Oconee County, GA Politics

The City of Watkinsville worked wonders to make sure that developmentally disabled children will continue to have every opportunity to enjoy life at the Extra Special People expansion incorporating property from the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #9147 as well as a sliver of city property from the back end of Harris Shoals Park thanks to donations of planning and construction among many other amazing facets of this truly wonderful story. Jon Williams of Williams and Associates drew up many architectural renderings of what awaits the intersection of VFW Drive, Mimosa intersectioned  into a reworked road out of the back end of Harris Shoals Park. There will also be a cul-de-sac like turn-around for buses and the like. Also the pre-existing dance studio of Joan Mann shall remain in the VFW property as well, just moved a bit. That building will be brought up to code.  The Martha Wylie vision of what would become more popularly known as ESP will continue to provide ...

Enjoyed speaking with voters Sunday in Watkinsville, walking from the south end to the north. We have an incredibly close and diverse small town, where almost everyone at least knows of one and other, but for the most part we respect each other and leave each other alone. If we need help it is always good to know it is there, and that is beyond color of skin, church you attend, or what party you may or may not belong to. We take care of each other.  I want to give businesses a honest opportunity to be reckoned with on the merits of their application and not try to force my moral agenda on anyone ever. Bought some DeWitt Smith pottery coffee mugs at the OCAF sale, and enjoyed eating at the last day of the Watkinsville edition of Kumquat Mae.

Nothing very exciting occurred at the May 2014 meeting of the Watkinsville city council Wednesday evening at the Community Center. Christine and Russ Mills answer the Council. About the most shocking news was that Mayor Charles Ivie cannot locate the original plans for the flat roofed building that is the Community Center in possibly replacing the leaky roof (which got a stern test with the rains Wednesday evening). He apparently looked at every set of blueprints in the storage of the very 1970s looking community center. Christine Mills answers questions about her proposed building permit. A new house was approved for the loveliest street in Watkinsville at 35 Harden Hill Road with the building permit for the Russ and Christine Mills family. The approval was unanimous after a few cursory queries from Council members Mike Huff and Marci Campbell. Mayor Ivie received approval of the monthly reconciliation report and gave a SPLOST breakdown and preview of the 2015 fi...

The process of municipal government approval of expenditures varies greatly given the gamut of getting done what needs to be accomplished. The agenda is what controls the course of the evening's activities, and it has been done flawlessly and expertly by Julie Sanders at the City of Watkinsville for as long as I can remember. Tonight was no exception to her consistency and rule I have always enjoy attending the Watkinsville City Council meetings and finding out what happens in our county seat. This evening they added white plastic chains to keep the adoring media throng from taking photos behind the city council members' backs during the meetings. I would hope that council continues to do so well without the annoying media snooping around behind them at their meetings. The meeting seemed to flow well regarding of any artificially constructed barriers to prevent any unnecessary media intrusions. Some smart aleck in the audience actually dared to tell Clerk Sanders of an ap...

Congratulations to new city council member Connie "Clipboard" Massey, who may be the only person who has attended more Watkinsville city council meetings than me. She defeated my friend Nicole "Nickey" Turner Brooks, daughter of Peggy Holcomb and sister of  Sherry Seila-Turner by a 224 to 158 margin. This was Nickey's first attempt at running for office, but I hope it will not be her last. Being a single parent and running for office and holding a job at the same time is never easy, especially when you work overnight at the county jail. Congratulations to both candidates on a well run race, but quite frankly, I have no idea where either candidate stands on any substantive issue in Watkinsville or Oconee County. Nor do I know how new unopposed candidate Mike Huff is going to vote. I thank God for the level heads, hearts, and minds of Toby Smith and Brian Brodrick, both of whom have always done their absolute best for the City of Watkinsville, and have always an...

So when is a transfer not a transfer? When you are married to the Landlord, apparently, at least in the wonderful world of Watkinsville beer and wine sales. This was the case at the Watkinsville City Council meeting as the city breezed through a relatively light business agenda with a couple of no-shows in Pike Gas Service and Harjo Wood Works Wednesday evening at the Community Center..  The Watkinsville City Council gave its stamp of unanimous approval to a slightly changed Animal Control ordinance that essentially is designed to give teeth to combating animals left alone and tied up without supervision inside the City Limits.  Apparently there are a couple of poor pooches in the White subdivision that are on a chain and keeping people from walking around their neighborhood without fear of getting bit by Fido. I think 45 minutes is as long as you can keep a dog tied up in your yard with no one around. Nicole Brooks, center, taking the place of Julie Sanders at a meeting...

The Watkinsville City Council had a full slate of members to go with a distracted Mayor Wednesday evening at the Community Center in the county seat of Oconee County. Business was slight as 2/3rds the appearances failed to show up on time, but the remaining appearance was approved as Corey Davis received approval for his Core Blend Training and Wellness at 1410 Greensboro Highway with a testimonial on his application from recent Olympic Bronze Medal shot putter Reece Hoffa, who came back to Northeast Georgia from London with the hardware. Davis intends to train "regular people" in addition to elite athletes in the business he purchased recently. He will have early morning boot camps at 5:30 and 7:30 am as well as 9:30 am as well as zumba and yogi classes later in the day. Those not arriving in time included Kevin Pike of Pike Gas Services at 75 Barnett Shoals Road and Bindhumol John for J&B Food Mart for a beer and win retail license at 1461 Greensboro Highway. Counci...

It was back to the future at the Watkinsville City Council as Mayor Charles Ivie reminisced about 1974 which was the year he was last on the council with his former council mate now Representative Chuck Williams and his brother David dominating the meeting as only they know how. It was also the first year of the Fall Festival, when it started about the size of the current Farmers Market downtown on Saturday mornings. They managed together to keep the semi-destroyed barbecue pits high enough for the Rotary to cook their 750 chicken halves properly and the Rocket Field was declared the official venue for insurance principals for the Fall Festival as run by the Chamber of Commerce, even without an official vote (although there was a Motion and 2nd) for approval although I might've been blinded by the brilliance and radiance of the convergent Williams brothers. There were several other glitches or reminders of parliamentary procedure needed by Mayor Ivie, none of which were the lea...

Brian Brodrick and Henry Norman The future of domesticated fowl inside the city limits was briefly considered near the end of the new business section of the Watkinsville City Council meeting Wednesday evening at Community Center, but the biggest news might be what the executive session yielded in terms of possible future litigation against the city. Council members Toby Smith and Samantha Purcell listen to a business license request Speculation abounds as to whether the much ballyhooed problems in a section of downtown businesses could be the source of concern, or could it be something much more nefarious and or insidious? We will find out and report shortly. Watkinsville will apparently allowed chicken and roosters in the yard if they are contained, and a sinkhole remains in the back of yard on Katie Lane. A boilerplate tattoo ordinance was inked from Oconee code with no tattoo and body piercing places on the horizon out here after a second public hearing. Victoria Al...

The economic rebound continues to percolate in lovely downtown Watkinsville, with Delores Schofill of CIRCA returning to the Main Street strip at 13 1/2 Main Stgreet, and Mae Rivera returning to cut hair basically across the street from her original location where pine straw has been sold with Watkinsville Clipper Cuts at 52 N. Main Street, Suite B, in the same development as Sunshine Cycles. Delores Schofill of CIRCA comes back to Watkinsville Kristina Butler received the OK for Fresh Baked Home Just down the street from the return of CIRCA and their authentic antiques from the 1700s and 1800s is Fresh Baked Home run by Kristina Baker at 17 North Main Street. All these businesses received unanimous approval by the City Council in an otherwise brief meeting. Mayoral candidate Dan Matthews was in the audience, and his opponent Charles Ivie continued his absence from the regular meetings. The Sons of Confederate Veterans received non-unanimous approval for a solar powered lig...

The Watkinsville City Council decided to increase the annual salary of the Mayor in a special called meeting Tuesday evening at the Community Center. Council member Brian Brodrick made a motion and was seconded by Toby Smith to increase the pay $2,500.00 next fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012. The salary will increase from $7,200.00 to $9,800.00. A special condition was added that any future pay increases be discussed by that particular council and not set in stone by this particular pay raise. After hearing many reservations voiced by council members Mike Link and Henry Norman, the measure passed unanimously.  Council member Samantha Purcell was unable to attend, as was city attorney Joe Reitman, Jr. absent. At one point city clerk Julie Sanders attempted to call Reitman at the behest of outgoing Mayor Joe Walter, only to receive voice mail. They were asking to make sure the qualifying fees would remain the same next week. Walter refereed the brief event with his same concerned...

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the campaign trail against Chuck Williams and the others, some more than others, but I was always welcomed with open arms at every venue, home and business in the 113th District. I congratulate the new Representative and wish him the very best in conducting the people's business in Special Session. I expect to be posting about this and many other snippets in the days and weeks to come. It was interesting how this blog became an issue in the campaign with the coordinated public relations character assassination on a national scale a few hours before the second debate. Death became an issue as my father died in November and Chuck Williams' late mother passed in October, who to the best of my knowledge I have not met and did not know and have nothing but respect for, were brought up in various places and spaces. Mr. Williams claimed his mother would have burned the truck down in about two days if she were still alive. I told Tim Bryant of my ...

Jimmy Marbut, owner of Sunshine Cycles in Watkinsville and Athens, received approval to finish his garage and build some backyard recreation area for his kids from the Watkinsville City Council after some questions by the Mayor Joe Walter and Brian Brodrick and clarification of city attorney Joe Reitman. Council members Toby Smith and Samantha Purcell are shown above voting in favor of the building permit for the Jeremy Drive home in Morgan Manor Estates subdivision in Watkinsville.