Page 6C
orter
May 1, 2019
!By Digne O|idewe||
I
,news@mymcr.
net
i : Monroe County man-
iager I imHedges urged the
I members of High Falls
I Lake: sociation on April
per-
the ballot
er.: In introduc-
grew up in
State and then began
career in the oil and gas
business with Amoco.
Hedges moved into the
international part of the
business and had 13 as-
signments and traveled
to 61 countries before he
tired of flying and re-
tired. After eight years as
mayor ofAshburn, Ga he
became city manager of
Pelham, Ga. He found Pel-
ham $1.4 million in debt,
left it $1.2 million to the
good and came to Monroe
County.
With this personal back-
ground, Hedges began to
talk about TSPLOST and
the condition of roads
in Monroe County. He
said he had made the
TSPLOST presentation to
Monroe County commis-
sioners in March and was
' now bringing it to High
!Falls.
: Hedges said he went
through 350 county roads
iwith Monroe County road
' superintendent Junior
iWatts and had him rate
!each one from 1 to 4 on its
,condition, with No. 1 be-
!ing the worst. He distrib-
luted a list of 138 roads in
i District 4, which includes
:High Falls. George Emami,
the commissioner for Dis-
He said the cost to County if it is put on the
re-surface one mile of a ballot and passed; 13
two-lane road with asphalt Georgia counties have
is $125,000. Hedges said passed a county TSPLOST
Monroe County has 23.39 so far. Monroe County
miles of roads at the No. 1 could put it on a Nov. 5
level needing re-surfacing, ballot.
which would be $292 mil- Money collected from
lion. Of the roads rated TSPLOST can be used for
No. 1, about 12 miles are renovation/improvement,
in District 4. construction and acquisi-
He said there are two tion of rights-of-way of
other options for re- roads, streets, bridges,
surfacing that could help sidewalks and bicycle
stretch the money further, paths, including resurfac-
"Triple surface" is a treat- ing. TSPLOST can be used
ment that finishes with a to move utilities, improve
thin layer of sand on top of water drainage and patch
the road surface and costs and preserve shoulders,
$79,000 per miles; there culverts, etc. for roads,
is a spay application that streets, bridges, sidewalks
costs $30,000 per mile. and bicycle paths.
Roads with the heaviest Hedges said Monroe
vehicles and most traffic County Public Works
need asphalt re-surfacing takes care of 466 miles of
while less-used roads county roads, 933 miles
might be improved for a of ditches and 31 bridges
reasonable amount of time and mows 2,263 acres
with one of the less costly of right-of-way with 22
re-surfacing techniques, employees. He said that
Hedges said he asked TSPLOST money can
commissioners to go be used as the required
through the list of roads in match for the state LMIG
their districts and pick the (Local Maintenance &
roads they felt were most Improvement Grant)
in need of re-surfacing funds allotted each year
and the type of work they for county roads. Hedges
recommend on them by said Monroe County gets
May 16. They are to look about $700,000 per year
at roads rated No. 2 as from LMIG and matches
well as No. 1 and include 30 percent.
some of them if they feel Hedges said Monroe
the need is pressing. There County commissioners
are 14 roads rated No. 2 in all said they want to put
District 4, totaling about a county-only TSPLOST
another 17 miles, on the November ballot.
Roads in District 4 To do so, they will have to
rated No. 1 (in alphabetical agree on a project list, have
order) are Boxankle Road, an agreement with Forsyth
Elbert Jackson Road, and Culloden and approve
Ham Road, Hayes Drive, a resolution and send it to
Higgins Mill Road, High the Election Superinten-
Road, Jeffrey Way, Julie dent by August. Hedges
Lane, Lakeshore Drive, noted that commissioners
Lakeview Road, Pioneer and county employees,
Trail and Talmadge Road. including himself, are
Pictured above at the High Falls Lake Association quarterly meeting on April 18 are, left to
right, Monroe County Manager Jim Hedges, High Falls State Park Resource Manager Si-
erra Herndon, HFLA President Bob Chappell and District 4 Commissioner George Emami.
HFLA Treasurer Marilyn Carter welcomes guest speaker Jim Hedges to refreshments after
the meeting. (Photos/Diane Glidewell)
span of 10 years.
"The older it gets,
the slower it goes" said
Hedges, explaining that
the older meters do not
charge for all the water
used. He said he did not
know how long it would
take for new meters to pay
back the county by charg-
hour. Hedges said he has Association, appealed for
the Carl Vinson Institute some new people to step
coming on May 1 to do up and take over as officers
an analysis of all county of the organization. He
jobs and recommend a said the current officers
pay scale. He said it took
six months to get these
experts and will cost about
$20,000. Hedges said
Monroe County's benefit
have served for five years
or more, and it is time for
new leadership and energy.
The group notifies mem-
bers of anything of interest
trict 4 was at the meeting. Hedges had included the prohibited from cam- ing for water more accu- plan for employees is one by email, calling post and
i There were 12 roads rated 5.23 miles of Estes Road paigning for the passage of rately since he has no way of the best in the state, notices in the Reporter. It
"li and another 14 roads (rated No. 1) in District 4, TSPLOST but are allowed to know exactly how much Hedges said the High is supported by dues from
/
r ited 2 in District 4. but it is in district 3 near to answer questions, is not being charged. He Falls Fire Station, like sev- members and contribu-
The one-cent single eral of the other 13 fire sta- tions from the Harbour
county TSPLOST is esti- tions in Monroe County, Shores Homeowners As-
mated to raise $17 million needs refurbishing and sociation.
for Monroe County over that some of the firefight- Water quality tests at en-
',its five-year duration, ers' equipment is in bad try points and mid-lake on
"$17 million in five years shape. He said the county's High Falls Lake are done
will make a heck of a dif- three ambulances have to monthly by volunteers
:ference;' said Hedges. cover 400 square miles and A1 Crusan, Steve West-
serve 28,000 people, fall, John Steinhauer, Lee
- Knecht said there is only Therieult, Mike McAtee
one emergency siren in the and Ross Carroll. They
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Bolingbroke. "What can be done about also said that with "three
"Instead of big projects heavy equipment traveling little tie-ins" the county
like a $6 million round- over back roads [and caus- could buy water from the
about, let's put this money ing damage to the roads] ?" city of Forsyth instead of
where it will do the most asked Jan Knecht. from Butts County. He
good" said Hedges. "Not much" said Hedges. said Forsyth is upgrading
He said he was against "They buy their tags. We its water system and says
the regional TSPLOST like can put up signs, but then it would have no problem
the one Monroe County we have to enforce:' providing the 75 mil-
voters voted against by "Jim, I don't feel like lion gallons per year that
56.6 percent (the larg- we're keeping up. We're Monroe County now buys
est negative vote in the taxing our roads by not from the Butts County
11-county region) in May maintaining them;' said Water Authority. He said
2018. He said Monroe Emami. "We know there's the county is looking at
County would have been a problem; now we need to how many booster pumps
a "donor" county, paying do something." are needed to get the water
much more in taxes than it "I have supported up hills.
got back in projects. TSPLOST to keep from Asked his opinion on the
However, the legislature raising property taxes" county getting a permit
has authorized counties said Bud Queen. "Others for the old Camellia Bibb
not induded in a regional are paying" Manufacturing water
TSPLOST to ask voters for Hedges said that with plant, Hedges said he sees
a county-only TSPLOST. 1-75 running through no value in it. "It would
All sales taxes collected Monroe County, he take millions to reactivate
in the Monroe County estimates 40-60 percent and there are no pipes that
TSPLOST would be used of sales tax in Monroego from there into the sys-
for projects in Monroe County is paid by non-tern. All doors are welded
residents, shut. It's inoperable:'
Discussing other county A1 Crusan asked how
issues, Hedges said the Monroe County can
county is looking at replac- expect to hire enough
ing 2,500 water meters that good deputies when it is
are beyond their useful life only paying them $14 per
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County, on Lakeshore Crusan reported that all
Drive in High Falls, and tests this quarter have been
its sound does not carry good.
far enough. Hedges said High Falls Park Ranger
the county's new and old Steve Partin said that
emergency systems are not although the park low-
communicating with each ered the lake this fall, it
other right now. He said never went low enough
a good wailing siren costs for homeowners to make
$40,000 installed and he repairs to docks because of
would make a note of the all the rain. He said plans
need in the northern part are to try to lower the lake
of the county, level again this December
Knecht encouraged instead of waiting another
everyone to attend Com- year or two.
missioners' meetings and Partin introduced new
said Hedges did a good job High Falls State Park
presenting the budget at resource manager Si-
the meeting. Emami said erra Herndon. She is
he feels public comment from Bolingbroke and is
is an important source of a University of Georgia
new ideas at the meetings, graduate.
He complimented Hedges Reporting for the Friends
on his competence and of High Falls State Park,
business sense and said he Bud Queen said the park's
has been pleased with his Easter Egg Hunt went
work as county manager, well. They decided not to
do an evening glow egg
In other High Falls Lake hunt this year. He said the
Association news: group always welcomes
more volunteers. Its next
Bob Chappell, presi- big event is a triathlon on
dent of High Falls Lake May 18.
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