Humane Society will attempt to buy land it currently leases from Dawson County

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Carolyn Bowen, president of the Dawson County Humane Society, will ask county commissioners to consider selling the 5.3 acres of land on which the animal shelter is built when the Board of Commissioners meets in a work session Thursday at 4 p.m.

The Humane Society has leased the land from the county since 2005 for $1 a year and the county leases the land from the Etowah Water and Sewer Authority for the same amount. The lease agreement is for 50 years.

However, Bowen said in order to receive funding to continue to build and improve the shelter, the Humane Society needs to own the land. Bowen added the Humane Society has a major benefactor who has significant concerns that the organization does not own the land under the building in which the trust has invested.

Late last year, commissioners appointed a committee to conduct a study of current compensation and to make recommendations for future compensation for board members. After reviewing compensation of 10 comparable Georgia counties, Tara Hardwick, chairwoman of the committee, will present a recommendation at Thursday’s meeting

Dawson County Emergency Services Fire Chief Lanier Swafford will present a proposal for an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the city of Johns Creek for apparatus storage.

Swafford also will ask commissioners to consider approval of a grant application. The Chesney Fallen Firefighters Memorial Grant Program is offered by the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation (GFBF) in memory of Gwinnett County career firefighter Brant Chesney, who lost his life Dec. 27, 1996, battling a fire as a volunteer with the Forsyth County Fire Department.

Grants awarded under this program are to be used by Georgia fire departments to develop a new program or enhance an existing public life safety program, dedicated to fire safety and burn prevention education.

Dawson County Emergency Services has received this grant in the past, and it was used to fund the department’s fire safety house used at schools and other events. If awarded, this grant would fund the purchase of a fire extinguisher simulator training aid. The maximum amount of each grant is $3,000 and the deadline for applications is March 30, 2018

Accounting and Budget Manager Natalie Johnson will present the 2017 Board of Commissioners’ expenses, and Public Works Director David McKee will present the disposal services agreement with Advanced Disposal/Eagle Point Landfill.

 

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