Recap of Friday's Legislative Update

Last Friday I was fortunate enough to attend the Oconee Chamber's legislative update with State Rep. Bob Smith, Sen. Bill Cowsert, and Congressman Paul Broun Jr. It was an interesting session. Cowsert and Smith agreed that water, taxes and transportation would top the list of key issues for the state legislature this year, with both of them also focusing on the MCG/UGA partnership at the Navy School. Surprisingly, both Smith and Cowsert feel like Speaker Glenn Richardson will emerge a "winner" on the GREAT plan whether it passes or not. I disagree, but won't belabor the points I have made in earlier posts.

The most pointed discussion came when school board members David Weeks, David Williams and Chris Franklin challenged Sen. Cowsert to return austerity cuts to the schools and updated them on the situation in our local schools, where they are fighting hard to maintain the level of excellence the community expects. Sen. Cowsert made some solid points of his own about funding growth.

The one issue that was underplayed when it came up was transportation. Sen. Cowsert called this an "Atlanta problem." It's not. Its a growth problem, and all growing communities in the state need help with transportation dollars and strategies. And while Atlanta does have its issues, I would contend that a healthy Atlanta is absolutely critical for the health of this region, and most of the rest of the state. My wish list: more aggressive local funding for sidewalks and repaving, an upgraded 316 (or at least a long-term plan for doing so), improved air transportation options, and commuter rail from Athens to Atlanta. The last three of these could be economic engines for this region. This is also an issue where Rep. Broun can help us, but he did not address it.

Overall, these dialogues are very positive and important for the community, and it was great that Oconee hosted one.

Also, on a matter related to my previous post, the Athens paper also shares the news about Watkinsville's streetscape funds here.

Watkinsville Gets Funds for Streetscape II

We received official word today that Watkinsville has been awarded $442,000 to extend its streetscape project towards OCAF, Rocket Field and the Board of Education and along Highway 15. This new effort will likely include new street trees, landscaping, street lamps, and sidewalks in these areas. Along Highway 15, the improvements will run from Barnett Shoals Rd. to Depot Street (in front of Krimson, Athens Seed, etc.)

This is huge news for our little city, as the funds are equal to roughly 1/3 of our annual budget. As visitors to Watkinsville know, our last round of streetscape improvements -- completed last spring -- made a tremendous impact on the beauty and walkability of the city, and were on full display at Saturday's highly successful Christmas Parade. The map below shows the completed Phase I area and what is proposed for phase II.



Most of these funds are federal dollars (distributed by the state) that require a match from the city. Many thanks to State Rep. Bob Smith and State Sen. Bill Cowsert for their support and tireless advocacy on our behalf. Thanks also to the Jaeger Co. for their technical assistance on the plans, and for the images shared here.

Before and after renderings of Rocket Field are followed by similar renderings showing the area in front of the Krimson Cafe. These will be very nice changes for these areas.



Athens and UGA also got $440,000 for the extension of the Greenway. This is exciting news, as an extended Greenway will do nothing but increase use, especially with a closer link to the residential areas of campus. I run with a group of guys who enjoy the Greenway for our Saturday long runs. Full press release follows.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 3, 2007

GDOT Announces Transportation Enhancement Funding Awards

ATLANTA – State Transportation Board member Bill Kuhlke, Jr., of Augusta, today announced the recipients of Transportation Enhancement (TE) program funds for Fiscal Year 2008 & Fiscal Year 2009 for the 10th Congressional District.

The TE program is federally-funded and was originally established in 1991 by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). The program was continued by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU) in 2005. The Georgia DOT’s Planning Office manages the TE program in Georgia.

“I’m delighted to announce these grants,” Kuhlke said. “We received a great many excellent applications from communities and organizations in the 10th District. Unfortunately, we could not fund them all in this grant phase. These which are being funded showed great local government commitment to improving their community’s quality of life and their local elected leaders and state legislators are to be commended.”

The TE program’s goal is to enrich the transportation experience of Georgians through specific types of enhancement projects. The kinds of projects funded by the TE program include multi-use facilities such as walking and biking trails and paths; streetscaping and landscaping projects in cities and towns; historic preservation of transportation-related facilities like railroad depots; and scenic preservation of views and scenic byways.

This year, the Georgia DOT received a total of 285 eligible applications representing combined requests for more than $176 in federal funds from all 13 congressional districts. In this selection round, $54.6 million in federal funds are available for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 for distribution statewide.

Up to 80 percent of the funds being used for these projects have been provided by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), with the local government funding the remainder of the total project cost. The local government project sponsor is responsible for implementing the TE project and obtaining federal reimbursement from Georgia DOT.

To aid in the project selection, the Georgia DOT relies on an extensive in-house technical review and the Transportation Enhancement Advisory Panel, which was formed in 1992. The advisory panel group of professionals, representing statewide expertise in the various TE project categories, evaluated each application and forwarded its recommendations to the State Transportation Board for final selection of the funded projects.

The selected projects in the 10th Congressional District are:

• $440,000 to the University of Georgia Board of Regents for a greenway connector in Clarke County – a pedestrian/bike trail across the North Oconee River linking the University of Georgia’s River Trail with Athens/Clarke County’s Oconee River Greenway, advocated by State Senators Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, and Ralph Hudgens, R-Hull, as well as State Representatives Bob Smith, R-Watkinsville, Keith Heard, D-Athens, and Doug McKillip, D-Athens;

• $500,000 to the Town of Grovetown in Columbia County for a one-mile extension of the Euchee Creek Trail from Harlem-Grovetown Road to Reynolds Farm Road, advanced by State Senator Bill Jackson, R-Appling, and State Representatives Barry Fleming, R-Harlem, and Ben Harbin, R-Evans;

• $500,000 to Elbert County for interior renovation of the Rock Gym/Armory which is being converted to a regional conference and welcome center, promoted by Sens. Jackson and Hudgens, as well as State Representative Tom McCall, R-Elberton;

• $238,880 to the Town of Union Point in Greene County for the rehabilitation of a 1962 gasoline station to be used as a welcome center, supported by State Senator Johnny Grant, R-Milledgeville, and State Representative Mickey Channell, R-Greensboro;

• $500,000 to the Town of Demorest in Habersham County for a pedestrian network streetscape project in the vicinity of US Highway 441/Central Avenue and Georgia Street, advocated by State Senator Nancy Schaefer, R-Turnerville, and State Representative Ben Bridges, R-Cleveland;

• $500,000 to the town of Braselton in Jackson County for a streetscape project on State Route 53 through the downtown area, advanced by Sen. Hudgens and State Senator Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, as well as Rep. McCall and State Representative Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson;

• $400,000 to the Town of Thomson in McDuffie County for the rehabilitation of the circa 1860-Thomson Depot for use as a community center, promoted by Sen. Jackson and State Representative Sistie Hudson, D-Sparta;

• $442,000 to the City of Watkinsville in Oconee County for the extension of its pedestrian network to link the central business district with the commercial and arts&park districts, supported by Sen. Cowsert and Rep. Smith;

• $600,000 to Augusta State University in Richmond County for the development of a multi-use trail and historical and archaeological interpretative displays through the school’s campus, advocated by State Senator Ed Tarver, D-Augusta, and State Representative Barbara Sims, R-Augusta; and

• $80,000 to the City of Tignall in Wilkes County for the construction of sidewalks and recreation areas being lost as the result of an economic development expansion, advanced by Sen. Jackson and Reps. Channell and Fleming.

Kuhlke said the support of the various legislators listed above was key to their respective projects’ successful funding.

More information on the TE program and applications are available on the Georgia DOT Web site. --- http://www.dot.state.ga.us/dot/plan-prog/planning/projects/te/index.shtml

CONTACT: David Spear – 404) 657-6952

Interesting Take on GREAT Plan

Bill Kinney of the Marietta Daily Journal pens an interesting piece on the GREAT tax. He does a great job of outlining some of the unexpected charges most Georgians will pay in this excerpt:

"Young parents with children in daycare, on the other hand, who now might be paying $145 a week for an infant would have to pay an extra $10.15 per week in taxes, which tallies to an extra $528 per year.

On the other end of the spectrum, basic care in an assisted-living facility is now about $2,400 per month. Under Richardson's plan, that would jump $168 per month, or an extra $2,016 in taxes.

"Home ownership would be more costly as well since the real estate commission and closing costs would be taxed, along with your cable, Internet and insurance bills and the cost of home repairs," Radford says.

And let's not forget about food. The average family in the South spends about $5,030 a year on food, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Under Richardson's plan, that would mean an extra $353 per year in taxes."

The more you look at the speaker's plan, the worse it looks.

Oconee County Featured in the Wall Street Journal

The Georgia Club -- which I have long said is one of the best things Oconee County and this region have going for it -- is featured in today's Wall Street Journal. Since development began seven years ago, the Georgia Club has pioneered in a lot of ways -- with unique architecture, wonderful planning, greenspace preservation, mixing uses, etc. -- but it isn't featured for any of these things today. It's featured for something even better and near and dear to the hearts of many in this region: service.

The WSJ highlights the Georgia Club for giving back to the community. Last year, the Georgia Club started a community foundation that is now raising money for great causes across the region, and a percentage of the money on the sale of each home also goes back to charity. This year the foundation's efforts have already supported the Statham library and Statham Elementary. Its upcoming Christmas Tour of Homes, which is open to the public, will benefit several local charities and service organizations including Extra Special People (ESP), Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), Peace Place, Project ADAM, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D), Statham Library and The Tree House. This is a great opportunity for the community to visit and give back to a great cause. Now in the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit they are a client of ours at Jackson Spalding. But even if they weren't, I would be raving about this great asset to our region.

If you haven't visited the Georgia Club lately, you should. Just turn in on your next trip up 316 and visit the sales center, or take a quick spin around the community. If you haven't been lately, you'll be amazed by the changes. There are beautiful homes big and small. Lot sizes and price points are varied, accomodating a variety of lifestyles. There is a definite sense of community. The community's latest neighborhood, Oconee Springs, is almost all in Oconee County. Many future homes will be as well.

As Northeast Georgia is mired in a housing slump, homes at The Georgia Club are still selling. Developers, take notice: by doing things right and doing the right thing, you can still sell homes. If we're going to keep building residential in Oconee, I hope a lot more of the communities are like the Georgia Club.

GREAT Tax Update

Glenn Richardson, Georgia Speaker of the House, announced earlier this week some of the items that conceivably would and wouldn't be taxed under his "GREAT" plan. Among those services that will now be taxed is rental property. Awesome news that should create major headaches for landlords in Athens and Watkinsville, and a major expense for those who rent (try adding 7% to your rent and see if you like what you get). Click here for more. However, Insider Advantage offers more detail, and says rental properties are not taxed as long as you are a legal Georgia citizen. IA gives lots more detail here (subscription required) as does Atlanta Business Chronicle (no subscription required); short story: lots of B2B services are taxed up to a point, and consumers will still be taxed on most of their purchases. It appears as if businesses have gotten some breaks.

A major problem with this whole plan (other than it being a bad idea in general) is that it is a moving target. Just 60 days before the session begins, and we are still adjusting some rather large details.

There is no doubt this plan is bad news for local governments, and I'm pleased the Governor came out against it. Nice to see him take a stand on this issue -- it's bad for business, bad for citizens, bad for local government -- that means its bad for Georgia. Only one group benefits -- the state government.

Veterans Memorial BBQ This Sunday

See below for a message from Chuck Williams. These sort of events are one of the things that make small towns like Watkinsville and Oconee County great. Lets all support our troops and honor our veterans by buying a plate of BBQ on Sunday.
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Friends: Attached is the info on Sunday’s Veterans’ Day event. Please distribute this information “far & wide”; if possible, get word to your respective pastors so that it can be included in Sunday’s church bulletins and announcements. If additional information is desired, or if you wish to volunteer for food prep, serving duty or cleanup, please contact Tom Little’s right-hand lady, Linda Ferrara; her contact info is below. The main things we can do are get the word out and attend the event this Sunday. This is a great opportunity for Oconee County to show our respect for all Veterans and for the supreme sacrifice paid by Joshua Reeves (and others) in Iraq (and Afghanistan). Thanks a bunch… Chuck Wms.

Linda Ferrara
Resource Construction Company
Phone 706 353-2218, Fax 706-549-8909

MEMORIAL BBQ SUNDAY 11/11/07 AT THE OCONEE COUNTY CIVIC CENTER
All proceeds from the BBQ will directly benefit the family of Josh Reeves and also the Oconee County Veterans Memorial Foundation. Everything related to the BBQ has been donated. This Veteran’s Day, please join your friends and neighbors as they show their gratitude to the family of Joshua Reeves and the other soldiers from Oconee County who gave their lives fighting for our freedom. Please wear red, white and blue or a military uniform as a visual reminder of their sacrifice. Donations only for BBQ Plates. Drive thru or eat in.

Checks should be made payable to:
Oconee County Veterans Memorial Foundation
P.O. Box 1836, Watkinsville, GA 30677
Contact: Larry Davison, Chair Phone: 770-725-2609 Email: ltdpreach@msn.com

A few things....

Have had some time on the road this week to do some thinking.... and a few thoughts came to mind.

• Has it occurred to any Georgia political observers how the national Democratic party faces a similar situation to what the Georgia Democratic Party faced in its gubernatorial nominations? You have a choice between an expert campaigner with baggage (including a divisive personality) and and an articulate, intellectual candidate who will likely have significant crossover appeal. In Georgia, the Democrats chose Mark Taylor over Cathy Cox and got killed in the general election. Will the national democratic party choose Hillary over Obama and make the same mistake? BTW, for those of you who want a good analysis of the debate, check out Peggy Noonan's take.
• Athens-Clarke County strikes another blow for invasive government with its new tethering laws. I'm sorry, but there are lots of pet owners who keep pets on chains who are caring people. Lets treat the disease rather than the symptoms. I'm sure fencing companies are elated, though. Jmac agrees at Safe as Houses, and provides a more thorough analysis of this issue.
  
• Its great news that Hank Huckaby is going to be serving on the oversight committee for the new Walton-Oconee Reservoir. We desperately need some state government insight and perspective on this issue since both the speaker of the house and lieutenant governor are talking about providing money and support to communities who are building reservoirs. Hank has great experience and insight from his days at the Capitol and with UGA. As I've said before, I'm very concerned about funding bonds based on increased water usage, especially if the bulk of it is projected to be residential. Just isn't reasonable if the drought continues.