Monday, April 28, 2014

More SPLOST Money May Be Needed For Courthouse Security, Oconee County Commissioners Told

Turnout Low At Hearing

Only about 20 people turned out tonight at the third meeting on proposed projects for the Oconee County 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

And only four citizens spoke, with one advocating for spending for the libraries and another calling for funding for farmland protection and historic preservation.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Oconee County Citizens Get Another Chance Tomorrow Night To Voice Opinions About SPLOST Projects

Repeat Of Earlier Meetings

Oconee County citizens get another chance tomorrow night to tell members of the Board of Commissioners what projects they want on the referendum for the 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

Under the revised timeline, the first of two public meetings will begin at 6 p.m. tomorrow in the auditorium of the Civic Center on Hog Mountain Road.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Oconee County Candidate Forums Feature Discussion Of Liquor Issue Most Candidates Unlikely To Confront

November Vote Likely

While liquor by the drink has played a prominent role in all three of the candidate forums, and was particularly central at the forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, it is likely that the issue will be resolved before the terms of the current commissioners expire at the end of the year.

Post 3 Commissioner Margaret Hale acknowledged that likelihood at the forum last night, when she said the issue probably will be on the ballot in November.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Challengers For Oconee County Board Of Commissioners Posts Speak Out For Liquor-By-The-Drink Vote

Incumbents Waiting On Input

Oconee County voters will get a chance to vote on liquor by the drink if two of the challengers to incumbents John Daniell and Margaret Hale are successful in the May 20 Republican primary.

John Larkin, running against Daniell for Post 2 Commissioner, told about 40 people at a candidate forum last Thursday night at the Watkinsville Community Center that he would support putting a referendum on liquor by the drink on the ballot.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Oconee County Revised Its Farmland Protection Program To Improve Transparency And Then Held Seven Meetings Without Giving Public Notice

Now Waiting On Federal Funding

When the Oconee County Board of Commissioners began its overhaul of its farmland protection program 15 months ago, it did so, County Attorney Daniell Haygood said at the time, to make the process more transparent and to make sure the county was following state open records and open meetings laws.

Since that time, the Board assembled two different committees, one of which replaced a citizen committee that had been screening farms for the county’s program.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Candidates To Get Chance To Hear Citizen Concerns In Three Forums In Next 8 Days

Courthouse Like To Surface

Candidates for the two slots on the Oconee County Board of Commissioners will have a pretty good idea in a little more than a week about what issues the politically active citizens in the community are most concerned about.

And those citizens will have an idea about which of those issues, if any, separate the candidates.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Watkinsville City Council Wants Oconee County Government Offices To Stay Downtown

Brodrick Authored Resolution

The Watkinsville City Council last week interjected itself into the ongoing discussion about what to do with the existing Oconee County courthouse by unanimously passing a resolution stating that it believes county offices should remain in downtown Watkinsville.

The vote on Wednesday evening comes as the Oconee County Board of Commissioners is about to relaunch its discussion of the 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum, now scheduled to be on the ballot in November.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Falls Of Oconee Project Resubmitted To Oconee County Planning Department Minus Boardwalk Along Creek

Near Athens Ridge Complex

The developers of The Falls of Oconee project on Old Macon Highway have submitted revised preliminary site plans to the Oconee County Planning Department that eliminate access to the falls and the creek below it.

The falls are not natural, but rather were created by an old mill pond dam made of rock, and they are not on the Oconee, but rather are on McNutt Creek, a tributary to the Middle Oconee River.

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Oconee County’s Easter Egg Hunt At Veterans Park Cancelled

Soccer Conflict

Oconee County rather quietly has cancelled its Easter Egg Hunt originally scheduled for April 19–the day before Easter–at Oconee Veterans Park.

The web site of the Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department contains the simple announcement that the egg hunt “will not be held this year due to park conflicts.”

Monday, April 07, 2014

Macon Company Files Plans For Cheddar’s Restaurant In Oconee County’s Epps Bridge Centre

More Pressure For Liquor Referendum

C&P Company of Macon has submitted preliminary site plans to the Oconee County Planning Department for a Cheddar’s Restaurant on Epps Bridge Parkway as part of Epps Bridge Centre.

The plans call for a 8,465-square-foot building seating 324 persons and with 206 parking spaces spread across parts of two of the mall’s 12 outparcels. It also would include an outdoor patio seating 60 persons.

Sunday, April 06, 2014

Oconee Farmers Market Had Strong Opening Day Saturday At Courthouse In Watkinsville

New and Returning Vendors

Twenty-nine vendors offering eggs, goat milk, pies, cakes, meats, boiled peanuts, herbs, landscape plants, fresh greens and more set up booths in front of the courthouse in downtown Watkinsville yesterday for the launch of the 11th season of the Oconee Farmers Market.

The cool but sunny day brought out a good crowd of customers, and several vendors reported doubling their sales from market opening a year ago, according to Market Manager Cindy Pritchard.

Saturday, April 05, 2014

Oconee County Sign Ordinance Not Enforced At SR 316 Intersection With Oconee Connector

Boswell Properties Listings

Oconee County granted permits in August of last year for signs on two undeveloped pieces of land at the busy intersection of SR 316 and the Oconee Connector.

The signs are for land offered for sale by Boswell Properties, owned by Jamie Boswell, Athens real estate broker and, since early 2013, District 10 representative to the 14-member State Transportation Board.