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| Gainesville officials bicker over old jail |
| By Melissa Weinman |
| Published: 04/10/2009 |
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In a highly combative board meeting Thursday, the Hall County Board of Commissioners couldn’t seem to agree on anything, much less with the handful of Gainesville officials present. The meeting included a public hearing about a Gainesville annexation, a letter regarding the detention facility in Midtown and a proposed ethics resolution. During the commission’s regular meeting, a scheduled public hearing was held to discuss Gainesville’s annexation of a part of Interstate 985. Gainesville City Manager Kip Padgett answered a number of questions prepared by the commission about the annexation, intending to prove that the city’s intention is not to use the road as a speed trap for revenue generation, as alleged by county Commissioner Bobby Banks. "Revenue from tickets accounts for 1.4 percent of the city of Gainesville’s budget," Padgett said. "I’ll say that again. 1.4." Gainesville police Chief Frank Hooper also explained the importance of annexing the property to clear up jurisdictional confusion and help with response time. Following the hearing, county Commissioner Ashley Bell invited City Councilman Danny Dunagan to speak during Bell’s commission time. Dunagan asked the county to honor an offer between certain city and county officials regarding the purchase of the detention center in Midtown. Commission Chairman Tom Oliver originally proposed discussing the matter among the commission members and looking into the matter this summer. "In other words, we don’t have an agreement," Dunagan said. The commissioners then voted to have the matter placed on the agenda for their next work session. Hall County Administrator Charley Nix later read aloud a letter from Bart VerHult of Corrections Corporation of America, the group leasing the detention center. In the letter, VerHult asked the commission to issue building permits for renovations and additions to the facility, which will house immigration detainees. According to the letter, the city refused to issue building permits. County Attorney Bill Blalock said the facility technically is a county property and not subject to city zoning ordinances. Oliver made a motion to allow the county to take over remaining inspections and permitting for the facility. There was a back-and-forth discussion while the motion was on the table. Bell asked to have further talks with city officials before making "an aggressive move." City attorney James E. "Bubba" Palmour stood up from the audience to protest the motion. "It’s not a public hearing; I’m sorry," Oliver said. The motion was approved 4-1. Bell voted against it. Also during his comments, Dunagan chastised Oliver and Commissioner Billy Powell for their involvement with the corporation that wants to buy the Regions Bank operation center, which currently is involved in a lawsuit over easements. The property also is tied up with the city’s Midtown redevelopment project. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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