Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Oconee County Commissioners Call For Drafting Of Resolution Supporting Overhaul Of House Redistricting

Davis Skeptical

Oconee County commissioners last night asked County Attorney Daniel Haygood and Administrative Officer Jeff Benko to draft a resolution for next week’s meeting that would call for the county to be reunited in a single district in the Georgia House of Representatives.

While Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis expressed doubts about the initiative, Commissioners Chuck Horton and Jim Luke made strong statements of support for such a resolution. Commissioner Margaret Hale also said she wants the county to have a single representative.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Oconee County and Walton County Votes On Hard Labor Creek Loan Postponed to January

Negotiating Something New

The Hard Labor Creek Reservoir Management Board has postponed the dates for approval of a state loan for construction of the 1,400-acre reservoir in southeastern Walton County pending the outcome of negotiations over the language of the loan contracts.

The loan documents as presented to the Board obligate only Walton County to repay the loan, while both Walton County and Oconee County officials expected and want the debt to be split on the agreed-upon ratio of 71/29, with Oconee County the minority partner.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Oconee County Commissioner Horton Seeking Support for Revisiting Georgia House Redistricting

Quick, Williams Offer Views

Oconee County Commissioner Chuck Horton has asked County Administrative Officer Jeff Benko to add legislative redistricting to the agenda for the Board of Commissioners meetings scheduled for Nov. 27 and Dec. 4.

Horton told me in email messages from Sunday and again today that he will ask the BOC to endorse an effort to restore Oconee County to a single district in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Oconee County Code Enforcement Issued Permits for Theaters at Epps Bridge Center

Red and Black

Construction is underway on the University 16 Stadium Theatre at Epps Bridge Centre following the issuance last month by the Oconee County Code Enforcement Office of a foundation permit and a shell permit for the 70,412-square-foot building.

The county currently is reviewing detailed building plans for the theater prior to issuing a full building permit.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Romney Bested McCain Record In Percentage and Number of Votes, Despite Low Turnout In Oconee County

Darwin Did Well Too

NOTE: The Georgia Secretary of State's Election Division released updated results for Oconee County at 12:56 p.m. today (Nov. 12, 2012) and updated results for the state as a whole at 4:46 p.m. I have revised the chart and all of the text below to reflect these new results. These new data changed the interpretation of the lower turnout rate, and that change is reflected below as well. Lee

Mitt Romney got 13,098 votes in Tuesday’s election in Oconee County, which is 978 more votes than John McCain received in the county four years ago.

Barack Obama finished with 4,421 votes, which is 404 fewer than he obtained in the county four years earlier.

Monday, November 05, 2012

Georgia DNR Waiting On Caterpillar Application For Discharge Permit For Oconee County/Clarke County Site

Presbyterian Homes Link

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is waiting for Caterpillar to submit its application for a pretreatment permit for discharge from the plant it has under construction at its site straddling the Oconee and Clarke county borders.

Bill Noell, unit manager for the industrial permitting unit of DNR, told me on Friday that Caterpillar has said it has filed the permit request, but he said DNR has not yet received it.

Close To Half Of Oconee County’s Voters Already Have Cast Their Ballots

Standard For Romney: 69 Percent

Nearly 45 percent of the active voters in Oconee County already have cast their ballots on the eve of tomorrow’s election.

By the end of early voting on Friday, 9,399 persons had voted at the Civic Center on Hog Mountain Road or the Board of Elections and Registration Office in Watkinsville, according to Carole Amos, deputy registrar.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Presbyterian Homes Inviting Oconee County Residents Interested in Proposed Retirement Facility To Meet

Prior to Rezone Vote

Presbyterian Homes of Georgia is inviting Oconee County residents who had expressed an interest in moving into the proposed Presbyterian Village near Butler’s Crossing to come to a meeting on Nov. 7 to learn about the new plans for a similar facility on Rocky Branch Road.

The meeting comes just head of the Nov. 19 Oconee County Planning Commission meeting and the Dec. 4 Board of Commissioners meeting and gives Presbyterian Homes of Georgia a chance to rally support for the rezone, special use and variance request it is seeking for the Rocky Branch Road site.