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The Lula City Council should be preparing for growth, according to city manager Dennis Bergin. The council and Bergin began discussions on the city’s future goals at its Aug. 21 work session.

Bergin said that with a growing population, and an increasing minority migration to the area, the city will need to become more “metropolitan.” To be more competitive, Bergin advised the council to be aggressive in potential annexations, and to consider utility rates, millage rate and alcohol sales.

ALCOHOL SALES
One of the ways to make the city more attractive to developers, according to Bergin, is to get alcohol sales approved. Many council members agreed that having alcohol sales is a “necessary evil.” The city has package alcohol sales, but does not have Sunday sales or liquor by the package or by the drink. The council could add a referendum to allow Lula residents to vote on the topic. “All we can do is put it on the referendum,” said mayor Milton Turner. “It’s the people’s choice.”
[Full Story »] 

The Banks County Cattleman’s Association will host its Showman’s Supper on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the Homer United Methodist Church fellowship hall.

Single tickets are $30 and table seating for eight is $240. There is limited seating.

The meal will be a choice steak meal prepared by Outback Steakhouse.

There will be a silent bid auction, homemade cake auction and more.

The proceeds from the event will support the Banks County youth showing livestock.

For more information, contact Bobby Whitlock at 706-654-8755, Alan Atwood at 770-654-6371 or the Banks County Extension Office at 706-677-6230. More information can also be found at http://www.ugaextension.com/banks.

Several towns in Banks County have city elections planned for Tuesday, Nov. 3, including:

ALTO
The Town of Alto will hold an election on Tuesday, Nov. 3., from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The seats on the ballot include: mayor, currently held by Audrey Turner; council Post 2, currently vacant; and council Post 4, currently held by Eddie Palmer.
Qualifying for the mayor and council seats will be held 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except for a one-hour lunch beginning at 1 p.m. each day, Monday, Aug. 31, through Friday, Sept. 4, at the administrative office of the Election Superintendent, Habersham County Office of Elections and Registration, Habersham County Administrative Building (old courthouse), 555 Monroe Street, Basement, Clarkesville.
The qualifying fee for the mayor and council seats is $35 each.
Each seat is for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2016.

BALDWIN
The City of Baldwin will hold a city election from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Baldwin Municipal Courtroom, Baldwin Police Precinct, 155 Willingham Avenue, Baldwin.
The Post 1 council seat, currently held by Dustin Mealor; Post 2 council seat, currently held by Theron Ayers; and Post 3 council seat, currently held by Joe Elam, will be on the ballot.
Qualifying for the council seats will be held 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except for a one-hour lunch beginning at 1 p.m. each day, Monday, Aug. 31, through Friday, Sept. 4, at the administrative office of the Election Superintendent, Habersham County Office of Elections and Registration, Habersham County Administrative Building (old courthouse), 555 Monroe Street, Basement, Clarkesville.
The qualifying fee for each council seat is $35.
The last day to register to vote in the Nov 3 city election is Monday, Oct. 5.
Advance voting will begin on Monday, Oct. 12, and continue until Friday, Oct. 30, at the office of Habersham County Elections and Registration, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Advance voting will also be held at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center and the Cornelia Depot, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday, Oct, 26, through Friday, Oct. 30.
Absentee ballots may be acquired beginning on Sept. 25, at the office of Habersham County Elections and Registration.
[Full Story »] 

The Banks County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement at its monthly meeting last week to ensure that county residents who reside in Maysville will receive the same service as other residents of the county.

There has been some concern and controversy in the past due to calls not being handled in Maysville in a timely manner. At an earlier Maysville City Council meeting, several citizens spoke on their disappointment with the response time of the fire department, and the fact that the Banks County Fire Department was the first responder, rather than the Maysville Fire Department, which is much closer in distance.

The Banks BOC approved the agreement with the Jackson County Board of Commissioners and it outlines how fire calls will be answered.

The mutual aid agreement states both fire departments will respond within Banks County if aid is requested and firefighters are available. However, if either is needed in their own jurisdiction during the emergency where aid is requested, then priority is granted to their own jurisdiction. Prior to this, an agreement was not in place.

See this week's issue of The Banks County News for more details.

Several towns in Banks County have city elections planned for Tuesday, Nov. 3, including:

ALTO
The Town of Alto will hold an election on Tuesday, Nov. 3., from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The seats on the ballot include: mayor, currently held by Audrey Turner; council Post 2, currently held by John Closs; and council Post 4, currently held by Eddie Palmer.
Qualifying for the mayor and council seats will be held 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except for a one-hour lunch beginning at 1 p.m. each day, Monday, Aug. 31, through Friday, Sept. 4, at the administrative office of the Election Superintendent, Habersham County Office of Elections and Registration, Habersham County Administrative Building (old courthouse), 555 Monroe Street, Basement, Clarkesville.
The qualifying fee for the mayor and council seats is $35 each.
Each seat is for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2016.
Early voting will begin Oct. 12, through Oct. 30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at the Habersham County Elections & Registration Office.
The new polling location on Nov 3, for the Town of Alto will be located at B.C. Grant Baptist Church, 1405 B.C. Grant Road, Fellowship Hall, Alto. [Full Story »] 

Banks County received $25,000 in federal grants administered by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA/HS) to reimburse the county for improvements to its 9-1-1 Center.

At the Banks County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday night, C.J. Worden, field coordinator for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, formally presented a check to Banks County Commission Chairman Jimmy Hooper and EMA Director Deidra Moore. The recently completed upgrades include new generators and climate control for the Banks County 9-1-1/Emergency Operations Center and Senior Center.

“We are pleased to partner with Banks County to upgrade its 9-1-1/Emergency Operations Center and Senior Center,” said GEMA/HS Director Jim Butterworth. “The generators at the Senior Center will allow Banks County to shelter special needs persons during a disaster. The climate control units will enhance the critical communications capabilities of Banks County’s expanded 9-1-1/Emergency Operations Center.”

The grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Performance (EMP) Grant Program. EMP grants, which are awarded annually, can be used for day-to-day operations of local emergency management programs.

It’s back to school for students in the Banks County School System. The first day of class, for the 2015-16 school year, for students is Friday.

Teachers have been at work this week getting ready for the students arrival.

The projected enrollment for Friday, system wide, is 2,890 students.

“This is little to no change over the 2014-15 school year,” said assistant superintendent Ann Hopkins.

Qualifying students in grades K-12 will be eligible for the system’s after school program this year, Hopkins said.

The Banks County of Education voted unanimously on Monday evening to enter into contract with Community and Southern Bank to purchase the Certus Bank building and its approximate three acres located on Historic Homer Highway and the 441 corridor. The purchase was approved for $855,000.

“This is an excellent facility for the Banks County Board of Education and Instructional Learning Center,” said Banks County School System superintendent Stan Davis. “I want to commend our board of education for having the foresight, vision and financial diligence to pursue this purchase on behalf of the students, teachers, staff and community."

The money for the purchase is part of Banks County’s one-cent, education-earmarked Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax used for land and facility acquisitions that was approved in March of 2011.