Worldly Watkinsville Economics summit, I mean MACORTS, I mean Court System Relocation, I mean City Council meeting
The Watkinsville City Council meeting Wednesday was anything but routine, starting with the 4H Club requested and administered Pledges of Allegiance from a young Guthrie gal, to Andy Griner showing his questionable municipal political ploys from the back row of the audience, to the Police Chief Lee O'Dillon revealing a daytime break-in next subdivision over from me.
Oh and by the way, Mayor Jim Luken pretty much threw down the gauntlet on what is and is not going to happen with the future of Oconee County judicial proceedings not necessarily where they are held presently. Future judicial chambers should be as close as possible to the jail with an eye toward security when designed to prevent any Brian Nichols-type attacks as prisoners might be led from courthouse to jail cell and vice-versa. This will require a Herculean effort from a visionary leader sadly lacking on the State Level.
"The Courthouse is the heartbeat of Watkinsville," said Luken. "The problem is with the Court system."
He wants all the current services excepting the court functions to remain at the Courthouse, and then a new building almost connecting to the jail. The property is for sale.
Southwire donated a chunk of property across the street from their factory, all of 4.85 acres abutting Barnett Shoals Road on the other (South) side of the street where most people would think it would be, some inside the present city limits, some outside, all besides Scull Shoals subdivision (which was also once also all not entirely inside the municipality). This could be some day turned into something like another pocket park, as which the Daughters of the American Revolution have recently done so graciously outside Jittery Joe's at the cross roads of old 441 and 15.
The DAR folks will be back to talk about the possibility of historic designation and title challenges with the actual property of the Watkinsville cemetery. As it is there is an account at Oconee State Bank and not much else as a legal entity to the property on record.
We have Campus Girl as the new clothing boutique downtown at 20 North Main Street in the highly visible location that should be a hit with the juniors seeking such hip fashion advice. Brandon Campbell will rent you a Scissors Lift at 1401 Greensboro Highway. Jeff Bell will be offering short term loans with his partner Joe Harrison at Oconee Finance. Mayor Luken cited the 10K stock market rebound and Brian Brodrick also praised the microeconomic boost to our local tax base.
George Rodrigues is going on MACORTS duties with the city's best interests at heart to go with his Planning Commission duties. He volunteered to make sure we do not get roped into widening project as seems to be the case with Whitehall/Simonton Bridge seems to have occurred with at least county acquiescence if not approval and a great mystery as to why it happens. MACORTS is the multi-governmental planning organization doling out state bucks for projects near and far, but primarily hell bent on destroying this local thoroughfare with turn lanes and even four lanes. Mayor Luken and Brodrick both described their frustration with the process, and as a possibility of preventing or at least making the process slightly slower, the city approved eight houses as historic structures on the scenic route. The addresses include 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 36, 47, 52 and 68.
It would have been nine houses but the Griner family decided to bow out of the historic designation. After a few polite exchanges about that topic with Mayor Luken, Andy Griner asked questions about the paving on Main Street downtown, citing the Works Project Administration's cement and other obscure references. His business is involved in the bidding process for replacing the crumbling bricks on the cross walk from Eagle Tavern.
Brodrick read a list of improvements coming to Harris Shoals park ranging from recycling bins to new bathrooms and dumpsters, improved tables, electrical and possibly even cooking pits. Watkinsville got their new council member in Toby Smith, and here Samantha Purcell watches Smith receive the oath of office from Luken.
There was also an approval with loads of contingency for an in-home day care on VFW Drive essentially right across the street from the Watkinsville Community Center at least for a half-dozen kids after they are inspected by city code enforcement officer Robert Hegge and have a (too) large storage structure removed from their premises.
Oh and by the way, Mayor Jim Luken pretty much threw down the gauntlet on what is and is not going to happen with the future of Oconee County judicial proceedings not necessarily where they are held presently. Future judicial chambers should be as close as possible to the jail with an eye toward security when designed to prevent any Brian Nichols-type attacks as prisoners might be led from courthouse to jail cell and vice-versa. This will require a Herculean effort from a visionary leader sadly lacking on the State Level.
"The Courthouse is the heartbeat of Watkinsville," said Luken. "The problem is with the Court system."
He wants all the current services excepting the court functions to remain at the Courthouse, and then a new building almost connecting to the jail. The property is for sale.
Southwire donated a chunk of property across the street from their factory, all of 4.85 acres abutting Barnett Shoals Road on the other (South) side of the street where most people would think it would be, some inside the present city limits, some outside, all besides Scull Shoals subdivision (which was also once also all not entirely inside the municipality). This could be some day turned into something like another pocket park, as which the Daughters of the American Revolution have recently done so graciously outside Jittery Joe's at the cross roads of old 441 and 15.
The DAR folks will be back to talk about the possibility of historic designation and title challenges with the actual property of the Watkinsville cemetery. As it is there is an account at Oconee State Bank and not much else as a legal entity to the property on record.
We have Campus Girl as the new clothing boutique downtown at 20 North Main Street in the highly visible location that should be a hit with the juniors seeking such hip fashion advice. Brandon Campbell will rent you a Scissors Lift at 1401 Greensboro Highway. Jeff Bell will be offering short term loans with his partner Joe Harrison at Oconee Finance. Mayor Luken cited the 10K stock market rebound and Brian Brodrick also praised the microeconomic boost to our local tax base.
George Rodrigues is going on MACORTS duties with the city's best interests at heart to go with his Planning Commission duties. He volunteered to make sure we do not get roped into widening project as seems to be the case with Whitehall/Simonton Bridge seems to have occurred with at least county acquiescence if not approval and a great mystery as to why it happens. MACORTS is the multi-governmental planning organization doling out state bucks for projects near and far, but primarily hell bent on destroying this local thoroughfare with turn lanes and even four lanes. Mayor Luken and Brodrick both described their frustration with the process, and as a possibility of preventing or at least making the process slightly slower, the city approved eight houses as historic structures on the scenic route. The addresses include 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 36, 47, 52 and 68.
It would have been nine houses but the Griner family decided to bow out of the historic designation. After a few polite exchanges about that topic with Mayor Luken, Andy Griner asked questions about the paving on Main Street downtown, citing the Works Project Administration's cement and other obscure references. His business is involved in the bidding process for replacing the crumbling bricks on the cross walk from Eagle Tavern.
There was also an approval with loads of contingency for an in-home day care on VFW Drive essentially right across the street from the Watkinsville Community Center at least for a half-dozen kids after they are inspected by city code enforcement officer Robert Hegge and have a (too) large storage structure removed from their premises.
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