Blog Topic: Government

In the Loop: Mayor Denson Takes Bishop Park Master Plan Off the Agenda

By Blake Aued | August 27, 2015 3:19pm

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

Soccer players at Bishop Park.

After a number of commissioners criticized the expense of overhauling Bishop Park at last week's agenda-setting meeting, as well as the order in which projects would be completed, Mayor Nancy Denson has removed the Bishop Park Master Plan from the agenda for Tuesday's voting meeting. She told commissioners in an email:

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In the Loop: Oconee Chairman: Connect Roads to Benefit Landowner

By Lee Becker | August 25, 2015 12:15pm

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis is asking his fellow Board members on Tuesday night to spend up to $115,000 to create a connection between Old Mars Hill Road and the new Mars Hill Road now under reconstruction.

The change will benefit a landowner who asked Davis to alter the road design, according to email messages among county officials.

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In the Loop: Civil Rights Leader Julian Bond Has Died at 75

By Tom Crawford | August 16, 2015 2:36pm

Julian Bond, the young college activist from Atlanta who grew to be one of the most influential figures in America’s struggle for civil rights, died Saturday night in Fort Walton Beach, FL, after a brief, undisclosed illness.

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In the Loop: Commission Votes Not to Strengthen Wetland Buffers

By Blake Aued | August 5, 2015 4:33pm

Mayor Nancy Denson broke a 5–5 tie Tuesday night in favor of rejecting a proposal to add protections to local ponds and wetlands.

A committee appointed by Denson—which critics said was tilted heavily toward manufacturers and developers—recommended no local buffers for ponds and wetlands after six months of deliberation.

Denson and five commissioners sided with industry representatives who argued that buffers would hurt economic development and questioned whether they’d do much to help the environment.

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In the Loop: A Republican Congressman Thinks the Federal Government Did Something Good for Once

By Blake Aued | July 29, 2015 12:11pm

Doug Collins is a conservative Republican from Gainesville who represents part of Athens in Congress. He issued the following statement on the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act:

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In the Loop: Ag Official Explains the Myths of Food Stamps

By Benjamin Tankersley | July 24, 2015 11:12am

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones

Kevin Concannon, undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, toured the Athens Farmers Market and several local community gardens during a visit to Athens on Wednesday.

All to answer the questions of a poultry science professor, Kevin Concannon, a U.S. undersecretary of agriculture, came to UGA last week to discuss the myths and misconceptions about people on SNAP (the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, though recipients now get their benefits on a debit card).

Robert Beckstead, a poultry science professor at UGA, teaches a class about the effects of global agriculture on world culture. As part of that class, there is a project where his students are given the farm bill and asked to cut 20 percent of the budget.

“The majority of the students,” Beckstead said, “whether they were lazy or that’s what they really believed, they said, ‘Well, we’ll just cut 20 percent from [food stamps].'”

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In the Loop: Go to This Complete Streets Forum If You Care About Bike Safety

By Various Authors | July 21, 2015 12:37pm

This is what a Complete Street looks like. Illustration via Complete Streets Prince Avenue.

The following commentary was submitted by Tyler Dewey, Tony Eubanks, Clint McCrory and Jennifer Rice.

On Wednesday, July 22, Athens-Clarke County is accepting comments on proposed changes to three streets in Athens (Chase Street, East Hancock, Riverbend Parkway), adding bike lanes in two cases (see below for details).

While some small positive outcomes may result from these changes, they are not designed in a way that provides meaningful improvements to bike and pedestrian safety or accessibility in Athens. As citizens concerned with the lack of a coherent approach to implementing ACC’s Complete Streets policy, we urge you to attend this forum and ask questions about the way public input is being gathered and how staff decisions on bike and pedestrian issues are made. Also, please let the Mayor and Commission know that you want to see meaningful public debate on traffic management for bike and pedestrian safety, and that the current approach to implementing ACC’s Road Diet and Complete Streets policies is not adequate.

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In the Loop: Our GDOT Rep's Illegal Roadside Signs Are Back

By Lee Becker | July 14, 2015 5:02pm

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

The Oconee County Code Enforcement Office is once again investigating a two-sided sign installed by Boswell Properties on the southwest corner of Highway 316 and the Oconee Connector.

Boswell Properties reinstalled the signs sometime in the last few weeks to list property owned by Maxie Price, the Loganville auto dealer and businessman who has several properties in the county.

Boswell Properties is owned by Jamie Boswell, an Athens commercial real estate agent who also represents the Athens area on the State Transportation Board, which oversees state highways.

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In the Loop: Oconee Animal Control Board Refuses to Strengthen Abuse Laws

By Lee Becker | July 10, 2015 1:22pm

Photo Credit: Nhandler/Wikimedia Commons

The Oconee County Animal Control Advisory Board yesterday afternoon refused to support Catlyn A. Vickers, director of the Oconee County Animal Control Department, in her request for increased powers to investigate complaints about animal abuse in the county.

Board member Helen Fosgate made a motion calling for a strengthening of the county’s animal control ordinace, but the motion died for lack of a second.

The Advisory Board also refused to endorse a call for a new animal shelter, saying instead it wanted to study the issue more.

The Advisory Board even had trouble electing new officers and approving the minutes of the last meeting, showing a body badly split and with a majority at odds with Vickers and her staff.

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In the Loop: Commission Rejects Eastside Aldi Rezoning

By Blake Aued | July 8, 2015 10:25am

The Athens-Clarke County Commission rejected a rezoning request to build an Aldi grocery store at the intersection of Barnett Shoals and College Station roads by a 5–4 vote Tuesday night.

Aldi, which also has an Atlanta Highway location, had wanted to build the 17,000 square-foot store on the site of what is currently a gas station, as well as a neighboring residential parcel.

Residents spoke out against the plan, arguing that it would bring too many cars to an area that’s already seeing increased traffic from the new University of Georgia veterinary hospital nearby, and that a proposed buffer between the development and the Crestwood/Green Acres subdivision was inadequate.

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