Thursday, May 03, 2018

Oconee County And Clarke County Superior Court Judicial Candidates Show Differences At Law School Forum

***May 22 General Election***

Law Professor Kent Barnett asked six questions of each of the four candidates seeking to be elected as a Superior Court Judge for the Western Judicial Circuit at the candidate forum held at the University of Georgia Law Library late last month.

The first two of the questions seemed like they could have been taken from a law school quiz, and the remaining four dealt with administrative issues the two winners of the May 22 nonpartisan general election are likely to deal with on the bench.

Tuesday, May 01, 2018

Morgan County Commissioners Vote To Oppose Apalachee River Intake For Hard Labor Creek Reservoir

***Cite Poor Communication***

The Morgan County Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning unanimously passed a resolution stating its opposition to locating an intake facility for the Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir on the Apalachee River in Morgan County.

The resolution states support for the reservoir, a partnership between Walton and Oconee counties.

Monday, April 30, 2018

Oconee County Commissioners Receive Proposed Budget For Next Fiscal Year Showing 7.6 Percent Increase In Spending

***Declines In Base Water And Sewer Rates***

Oconee County Finance Director Wes Geddings has presented the Board of Commissioners a 2019 Fiscal Year General Fund Budget proposal that reflects a 7.6 percent growth in spending over the current fiscal year.

The increase in expenditure is matched by a projected increase in revenue.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Oconee County Commissioners Eliminate Comprehensive Plan Character Area In Response To Citizen Complaints

***Apalachee Citizens Also Make Request***

In quick order on Tuesday night, the Oconee County Board of Commissioners eliminated the Country Crossroads Character Area from the 2018 Comprehensive Plan.

The change, agreed to by the commissioners following a public hearing on the draft plan, was a response to criticism that inclusion of the Country Crossroads Character Area could lead to commercial development in the south of the county.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Parents Asking Oconee County Board Of Education To Change Meeting Times and Types

***Consider Change In Meetings***

Brandi Herndon, moderator of the Facebook group, Parents Improving Oconee Schools, has asked the Oconee County Board of Education to consider changing the times of its meetings to accommodate parents and to hold town hall meetings.

In comments before the Board of Education last week, Herndon said the current 5 p.m. meetings are “really hard for parents and especially working parents” and that town hall meetings would be “a place to identify and implement solutions to problems” in the county’s schools.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Oconee County Planning Commission Rejects Restrictions On Slab Construction But Approves Revisions To Comprehensive Plan

***Recommendations To Board Of Commissioners***

The Oconee County Planning Commission, in an 8 to 2 vote last week, rebuffed a proposal from the county administration to modify the county development code to restrict the use of slab foundations in residential construction.

County Administrator Justin Kirouac told Planning Commission members that the proposed changes merely codify what the Board of Commissioners has been doing in rezone cases, but that didn’t influence the majority of the Planning Commission members, who recommended that the Board of Commissioners reject the code changes.

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Oconee County Changes Construction Plans For Sewer Line On Daniells Bridge Road Because Of Water Line

***Switch Sewer Line To East Side***

A pipeline for a private water company has caused contractors to switch construction of a pressured sewer line leading from Epps Bridge Parkway to the Calls Creek wastewater treatment plant to the east side of a section of Daniells Bridge Road.

The change in construction plans will result in a three-day closure of Natalie Drive, which is an entrance to Welbrook Farms subdivision, the Oconee County Water Resources Department announced on Friday.