Oconee County Commissioners To Consider Human Resources Policy That Would Strengthen The Power Of The Chairman

Document Not Released

The public and the Oconee County Board of Commissioners will get an overview tomorrow night of a revised Human Resources policy document that solidifies the power of the chairman of the Board of Commissioners in terms of job classification, pay, dismissals and other personnel matters.

Contrary to the Organizational Policy adopted by the Board of Commissioners in August of 2009, the document makes the chair of the Board of Commissioners and the county administrative officer equals in key personnel matters.

Oconee County Chairman Davis Distancing Himself From Decision To Spend $10,000 On Design Work For Old Mars Hill Road

Blames Others

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis has taken steps to distance himself from the county’s decision to spend nearly $10,000 for design work to reconnect Old Mars Hill Road to Mars Hill Road proper.

That is true even though Davis has been exonerated of any wrongdoing for his involvement in the proposal under the county’s ethics ordinance and although the email correspondence indicates Davis initiated the discussion more than a year ago and has been involved from that point forward.

Oconee County Development Authority Contemplating How To Spend Future Sales Tax Money

Likes Sewers

Oconee County voters cut a nearly blank check for $850,000 to the Oconee County Industrial Development Authority when they approved the 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax last November.

The language on the resolution for the 2015 SPLOST merely said the money should be used for “Economic Development Facilities,” and the voters, probably without giving it much thought, accepted the deal.

Oconee County Recreational Affairs Committee Endorses Greenway Project Along Oconee River

Recommendation to BOC

The Oconee County Citizen Advisory Committee on Recreational Affairs reversed course on Tuesday evening and voted to recommend to the Board of Commissioners that it move forward with a greenway project along the Oconee River at Barnett Shoals.

The Recreational Affairs Committee said the BOC should begin negotiations with two key landowners over easements and use Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax revenue for securing public access to the property.

Special Master Rejects Citizen Complaint Against Oconee County Commission Chairman

Evidence Lacking

Oconee County Special Master James Warnes has rejected the complaint filed by Sarah Bell against Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis, saying that Bell had not provided evidence of a violation of the Ethics Ordinance establishing standards for county commissioners

“This report should terminate this matter,” Warnes wrote in a letter he sent to Michael Pruett, standing in for County Attorney Daniel Haygood, who has been out of town.

Called Meeting Of Oconee County Recreational Affairs Committee To Reconsider Greenway Along Oconee River At Barnett Shoals

Part Of Larger Project

The Oconee County Citizen Advisory Committee on Recreational Affairs is holding a called meeting at 5 p.m. tomorrow in the Community Center at Veterans Park to reconsider a proposed greenway along the Oconee River near the Barnett Shoals Dam.

In July, the Advisory Committee turned down a recommendation of a joint subcommittee that the county use Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax revenue to purchase easements on two key properties along both sides of the river that would be the centerpieces of the greenway.

Oconee County Issued Permit For New Office Building On Daniells Bridge Road

East of ITS Building

Construction crews last week began assembling equipment and materials in preparation for pouring the foundation for another two-story office building that will be part of the University Parkway Office and Technology Park at 2500 Daniells Bridge Road.

The building will join two others under construction in the quickly-developing area around the Oconee Connector, SR 316 and Virgil Langford Road.

One of those, a storage facility complex of two three-story buildings, is visible across SR 316 from near the site of the office building to be constructed on Daniells Bridge Road.