BOC Chairman's Report

Below is the Board of Commissioners Chairman's Report for this week. The report will be printed in the Times-Courier in it's June 4, 2009 edition.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day. Having been to Arlington National Cemetery before, I’m always stirred to watch the laying of the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown. It saddens me to see Europe and other parts of the world harbor anti-American sentiment, when it is the blood of American soldiers that gives them the freedom to express their dislike! Gilmer County has sacrificed some outstanding citizens over the generations for the Cause of Freedom, and many others have served our country proudly. We must never forget the price that they paid, nor why they paid it.

The Animal Shelter opened at long last on Thursday. It is a fine and functional facility, and a vast improvement over the cellar of the old jail. More than a “dog pound”, this program provides a needed function regarding the animal population of a county of our size. Drop by and look it over, it is located on Highway 52 East across from the compactor.

Work began on Maxwell Road Tuesday. Progress slowed towards the end of the week as some hard rock was encountered. This was not totally unexpected. We are set to do some minor blasting this week and continue on. Fannin County has agreed to put down the pavement on this road as it connects to the part that they paved a few years ago and benefits several of their citizens. The decreased amount of gravel and motor grader work will result in an immediate annual cost savings to the taxpayers of Gilmer County, as is the case on gravel roads that get paved. Maxwell Road will continue to be closed from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during week days until the project is completed.

The donation of property by Lawrence Mooney on Roy Road for a fire station was completed on Friday. Gilmer County and the Bucktown community are very fortunate to have generous and caring citizens like Mr. Mooney. Construction will begin this summer on the station, which will be an aesthetic metal and block building. Placement of this station, which will be an unmanned volunteer station, will bring many homeowners within 5 miles of a fire station, which should result in noticeable reduction in homeowner’s insurance premium for those folks.

I met with representatives from a regional helicopter ambulance service on Friday. They have interest in placing a base of operation in Gilmer County. The improved response time of critical patients that have to be flow out, such as vehicle accident trauma and strokes, would be greatly improved. Currently it typically takes between 20 and 30 minutes to get a helicopter here when someone needs to be flown out. Having one based here could potentially save the lives of Gilmer County citizens as well as those in surrounding counties.

As a barometer of economic conditions, the Environmental Health Department noted an increase in new septic system permits for the month of May. New permits issued have gone from 5 in January, 6 in February, 7 in March and April, to 11 in May. The gradual increase in building activity is welcomed by Gilmer County. They also added 3 new facilities for food service inspections, for a total of 78 permitted food service establishments in Gilmer County. Fourteen bite cases were investigated, with one fox testing positive for rabies.

As always, feel free to contact me by email (mchastain@gilmercounty-ga.gov) or by calling the BOC office at 706-635-4361. Comments can be left on 706-515-2320.