01.11
WQCH Radio reports LaFayette codes inspector and Gas Dept director Rod Robertson is retiring in the spring. During next week’s council meeting, the city plans to restructure various utility departments and place them all under a single director (current water/sewer director Jim Spier) instead of the myriad of different leaders and departments now. This is expected to make the city more manageable for a yet-to-be-chosen future City Manager.
Under Jim Spier, various aspects of city utilities will be directed by Cliff Snyder (gas), Wally Meeks (water/sewer), Mike Stewart (electric), and Phillip Jeffers (codes enforcement). Former city councilman and crooked contractor Mark White will continue to direct Public Works, which includes garbage, street maintenance, city garage, and cemetery.
Thursday Commissioner Heiskell spent $4,230,000 buying a farm in Noble, promising to make it available for businesses which didn’t care to buy it during the last five or six years it was on the market.
Where did the money come from? SPLOST debt, which you’ll be paying back during every trip to the store from now through 2020.
Bebe continues to tell the local paper she’s got businesses interested in moving here. She’s been saying that since 2002, companies are fighting to come in, businesses are dying to be here, etc. and all she has to show for it are Nissin (which IS a success story) and the fish water factory in Kensington that never opened.
(The county has had the entire site listed for resale through Ackerman for $5 million since at least December even though the papers weren’t signed until this week.)
2014 may be known as the year elections never ended. None of the candidates in Tuesday’s vote got over 50% support, which means a runoff will be held in a month. We’ll also have elections in May and November, plus any other runoffs that become necessary along the way.
(Good year to be in the sign business.)
Former LaFayette mayor Neal Florence (second-place finisher in the election) has now been endorsed by Doug Woodruff, who finished 3rd in Tuesday’s vote, and by previous Representative Jay Neal. The vote to decide between Florence and Steve Tarvin will be held February 4th.
Three Walker Co deputies – Shawn Carter, Zach Simpson and Joshua Mathis – were recognized on Thursday for heroic actions saving a family from a house fire in Chickamauga back during October.
WQCH says three 911 dispatchers were also recognized for their actions during the fire: Scott Wooten, Catessa Blansit and Lisa Pless.
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