Fannin County Leaders and Elected Officials Meet with Community at Eggs and Issues
Community, Election, Featured Stories, Politics November 8, 2022
Fannin County GA- Eggs and Issues Breakfast, hosted by the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce, had a great turn out consisting of chamber and non-chamber members.
In attendance was Senator Steve Gooch, along with local leadership and elected officials.
Mayor of Blue Ridge, Rhonda Haight, spoke on issues within the city and county concerning young people of the community as well as the economy and housing.
Mayor Haight is expanding the use of the farmers market and bringing back the ice-skating rink.
She went on to say that she intends to put the farmers market to use and wants to involve young people in the community. Additionally, Mayor Haight spoke on affordable housing in Blue Ridge and in Fannin County.
“The average house in Fannin County is priced at $800,000; that is too costly for our young people,” Haight stated.
She intends on pursuing affordable housing incentives as one of her focus points.
An ETC member also spoke on the grants awarded to ensure Georgians have access to fiber internet in the near future.
While ETC was in the process of applying for grants, it was made possible by local and state leaders who supported the company through signatures and recommendations.
On Feb. 1, 2022, ETC was awarded $3 million dollars for better internet and access to Georgians. This is a prime example of the leaders and elected officials working for the people of Georgia. Jammie Hensley, Fannin County Board of Commissioners, gave a few remarks on the importance of voting.
“Progress begins when everyone gets on the same page to serve the community,” Hensley said. He continued “do not let our veterans down, do not let what they fought for be for nothing.”
Guest speaker, Senator Steve Gooch spoke on issues in the last year, and highlighted Governor Brian Kemp Saying, “I hope all of you will support him, he led us through some tough times.” Senator Gooch mentioned the efforts Governor Kemp made to keep businesses open during the time of the pandemic, despite backlash from others across the country. “He [Governor Kemp] stepped up and took care of business.”
Senator Gooch went on to talk about the economy, interest rates, and Federal Policy. The state of the economy is front and center for many voters in this upcoming election.
Senator Gooch stated, “because of the efforts by your elected officials, Georgia will continue to lead in the southeast in regard to the economy.”
Furthermore, Senator Gooch expressed his distaste for the Federal Government Policy pertaining to the abolishment of combustible engines that would in turn rid the use of fossil fuels.
This policy would cost Georgia $2 billion dollars in the Georgia Department of Transportation, like the Gas Tax. The proposed policy to aid in this loss, Price Per Mile Legislation, would tax how much Georgians drive.
Lastly, Senator Gooch spoke on Senate Bill 202, voter suppression. Yet, this election has had record turnout not only in Fannin County, but across Georgia.
City Council will move forward with parking ordinance
City Council, Downtown Blue Ridge March 2, 2022
FANNIN, Ga. — The Blue Ridge City Council held a workshop meeting on March 1 to discuss parking in the city’s downtown area. Business owners, citizens, and members of the county government attended the meeting to provide their input and hear the council discuss the potential parking ordinance.
Mayor Rhonda Haight began the meeting by explaining the reasoning behind the council’s push to create a parking ordinance and the goal of a potential ordinance. “My proposal is not that we have paid parking on East Main, but we have limited parking. And that way we’re having a higher turnover rate where people can come in, they can shop, and then they can go,” Mayor Haight said. She made note of the council’s desire to designate areas for downtown employees, encourage train patrons to park elsewhere, and make the downtown area more accessible to everyone. Mayor Haight explained the council would propose a three hour limit on parking spaces along East Main Street, but clarified that “these hours would only be between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.” The City of Blue Ridge, as noted by Haight, already has a parking ordinance in place that sets a two hour limit on certain parking spaces, but that ordinance is going unenforced.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, several business owners spoke to share their concerns about the potential change. A common concern among those in attendance was the establishment of time constraints on downtown shoppers. Those speaking felt that rushing downtown visitors would have a negative impact not only on their businesses, but on the city as a whole. Changing Blue Ridge’s small town charm and southern hospitality and making visitors feel unwanted was a concern raised several times during the evening.
Some citizens who spoke at the meeting were concerned that further inaction would continue to isolate residents from the downtown area. In response, Mayor Haight mentioned the council would be considering options to address the issue, including stickers for resident’s cars.
Chairman Jamie Hensley and Police Chief Johnny Scearce, both members of the Fannin County Board of Commissioners, also spoke to the council during the meeting. Hensley spoke to the council about property that Fannin County had purchased for employee parking. Offering potential help, he said, “I feel that at some point we may be able to do something, at least on the weekend, with that parking area. So, maybe that will help alleviate some of the strain from downtown.” Police Chief Scearce also spoke, highlighting the importance of public safety in the context of parking accessibility.
While the council agreed action needed to be taken, there was some disagreement concerning the extent of the potential new ordinance. Council member Christy Kay, namely, was against an immediate three hour limit on all East Main Street. Instead, she suggested, the council could test the plan on small sections of downtown. Mayor Haight responded by encouraging action after several years of studies and planning, “We can keep talking about this forever or we can implement.” At the end of the meeting, the council voted to move forward with the process of drafting an ordinance that limits East Main Street parking to three hours.
New city council meets, adopts new rules of procedure
City Council January 18, 2022
FANNIN, Ga. — The new Blue Ridge City Council held their first meeting on Jan. 18. After appointing several city employees and board members, the council took action on water leakage issues and gutter replacements at the Historic Baugh House. The council also adopted a new set of procedure rules along with a city mission statement.
Mayor Rhonda Haight recognized councilmembers Angie Arp and Bill Whaley for their work in creating the new mission statement and procedure rules. Whaley read the mission statement during the meeting, “Our mission is to enrich the quality of life in Blue Ridge for all our citizens. We pledge to work in partnership with our residents, all stakeholders and the Fannin County government to protect, preserve and secure the quaintness of our small-town community and to enhance the natural beauty of our environment.” He also touched on the core values that the council will operate within, including accountability, collaboration, stewardship, and professionalism. “If you read the whole thing, we’re holding ourselves to a standard of behavior amongst ourselves, and a standard of openness to the community,” Whaley said about the mission statement and procedure rules. The full document can be found in the agenda packet for the Jan. 18 meeting.
After being tabled at the last council meeting, the council approved a purchase of gutter replacements for the Historic Baugh House on 425 West First Street. Mayor Haight confirmed that the building is on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning the city would need to purchase appropriate gutter replacements at a cost of $17,000. “We want to preserve it, and it costs more to put up aesthetically appropriate gutters,” Whaley said. The council unanimously approved the purchase.
An approval for the purchase of third party leak detection services was also on the agenda. “I would actually even recommend that you guys think about doubling what we’ve got here because they’re going to be doing leak detection at Mountaintops, which is our highest leak area,” Mayor Haight said when presenting the agenda item. “It would double the price, but it is in the budget to do that,” Haight continued. The council discussed the need, citing the concentration of water loss in the Mountaintops area, and eventually agreed to increase the number of services from four to eight.
Newly elected City Council members take oath of office
City Council January 18, 2022
FANNIN, Ga. — The newly elected members of the Blue Ridge City Council were sworn in during a meeting on Jan. 18. Each member and the Mayor took the oath of office before beginning the meeting. The new council also appointed several city employees and board members during the meeting.
Rhonda Haight took her oath of office and was sworn in as Mayor of the City of Blue Ridge.
Angie Arp took her oath of office and was later appointed mayor pro tempore.
Council members Jack Taylor, Bill Bivins, Christy Kay, and Bill Whaley also took their oath of office during the meeting.
Bill Whaley
Jack Taylor
Christy Kay
Bill Bivins
The new city council approved the appointments of several city employees:
- City Attorney Charles S. Conerly
- City Clerk Amy Mintz
- Police Chief Johnny Scearce
- City Treasurer Michael Richardson
- Municipal Court Judge Robert Sneed
- Levy Officer Chris Mortimer
- Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Hudson
The council appointed Andy Bowen to the Blue Ridge Downtown Development Authority, and Mayor Haight also appointed Laura Ray to the DDA. Additionally, the council appointed Angie Arp to the Downtown Development Authority. At Arp’s request, Councilmember Kay will replace her after one year. To fill Arp’s seat on the Planning and Zoning Commision, the council appointed Brian Higgins.