County to adopt Public Nuisance Ordinance
By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor

Property owners in the county will be held accountable for the appearance and condition of their properties when a Public Nuisance Ordinance proposed by the Jenkins County Commissioners becomes effective. The group approved the first reading of the proposed ordinance during their Tuesday, March 6, meeting. The ordinance must be read three times during open meetings before it can be adopted.

The proposed ordinance outlines the conditions that must exist and the procedures that must be followed before a site can be declared a public nui- sance. It also allows for local citizens to make public nuisance complaints through a petition containing five names of complainants.

Property owners found to be in violation of the ordinance will be notified that they must clean up their properties. Failure to do so in a timely manner will result in a case being brought against the property owner in Jenkins County Magistrate Court that could result in a lien against the property to cover clean up costs and other fines.

Copies of the proposed Public Nuisance are available at the commissioners' office in the Jenkins County Courthouse.

County attorney Troy Gay reported that a request from Dale and Evie Wiggins that the county maintain Burke-Parrish Road could be approved, provided the Wiggins grant the county a permanent easement on the property. The county could then adopt the road into the county road map system.

Gay was instructed to contact the Wiggins concerning the matter.

Gay also reported that he was continuing to investigate and work on a request for road maintenance from property owners along Johnson Road and would present his findings at a later date.

Chairman James Henry reported that Stephens Subdivision had been accepted as a Local Assistance Road Project by the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT). The road was selected by the DOT from a list of roads submitted by the county that were in need of repair.

Ed Meadows was approved as Jenkins County's representative to the C.S.R.A. Resource Conservation and Development board, which deals with conservation efforts.

A motion was also approved to appoint Ronald Welch as the county's representative to serve on the C.S.R.A. Unified Development board, which deals with labor issues.

Other actions taken by the commissioners included the following:

+ Approved the purchase of a new computer for the Jenkins County Extension Service with 50 percent of the costs to come from a state grant;

+ Approved repairs to Aaron Road with the county to contribute approximately $87,000 to the $200,000 project and the state to pay the remainder of the expense;

+ Approved a motion authorizing the county administrator to contract with local banks for the highest interest rates on a $800,000 CD for 90 days or 180 days, and to accept the highest rate;

+ Approved Stantec contract for the monitoring of ground water and methane at the county landfill in the amount of $9,700;

+ Tabled a request from the Jenkins County Ambulance Service for equipment purchase until the director could present additional information;

+ Approved a request from the Jenkins County Sheriff's Department for the purchase of two radar units at a cost of $3,340 and six repeaters at a cost of $7,290; and

+ Approved an offer of assistance from Kirk Tatum, engineer for Bulloch County, to review on a voluntary basis county subdivision requests and report on compliance with county ordinances.