Oconee County, GA Politics

 I am grateful to be joining this august body otherwise known as the Watkinsville City Council in January 2017. You are welcome to come to the swearing in ceremony 7:00 pm Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at the Watkinsville Community Center on VFW Drive (off State Route 53/Experiment Station Road) in lovely downtown Watkinsville. This will be the next to last meeting where I am on this side of the rail. The Watkinsville City Council approved the agenda with due diligence and only one vote after an applicant left the lectern. Various beer and wine as well as distilled spirits applications were approved at the usual places with the retiring gentlemen I am replacing remaining steadfast in his opposition to vote in the affirmative for any of the applicants.  So no unanimity, but all passed after brief inquiries.  I am looking forward to working with Watkinsville City Council members Marci Campbell, Connie Massey, and the Brian Brodrick, along with fellow new council me...

 I am grateful to be joining this august body otherwise known as the Watkinsville City Council in January 2017. You are welcome to come to the swearing in ceremony 7:00 pm Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at the Watkinsville Community Center on VFW Drive (off State Route 53/Experiment Station Road) in lovely downtown Watkinsville. This will be the next to last meeting where I am on this side of the rail. The Watkinsville City Council approved the agenda with due diligence and only one vote after an applicant left the lectern. Various beer and wine as well as distilled spirits applications were approved at the usual places with the retiring gentlemen I am replacing remaining steadfast in his opposition to vote in the affirmative for any of the applicants.  So no unanimity, but all passed after brief inquiries.  I am looking forward to working with Watkinsville City Council members Marci Campbell, Connie Massey, and the Brian Brodrick, along with fellow new council me...

Challenger Dan Matthews was first to qualifying for the Watkinsville City Council on the second day where City Clerk Julie Sanders was receiving the $72.00 fee for such a contest. Matthews chose Post 5 again, potentially taking on Mike Link once more should he decide to run again (and all indications are that the Oconee County volunteer fire fighter who always votes no on restaurant and stores' alcohol applications, will run again for his umpteenth term on the town council). Matthews plans to give all municipal applicants an honest consideration instead of merely opting to impose his moral viewpoint like the incumbent currently and repeatedly does to the residents and business license holders in the City of Watkinsville. Link has never voted in the affirmative for any applicants ever for beer, wine, or liquor by the drink in the dozen-plus times he has had the opportunity to do so since former Mayor Jim Luken helped usher in the spirits era in Oconee County several years ago....

The lunch and dining choices for restaurant goers in Watkinsville expanded with the unanimous approval and addition of The Traveling Hobo Cafe at 20B Greensboro Highway. This is the former location of the Big Easy Cafe and several other restaurants as well as next door to Kiki's Bake shop. Watkinsville street department hard at work Amkee Ervin recently moved to Bishop from Savannah where they developed the concept for the burger based restaurant (Sliverado's Saloon and Kitchen in Savannah) that will be open for lunch and dinner here in Watkinsville very soon. They are hoping for an opening during the first week of September contingent upon health department inspection and approval, per the City Council approval. Mirko Giacomantonio, namesake and recently re-purchased ownership of the Town Center restaurant Mirko Pasta from David Weeks, appeared and received approval for a beer and wine license. He was unaware that Watkinsville voters had approved a liquor by the drin...

Longtime Oconee County resident and political observer Dan Matthews qualified today to take on incumbent Mike Link for the Post 5 seat of the Watkinsville City Council nonpartisan municipal election Tuesday, November 4, 2014. Matthews ran three elections in 2011, emerging from a field of four to make a run-off against Chuck Williams for the State Representative District 113 race in special election to fill the seat vacated by Hank Huckaby becoming Chancellor of the Board of Regents, and then ran against Charles Ivie to become Mayor of the City of Watkinsville a few months later. "I running for the residents and businesses of the city of Watkinsville, not against Mr. Link," said Matthews. "I think my opponent has done some great volunteer work with the Fire Department and the City Council, but I intend to come to this job with an open mind and a steady hand." Link has summarily dismissed every vote for beer and wine permits in the city permitting process, never...

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...

The City of Watkinsville council members, including outgoing member Samantha Purcell in her next to last meeting, passed the business licenses for Joshua Johnson for Harjo Woodworking and for Tire Depot Services of Reynaldo Juarez, opening his second location outside of Milledgeville down by the Shell Station on Highway 15. Everything passed unanimously as usual with a new face on council, but one familiar to those in the audience. of longtime attendee Connie Massey making the transition to the tilt back chairs of the council members up there on the other side of the lectern. The City Council also graciously allowed Mr. Johnson to get added on the agenda at the last moment, and accepted the reconciliation report. City Council member Mike Link showed up late to the meeting at this point. City resident Antonio Rooks asked about how his considerable number of dogs and their tethering could result in his fines. He quoted the costs that Code Enforcement Officer Robert Hegge read to him ...

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...

No City Election in Watkinsville This Year

Two deteriorating buildings between Ashford Memorial Methodist Church and Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast have been added to the clean up job Mayor Charles Ivie as far as tearing down old properties around Watkinsville. The house slated to be razed The Pink House as it was known and an adjacent structure were a building used by the church for years but has fallen into disrepair recently. The council joylessly approved the demolition permit unanimously without Brian Brodrick or Toby Smith present at the July meeting. Former City Attorney R. Judson Huff made an appearance before the council representing the church and clearly it was an issue longf nagging at the local congregation. Mike Link advised Huff to contact Georgia Power to get a cuff on the power line near there in case of accidental contact with the equipment necessary for the destruction of these historic but seldom used properties. Huff also inquired as to whether or not there was a gas line in the building. ...

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...