Hamby, Headley honored for outstanding achievement during Thursday work session
News December 16, 2018
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — The Dawson County Board of Commissioners had a busy work session agenda Thursday, but took time out to honor two individuals for very special accomplishments – County Manager David Headley and District 3 Commissioner Jimmy Hamby.
Hamby will be retiring from the Board at the end of the month following eight years in office. The Board presented him a plaque in honor of his dedicated service to Dawson County and held a reception for him following the meeting.
County Manager David Headley was named as the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission Appointed Official of the Year recently. The region covers 13 counties and 51 municipalities. “We’re proud of David and his recognition as Official of the Year,” said Commission Chairman Billy Thurmond.
Public Works Director David McKee addressed the Board on several issues. The first was a course aggregate contract bid submitted by Vulcan Materials in the amount of $161,664. The current contract has expired and all renewal year options have been exhausted. The department has a full-time paving crew on staff to perform the Local Maintenance Improvement Grant work and several miles of other road work and parking lot repairs.
The current contract to purchase hot asphaltic mix has also exhausted all renewal years and Mckee asked the Board to accept contracts with Baldwin Paving, Blunt Construction and CW Matthews Contracting to provide the product. Each company offered the low bids on the various items required.
Mckee brought another long-standing issue of the intersection of Lumpkin Campground Road and SR 53 before the Board. He pointed out the county has partnered with Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to install a right-hand turn lane along the Lumpkin Campground mainline. SR 53 traffic will not be changed. Upon completion, GDOT will adjust all traffic signals. The project qualifies for SPLOST VI funds, Impact Fee funds or General Fund.
Commissioners also discussed a highway beautification project. The county has been looking for ways to landscape areas along the GA 400 Corridor that are within the GDOT right-of-way for 10 years. The project requires special encroachment permits, and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the long-term maintenance of this corridor. In September, the project was bid and two bids were received with a total bid cost was $116,246.85, which is $69,556.85 over the total grant amount. The project is not SPLOST VI eligible, and additional funding will have to come from another source such as the general fund. McKee asked the Board for direction on the project.
GEBCorp Regional Client Manager Ryan Reynolds presented commissioners with options for a county employee retirement plan
Planning & Development Director Jameson Kinley presented a review of the 2018 comprehensive plan.
The purpose of the plan to provide guidance for everyday decision making by local government officials and other community leaders. It represents the efforts of the government, the residents and various stakeholders by identifying the critical issues and goals for the communy. The plan has been approved by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The Board can amend the plan at any time.
Commissioners unanimously approved a request by Kinley to add a summer intern to work on Geographic Information System issues within Planning and Development. The position is fully funded by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.
Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services Director Danny Thompson asked for Board approval to apply for the annual Georgia Forestry Commission 50/50 grant program. The maximum allowed on this grant is $10,000.00. Thompson said the grant is needed to purchase replacement fire hoses, nozzles and scene lights. This grant will not be awarded until spring of 2019.
Commissioners unanimously approved Thompson’s request to apply for the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Injury Prevention Program. The program is designed to provide funding to public safety agencies in Georgia. DPH provides Dawson Fire/EMS with six convertible and four high-back booster child safety seats monthly to issue to citizens. The grant requires no county match.
Senior Services Director Dawn Pruett asked the Board to approve the annual contract with Deanna Specialty Transportation, Inc. to provide specialty transportation within the county. The company reimburses the county for senior client rides.
Commissioners also discussed the following board appointments/reappointments: Tax Assessor Board, Jim Perdue; Department of Family and Children Services Board, Nancy Stites replacing Vickie Porter; Planning Commission John Dooley Chairman, Jason Hamby, John Maloney, Tim Bennett and Neil Hornsey.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Commissioners hold work session Thanksgiving Eve
News November 21, 2018
DAWSONVILLE Ga. – On Thanksgiving Eve, Dawson County Commissioners were asked to consider a number of grant applications during the work session.
Dawson County Chief Deputy Greg Rowan presented a request for a K-9 grant extension for the Sheriff’s Office. The county has received this grant for several years. The current K-9 grant ended June 30, 2018, and a sub-grant extension was granted through the end of the year in the amount of $56,102. It is used to cover the salary and benefits of two K-9 employees. There is no match required. Approval and signatures are all that is needed to activate.
Rowan also asked the commission for approval to apply for grant funding for the North Georgia K-9 Task Force. The sheriff’s office has received this funding in the past and is requesting approval to apply for $112,204 in 2019.
Danny Thompson
Fire and Emergency Services Interim Director Danny Thompson requested the commission accept the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) K-9 Grant Funds. This is a grant through GEMA and the Department of Homeland Security for expenses related to the K-9 program in the Fire/EMS department. The department has received this grant for several years.
The grant year runs from Oct. 1, 2018, through Sept. 30, 2019, in the amount of $14,000 with no local match required.
Thompson was appointed as interim EMA director in July 2018 and provided 90 days by the Board of Commissioners to obtain his Certified Emergency Manager credentials. He received the credentials on Sept. 28 and Wednesday, he requested commissioners appoint him EMA director.
Fleet Maintenance Director Shannon Harben asked commissioners to approve a contract with Townley Construction for repair and maintenance of the Public Works Road Department equipment. Fleet Maintenance performs all repairs and maintenance capable of being completed in-house. Other work is outsourced for performance. The invitation for bids (IFB) was released on Oct. 25, 2018. Two bids were received on Nov. 9. The lowest, most responsive bid was offered by Townley Construction. The rates are $145 per hour in shop, $155 in field plus $180 travel fee for field repair and 2 percent markup on parts.
Senior Services Director Dawn Pruett asked for an addendum to increase funding for the Respite Care agreement with Legacy Link. Legacy Link receives an increase or decrease in funding during the contract year that changes original contract amounts. The addendum would include an additional $16,258 for respite care to be used during the last six months of the FY 2019 contract
Pruett also sought approval of a the continuous grant with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) for providing public transportation for Dawson County citizens. The grant requires the county to pay a 50% match with federal and state funding for administrative and operating budget.
Issues discussed in a work session are generally voted on at the next voting session of the Board of Commissioners.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
BOC to vote on amendment to language access plan Thursday
News February 3, 2019
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Dawson County Commissioners are expected to approve an updated Language Access Plan required to receive federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant when they meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Government Building Assembly Room.
Commissioners approved a Language Access Plan for the Community Development Block Grant project on Dec. 6 and the plan was then forwarded to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for its approval.
But Senior Services Director Dawn Pruett received an email from DCA with updated statistical data in regards to the non-English speaking citizens of Dawson County. The LAP has been updated and this version has been approved by DCA. The BOC now needs to adopt this updated plan.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, requires states to take timely and reasonable steps to provide Limited English Proficient persons with meaningful access to programs and activities funded by the federal government.
Commissioners will also hold a public hearing on the Capital Improvement Element annual update.
Other agenda items commissioners are expected to vote on Thursday include:
- An amendment to the Legacy Link Contract that includes an additional $615 from federal/state funds from $106,918 to $107,533;
- A request by the county manager to approve a professional services exemption for interim legal firm of Jarrard & Davis to fulfill its scope of services agreement and approve a budget for said services;
- Appointment of members of the Joint Development Authority;
- Appointment of the County Clerk tabled from the Jan. 17 meeting.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
SPLOST, LOST Collection Exceed Projection
News November 12, 2017
County Manager David Headley
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – County Manager David Headley delivered some welcome news during the Dawson County Board of Commissioners work session Thursday. The county has made great gains in collection of the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Both have performed above expectations.
Bearden said revenue from both is up 17.6 percent over the same month in 2016 and 12.58 percent for the year. Last month’s collection came in 26.2 percent over projection.
Total SPLOST VI collection for the year is $16,281,296. September SPLOST collection was $682,219 while LOST collection was $600,343.
Commission Chairman Billy Thurmond has stressed the importance of reaching SPLOST and LOST collections during his first year in office. “If we keep on the current pace, we might reach the projected amount of sales tax we put into the 2017 budget,” he said. “That will be the first time that has happened in the last several years. In fact, I’m glad to hear we might actually beat the projections.”
Public Works Director David McKee requested Board approval to apply for the Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG) from the state Motor Fuel Tax collections. The grant requires a match of 30 percent. This year the amount allotted to Dawson County is $413,739.21. Dawson County’s 30 percent match would total $124,121.76. Total budget for 2018 LMIG projects is $537,860.97.
Sr. Services Director Dawn Pruett
The funds will be utilized to repair the following roads: A.T. Moore, Mt. Vernon, Pelican Court, Biscayne Dr., Keys Court, Sandcastle Ct., Bay Drive, Harbour Drive and Seabreeze Way.
Senior Services Director Dawn Pruett will present a continuous grant application for the Board’s approval. The grant is with the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) to provide public transportation for Dawson County citizens.
If approved, the grant will continue to pay a 50 percent match with federal funding for administrative and operating budget.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
BOC to Discuss Grant for Road Improvement
News November 8, 2017
David McKee
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Acceptance of a federal grant for road repairs will be a key topic of discussion when the Dawson County Board of Commissioners meets in a work session at 4 p.m. Thursday in the Government Center Assembly Room.
Public Works Director David McKee will ask commissioners for permission to apply for the Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG) from the State Motor Fuel Tax collections. The grant requires a match of 30 percent. This year the amount allotted to Dawson County is $413,739.21. With Dawson County’s 30 percent match of $124,121.76, the total budget for 2018 LMIG projects is $537,860.97.
McKee said the funds will be utilized to repair the following roads: A.T. Moore, Mt. Vernon, Pelican Court, Biscayne Dr. Keys Court, Sandcastle Ct. Bay Drive, Harbour Drive and Seabreeze Way.
Senior Services Director Dawn Pruett will present a continuous grant application for the Board’s approval. The grant is with the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to provide public transportation for Dawson County citizens.
If approved, the grant will continue to pay a 50 percent match with federal and state funding for administrative and operating budget.
There will be departmental reports, including one by Director of Planning and Development Jason Streetman that shows total building permits issued in October rose by 14.2 percent to 40 over the previous month. Construction of single-family new homes rose by 5.8 percent increase.
Streetman’s report shows a strong uptick in zoning applications and meetings with developers to discuss large projects. His prediction is that 2018 is going to be extremely busy.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Dawson County Commission Work Session Set Thursday
News February 22, 2017
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — The Dawson County Board of Commissioners has a work session scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday in the Government Center Assembly Room.
Judge Andrew Fuller will present a request to commissioners for annual renewal of a contract with Northeast Georgia Probation Services for probation supervision and rehabilitation services.
Family Connection Coordinator Nancy Stites will present a request to place Little Lending Libraries on county government property.
Director of Senior Services Dawn Pruett will request a budget increase for the Legacy Link Match.
Accounting and Budget Manager Natalie Johnson will present the 2016 commissioners expenses and District 2 County Commissioner Chris Gaines will present a request for new development authority member training funds.