tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015Sat, 14 Mar 2026 11:57:10 +0000Calls Creek wastewater plantMars Hill RoadAnimal ControlBishop BypassRocky Branch LASEpps Bridge CentreDaniells Bridge RoadHard Labor Creek Regional ReservoirJamie BoswellFalls Of OconeeCaterpillarJimmy Daniell RoadOconee County BudgetNews and comments about developments in Oconee County, Georgiahttp://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/noreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)Blogger3033125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-4169985003305862793Sat, 14 Mar 2026 02:58:00 +00002026-03-13T22:06:21.523-05:00***Purchase Part Of Expanding List Of ESPLOST Projects*** The Oconee County Board of Education on Monday night approved spending $108,128 for the purchase and installation of 120 new access control panels for doors in the system’s 12 schools. Tony McCullers, Chief Technology Officer for Oconee County Schools, told the Board the purchase will address technology needs of the schools and http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/03/oconee-county-school-board-votes-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-5576362405645212149Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:10:00 +00002026-03-11T00:10:06.834-05:00***Horton Says Sports Fields And Gym Needed Quickly*** When the Oconee County Democratic Party asked County Commissioner Chuck Horton to give an overview of the proposed new Dawson Park last week, Horton focused on what he sees as the immediate need for new sports fields and a gym. The long-range plan for the 250-acre site on Rocky Branch Road that now is the county’s Land Application System (http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/03/oconee-county-commissioner-horton.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-939418549662018552Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:47:00 +00002026-03-08T23:25:05.265-05:00***Board Received Unsolicited Inquiry About Availability Of Property*** An unidentified interested party has approached the Oconee County Board of Education about the possibility of purchasing 42.7 acres on U.S. 41 north of Bishop that the School Board has owned since 2007 but has never utilized. The Board spent an hour and 45 minutes in executive session after its regular meeting on Monday (http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/03/oconee-county-school-board-evaluating.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-7171828144109203258Sat, 07 Mar 2026 05:34:00 +00002026-03-09T09:41:31.965-05:00***Watkinsville Has Once Contested Election Only one candidate has qualified for each of the four Oconee County local races on the ballot on May 19, meaning the only wholly local question before voters is the referendum on renewal of the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). At the end of qualifying at noon on Friday, only incumbent Chuck Horton qualified for Post 2 on the http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/03/oconee-county-may-19-party-primary.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-5662016024321055881Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:47:00 +00002026-03-07T00:53:16.557-05:00***Citizens Pack Commission Chamber For Zoning Hearing*** The Oconee County Board of Commissioners, in a 3 to 1 vote, on Tuesday night turned down a request to build a contractor’s office/showroom/warehouse building with outdoor storage on Jimmy Daniell Road at the entrance to Silver Leaf subdivision. Oconee Medical Properties LLC, owned by Gavin Griffith and Tim Burgess, was asking the http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/03/oconee-board-of-commissioners-turns.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-4864839022095461907Mon, 02 Mar 2026 07:13:00 +00002026-03-02T23:14:22.384-05:00***Second Town Hall Draws Engaged Crowd*** Democratic State Rep. Eric Gisler began his second Town Hall meeting on Saturday with an update on legislation under consideration in the Georgia House of Representatives and a summary of his position on the legislation. Gisler said he will vote against House Bill 1116, which is designed to eliminate local property tax for homesteaded property in 2032,http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/03/state-rep-gisler-explains-his-vote-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-2801800197385048499Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:43:00 +00002026-03-02T09:53:03.600-05:00***Senate, Statewide Candidates, Also Spoke*** The Oconee County Board of Education does not have any plans to add a third high school in the near future, given the current decline in enrollments in the Oconee County Schools system. The Board is anticipating some future growth in enrollments and is monitoring the zoning and the issuance of building permits, but both high schools are under http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/03/republican-party-candidates-for-school.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-3696451250781636550Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:31:00 +00002026-02-27T01:31:04.650-05:00***Former Mayor Bob Smith Objected To Change In Dates*** The Georgia State Election Board last week voted to send to the Georgia Attorney General for further investigation a complaint filed against the Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration about qualification for the 2024 Watkinsville Council races. The Board took that action after former Mayor Bob Smith told the Board that three http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/state-election-board-sends-complaint.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-1835909550627096138Mon, 23 Feb 2026 02:29:00 +00002026-02-24T00:24:31.605-05:00***Shortfall $9.8 Million For County, $32.2 Million For Schools*** Oconee County government will lose $9.8 million in property tax revenue if the legislation being considered by the Georgia House of Representatives is approved in its current form, while each of the county’s four cities will lose between $13,504 and $306,307, and Oconee County Schools will lose a whopping $32.2 million. For the http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/legislation-before-georgia-house.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-3413007802821118662Tue, 17 Feb 2026 04:57:00 +00002026-02-17T00:20:53.019-05:00***SPLOST 2027 Referendum Outlined*** Jeff Hood touched a fresh wound when he asked the first question at the Oconee County Board of Commissioners Town Hall meeting last week. Hood wanted to know how the county is going to “make up the missing revenue” if the state prohibits local governments from collecting property taxes on homesteaded property, as the Republican Party House leadership has http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/oconee-county-commissioners-at-town.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-8946567521767394547Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:51:00 +00002026-02-11T17:51:22.340-05:00***Also Purchases Interactive Panels And Robots*** The Oconee County Boards of Education on Monday agreed to spend $917,178 for improvements at Oconee County Elementary school, including replacement of the gym roof, metal siding, and floor activity area and replacement of the floors in the outside classroom pod. The Board also approved spending $899,748 for new digital scoreboards for the http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/oconee-county-school-board-approves.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-500205579827160756Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:41:00 +00002026-02-08T20:41:24.414-05:00***High School Policy May Need To Be Revised*** Principals at Oconee County primary, elementary, and middle schools informed parents through their December newsletters that Oconee County Schools has updated its policy on use of electronic devices by students effective July 1 of this year. The new policy requires that all cell phones and personal electronic devices must be turned off and stored http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/oconee-county-schools-set-to-implement.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-1655224615053313098Sat, 07 Feb 2026 22:24:00 +00002026-02-07T17:37:28.569-05:00***Party Leaders Dec. Special Election Campaign*** Eric Gisler, elected in December to represent much of Oconee County in the Georgia House of Representatives, received a hero’s welcome when he appeared before Oconee County Democrats last month. “You know, this is the first time that the representative from House District 121 has ever come to any of our meetings,” Party Chair Harold Thompson http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/state-representative-gets-warm-welcome.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-3078113731634698649Fri, 06 Feb 2026 02:35:00 +00002026-02-05T21:35:43.963-05:00***Plans Moving Toward Approval*** The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is moving toward approval of a new concept plan that would close completely access of Julian Drive to and from SR 316. Under the plan, Julian Drive traffic from the north would be blocked from entering SR 316 and instead would travel to US 78 via a new road parallel to SR 316 that would be an extension of Tall http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/new-gdot-plans-for-julian-drive-block.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-2543577727675371663Thu, 05 Feb 2026 06:10:00 +00002026-02-05T01:23:00.306-05:00***Also Withdraw Daniells Bridge Road Request*** After requests for two commercial developments in the northern part of the county were pulled from the agenda of the Oconee Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night, more than half of the standing room only crowd left the Commission Chamber. A cluster of a dozen citizens remained, however, determined to fight approval of two variances being soughthttp://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/oconee-county-commissioners-approve.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-8471971048894178661Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:41:00 +00002026-02-03T12:04:02.675-05:00***Lone Democrat On Board Votes Against Decision*** The Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration on Monday voted 4 to 1 to table indefinitely consideration of adding five or six days of early voting at a site other than the county Administrative Building just north of Watkinsville. The Board took that action after, during the public comment section at the beginning of the meeting, http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/oconee-county-election-board-decides.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-4734752546234405999Sun, 01 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +00002026-02-01T16:23:54.454-05:00***Office, Warehouse, Outdoor Storage Being Proposed*** The owners of the five-acre tract on the west side of Jimmy Daniell Road and the north side of Silver Leaf Road are asking the county for the third time since 2006 to make zoning changes to allow them to develop the property commercially. In 2006, they asked that the property, which abuts Silver Leaf subdivision, be rezoned from its http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/02/oconee-county-commission-to-hear-third.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-5776657691066023270Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:34:00 +00002026-02-01T08:53:57.613-05:00***13 Proposals Reviewed*** The Oconee County Library Board of Trustees has selected artwork for the library in Wire Park consisting of three large sets of photographic panels for the inside walls of the main room and nine paneled murals for the children’s library space. The Board chose the artwork after presentations by three individual artists and a collaborating pair of artists at it meetinghttp://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/01/oconee-county-library-board-selects-two.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-7593716104513503909Fri, 30 Jan 2026 04:39:00 +00002026-01-30T19:33:49.060-05:00***Presbyterian Homes Seeking Help With Expansion*** The Oconee County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) agreed on Tuesday to spend up to $4 million from its reserves to cover the added costs of using synthetic turf rather than natural grass on eight fields at the future Dawson Park on Rocky Branch Road. The IDA is using this investment in what it is calling sports tourism to bring in http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/01/oconee-county-development-authority.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-5557499832818994033Thu, 29 Jan 2026 04:44:00 +00002026-01-28T23:52:16.583-05:00***Revenue To Be Shared With County’s Four Cities*** Oconee County commissioners on Tuesday night voted to ask the county Board of Elections and Registration to place on the May 19 General Primary and Nonpartisan Election ballot a referendum for renewal of the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). If voters approve the referendum, which is expected to generate conservativelyhttp://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/01/oconee-county-commissioners-vote-to-put.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-2027023792946866306Tue, 27 Jan 2026 04:12:00 +00002026-01-26T23:12:33.667-05:00***Trough Traffic On SR 316 Will Continue *** More than 130 people turned out last week for the Public Information Open House held by the Georgia Department Transportation (GDOT) and contractor Archer Western on the proposed six-month closure of the interchange of Jimmy Daniell Road with SR 316. Attendees had the opportunity to view two sets of easels with maps of the proposed detour and of thehttp://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/01/gdot-public-information-open-house-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-4121057582698772334Mon, 26 Jan 2026 04:27:00 +00002026-01-26T08:07:11.669-05:00***Candidates Seeking To Replace Gaines Also Speak*** Houston Gaines, who represents part of Oconee County in the Georgia House of Representatives, updated Oconee County Republicans early last month on his campaign for the party nomination for the 10th Congressional District as well on as his plans for the legislative session now underway. Gaines said he has no announced opponents in the May http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/01/republican-party-congressional-district.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-3817948285749617230Thu, 22 Jan 2026 04:53:00 +00002026-02-03T20:19:05.464-05:00***Special Use Gets Nod For Jimmy Daniell Road Project*** Over the objections of the developers of 8.1 acres on Daniells Bridge Road, the Oconee County Planning Commission on Tuesday night voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Commissioners approve a new concept plan for the property with the conditions recommended by the county planning staff. Kris Robinson told the Commission that http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/01/oconee-county-planning-commission.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-5252085049107485097Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:31:00 +00002026-01-19T23:49:05.933-05:00***Lists Improved Communication, Transparency As Goal*** Oconee County School Superintendent Melissa Butler found both strengths and areas for improvement in her 90-day assessment of the school system she took responsibility for on Oct. 14. In a report she released last week, Butler said community members and faculty and staff said Oconee County Schools has high quality educators and staff, a http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/01/oconee-county-school-superintendent-has.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30714015.post-2146098645052133204Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:50:00 +00002026-01-19T00:00:55.230-05:00***Warehouses Part Of Both Requests*** The owners of 8.1 acres on the north side of Daniells Bridge Road east of the curve at SR Loop 10 are scheduled to be before the Oconee County Planning Commission on Tuesday night seeking permission to radically alter the concept plan for that property approved by the county in 2008. Krojo LLC is asking that it be allowed to put seven office and warehouse http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2026/01/oconee-county-planning-commission-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Becker)0