Friday, April 03, 2015

New Superior Court Judgeship Approved For Oconee County In Last Day Of Legislature

Other Winners Too

Oconee County got its Superior Court judgeship.

The Georgia Department of Transportation got its $945 million–annually.

The state’s nearly 40 craft breweries–including a few locally–got the right to give souvenir six-packs to customers who pay for a tour.

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

Oconee County Commissioners Decide Not To Wait On Citizen Committee Input On Two Daniells Bridge Road Projects

On April 7 Agenda

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners plans to make a decision next Tuesday night on two projects on Daniells Bridge Road despite a recommendation of its Citizens Advisory Committee on Land Use and Transportation Planning that the county not move forward with the projects as drafted.

The BOC has before it for approval next week an agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation for a $3.7 million widening of Daniells Bridge Road from Hog Mountain Road to Chestnut Hill Road that would use federal, state and local money.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Uncertainty About Future Of Motor Fuels Tax Makes Estimate Of Revenue For Upcoming Oconee County Budget More Difficult

General Assembly Action Expected

The uncertainty regarding the future of Georgia’s fuels tax is having impact locally, as Oconee County officials try to estimate revenue available to balance next year’s budget.

The Georgia Senate and the House have passed differing versions of a Transportation Funding Act of 2015.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Oconee County’s Quick and Williams Cast Opposing Votes On Plastic Bag Bill

Local Rule An Issue

Oconee County’s two members of the Georgia House of Representatives cast opposing votes again yesterday, this time on plastic bags.

Rep. Regina Quick voted with the House majority in turning down Senate Bill 139, which would have prohibited local communities from adopting ordinances to restrict use of plastic bags, boxes, foam cups and other related “one-time use” products.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Citizens A Central Part Of Athens-Clarke County SPLOST Programs, Oconee County Audience Told

Library Was Venue

Athens-Clarke County has opted to have extensive citizen involvement in its Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program to take advantage of the resources of the community and make sure community values are incorporated in the projects funded.

That was the message both Don Martin, manager of the unified government’s SPLOST program, and former Athens-Clarke County Mayor Gwen O’Looney delivered last night at a meeting at the Oconee County Library in Watkinsville.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Georgia Department Of Transportation Told Oconee County Representative To Pay $100,000 In Advance For Documents

Open Records Request

The Georgia Department of Transportation has told Rep. Regina Quick that it will respond to her open records request for documents about the operation of the department, but only if she pays more than $100,000 in advance.

Matthew Cline, general counsel to GDOT, said Quick’s 51-item request, submitted on March 17, would take up to six months to complete, and the Department would not start work until she paid the search and copying costs, as allowed by the state's open records law.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

GDOT Board Member Boswell Acknowledges Benefit To His Clients Of Daniells Bridge Road Flyover In Oconee County

Said Also Benefits 95 Percent Of County

Jamie Boswell, commercial real estate broker and area representative to the Georgia Transportation Board, readily admits that his clients will benefit from the proposed Daniells Bridge Road extension and flyover of SR Loop 10.

“I would think it is accurate to say that it would make those properties more attractive for development,” he said. “I would think anybody would agree with that.”