Watch Your Picnic Baskets -- Yogi is on the Loose!

Just heard from Watkinsville Police Chief Lee O'Dillon that we have a black bear visiting Watkinsville. It was spotted two days ago crossing 441 into Harris Shoals Park and has was seen again in the area last night. According to Chief O'Dillon, the DNR is advising us to leave the bear alone and to let it wander out of the area, but please be aware as you walk, run, cycle or drive that we may have a friend in the neighborhood until he moves on. After the Mountain Lion that was spotted last February and the recent rash of Alligator Snapping Turtle sightings, we are getting to be a regular Wild Kingdom. Some safety tips can be found here.

Update: The Oconee Enterprise has posted a story.

City Council Preview

The June meeting of the Watkinsville City Council is tonight at 7 p.m. at City Hall. We are expecting a busy evening. With the political forum at 8 p.m. at Veteran's Park, it is likely that we will have several candidates stop by to visit (candidates always seem to appear in an election year).

Other activities planned will be a few business licenses, a building permit for a new 40 x 100 foot warehouse from the Bishop family, some changes to our beer and wine pouring ordinance, and the adoption of an ethics ordinance championed by councilman Toby Smith. John Devine and Nina Butler from the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission will also be on hand to talk with us about some greenspace planning they are assisting us with.

This will also be the final opportunity for citizens to weigh in on the FY11 budget -- we have had very little input so far and would always welcome more. Ideas we are considering in addition to our standard items include new breathing apparatus for the fire department, additional library funding (full disclosure: my wife is a library board member), employee raises, a speed hump on 2nd street, and continued funding for our urban forest board and tee planting.

Arson in Watkinsville?

It stinks to return to blogging with bad news.

But the news about the attempted arson of officer William Horton's home in Watkinsville is too maddening to ignore. While apparently damage to the home itself was minimal (although his truck was totaled), this action is reprehensible.

There are lots of links and some conjecture out there, but I just want to say that Officer Horton is one of our finest Watkinsville Police Officers, and we are glad to have him. Lots of links here, here, here, and here.

As for whoever did this, let's hope the long arm of Chief O'Dillon and the Watkinsville PD grab a hold of them real soon. There is a $10,000 reward for any information leading to arrests in the case.

Watkinsville Happenings and More

Watkinsville has been in the news a lot lately. In case you missed it:

--We're getting a neat new antiques store on Main Street.
--New Mayor Joe Walter is getting his feet wet -- literally.
--Good story on the retirement of Watkinsville Council member Mike Link from the ACC Fire Department. Mike is our longest tenured city council member, and always remembers details that the rest of us don't in meetings, especially on new construction and development projects.

Many thanks to the Athens Banner-Herald's Joe Van Hoose for his great recent coverage of all things Oconee. He, along with the Oconee Enterprise and Oconee Leader, do a nice job of keeping up with the goings on.

In non-Watkinsville political news, a few items of note:

--I think David Brooks has the Obama administration about right in this piece. I like Obama, I just think he has overreached in terms of policy, and think most moderates would agree. And the election of Scott Brown would seem to validate Brooks' position.
--Terry Dickson is convinced Hwy 15 -- the route most Oconee citizens use to get to the coast -- is a dangerous road. I don't really agree. I find it a much more pastoral route than the others to head south. I think the problem is actually probably tired and sleepy drivers on the narrow road, or the fact that people drive way too fast for the conditions of the road.
--Good editorial a few days back from the AJC.
--The AJC points out that the Massachussets election may also be good news for Sen. Johnny Isakson. Hadn't thought about all the implications, but I think Jim is right -- the Democrats will have a really tough time fielding a decent candidate.
--John Oxendine is an absolute train wreck.
--Is anyone locally paying any attention to the Governor's new transportation proposal? Athens-Clarke and Oconee would be grouped with Barrow, Jackson, Jasper, Elbert, Oglethorpe, Madison, Morgan, Greene, Walton and Newton counties in a 2012 vote for a 1 cent sales tax for transportation. Are there enough votes in Walton, Oconee, Athens-Clarke and Barrow to get needed transportation improvements? I'm not sure this is a natural region for transportation unity. The needs in Barrow, Jackson, Athens-Clarke, Oconee, and Walton are very different than the needs in our more rural counties. That said, those five counties also have most of the sales tax dollars as well. CORRECTION: Jim Thompson at the ABH discussed the proposal here.
--The Georgia Chamber of Commerce has its first female chair. Good for them.
--A good perspective on how economic development is changing and how American communities are being impacted.

A New Year of Posting

I thought about making my New Year's resolution to post more often. However, that may not be realistic. But I will do my best, especially as we lead up to what is the most interesting 3-4 months of the year, as legislators head back to Atlanta to stir up all sorts of trouble.

Some quick hits for the day:

• Despite hard right and hard left shots, the appointment of Brian Kemp as Secretary of State is a very good thing for Georgia and this region. Brian is a strong leader and was a very good Senator. Brian worked hard and cared deeply about the communities in his district, and will make a fine statewide official. The arguments that the appointment is politically motivated may have some truth, but what governor -- Democrat or Republican -- is not politically motivated? Was Brian honestly supposed to turn down the appointment? And since Brian was already a candidate (never mind the best candidate in my mind), he was an appropriate choice. My guess is that the political calculus was pretty easy for Brian: come November the power of incumbency easily trumps the grumbles of 100 hard core Republicans and a few Democrats who won't support any Republican for the office anyway.
  
• If you are interested in Georgia's transportation challenges, read this editorial and take time to review the report. I worked briefly with State Transportation Planning Director Todd Long when he oversaw GDOT's Gainesville office, and he is one of the most honest and competent transportation officials I have been involved with. His bottom line is that we have to dedicate more dollars to transportation or we will fall behind, and the report makes a very compelling case. Let's hope the legislature pays attention.
  
• Speaking of falling behind, check out this story on Georgia's new economy strategy. I don't know where these states get their resources (higher tax rates? different priorities?), but they are not just outspending us on transportation, but on economic development as well. The stem cell issue is one that could disproportionately impact Athens. We will be following it closely as we move into the session.
• Looks like we are getting a nifty new antiques store in Watkinsville. They are locating just south of the courthouse in the row of shops. The owner, Joann Stewart, is a nice lady -- I have purchased Daylilys from her farm on Simonton Bridge Road (all you amateur gardeners out there should check it out).

All Over the Place

Several interesting things have crossed the desk today and yesterday I thought I would take a moment to share:

--Unemployment: Lotta publicity and talk going on about high rates of unemployment. Check out this interactive chart that the New York Times has put together. The secret to having a job -- a college education. Not a huge surprise, but this really throws it into relief, as does research by one of my company's clients, the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education. Of course, the chart doesn't account for "underemployment," which is a common problem in Athens, where your barista might have more degrees (but less ambition) than you.

--City Biz: Had a great city council meeting last night. One of the highlights was approving a new single family home on a vacant lot on South Main Street. An historic home on that lot was demolished several years ago without council approval, and the lot, while pretty, had sat vacant since. It was exciting to see a new family make a big investment on one of downtown Watkinsville's most historic corridors. We also approved several new business licenses for small businesses, approved one alcohol license, and tabled another. A work day is also planned by the Daughters of the American Revolution at the Watkinsville Cemetery. The DAR is also planning to begin the application process to get the cemetery on the National Register of Historic Places.

--Bulldawg Illustrated has produced a great video about Oconee County resident Brook Whitmire, the voice of the Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium.

--Oconee County has a proud tradition in distance running. One of the bedrocks of that tradition, Coach Gwen Peck, will attend her last cross country team banquet tonight at OCHS. Coach Peck has coached two state championship teams and done a wonderful job at Oconee through the years, nurturing runners great, good and average alike and teaching them lessons of character and compassion. One of her best athletes is featured in this week's Oconee Enterprise. A coach's legacy is often measured by much more than what happens on the field, and Coach Peck's will continue for many years to come with the successful student athletes she inspired, cajoled, and convinced to shine for Oconee.

--This weekend looks to be beautiful. If you're into landscaping (like I am), fall is the time for planting, especially for trees and shrubs. Water has been plentiful, and the soil is soft. Great plants are to be had at any number of our locally owned retail nurseries. Check them out -- some of my favorites are Land Arts (Monroe), Goodness Grows (Lexington), Outdoor Specialty (Watkinsville), Thyme after Thyme (Winterville), Thomas Orchard (Watkinsville), and Cofer's (Athens)!

--The Athens Symphony will perform its Winter Concert this Sunday at 4 p.m. The Symphony is one of the region's gems. Tickets are free and still available at the Classic Center. Information here and here. Full disclosure: my company does pro-bono work promoting the Symphony.

--Big congrats to Dr. Debra Harden and Mrs. Jean Bell for being inducted into the Oconee County school system hall of fame. I didn't know Mrs. Bell as an educator, but Dr. Harden was certainly a transformative presence for our schools in the early to late 1990s, and really helped establish Oconee's reputation for educational excellence.

Rail Line

Check out Dan Matthews "Cab Ride" through Watkinsville on the train -- not sure if he indeed caught a ride back from Colham Ferry to Morgan Manor via rail, but this is a neat video.

Our rail line has long term potential to be a great asset for our community. As rail/trail combo that would allow cyclists and joggers to travel from South Oconee to Athens, as a resource for our industrial area, as a potential commuter rail line (20-30 years from now) to Athens, etc.

For now, my kids enjoy watching when the train happens to come by. My wife Susan remembers the train running daily past the house when she visited her grandmother, and waving to it from the front porch. The only down side to having a quiet rail line are the old train cars that are stored on the tracks between Watkinsville and Bishop. Although some feature graffiti, they aren't exactly works of art.

Today the tracks are under a long term lease with Hartwell Railroad, which serves Southwire and the University of Georgia. However, if you could wave a magic wand, what would you do with the rail line?

Back to the Blog

Have had a lot going on lately (including a new addition to our family), but hope to get back to blogging with some regularity. A lot has happened since our last posts, including a series of brush fires over the potential widening of Simonton Bridge Road (largely a bad idea), a silly scramble over a dirt parking lot in Athens, some local folks floating a ban on bicyclists (seriously bad idea), and some big news and successes for Watkinsville, despite the down economy.

On the Watkinsville front, we are getting ready to move forward on a number of SPLOST investments, including more than $250,000 of improvements at Harris Shoals Park. The big tickets items include stream bank restoration with native plants, new bathrooms, and a new young children's playground. Toby Smith has joined the council to fill the unexpired term of Joe Walter, who will become mayor in January with the retirement of Jim Luken. Four new businesses applied for licenses in the city this month, and First Friday was a big success once again, thanks to the energy of the Mayor and our merchants.

First Friday

Have been tardy about posting a video I made at First Friday in Downtown Watkinsville last week. We had a great turn out for the event thanks to some great ideas and support from local businesses, including Barberitos, Oconee State Bank, Emma Laura, Merle Norman, Ashford Manor, C. Allee, The Natural Baby, and others. Of course, the city provided a "jumpy" and other fun stuff. If you haven't tried First Friday before, give it a shot!

City Council Update

First of all, we had an extremely busy night at Watkinsville City Council tonight. Thanks as always to those who attended the meeting. A quick recap for those of you who couldn't make it:

• The Atchley family, who reside in the historic green home on South Main Street, won the Beautiful Yard of the Month award. It is well deserved -- they have been landscaping and growing a beautiful garden in their driveway. This is one of the oldest homes in Watkinsville, originally built in the late 1700s or early 1800s, I think.
  
• Two-term councilman John Walsh tonight announced his official resignation as he has moved out of the city. The council appointed Christian Lake resident and former Realtor(R) Henry Norman to take his place. John served the city ably, and we look forward to putting Henry to work as well. Henry's background in public safety and real estate should bring a lot of strong and complimentary skills to the council. I have known Henry since going through Leadership Oconee in 2004 and can testify that he is a very strong leader and great thinker. He will fill the term through Dec. 31, although if elected in November to the post (he has declared his candidacy), he will continue on as a council member for a 2 year term. We are all excited to have a resident of Christian Lake -- our largest subdivision in the city -- on the council.
  
• We had a lengthy discussion of SPLOST priorities. Samantha Purcell and I provided recommendations on significant upgrades and improvements for Harris Shoals Park (including improvements of existing facilities, a new young children's playground, recycling bins, new restrooms, stream bank remediation, etc.) as well as funding allocated for Rocket Field and our newest park (along Barnett Shoals Road) at a later date. We will likely finalize these items at our next meeting and work through a delivery schedule.
  
• As I expected, the council unanimously opposed the four-laning of Simonton Bridge Road from the Oconee County line to 3rd street. There was discussion of what improvements may or may not be necessary (Kate McDaniel had suggestions as well), but the council was in agreement that the proposed MACORTS long range plan would not be good for the city. See yesterday's entry for more background on this and for details on how to offer your opinion on Simonton Bridge and other proposed future road improvements.
  
• We also kept the millage rate the same (city taxes will fall due to slightly lower property valuations), and adopted ordinances to deal with franchise fee issues and flood damage prevention.

As always, would welcome any input on these or any other issues!

This and That

A lot happening in the news locally and regionally. Some quick takes.

• The memorial service and reception in honor of E.H. Culpepper yesterday were tremendous. Judge Stephens, Matt Sligh, and others offered wonderful tributes to a wonderful man, and of course, ribs were served afterwards at the Classic Center. All that was missing was a baggie of "extras" to take home.
  
• The Select Sustainable Tree Trust is in the news again, this time in the AJC for its contribution to UGA. President Adams toured North Campus with the guys from the tree trust on Wednesday as they begin to plan for fall tree installations (pictured).
• For all you eagerly awaiting the results of the Watkinsville City Council Strategy Session, it was a day well spent. We made progress on planning and prioritizing SPLOST, received an update on a number of other items, and will be moving forward on preserving our historic homes in Watkinsville and further evaluation -- and hopefully implementation -- of curbside recycling. It was a great opportunity to have dialogue in a more informal setting about the issues and opportunities ahead for Watkinsville.
• Athens is planning to require all new commercial and residential rehab construction to be up to LEED standards. Costs are described as a "few percentage points," but those add up quickly in these times. I hope they have done their homework on this and have a meaningful dialogue with local developers and contractors. LEED can be great but pricey, depending on the standards required. In Watkinsville we evaluated this requirement as part of our land use planning overhaul, and opted against it until costs came down.
• Water take 1: Don't be fooled -- a judge's recent ruling against Georgia in its effort to secure water from Lake Lanier for Metro Atlanta could have fallout for our region. If Metro Atlanta's faucet is indeed shut off, the largest beneficiaries of future growth and its attendant challenges could be Georgia counties close to Atlanta outside of the Lanier Watershed. That includes Jackson, Barrow, Oconee, Athens-Clarke, and Morgan. Dan Chapman and Leon Stafford do a good job summarizing all the challenges (and a few opportunities) on the water issue in today's AJC. Either way, this is a time for leaders to take stock and perhaps think outside the box as we plan for the future.
  
• Water take 2: Speaking of those water negotiations, Georgia's continuing fight seems futile. And even worse, the napalm-oriented approach of several of our federal congressmen may come back to bite us, according to Georgia's two political Toms -- Crawford at Capitol Impact and Baxter at InsiderAdvantage. Registration is required at both links, but Voice of Moderation is not holding out much hope on this effort, which has kept entire teams of lawyers in business for decades now. My preference -- cut the best deal we can now and begin to plan smarter ways to grow, conserve, and store more water. My fear is that we will be under the gun come 2012. One telling excerpt: "Even at the congressional level, Georgia could be hampered by the hostility generated by several of its Republican House members – notably Tom Price, Paul Broun, Lynn Westmoreland and Phil Gingrey – who have engaged in verbal battles with the Democratic majority’s leadership. “They [the Democrats] hate them,” said a House aide familiar with the Georgia delegation. “They won’t do things for Georgia just because of those guys.”
• Watkinsville's own Tifosi Optics gets some love in a paper out west. If you don't have Tifosis and need sunglasses, be sure to try them out!
• Speaking of local businesses, we had a great lunch at Girasoles on Wednesday. All of you in Watkinsville, don't forget Chef Jose and his staff. Apparently, he has also opened a new outpost in Bostwick as well!
  

Retreat!

Apologies for the late notice, but the Watkinsville City Council is having its first planning retreat in many years (if ever) tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ashford Manor. The public is of course invited. Items on the agenda include discussion of SPLOST funds (focused on roads, sidewalks, greenspace, infrastructure, and public safety investments), the County Courthouse situation, annexation, and many other "big picture" topics it is difficult to discuss at regular meetings. Citizen input is encouraged -- feel free to comment or e-mail with items if you cannot make it.

Hugging Trees

Sorry for the absence of blogging lately. Thought I would come back with a bang -- after being struck by all the "green" during a recent drive down Peachtree Street in Atlanta, I came home inspired.

As it turns out, there was a local connection between the trees I noticed on Peachtree and Oconee County, and I was lucky enough to get an op-ed on the topic in the AJC today. Even though the state's flagship paper doesn't deliver in these parts anymore, the story highlights one of Oconee County's top exports -- trees!

Look here for the story and click here and here for more on sustainable trees and an Oconee County company that is looking to educate the world about healthy trees.

Tree planting is an area where Oconee can learn from Atlanta. Sometimes we take our rural ambiance for granted, but in my opinion, Oconee and its municipalities could get much more aggressive about planting and requiring long-lived, sustainable trees throughout the community.

Watkinsville Forum on Beer and Wine Sales This Thursday

If you are interested in commenting on a proposed ordinance that will allow beer and wine to be sold in Watkinsville's retail establishments, there is a public comment session with council members Joe Walter and Samantha Purcell on Thursday evening at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

As has been detailed elsewhere (here, here, and in a story only available to subscribers of the Oconee Enteprise), the city is considering loosening its beer and wine ordinance to allow limited package sales in convenience stores and perhaps future retail establishments. If you can't make the 5 p.m. meeting, visit Watkinsville's website and e-mail your opinion to the Mayor and council. Councilwoman Samantha Purcell and Councilman Joe Walter are members of the subcommittee working on this ordinance; other councilmembers will not be there due to open meetings laws.

State Ownership of Transit

Our own State Rep. Bob Smith is proposing that the state have some control Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Watkinsville native Scott Trubey reports here for the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Dan Matthews thinks it's a terrible idea, but doesn't say why.

I think it is interesting, at least. While the day-to-day operations of Hartsfield are generally well run, its approach to capital projects is often disastrous.

• Example 1: the planned International Terminal, which is sorely needed as passengers arriving in Atlanta from foreign destinations not only have to deplane but have to collect and re-check all luggage (even if you are not changing flights!), which is a tremendous inconveinience. This project has doubled in cost since its conception. Recently Delta requested $400 million in budget cuts to the project (as an added bonus, the project is now three years behind schedule).
  
• A new people mover to transport passengers to the rental car areas dubbed "CONRAC" has seen its budget spike by at least $30 million since inception as well.
• See also the infamous "new runway" built several years ago where the contractor who provided the dirt was convicted of corruption (he was allegedly "required" to raise $100,000 for then Mayor Bill Campbell's campaign as a condition for getting the bid).
  
• Until recent years, it was also always understood there was a certain level of corruption just below the surface at the airport, especially during the Maynard Jackson and Bill Campbell eras. Respected former Airport Manager Angela Gittens said essentially that as she left.
  

So the idea that there should be some level of state input on the future of this statewide asset makes sense to me, although state management of any profitable, successful asset gives me pause. I do believe that Ben DeCosta is a good manager (the airport has good retail choices, is clean, efficient, etc.), but it is obvious there is something that constantly gums up the works on big projects at Hartsfield, and I'd love to know what that is.

However, the real transportation asset that should be taken over by the state is MARTA. If there is one asset that needs new management, new capital, and new ideas, that is it. Limiting both our rail and air transportation assets -- which are of critical importance to the state's future economic health -- to the revenues and skill sets available in Atlanta and/or DeKalb counties, doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

SPLOST in the OC

The Oconee County SPLOST vote is approaching on March 17, exactly two weeks from today. Some background on SPLOST: it stands for Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. It is pronounced suh-plah-st; only in Athens-Clarke do they use the SPEE-lost pronounciation, which struck me as weird when we moved back to Oconee in 2002. SPLOST dollars can be used for capital improvements, but not ongoing government expenses.

At any rate, the run-up to this SPLOST has been very quiet. The first SPLOST vote I can remember in Oconee was when I was a kid, and it was anything but quiet. Although I was too young to vote, I was certainly a lobbyist on behalf of the county. I cared because it was to pay for the John T. Brannen building, aka the "New Gym," at Herman C. Michael Park.

You see, Oconee didn't generate nearly as many sales tax dollars then (our big retailers were Bell's, Oconee Sporting Goods, our four Golden Pantries, and A.J.'s), so there was a big campaign to get folks to vote for the extra 1% sales tax that SPLOST entails. I made significant contributions to the cause with daily purchases of Mountain Dew ($.39 per can) and Skittles ($.33 on sale) at the old Golden Pantry at the "4-way stop." I typically rode my bike up there or walked in the summer, or walked over there from OCHS -- now Oconee Middle -- during the school year.

So anyway, the SPLOST passed, and all of us amateur basketball players reaped the benefits as we moved from the "Booster Club Gym" in downtown Watkinsville -- now dubbed "Rocket Hall" -- to a shiny new gym at Herman C. Michael Park. The person in charge of herding the teens at the "New Gym" was Dan Matthews, who was known to jump into a full court game every now and then to teach us kids a lesson. Since then, many notable county projects have been funded with SPLOST dollars, including the new Veteran's Memorial Park.

So recently the ABH, Lee Becker and Wendell Dawson have taken a hard look at upcoming the 6-year, $40 million SPLOST referendum, and you can read the blogs for their perspective on the county's priorities. Overall, SPLOST is a valuable tool that removes significant burdens from property owners, particularly if it isn't used to fund projects that require significant ongoing general fund dollars. These kinds of "legacy" projects can be tempting for governments, but should be avoided as SPLOST investments as they create a significant ongoing operating cost that cannot be funded with future SPLOST dollars. Most of the stuff on the list passes the smell test.

One thing that hasn't received a lot of focus is that this is the first SPLOST in which Oconee County's four municipalities are participating. Watkinsville will recieve 7.99% of the proceeds, or approximately $3.2 million. Most of these funds will be used for sidewalks, greenspace and roads, which will require limited ongoing maintenance funds, but are in much demand from our citizens. Potential sidewalk locations include Harden Hill Road, Simonton Bridge, and/or VFW drive. Playground improvements, new sewer lines (not sexy, but very necessary to improve our industrial park), and greenspace acquisition are also on the table.

Bogart will get $1.6 million, New High Shoals $668,000, and Bishop $220,000. For our small cities, this funding boost is truly a game changer, allowing some flexibility with tight budgets and the ability to better serve citizens.

As alluded to by Dawson and Becker, there are likely other issues at play in the background, but in my mind, a vote in favor of this SPLOST is a no-brainer. While we may all quibble over details, the good far outweighs the bad in this proposal.

Watkinsville Council and Other Updates

Good city council meeting tonight. We approved changes to our land use code that will allow recreational facilities -- everything from tennis courts to swim centers to climbing walls to places like Pump it Up -- in the Employment Center and Commercial Corridor areas. This will allow Zion Skate Park -- a privately run skateboarding and rollerblading facility -- to set up off of Morrison Street. Hopefully this will give kids and teens who want to skate a safe, supervised place to do so, and allow future recreational facilities in areas that have the infrastructure for traffic or the type of buildings that allow for indoor recreation.

We also approved several business licenses and discussed an updated solid waste ordinance for the city, which will likely be adopted next month once we work through some issues on concrete pads and screening for dumpsters at businesses (exciting, I know). Budget wise we are on track but next month we should know more based on Local Option Sales Tax Revenues. We are also going to check into voluntary recycling options for city residents as part of trash pick up (likely with a fee).

Also, if you catch a hard copy of the Oconee Enterprise this week, be sure to read the story on residential property values. It appears that the Tax Commissioner's office is beginning its annual "campaign to justify increasing property values" a few months early this year. I'm sorry, but the premise -- that if you hold on to your house long enough you can get a return -- doesn't hold water. There is a cost to holding onto your home, especially if you have to or need to move. Anyone with any sense in Oconee County knows that we are overbuilt, that the vast majority of property values are flat or down. So lets not hide from that fact. We've all benefited from pretty aggressive increases in property values over the past 5-10 years. See my previous rant on property assessments here.

It's a little bit far afield for me, but if you ever wonder what is wrong in Atlanta, here's an indicator from the AJC:

Franklin has estimated it would cost at least $20 million to hire, train and equip 200 officers. The police department currently has 1,633 sworn police officers and 79 recruits who are on track to becoming officers, said Sgt. Lisa Keyes, a police spokeswoman.

What???? That is $100,000 per officer -- is that normal? Seems unbelievable. They should already be trained. And they can share vehicles. I still own a rental unit in Atlanta, and believe me, they need more police, but this explains why they have budget problems.

Back to the local scene, there is also a front page story in the OE about the demise of Creekside as well as significant coverage in the Athens Banner Herald earlier this week. Folks, whether you call it Green Hills or Creekside, the only question about this course is how in the world it made it so long. For most of its history, it was poorly maintained and has always been 15 minutes from civilization in any direction. There are too many quality and affordable golf options in this area for it to make it. Having financing with the now defunct The Community Bank out of Loganville did not help either. Moving ahead, Creekside would make a great passive recreation area if it could be picked up cheaply by Oconee -- install some horse, running, mountain bike trails that requires minimal maintenance but mostly let it return to the wild. There are beautiful woods and great terrain out there. There is also lot of history in that area that is disappearing (see item below) so it might be neat to preserve some space out there. And if you are looking for outstanding local public golf courses, start with newly renovated UGA and Lane Creek and the Georgia Club. There are many more.


Last thing -- two fascinating stories and photos in the Athens Banner-Herald's Oconee section today about Barnett Shoals Dam (wonder if Georgia Power is renewing its lease on the Dam next year?). This was a mile or two upstream from the old wire bridge (pictured) that connected Oconee and Oglethorpe Counties that is the namesake of Wire Bridge Road. Roy Ward -- his art and his knowledge -- is a gem in our community that should be recognized more often.

Photo credit: Vanishing Georgia, Georgia Division of Archives and History, Office of Secretary of State

Oconee Most Prosperous County

Despite all the bad news about the housing market, Oconee County apparently is faring well by many measures, as it was ranked no. 1 by the DCA in terms of the state's most prosperous counties according to an Associated Press article.

Articles like this help us remember how much we have to be thankful for in Oconee. We all get frustrated at times with the pace of progress (too fast? too slow?), the bad economy and the toll it is taking, and decisions we don't like. But when you step back it is apparent that this truly a special community.

We have a wonderful mix of talented professionals, dedicated artists, hard working public servants, skilled educators, outstanding students and other driven individuals and families whom we can thank for making Oconee County what it is today. And that is certainly something to be thankful for. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

Homebuilding Depression

Okay, sorry for the lax posting. There has been a lot to blog about and I have been too busy to really go after it. A few thoughts:

NBAF: Bad loss. Everyone has weighed in with their opinion (blogosphere, Athens Banner Herald, Flagpole), and overall I don't think our situation out here is as bad as everyone thinks. I will say this: those pointing at the state package are largely right, although FAQ certainly played a role. I don't put a lot of stock in the workforce and research coordination arguments. The bottom line is that in these processes, decision makers are looking for reasons to eliminate a community. Note that community opposition was probably an easy one to point out to an angry elected official who calls you about the decision.

Holiday Cheer: Last weekend was a huge one for Watkinsville. The tree lighting and Christmas parade on back to back days, with thousands of folks downtown on Saturday morning. The Christmas Parade is an annual highlight and thanks to all for coming out! The Oconee Leader has some great pictures up on its website. Major kudos to Maridee Williams and the Oconee Enterprise for all their efforts to coordinate and promote the parade, which has to be one of the best in the state.

On a related note, consider shopping locally this Christmas. In downtown Watkinsville alone, you can find unique gifts at the Chappelle Gallery and the seeming-to-be-reopening Circa Antiques. My wife and mom love gift certificates from Emma Laura, and Dory's and other spots in Watkinsville have a lot to offer. Restaurant gift certificates from Le Maison Bleu, Girasoles, Big Easy and Mirko's are also great ideas.

City Council: Tonight's meeting was interesting. We had several small business licenses before us, including one for a new dried flower, antique and art store in the buildings John Byram has renovated downtown. It will be called Stone Soup. Girasoles is changing its name, and there is also a strong potential for an indoor skate park to be added in coming months if we can work through our codes. We are also updating our solid waste management ordinance -- good stuff.

Recession: Okay, the housing market is terrible. But throwing good money after bad by building more as detailed in this AJC article is a terrible idea. Yes, the banks need to lend. But does anyone really believe that there are not enough homes on the market in most areas? Housing is a very clear "supply and demand" market. Building more for the sake of building more makes no sense. Kind of like Detroit building more cars it can't sell. It just isn't sustainable.

As for sustainable, in general, American government, business, and consumers have been spending more than we have been earning for years. It makes no sense to go on spending without a plan to start paying off the debt -- Lee Shearer covers this on his blog.

City Council Update

Had a relatively short city council meeting tonight. Interestingly, we had 4 new business permits on the docket despite the down economy, including two new small businesses on the main street corridor. One of those stores will offer a variety of green and natural products, including cleaning products, at Town Center.

We are voted to drop the fee for sign permits through the end of the year in an effort to help small businesses limit start up costs -- our own mini-incentive program, I suppose.

In other items, we also discussed potential impacts of LOST revenue drops on the city, but overall the financial picture in Watkinsville is strong. Other items discussed included a new pick up truck the city purchased for the Oconee County fire department, the delay of the Mars Hill Road expansion, and some controversial fire wood selling along VFW Drive. We had a typical crowd there, and no huge issues.

We also had a called meeting on Monday night where we tackled recommended allocations for the city's percentage of potential SPLOST revenues. This will be Watkinsville's first time participating. We are considering allocating these funds -- an estimated total of nearly $3.2 million over six years -- towards sewer lines in the industrial park, sidewalks, road improvements, greenspace acquisition, recreational facilities, and public safety (new vehicles and technology). We are also still taking public feedback on these options, so feel free to weigh in here, send me a note, or send an e-mail to city hall.