Detailed Analysis Of State Milestones Data Documents Overall Improvements Of Oconee County Schools On Standardized Test Scores

***Also Shows Some Area Of Relative Weakness***

Oconee County School administrators have gone out of their way to make sure the Board of Education, parents and the general public know how highly ranked Oconee County Schools are based on the state’s Milestones assessments, released at the end of the summer.

Anisa Sullivan Jimenez, director of Communications for Oconee County Schools, sent out a news release on July 29 stating that “Oconee County Schools’ Milestones, End of Grade, and End of Course assessment results have placed OCS as the #1 school system in the state of Georgia.”

Watkinsville Council And Oconee County In Discussion Over Residential Sewer Capacity Allocations

***Based On 1991 Agreement***

Watkinsville City Council last month approved a sewer policy that allocates future residential sewer capacity for intensive residential development of the city center rather than for development of vacant land not at the city core.

At present, the city has no residential sewer capacity available for allocation and is dependent on Oconee County for its sewer services.

Oconee Commissioners Approve Request By Life Church Of Athens To Withdrawal Application For Special Use Permit

***Approve Permit For Athens College of Ministry***

Life Church of Athens asked the Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night to withdraw its request for a special use permit to build a church at Summit Oaks Drive and Summit Grove Drive north of Watkinsville.

The Board was scheduled to hold a public hearing on the church’s request but instead voted unanimously to approve the request by Life Church to withdraw the application “without prejudice and without restrictions on future filings.”

Oconee County Commissioners Approve Economic Development Strategy For Implementation By Chamber Of Commerce

***Also Take Stance On Local Control***

Oconee County commissioners on Tuesday night gave informal approval to an economic development strategy outlined to them by Courtney Bernardi, president of the Oconee Chamber of Commerce, who now heads up economic development efforts for the county.

The strategy, according to Bernardi’s report to the Commission, includes supporting, nurturing, and investing in existing businesses, targeting professional and technology jobs, and leveraging the proximity to and relationships with the University of Georgia.

Oconee County Transportation Task Force Asked For Comment On Long Range Transportation Plan

***Offers Little Feedback***

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chair John Daniell and Public Works Director Jody Woodall got little input last week from the Task Force the Board of Commissioners appointed to help the county prioritize projects identified in the recently completed transportation study.

Woodall went through the list of 18 projects listed as Corridor Capacity Improvements in the county’s Long Range Transportation Plan and asked Task Force members for their comments on the proposals.

Oconee County Board Of Education Reassured About ELOST Collections And Bond Payments

***Revenues Suggest Surplus Likely***

Oconee County Schools and the Board of Education have shifted their attention from spending money from the current Education Local Option Sales Tax to making sure that the revenue the tax produces in its remaining months will be sufficient to pay back the bonds sold against that revenue.

At the regular meeting of the Board of Education on Monday, Saranna Charping, chief financial officer for Oconee County Schools, told the Board that spending on the budgeted projects for the current Education Local Option Sales Tax, or ELOST V, is nearly complete.

Oconee County Industrial Development Authority Gets Update On County's New Economic Development Plans

***Lesser Role For Authority***

Oconee County plans to target information technology, healthcare and professional services as sectors for its future economic development.

By contracting with the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce for economic development, the county will save about $40,000 from last year when it tried to promote economic development on its own.