Oconee County, GA Politics

The city of Watkinsville is no longer a perfect one mile circle from the Courthouse. The giant five acre tracts are few and far between these days. Now it is about narrow lots, non-conforming driveways and garage doors, and building where they can or what they can. The city council did their level best to try to take everyone's concerns into account Wednesday evening at the Community Center during their regular April meeting. City Council memher Brian Brodrick was not in attendance at this month's meeting. New member Mike Huff (below) finally began to come out his shell a bit in describing one of the properties in question. Connie Massey did not say a thing that I remember. Toby Smith listens to Mike Huff discuss the best way out of this zoning mess. The Watkinsville City Council faced the daunting task of trying to redo the zoning code in one fell swoop or take each zoning variance individually.  The council tabled the motion for changing the zoning about garages and p...

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...

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

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...

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...

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.

The Watkinsville City Council meeting Wednesday evening was brief but to the point: Paige Hudspeth received approval for her business license for her three-hour group painting class called Paint with Class, and it will possibly be located at 8 School Street if real estate negotiations are completed as expected. Hudspeth explained that she can teach a group to complete paintings within three hours to take home paintings after an outing. She plans to primarily market to women, but will of course accept men. She says she has a knack for teaching people how to finish their works to take home with them. Paige Hudspeth shows one of her paintings to the Council Another amended business license will aim to accept consignment of hunting gear from primarily men, but will accept deer stands from women such as City Council member Samantha Purcell. The people who have been giving loans at Oconee Lending Group have decided to also have ATVs and golf carts in the parking lot shared with Sunshine...

The woman holding the paper was not pleased with the school. All manner of feathered fowl and birds shall be granted sanctuary inside the city limits of Watkinsville following the City Council approval of an amendment embracing the idea of not trapping, hunting, shooting or molesting in any manner any bird or wild fowl. Donated by Athens Seed The second reading of the amendment went smoothly save Council member Mike Link's suggestion of switching verbs from "may take" to "may approve" which was endorsed by City Attorney Joe Reitman, Jr. as a prudent shift.  Basically if a big enough flock of grackles or turkey buzzards congregates in your yard, you can still seek council approval to take care of them, except not with a shotgun anymore. City Attorney Joe Reitman, Jr. At least one member of the audience recalled a time when the city advertised a similar less official proclamation back in the day. Later she made sure the donated bird feeder from Athens...

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 i...

I wrote the following questionnaire to probable new Watkinsville City Council (barring an unforeseen write-in candidacy) member Toby Smith to try and get some feeling from where he is coming from. To his credit, he responded quickly on an otherwise busy Thursday afternoon. My memory is somewhat sweaty and cloudy of Toby being a steady (if unspectacular) lanky basketball player from the Herman C. Michael hoops days of 1989 - 94, but I did mute a certain apprehension based on the fact that I had never seen him at any Watkinsville City Council meetings before. I have not attended every Watkinsville City Council meeting in the last five years, but I would reckon I have witnessed about 70% of them in the last half decade. There is not a true numbered correlation with the answers to the questions, but wanted to leave the numeration on to see how Toby received them. 1. Do you intend to try to reverse any of the actions of the recent council's decision in regards to beer and wine? ...

PRESS RELEASE - SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 William t. “toby” smith, cpa/cva Contact: Toby Smith 1121 Christian Terrace Watkinsville , GA 30677 Phone (706) 705-1305 Work (706) 546-1422 SMITH TO RUN FOR WATKINSVILLE CITY COUNCIL SEAT WATKINSVILLE , Ga , SEPTEMBER 18 :  Toby Smith announced today that he will run for the Watkinsville City Council Post 3 seat, being vacated by Joe Walter. “Watkinsville has a distinct character and culture of its own, which makes me proud to be a resident” said Smith.  “I’ve been very encouraged and appreciative of the progress and hard work of Mayor Luken and the City Council.  Continuing that work while maintaining the unique quality and traditions of Watkinsville are top priorities.” Smith, 33, was raised in Watkinsville after his family relocated to Oconee County from Atlanta in 1977. Toby attended Oconee County schools and graduated from the University of Georgia earning a B.B.A. in Business Adminis...