Oconee County, GA Politics

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...

Approved three businesses this evening at Community Center. Art on the Side, Dressing Your Rooms, and a Fairytale Finds LLC were all approved by The Watkinsville City  Council meeting this evening. The address for these businesses includes Art on the Side with Arlene Phillips at 17 North Main Street, the Dressing Your Room business with Shirley Dean is located at 56 Dooley Street and the Fairytale Finds LLC will be located at 1021 Industrial Boulevard. Co-owners Lisa Masterson and Kaci Thurmond came to the meeting this evening to describe their children's boutique consignment sale place and their twice monthly sales, and council member Toby Smith joked that some of the members of the City Council would have to recuse their vote because of they would be shopping there all the time. Doctor Robert Wyatt of the Oconee County Library Advisory Board  spoke for in favor of increasing the funding for the Oconee County Library in their budget request, while Johnny Lay waited until...

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...

Connie Massey Qualifies for Vacant Watkinsville Council Seat