Georgia County Government - September 2008 - (Page 48)

PARADE continued from page 47 Industrial Development Authority believe water is a more important economic development issue. The study and any subsequent site selection for a reservoir could also put Jackson County in line to tap $40 million in state grants aimed at bolstering drinking water supplies, officials believe. In other Jackson County news, a $5.3 million contract with New South Construction has been signed for the go-ahead on Phase III of a public safety training facility, approved by commissioners in late June. The project, being funded through Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenues, will be located on a 20-acre site on the county farm complex in Jefferson. It will include a burn tower, fire station and training classrooms and will also house the Correctional Institute Fire Brigade. County in recent weeks assembled a list of 10 buildings it will demolish if owners fail to move quickly to bring them up to code. Cost of demolition, if forced, would be billed to the property owners. The Abandoned and Dilapidated Home Ordinance authorizing the move was a personal crusade of Commissioner David Gault, who spent four years getting it into the county’s ordinance code. The original list included 20 properties, but Code Enforcement Officer Tiffany Wharton said eight property owners immediately responded to the orders to upgrade their buildings, while two are in process of meeting compliance. They are moving forward to have the remaining 10 demolished, by outside contractors. The cases will be considered individually, but the jobs are now in process of being put to bid. Orthopedic Groups’ June request to subsidize the privately run Tatnall Community Hospital until the company is profitable. The subsidy will draw on the Development Authority Fund to give the operation $25,000 a month for two years, equaling $300,000 a year for a total of $600,000. A ceiling of $400,000 is set to be used for Tatnall County’s indigent care needs. Principals of the hospital met with commissioners at a regular June 2 meeting to brief officials on the status of the facility, especially impacted by Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements, which the CEO of the hospital told commissioners had been resolved. However, the legal requirements to provide Emergency Room treatment to uninsured patients, at an average of 150 patients per month who are self-pay and do not have Medicare or Medicaid, amounts to $300,000 a month for the facility, and doctors have already invested more than $2 million without any reimbursement. According to the hospitals CEO, 100 percent of the money being requested is to fund Tattnal County’s indigent citizens. ■ JONES County to Demolish 10 Buildings if Owners Don’t Act Under stipulations of a 2005 ordinance on dilapidated housing, Jones TATNALL Development Authority Funds Subsidize Hospital for Interim The Tatnall County Board of Commissioners agreed to Southeastern Atlanta • Chicago • Los Angeles • Denver • Kansas City • Amsterdam Delivering seamless solutions for your County needs. Planning & Site Selection Architecture/Engineering Program Management Construction Management Design/Build & Turn-key Needs Assessment & Feasibility Studies Economic Development Studies Financing West Cobb YMCA Acworth, GA Bibb County Law Enforcement Center Macon, GA Pickens County Jail Jasper, Georgia Paulding County Government Complex w www.facilitygroup.com 770-437-2700 48 396535_TheFacility.indd 1 GEORGIA COUNTY GOVERNMENT 8/14/08 1:34:21 PM http://www.facilitygroup.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - September 2008

Georgia County Government - September 2008 Contents President’s Message County Matters Cobb County: Quality of Life is Job No. 1 Innovative Transportation Financing in Georgia Drive Your Fleet into the Next Generation of Efficiency, Profits Spotlight: Georgia Technology Authority Media Productions GEMA News: Hurricane Season Could Cause Natural Gas Spike GDEcD News: Communities Receive Funds to Develop Tourism Assets Georgia’s Grand Old Courthouses: Upson County Extension News: Radon: Georgia’s Silent Danger Research Corner: Conserving Fuel Costs in Your County Staff News County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - September 2008

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