Federal Appeals Court Ruled Against Oconee County Denial Of Cell Tower Permit, Board Of Commissioners Told

***McRees Mill Road Site***

As a result of a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, Verizon Wireless will be able to build a cell tower on 42 acres on McRees Mill Road off Barnett Shoals Road despite denial of a permit for the tower by Oconee County in 2014.

Oconee County Commission Chair John Daniell announced the court ruling and subsequent negotiations at the Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday night, just before the Board approved a change to its Utility Accommodation Ordinance to regulate small cell telecommunications technology.

Oconee County Commissioners Are Considering Transferring Economic Development Staff Function To Chamber Of Commerce

***Proposal Includes Other Governments***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners is considering contracting with the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce to handle economic development rather than employ a county economic development director.

Under the proposal, the Chamber of Commerce would designate a staff person to manage economic development for the county.

Oconee County Has Completed Switchover At Calls Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

***Meeting Permit Standards***

Oconee County has successfully transitioned from its old wastewater treatment facility at Calls Creek on the northeast of Watkinsville to a new one still under construction at the same site.

The switchover from the old treatment facility to the new took place earlier this month, and all of the county's sewage coming into the plant is now being handled by the new facility.

Oconee County Commissioners To Consider Ordinance Revision To Accommodate New Telecommunications Technologies

***Small Cell Nodes***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday will consider a revision to its Utility Accommodation Ordinance to address small cell technology and other new technologies being utilized in the telecommunications industry.

The proposed revision follows a moratorium passed by the Board at a called meeting on Aug. 16 barring the issuance of permits and the acceptance of applications for permits for the installation of wireless communication devices and facilities in the county's rights of way.

Oconee County To Hold Meeting To Discuss New Structure For Support Of Economic Development

***Follows Elimination Of Position***

Oconee County is holding a meeting at 9 a.m. on Monday to discuss the current governmental structure for promotion of economic development in the county and consider a new structure for the future.

County Administrator Justin Kirouac said he plans to present his recommendations to the Board of Commissioners, the Board of Education, the Industrial Development Authority, and members of the city councils of Bishop, Bogart, North High Shoals and Watkinsville.

Georgia Election Expert Tells Oconee County Republicans Their Party Should Hold On To Governor’s Mansion

***But Party Could “Mess Up”***

The Georgia governor’s race is Republican Brian Kemp’s to lose, political scientist Charles Bullock, an expert on Georgia elections, told Oconee County Republicans on Thursday night.

“The Republicans should win this,” Bullock, distinguished University of Georgia professor, said. “This is still a Republican state.”

Oconee County Republicans Are Excited, Party Leader Says, But Much Hard Work Is Needed

***Opening Of Headquarters***

Oconee County Republican Party Chair Tammy Gilland told those gathered for the Grand Opening of the 2018 Campaign Headquarters last week that the local party is excited about the election season but is aware that much work needs to be done.

Gilland said party members need to make a lot of phone calls and knock on lots of doors to “spread the word about the great candidates that we have.”

Oconee Republican Committee Decides To Prohibit Note-Taking At And Recording Of Its Meetings By Media

***Effective Immediately***

The Oconee County Republican Party Executive Committee has placed severe restrictions on media coverage of its meetings, starting with the one on Thursday and running through the election in November.

Tammy Gilland, chair of the local party organization, said that media representatives are allowed to attend the next three party meetings but that they are not allowed to record the meetings in any way and not allowed to take any notes.

Fencing And Signs Are Up, But Oconee County Still Waiting For Final Bonding Request From Presbyterian Homes

***For Presbyterian Village Athens***

Oconee County officials are still waiting on Presbyterian Homes to indicate how much money it wants the county to borrow through bond sales to help finance construction of its Presbyterian Village Athens on U.S. 441 at Hog Mountain Road.

In the last two weeks the company began land clearance and construction of a chain-link fence along U.S. 441 for its complex. The county had issued a Land Disturbance Permit for the 79-acre property nearly a year ago.

Bishop Mayor Told State Transportation Board He Opposes Current Plan For U.S. 441 Improvements In Oconee County

***Wants 2007 Plan Instead***

Bishop Mayor Johnny Pritchett has written to the Georgia Transportation Board criticizing the proposed close-in U.S. 441 truck bypass of Bishop and saying the state should resurrect the 2007 plan that called for a bypass further east of the city.

Pritchett told state Transportation Board Chair Jamie Boswell that the current plan, which the state revealed in March, does not address his concerns about traffic inside Bishop reaching the bypass, the use of roundabouts on each side of the city, and the safety of the road south of Bishop.

Georgia Secretary Of State Office Does Not Know How Many People Voted In Primary And Primary Runoff Elections

***Counties Filed Data***

The Georgia Secretary of State Office, which is responsible for elections in the state, does not know how many people voted in either the May 22 primary elections or the July 24 runoffs.

The 159 counties in the state filed that information with the Secretary of State Office shortly after each of the two elections as part of the certification process for elections.