County to seek funds for water projects

County finance director Randy Failyer asked the commissioners to approve a resolution to increase the county’s GEFA loan by $85,800 for water projects. The county will finance the money at a 2.16 percent interest rate with GEFA.

In other business at the Sept. 8 meeting, the BOC:

•approved spending $5,000 from an emergency management program grant to help fund the county’s CERT program. EMA/911 director Deidra Moore advised the grant money was received last year.

•unanimously approved an application for a $9,582 Citizens Corps Emergency Management Association grant for the county’s CERT team.

•approved a contract with the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission (GRMC) at a 75/25 match to complete the county’s hazard mitigation grant application. Moore reported it is time for the county’s hazard mitigation plan to be updated. The contract with the GRMC will not cost the county any cash. County clerk Jenni Gailey said, “We will match it with salaries of people who do the work.”

•approved the fiscal year 2010 senior center nutrition contract with Legacy Link at a cost to the county of $78,000. The total contract price is $124,000. Legacy Link seeks federal and state funding for a portion of the contract.

•unanimously approved changing the county employee’s Money purchase Plan 401 (a) retirement fund over to the 457 plan the county has through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. Judy Greer, human resources director, said, “This change will let the ACCG handle all of the retirement for the county employees.” The administration cost is cheaper to convert the plan now.

•heard from Kelly McDuffie about Grace Point Ministry, a partnership between Get Real and Fishers of Men Ministries. McDuffie said there is a need for transitional housing the Banks County. “There are children in our school system who are homeless,” McDuffie said. Grace Point Ministry hopes to provide a home that will house six families. “We hope in the near future we will be meeting with Keith Covington (county planning and zoning) to make sure we are on target for the transitional housing,” McDuffie said. McDuffie also gave a presentation on the current Grace Point facility. McDuffie told the commissioners, “We are here to give you information and knowledge of what we are in the process of doing.”