Page 2C
August 15, 2018
Forsyth to annex Monroe Co. Recreation Dept, Justice Center
By Diane Glidewell
news’“%tmymcr.net
Forsyth is annexing
Monroe County Jus-
tice Center and Mon-
roe County Recreation
Department into the city.
Both parcels are not part
of any other city and are
next to the Forsyth city
limits; so they are eligible
for annexation. Board of
Commissioners, as owner
of the properties, voted to
petition for annexation,
and Forsyth city council
accepted the petition at the
One Monroe joint meeting
of local governments and
leadership organizations
on July 31.
The city had asked the
county to initiate the petie
tion for annexation. The
district attorney asked
for the Justice Center to
become part of the city so
that certain trials that have
to be held in the county
seat (Forsyth) could be
held at the Justice Center
courtroom near the jail
instead of having to bring
defendants to Monroe
County courthouse.
The elections board
asked if the Recreation
Department, which is a
polling site for the county,
could be annexed into
the city so that city elec-
tions could be held there
at the same time. As it is
now, city residents must
go to a poll inside the city
to vote even when state
and county elections are
held on the same day at a
county poll. Annexing now
will make it possible for
city voters to cast ballots at
the Recreation Department
in the November general
election.
Commissioner John
Ambrose said that he was
in favor of petitioning for
annexation of the Justice
Center but wanted to wait
on the Recreation Depart-
ment. His concern was that
the city has different fire
and zoning regulations that
would affect the Recreation
Department. Commis—
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sioner Larry Evans said he
thinks the city and county
can work through any
differing regulations and
that the voting need was
important enough to move
forward. Evans said that
one advantage in annexa-
tion will be a more active
role of the city police at the
Recreation Department.
Ambrose asked county
attorney Ben Vaughn to
comment on differences
in city and county regula-'
tions, such as the building
and zoning regulations, but
Vaughn said it was hard to
respond without specific
questions. City manager
Janice Hall said that the
county does building
inspections for the city and
that she thinks the city uses
county regulations in fire
inspections.
When Ambrose asked
why the rush, Mayor Eric
Wilson said that the elec-
tions board had called the
city again that day and that
it cost taxpayer money to
set up two separate places
for voting. BOC voted to
waive the notification pro-
cess and the 30-day waiting
period to make sure the
annexation could be com-
pleted by November.
Additional land that
Monroe County bought
to add to the Recreation
Department is already in
the city limits.
Also at the One Mon-
roe meeting on July 31,
Monroe County, Forsyth
and Culloden govern-
ments voted to approve the
intergovernmental agree-
ment to distribute Special
Purpose Local Option
Sales Taxes (SPLOST).The
county’s agreement called
for the county to distribute
funds within 21 days of
receipt, and the city asked
that the agreement specify
10 days. At the suggestion
of BOC chairman Greg
Tapley, the three govern—
ments agreed on 14 days.
“We need to work togeth-
er to pass SPLOST,” said
Evans. “Monroe County
can’t function without it.”
Stewart Barr, right, presents a check to Nancy Patten and David Herndon of
Forsyth Fire
Department on behalf of the 2015 Leadership Monroe Class. The check
represented un-
spent tuncls raised for the class project. (Photo by Diane Glidewell)
local cil
leaders
By Diane Glidewell
news©mymcnnet
The “One Monroe”
meeting on July 31 brought
updates of what is going
on throughout Monroe
County. Sponsored by
Forsyth-Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce,
One Monroe invites com—
missioners, Forsyth city
council, Culloden city coun-
cil, Monroe County Board
of Education, Chamber
directors, Development
Authority, Hospital Author—
ity and Forsyth Downtown
Development Authority to
come together every fifth
Tuesday.
“One Monroe was formed
to communicate,” said Steve
Coleman, chairman of the
Forsyth—Monroe County
Chamber board. “The best
thing in the world is to get
everybody in one room.”
Opening the meeting,
Chris Hewett introduced
Dale Washburn, newly
elected representative of
District 141 who will take
office in January.
“Thank you as a commu-
nity for your confidence in
electing me. I want to work
hard to represent you well,
and 1 want to be visible in
the community. Monroe
County has a bright future,”
said Washburn. “I want
to be part of the exciting
things going on in Monroe
County.”
Stewart Barr, president
of the Leadership Monroe
Class of 2015, presented a
check for $1,631.25 to Chief
David Herndon and Nancy
Patten of the Forsyth Fire
Department. The check
represented the remaining
and county V
hold ioint meeting
funds raised for the Class of
2015 project. Barr explained
that part of the 2015 class
project was to acquire a Fire
Safety House to be used to
teach fire safety to children.
It is a small scale house that
can sirnulate a fire starting.
Barr said the 2015 Leader—
ship Class worked with DJ.
Hurm’s construction class
at Mary Persons to build .
the Fire Safety House and
saved money while obtain-
ing a quality product that
students took pride in creat-
ing. Barr said the Fire Safety
House is valued at $31,000.
Forsyth Mayor Eric
Wilson said that when he
mentioned the One Monroe
meeting at the regional
. mayors lunch earlier that
day, many of the mayors
were shocked that Monroe
County is able to get groups
from throughout the county
together. He said the cities
of Culloden and Forsyth
are getting together for a lip
sync battle.
Wilson said he is proud of
Forsyth’s latest streetscape
and that with this one fin—
ished, the city plans to apply
for another streetscape
grant. In other updates
from Forsyth, he congratu-
lated the fire department
on maintaining a Class 2
designation and reported
the city signed a manage-
ment agreement with the
Forsyth Golf Course for
the next 36 months. The
city, which already owned
‘ the front nine holes of the
course, purchased the back
nine holes.
Wilson said that plans to
annex the Monroe County
Justice Center and Recre—
ation Department into the
city will be positive for both
city and cgunty residents.
Monroe County Commis-
sion Chairman Greg Tapley
said there are good things
happening in the county,
but he can’t talk about a lot
of them. He saidthe interim
county administrator and
finance director are doing a
good job and the county ex-
pects to announce selecting
a new finance director soon.
He commended the Devel—
opment Authority, Hospital
Authority, how well the city
and county fire departments
and EMS work together and
how well the sheriff ’3 office
and police department work
together.
Development Authority
chairman Tom Baugh said
construction for the Five
Below distribution center in
the Monroe County Indus-
trial Park is the largest con-
struction job in the county
since Plant Scherer, with
33,000 yards of concrete.
He said delivery is expected
to begin out of the building
in March, and the yearly
economic impact inside the
county is estimated at $11
million. Plus a second stage
is planned in about five
years.
Baugh said the county is
in the final five for another
substantial project and is
seeing some interest in
the Indian Springs Indus-
trial Park. A concrete plant
estimates bringing 50 jobs
to town.
“We can’t do it without
everyone in town, from the
newspaper to the city and
county governments,” said
Baugh. _~
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