Chuck Horton said his experience and background will allow him to “hit the ground running” should he win the open seat on the Oconee County Board of Commissioners in the special election on Nov. 8.
Because of his service on the Board of Education, Horton said he understands the need for the Board of Commissioners to think through the implications of decisions it makes on the county’s schools.
Ben Bridges says the county is growing too fast and it is time to slow down for a little while to take stock of where things are.
He also says that water and sewer are the biggest challenges facing the county.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division has denied Oconee County’s request for a 3.0 million gallons per day waste load allocation for Calls Creek, saying the stream is too small to handle the treated effluent.
The denial means that the county will have to change its plans to upgrade its Calls Creek wastewater treatment plant on the outskirts of Watkinsville, run a sewer line down Calls Creek, or find another way to discharge treated sewer water from an expanded Calls Creek plant into the Middle Oconee River.
Oconee County on Sept. 15 issued a permit for land disturbance activities for expansion of Epps Bridge Centre, but it has not yet issued a second permit that would allow for installation of site infrastructure.
The county permit followed approval on Aug. 18 by the Oconee River Soil and Water Conservation District of an erosion and sediment control plan submitted by Oconee 316 Associates LLC and developer Frank Bishop of Atlanta for the 54 acres for the shopping center expansion.
Oconee County, having reached a settlement with Jennings Mill Country Club over easements for the McNutt Creek Sewer line from Jimmy Daniell Road to Jennings Mill Road, is now turning its attention to the other property owners across whose land the sewer line will run.
The line will cross 17 properties not owned by Laniertindall LLC, owner of the country club.
Simpson Trucking and Grading of Gaineville already has completed some of the clearing and grubbing work for Parkway Boulevard Extension, which will serve as a major entranceway for an expanded Epps Bridge Centre.
The company also is putting in temporary erosion control measures, according to Oconee County Public Works Director Emil Beshara, and plans to begin moving direct in the next couple of weeks.
Stacey Abrams, minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, gave a rousing calls to action to a gathering of Oconee County Democrats this (Sunday) afternoon, telling them to get people of all races registered and to get people of all races out to vote starting next month.
“Georgia is already blue,” Abrams said at the outset.
