current contract.

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Board of Commissioners, Chairman, Post 1Commissioner, Post 2 Commissioner, Stan Helton, Earl Johnson, Larry Joe Sosebee, Public Works, Zack Ratcliff, Emergency Management Agency, EMA, Robert Graham, Land Development, Marie Woody, Fannin County Water Authority, Jackie Seabolt, Mark Burger, David Falls, Fire Station, Nixle, Stop the Littering, Shallowford Bridge Road, paving, condemnation

Post 1 Commissioner Earl Johnson looks over a contract renewal for the county’s Nixle Alert System.

Of the $8,022.67 per year, the cities of Blue Ridge and McCaysville each pay 23 percent of this total, while the city of Morganton pays 8 percent. This leaves a remaining 46 percent for the county to compensate.

“It sounds like a much-needed tool,” Johnson shared of his thoughts on the contract renewal.

Sosebee agreed of the need, “When I first ran for office my platform was safety for everybody in Fannin County. I have no problem with it (renewal of contract).”

The BOC unanimously agreed to renew the county’s contract for the Nixle Alert System.

Graham also gave a brief update on the search for property for Fire Station 2 (Mineral Bluff). Johnson had previously questioned the status of this station at a prior BOC meeting.

“We feel like if we move any direction out of Mineral Bluff that we need to look towards Highway 60 North,” Graham stated.

Graham cautioned that the station should not be moved out of the community more than a mile and that moving it any further could result in ISO (Insurance Service Office) ratings for residents of that area being affected.

Graham said that his team will continue to be on the lookout for suitable property for Fire Station 2.

Chief Land Development Officer Marie Woody presented the BOC with a county-wide initiative to curb the littering problem that Fannin County faces. This new program is dubbed the Stop The Littering Campaign.

This new program hopes to bring cooperation on many fronts in Fannin County, including that of the residents.

As of April 2018 all waste transfer stations in the county will require all loads to be tarped or covered before going over the scales. If a driver is found in violation of this policy, he or she will be required to turn around properly, secure the load and then proceed to the scales again.

The county is also asking citizens to report any littering that is personally witnessed. A witness must be willing to testify in court before a citation can be issued. Residents can report littering to 706-258-5170 or 706-632-8321.

Woody updated the board on the condemnations within the county. The first condemnation is located on Salem Road.

“We can go forward on it. It is now owned by a bank,” Woody explained. A formal letter will be sent to the bank in Austin, Texas, next week.

A property on Bell Road is also a candidate for condemnation, but Woody explained that ownership of that property is still being settled, so moving forward is not an option for the county at the moment.

“A letter has went out,” Woody updated the board of property located on Old Mobile Road. “They now have a deadline to respond.”

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Board of Commissioners, Chairman, Post 1Commissioner, Post 2 Commissioner, Stan Helton, Earl Johnson, Larry Joe Sosebee, Public Works, Zack Ratcliff, Emergency Management Agency, EMA, Robert Graham, Land Development, Marie Woody, Fannin County Water Authority, Jackie Seabolt, Mark Burger, David Falls, Fire Station, Nixle, Stop the Littering, Shallowford Bridge Road, paving, condemnation

Scenic Drive site where two mobile homes were destroyed by fire.

The county is also looking into a new site located on Ada Street. This property will have to go to Superior Court, according to Woody, for public health and safety reasons.

Finally, Woody addressed the board on property located on the corner of Scenic Drive and Davis Road. This property was the site of a home fire that left two mobile homes as a complete loss.

According to Woody, this is not a condemnation site and she acknowledged, “I know there has been a lot of concern about it.”

Woody had been working with the owner of the property to get the site cleared, but the owner, who had been ill, recently passed away.

While the process will be delayed a bit for clean up to begin, Woody did want the public to know “we are working on that.”

The Fannin County Water Authority (FCWA) will see a new face on the board.

The nomination for appointment came from Johnson who said, “This person will be filling the spot of Jackie Seabolt, who chose to come off the water authority. This person I think can do a really good job. He’s in the real estate business. He’s put water systems in himself. He’s very familiar with the county.”

The board unanimously agreed and voted for Mark Burger to serve a three-year appointment on the FCWA. Also getting an unanimous reappointment was David Falls, who will serve the FCWA board for another three-year term.

Two citizens, Ralph Garner, of Blue Ridge, and Joe Webb, of Dial, spoke during public commentary and expressed similar concerns to the board.

Both citizens spoke of the expenditures of building the new Fire Station 1 and E-911 center.

“The impression given by our board is that no borrowed funds will be needed to build the new fire station,” Garner spoke of the recent reveal that borrowed funds would be needed for the project’s completion.

Webb expressed similar feelings stating, “The original vote was to limit the project to $2.5 million. There is no public plan of what’s being built and what it costs.”

Garner acknowledged that the original vote for the fire station budget was before current Chairman Stan Helton took office and added, “I commend Commissioner Johnson for voicing opposition to borrowing money.”

Garner suggested letting Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) money accumulate and using these funds for the project’s completion instead of borrowing the funds.

Garner and Webb both also voiced concerns over the recent removal of Lane Bishop from the Board of Assessors.

Webb suggested of the appointment process to any board in the county, “We never solicit people from the public. We never look at qualifications. We never look at reasons. We need a process to place people on boards.”

“There needs to be a stated need and basically resumes and interviews,” Webb added.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Board of Commissioners keep Fannin County finances as top priority

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BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – The Fannin County Board of Commissioners (BOC) are moving forward in 2018 with the county budget still being a top priority. The BOC began their first meeting of the year by passing a resolution acknowledging that they upheld and will continue to uphold progress made in the passing of the 2018 Budget at their Dec. 12 meeting.

This resolution stated that the commissioners complied with Georgia state laws when adopting this year’s budget and acknowledged that commissioners kept promises made throughout the year in regard to the budget, including an all day public workshop on the topic.

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Board of Commissioners, Chairman Stan Helton, Post One Commissioner Earl Johnson, Post Two Commissioner Larry Joe Sosebee, 2018 Budget, 2017 Audit, Rushton and Company, Hotel / Motel Tax, Finance Director Robin Gazaway, Ed Hawkins, Ken Petty, Public Works, Fannin County Water Authority, Building Maintance, General Election 2018, Board of Education, Qualifying Fees

BOC holds first meeting of 2018.

Commissioners also voted unanimously to hire Rushton and Company to conduct the audit on the county’s 2017 fiscal year. Rushton and Company, accounting and business advisors, were responsible for the 2016 audit.

“I think they did a pretty thorough job,” Post 1 Commissioner Earl Johnson discussed of the hire, “and I don’t see any reason not to use them again.”

Rushton and Company proposed a contract with the county to continue services for this year at the same rate as the previous year and to not exceed a total of $54,900. A report on the county’s finances will be made available by June 30, 2018.

Johnson, a long-time proponent of a more transparent approach to the use of the Hotel/Motel Tax, discussed with the board setting up a public workshop to address this issue.

In 2018, the county will receive an extra 10 percent proportion of this tax. Post 2 Commissioner Larry Joe Sosebee recommended allowing some of these funds to accumulate before addressing their use.

Commission Chairman Stan Helton stated that the extra 10 percent, based on the previous year’s revenue, would come to approximately $150,000.

Fannin County Finance Director Robin Gazaway stated that a separate account could be set up specifically for the 10 percent increase. The board agreed to separate this revenue and schedule a workshop to discuss where these funds will be allocated.

Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia, Board of Commissioners, Chairman Stan Helton, Post One Commissioner Earl Johnson, Post Two Commissioner Larry Joe Sosebee, 2018 Budget, 2017 Audit, Rushton and Company, Hotel / Motel Tax, Finance Director Robin Gazaway, Ed Hawkins, Ken Petty, Public Works, Fannin County Water Authority, Building Maintance, General Election 2018, Board of Education, Qualifying Fees

Fannin County Library Branch Manager Andrew Vickers accepts paperwork confirming appointment of Steven Miracle to the Board of Trustees.

Steven Miracle is the latest appointment to the Board of Trustees in Fannin County. Andrew Vickers, Fannin County Library Branch Manager, was present at the meeting as the board discussed the newest appointee.

Helton addressed Vickers, “Andrew, I understand this fills your board up with what the county appoints are allowed?”

To which Vickers acknowledged that this would fill the final position on the Board of Trustees.

“Mr. Miracle does a lot of good things for this county, and I certainly have no questions,” Helton stated before asking post commissioners their thoughts. All commissioners agreed that this would be a good addition for the board and voted unanimously in favor of Miracle.

Former Building Maintenance Supervisor Ken Petty recently transferred to the Public Works department, leaving his position with Building Maintenance open.

“I would like to recommend that we appoint Mr. Ed Hawkins as the new department head over at maintenance,” Helton suggested to the board.

Sosebee replied to this recommendation, “Good choice.”

Johnson clarified that the appointment of Hawkins to this position would not change the number of employees in the maintenance department. Hawkins, formerly with the Fannin County Water Authority, was approved for this position.

The board also approved the qualification fees for the 2018 general election. The Post 2 Commissioner seat along with two seats on the Board of Education will be on the ballot this year.

The qualifying fees for these positions are $349 for Post 2 Commissioner and $144 each for a seat with the Board of Education. Qualifying begins March 5 at 9 a.m. and will close on March 9 at noon.

The general election will take place on Nov. 11, 2018.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

FCWA moves forward with the sale of “Old Quarry Property”

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BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – The Fannin County Water Authority (FCWA) board moved forward with the sale of the “Old Quarry Property” that had been put out for the bidding process in October.

At the Nov. 15 meeting, the FCWA board members opened sealed bids that had been placed on the Old Quarry Property. This property, located on Old Quarry Road, was posted for sale on both the Fannin County Development Authority website and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Economic Development website.

The minimum bid was set at $160,000 with bid increments of $1,000. A winning bid of $276,000 was awarded by the board to T.G.F. Properties.

Fannin County, Georgia, Fannin County Water Authority, FCWA, Zach Ratcliff, Kay Kendall, Old Quarry Property, Development Authority, TVA Economic Development, Anita Weaver, Blue Bird Road, Dry Branch

The property located on Old Quarry Road includes an 8 acre pond.

The responsibility of proceeding with the purchase is now placed on the winning bidder. Chairwoman Anita Weaver explained, “They (T.G.F. Properties) know that they have to close by December 30, and they pay all of the closing costs.”

Weaver also clarified a motion that had been passed in the previous month’s meeting.

According to minutes from the meeting, “A motion was made by Jackie Self to sell the Kubota Excavator for $42,000 and the 2015 Ford Work Truck for $20,000 back to Fannin County and lease them back on an as-needed basis.”

Clarifying that the county had not agreed to purchase the equipment, Weaver stated, “Basically, what we wanted to do was offer it to the county if they were interested in it. I understand that they are not at the present time, interested in either one of the equipment … the truck or the trackhoe.”

If FCWA chooses to move forward with the sale of this equipment, both pieces could be sold through a bidding process.

Progress on the River Crest Lane extension is nearing completion. Representatives from T. Stanco, Inc. reported that water testing would be conducted shortly after the meeting, and that all piping had been installed. Once the samples were deemed acceptable and reported back, meters would be put in place.

Kurt McCord with Carter & Sloope Consulting Engineers updated the board on the progress of the Blue Bird Road extension. McCord reported that plans for the project were 70-75 percent complete. A materials inventory list is also near completion and bidding on materials can begin soon.

Once the plans for the Blue Bird Road extension are finalized, the permitting process can begin. That process is expected to take approximately two months. FWCA hopes to start this project by March 2018.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Fannin County Water Authority Opts to Sell Old Quarry Property

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BLUE RIDGE, GA – The Fannin County Water Authority (FCWA) opted to sell land and equipment to fund future projects in our area.

At their regularly scheduled meeting held on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, discussions continued about the Blue Bird Road addition and Dry Branch Expansion.

The Blue Bird Road project is currently underway. Plans are being finalized and permits are being obtained to begin construction. The project is estimated to begin in late February or early March of 2018.

Carter & Sloope Consulting Engineers were present to discuss possible money saving options with this project. One suggestion that was presented was the possibility of connecting to the Hidden Valley Drive water system. This would eliminate the need for a new Operating Permit.

Board members also voted to move forward with expansion in the Dry Branch area. This project is estimated to cost $200,000 and the funds are currently available through SPLOST.

In an executive session the Board voted on the sale of equipment to the county, with the option of leasing it back from the county on an as needed basis. Board member Zach Ratcliff abstained from voting on this matter.

Fannin County, Georgia, Fannin County Water Authority, FCWA, Zach Ratcliff, Kay Kendall, Old Quarry Property, Development Authority, TVA Economic Development, Anita Weaver, Blue Bird Road, Dry Branch

The property located on Old Quarry Road includes an 8 acre pond.

The county is expected to purchase a 2015 work truck for a price of $20,000 and a Kubota Excavator for $42,000.

Ratcliff noted that the excavator was purchased to complete the Riverwalk project and is no longer needed.

Board member Kay Kendall explained that, “FCWA is moving away from doing our own construction.”

It was also unanimously decided in the executive session that FCWA will sell their land known as “The Old Quarry Property.”

This property, located on Old Quarry Road, is posted for sale on both the Fannin County Development Authority website, and the TVA Economic Development website.

The minimum bid is set at $160,000 with bid increments of $1,000.

FCWA asks that the following instruction be followed in order for successful bids to be considered:

All bids are to be received no later than 4:30 PM on November 14, 2017. Bids are to be submitted to the Fannin County Water Authority, 400 West Main, Suite 101 B, Blue Ridge, Georgia 30513 and are to be clearly marked as “Property bid” so the same will not be opened with general mail. Bids will be opened in the “old business” section of the regularly scheduled meeting of the Fannin County Water Authority on Wednesday November 15, 2017, which meeting is held in the Fannin County Courthouse, Commissioners’ Conference Room, located at 400 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, Georgia 30513, commencing at 2:00 PM. The successful bidder should be prepared to provide proof of funds within ten business days of being notified as to being the successful bid; and to close no later than noon on December 29, 2017. All closing costs to be paid by the successful bidder. Any questions, should be directed to Anita Weaver, Fannin County Water Authority Chairman at 706-632-4503.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Ratcliff Opts Out of Pay

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BLUE RIDGE, GA – The Fannin County Water Authority convened on Thursday, August 3, 2017, at the Fannin County Courthouse.

Following the call to order, Chairwoman of the Water Authority Anita Weaver took the opportunity to clarify last month’s vote on compensation for board members and chairpersons. She stated that they “talked to several different surrounding counties and communities to see how they do it,” and, ultimately, the decision was made to pay a flat rate each month versus reimbursement for expenses turned in.

Fannin County Water Authority, Anita Weaver, Larry Chapman, Ed Hawkins, Zach Ratcliff, service area

Fannin County Water Authority holds meeting to discuss service area.

This flat rate would be $100.00 per month to each board member and $150.00 to the chair. Out of town expenses are the exception to this new payment plan and would be reimbursed after verification of expenses.

Board member Zach Ratcliff, Fannin County Public Works Director, opted out of receiving payments stating that he “is already on the payroll of the County” and felt it would be in conflict.

FCWA has been working with cities throughout the county to update and define service areas.  A map was presented of the final outlines for review. Members of the FCWA unanimously voted on approval of the new outlines.

Clearly defining the service area will allow different entities to have first right of refusal in new developments. This map will also allow for standards voted on by FCWA to be in place before offering service to any particular area.

City and County to Work Together in Developing Water Infrastructure

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Blue Ridge’s Mayor Donna Whitener met with Fannin County Water Authority on August 19th.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss coordination between the Water Authority and the City of Blue Ridge in order to reduce the costs of laying new water lines and building pumping stations.

Specifically, Mayor Whitener wanted to find out where the Water Authority will be laying lines from Blue Ridge city limits towards McCaysville along the Hwy. 60 axis.  Mayor Whitener says that Blue Ridge needs to find a way to exchange water with McCaysville in the event of an emergency.  She also believes that Georgia’s Environmental Protection Department (EPD) will soon ask for that.  She said that EPD is starting to push the issue that Blue Ridge isn’t working through the Fannin’s Water Authority and will eventually want to see all three Fannin municipal water providers, McCaysville, Morganton and Blue Ridge, work through the Water Authority.

Currently, Blue Ridge is under a lot of pressure to repair its water and sewer infrastructure.  There are complaints from downtown businesses.  The Orchard Blvd. area still does not have the proper piping for full fire service, though this project is underwork.  The city upgraded its sewer facilities, but it anticipates it will have to spend much more to buy a system to cool the discharge before it goes back into the water supply.  “Our water budget is as much as our general fund,” said the Mayor.

Mayor Whitener also said that the city will soon need to pull water from Lake Blue Ridge.  Currently, the city draws all of its water from the Toccoa.  The city has a permit for 1.2 million gallons per day.  The city has an average daily draw of 1 million gallons.  After reaching 1.2 million gallons per day, it must start drawing from the lake.  Ellijay has also approached Blue Ridge about drawing water from the lake in the near future.

Mayor Whitener said new businesses and residences coming to the city will quickly increase the average draw.  New apartments, two new housing complexes with two more on the way, and Blue Ridge Assisted Living, and potential restaurant, hotel and condos at the marina will push the average draw to its limits.

Mayor Whitener also wanted to make sure that the city and the Water Authority use the upcoming expansion of Hwy. 5 to increase water lines and potentially lay sewer lines along Hwy. 5.  Mercier Orchards’ has approached the city about getting a sewer line to its Hwy. 5 property, especially since Mercier is looking to build a hotel and restaurant on its property.

Mayor Whitener wants to see stricter regulations regarding rules that weren’t put into place when subdivisions were developed.  The city is spending much money and time fixing lines in Mountain Tops that were improperly constructed by the developer.

Larry Chapman, Vice-Chair of the Water Authority also wants stricter regulations.  Mr. Chapman stated that right now Fannin County has 31 private systems permitted by the EPD and he doesn’t want to see anymore.  Mr. Chapman is a Georgia-licensed engineer with 46 years of engineering experience with wastewater treatment and distribution.  He was appointed to the Water Authority in March.

Blue Ridge’s meeting with the Water Authority marks the first time a city water authority has had an expansion planning strategy meeting with the Water Authority.  Board member Stan Helton invited Blue Ridge to attend future Water Authority meetings and hopes to see representatives from McCaysville and Morganton there as well.  Until this summer, Mr. Helton was Chair of the Water Authority.  He stepped down after becoming Fannin County Board of Commissioners Chairman-Elect.

 

April 2 Commission Meeting: Architect, Water Authority, Mystery Businesses and Rebukes

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Fannin County Board of Commissioners met on April 5th.  The meeting was at an unusual time slot for the Commissioners; it was the first Tuesday instead of the second Tuesday of the month.  At the last meeting, the Commissioners said that they needed to meet a week earlier so they could award the bid for designing Fire Station #1 and discuss personnel matters.  Besides those two topics, other items discussed were the Fannin County Water Authority, mystery companies coming to Fannin County, media portrayal, Tax Assessors’ office, scholarship proposal and a rebuke to people offering all the answers.

Fannin County Board of Commissioners awarded R Design Works the contract for designing Fire Station #1/ EMS center that will be built on Windy Ridge Road.  R Design Works, out of Morganton, GA, is owned by Rick LaRossa.  He has designed several Fannin County buildings:  Fannin County Development Authority, Mercier Orchards and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.  Currently, he is designing the City of Blue Ridge’s new welcome center.  David Goodspeed was the other main competitor for the bid. Goodspeed Architecture is new to building for Fannin County.  He does have experience with building schools, government buildings and fire stations in Florida, from where he moved to Fannin County.  The projected difference between the two bids was around $2,000 with Goodspeed’s being the lowest.  The Commissioners decided, though, to go with R Design Works because of its history of designing buildings in Fannin County.  The third Fannin architect’s, Milan Vancura, bid was more than 1% higher than the other two, which would have resulted in greater expense.

At the previous meeting, Post 2 Commissioner Larry Joe Sosebee suggested that Fannin County government needs to review its personnel policy because there are loopholes in it.  At the end of this meeting, April 5th, the Commissioners met in Executive Session to discuss the policy.  They returned from the session and reported they will review the policy on their own over the next few weeks and will bring it up again at a meeting in the near future.

The Water Authority was back in the public comments section at the Commissioners meeting (read here for more information about the Water Authority dispute).  Joe Webb asked that the Water Authority’s budget summary for 2015 be unbundled so that the division between SPLOST funds and other revenue sources funding the Water Authority can be clearly seen.  Mr. Webb says that citizens and officials need to know this information so that informed decisions can be made regarding the SPLOST 2016 ballot.  Mr. Webb’s comments turned an unexpected corner when Mr. Johnson said that we shouldn’t be co-mingling meetings either.  Mr. Johnson said that Water Authority topics don’t need to come to the Board of Commissioners’ meetings because the Commissioners’ only oversight of the Water Authority is in making appointments to the water authority.  Mr. Johnson asked if people had problems with the Water Authority, why didn’t they go to the Water Authority meetings.  Stan Helton, Chairman of the Water Authority, brought up the clear division between the Water Authority and the Board of Commissioners through an example.  He said that if people have problems with the Blue Ridge City Government or the Mccaysville City Government, they don’t bring their grievances to the Board of Commissioners because the cities are independent entities, just like the Water Authority is an independent entity.  Mr. Helton also said that he received Mr. Webb’s open records request and is processing it.

There are mystery companies coming to Fannin County.  One is more chicken houses, six to be exact.  Another is Redi-Mix.  A third group is the companies, yet unknown, who will rent facilities in the 20,000 square foot multi-use facility coming to Mccaysville.  No hint about two companies.  And, then, the great teaser about one company that pleases the Commissioners so much that tickled pink Commission Chairman Bill Simonds winked as he was talking about it.  Elaine Owens of the Fannin Sentinel asked Mr. Simonds what the company is.  Mr. Simonds said everyone in town knows, but that you wouldn’t hear it from him.  The audience looked expectantly toward another Commissioner to let the cat out of the bag.  Mr. Johnson took on the task and  drew a giant question mark on a piece paper, held it up and said that it was the name of the company.  FetchYourNews also tried to wrestle the secret from the Chamber of Commerce members to no avail.  But, a reason for the secrecy was given and that is that tax rebates and other government goodies that will make Fannin’s sweeter to the mystery company is still under negotiation.

Chief Appraiser Dawn Cochran reported on the Tax Assessors’ progress toward assessing and citing all land parcels in order to meet a state mandate.  Out of 49,932 parcels in the county, the assessors have cited 33,381 parcels.  New assessment notices will be mailed on May 13.

Fallout from the exchange between the Tax Assessors’ office and the Board of Commissioners at the Feb. 23 meeting still continues.  At the meeting the Commissioners forcefully questioned Ms. Cochran about how the Tax Assessors compile bids and make purchases.  In Tuesday’s meeting, Mr. Sosebee said that he had been inaccurately portrayed by the media and that he never denied the Tax Assessors’ office the ability to purchase and repair vehicles; his disagreement was over how the office went about acquiring bids for vehicles.  Mr. Sosebee felt that the accusations made in an editorial were unfounded and told the reporter not to contact him by phone.

During the Public Comments section, Joe Webb floated the idea of the county providing around $5,000 a year to assist with student loans of Fannin children who have come back to the county to work after they finish college.  He says that the low salaries typical of Fannin jobs dissuade home-grown college graduates from returning here to work.  He believes a small stipend for a few years that goes directly to paying off the loans people to look for their first jobs in Fannin.  Mr. Webb proposes that the money could come from economic development or rural development grants.

Finally, it was time for the Commissioners’ comments.  The topic of Mr. Johnson’s usually joking but pointed comments was people’s comments about how to run a government.  He said that the biggest misconception about leading a government is that decisions are clear cut.  This leads some people to make accusations about officials’ decisions when the people only have half the facts.  Mr. Johnson said that he knows he is not the smartest person in the room, but he tired of others trying to be the smartest person in the room.  He finished with, “Think you’ve got all the answers; show us some results of what you have done.”

The Board of Commissioners will not be meeting next Tuesday, April 12th, which would be their regularly scheduled date.  Their next meeting will be on April 26th, the fourth Tuesday in April.

 

 

Helton Responds to Webb’s Water Authority Comments

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Appointment of a new member to the Fannin County Water Authority invoked an unexpected reaction from Fannin County citizen Joe Webb at the latest Board of Commissioners meeting.  Mr. Webb asked the Commissioners to speak out-of-order.  Mr. Webb brought up several topics about the Authority including irregular financing, potential SLOPST funding and authority appointment processes.

Mr. Webb said that Water Authority has not correctly accounted for its revenue streams and refered to its 2012 and 2015 audits.  He also said that Water Authority use of funds must be clear since the Water Authority will be asking for more financing on the SPLOST 2016 November ballot.

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Stan Helton, Fannin County Water Authority Chairman

FetchYourNews.com asked Water Authority Chairman Stan Helton to respond to Mr. Webb’s comments.  Mr. Helton said that Mr. Webb’s comments about the co-mingling of SPLOST funds with other revenue streams is completely false.  After receiving its first few customers in 2014, the audits clearly show separate and segregated funds.  Mr. Helton referred FetchYourNews.com to the Water Authority’s 2015 audit, which is viewable on its website. The auditors did not find mis-use or co-mingling of funds.  They did though recognize one deficiency because the Water Authority only has one employee. Mr. Helton states that there are also CPAs on the Water Authority.

At this time, the Water Authority has a customer base of approximately 280.  The Water Authority must have a customer base of 1,000 before it becomes profitable and not need to be helped by the county at-large.  This means that, in all likelihood, the Water Authority will be among the groups requesting money for infrastructure development on the 2016 SPLOST ballot.

The majority of Mr. Webb’s other remarks centered on the appointment process to different authorities.  He would like the process to be more open to the general public.  Even though Mr. Webb did not know the qualifications of the individual appointed to the Water Authority, Mr. Webb stated that there are several people in the community that would serve well in the position.

The Commissioners appointed Larry Chapman to the Water Authority.  Mr. Chapman is a Georgia-licensed engineer with 46 years of engineering experience in wastewater treatment and distribution.  Mr. Chapman thinks he is the first person with wastewater engineering  background that has been appointed to the Water Authority.

Mr. Chapman and his wife moved from Atlanta to Blue Ridge in 1997.  They live in the south of Fannin County, along the Aska Road area.

 

 

See Related Post:  Fannin County Board of Commissioners meeting 03/22/16

 

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