Board discusses water, insurance and pool
Just because a deputy or officer is not visible when a vehicle speeds by a school zone doesn’t mean the vehicle’s owner won’t get a ticket.
Gilmer County commissioners unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance allowing the use of speed detection cameras in local school zones.
“At the end of the day, it is all about the safety of children in the school zones and the individuals picking up their kids at the schools,” said Major Michael Gobble of the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office.
Gobble attended a public hearing before the board’s regular meeting to answer questions.
“We’re not capturing the information every time you drive by the radar with a camera, it’s for violators only,” he said.
Vehicles traveling at 11 miles over the speed limit will be captured on camera with video. It will be reviewed by the sheriff’s department and kept long enough for the violator to contest the ticket if they desire.
A civil citation will be sent to the vehicle’s owner after it is reviewed by a sergeant.
Gobble said the cameras would be active for just the hour time frame when school is opening up and again when it is letting out.
No information will be stored beyond the court case or sold to any third party. The information use is monitored by the state, Gobble said.
Technology like the camera system is being used to free up manpower for other uses.
“Our call volume has gone up drastically over the past several years,” Gobble said. “We’re short on the road, we’re short in the schools with SROs, we’re short here, we’re short in the jail.”
Technology is a tool to assist the department, he said.
Prior to the system going live, it will be advertised and notes will be sent home to parents, Gobble said.
Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson shared details of the plan at July’s board of education work session. The three spots of concern include Hwy. 282 that runs past the Mountain View Elementary entrance, Clear Creek Road en route to Clear Creek Middle and Yukon Road alongside the Clear Creek Elementary campus.
Water line extension
Commissioners voted to set aside $1 million of the next installment of the American Rescue Plan of 2021 to allow the Ellijay Gilmer County Water and Sewerage Authority to extend water lines.
The lines would run for 5.5 miles up Roundtop Road and beyond to the Pickens County line.
Gary McVey, director of the Ellijay Gilmer County Water and Sewerage Authority, asked commissioners to allow the project to act like a CDBG grant and monies would be used to set the meters and tie the water lines to the houses.
Nine out of 10 calls he gets asking to be hooked into the system are in the area of the proposed line. McVey said the wells are high in minerals in the area.
Group health insurance
Commissioners were asked to decide between two dental plans while renewing employee insurance coverage.
One choice was to remain with Delta Dental who serves the county currently. A second choice was to fold dental coverage in with Anthem, which insures the employees in other capacities for a savings of $107,000.
Chair Charlie Paris said the savings was considerable, but only one of the local dental offices the county contacted works with Anthem.
Post Commissioner Hubert Parker made a motion to stay with Delta Dental.
“I’m a fiscal conservative, and $107,000 is a lot of money, but I am little concerned about what it does to our employee population,” he said.
The vote was unanimous.
County pool
Commissioners were informed a new bid package is being put together for the county pool.
“We’ve got a whole new crowd and ball game, said Paris. “We’re essentially back to square one.”
Engineering drawings expected from the companies the county was working with were just drawings, he said. New engineers were sought and found.
Paris said he is putting together a town hall to let people ask questions about the pool.
“It will get done by Memorial Day, I’m just not sure which year,” he said.