At a joint meeting July 20, the Barrow County Board of Education and the Barrow County Board of Commissioners agreed to cancel a 2007 agreement for a joint project off Highway 316.
According to school board clerk Cindy Beggs, the two boards agreed to work out a new agreement for the joint development of a campus that in addition to the original cultural arts center and auditorium would include a new technical career academy for the school system and Lanier Tech’s college-level courses.
The cancellation of the original agreement also means that the new campus might not be developed on property that the Winder-Barrow Industrial Building Authority owns at the intersection of Hwy. 53 and Hwy. 316.
That was the site designated in the 2007 document, but multiple property owners in recent months have approached both boards about other potential locations, and the final site selection will be the subject of upcoming deliberations, Beggs said.
Ben Hendrix was unable to attend last Tuesday's meeting due to previously planned election day commitments. Hendrix questioned why county commission chairman Danny Yearwood waited three weeks before notifying commissioners of the meeting.
2007 agreement canceled by BOC, BOE
The two boards also have yet to agree on the scope of the project, she said.
The next joint meeting was scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the board of education’s headquarters off Hwy. 211.
BOC FLAP
Commissioners Ben Hendrix and Isaiah Berry did not attend last week's meeting.
Most of the county commissioners did not learn of the scheduled meeting until around noon Monday, and Hendrix and Berry were both running for re-election in Tuesday’s primaries.
Monday night in an e-mail, Hendrix complained to Commission Chairman Danny Yearwood both about the scheduling of the meeting on Election Day and for his late notification of the county board.
“I am sure that you are aware that tomorrow is also Election Day, and I have already made commitments to be at my three precincts from the time they open, until they close (7 A.M. until 7 P.M.),” Hendrix wrote.
“Commissioner Berry is also heavily involved in Election Day activities, and at least two members of the BOE are involved in Election Day events as well.
“I think that another day would have been more appropriate, and certainly less likely to interfere with other peoples schedules on Election Day.”
Asked about the meeting attendance of the incumbent school board members facing opposition in Tuesday’s primaries, Beggs said all three – Mark Still, Dan Cromer and Randall Holland – did take time out to attend the meeting.
However, they had known about the meeting since a June 29 school board work session when Superintendent Wanda Creel mentioned two possible meeting dates of July 20 or 27.
Creel told the Barrow Journal this week that when she approached Yearwood about those two dates, he had expressed no preference. So at its June 29 work session, the BOE agreed to Tuesday’s date.
After the school board work session June 29, Creel said she informed Yearwood of the selected meeting date. However, he apparently did not forward Creel’s email to the other commissioners until Monday.
Hendrix in his e-mail to Yearwood noted his nearly three-week delay in notifying the county commissioners.
“I realize that you have a busy schedule as the Chairman, but it is unacceptable for you to notify members of this Board about a joint meeting of this nature with little more than twenty four hours notice,” Hendrix wrote.
“I am also aware that both local newspapers were notified of this meeting either last Thursday or Friday. How is it that the press is afforded more courtesy and respect than members of this board when it comes to matters like this?”
The school system sent its public meeting notice to the media July 15.
The next joint meeting was scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the board of education’s headquarters off Hwy. 211.
BOC FLAP
Commissioners Ben Hendrix and Isaiah Berry did not attend last week's meeting.
Most of the county commissioners did not learn of the scheduled meeting until around noon Monday, and Hendrix and Berry were both running for re-election in Tuesday’s primaries.
Monday night in an e-mail, Hendrix complained to Commission Chairman Danny Yearwood both about the scheduling of the meeting on Election Day and for his late notification of the county board.
“I am sure that you are aware that tomorrow is also Election Day, and I have already made commitments to be at my three precincts from the time they open, until they close (7 A.M. until 7 P.M.),” Hendrix wrote.
“Commissioner Berry is also heavily involved in Election Day activities, and at least two members of the BOE are involved in Election Day events as well.
“I think that another day would have been more appropriate, and certainly less likely to interfere with other peoples schedules on Election Day.”
Asked about the meeting attendance of the incumbent school board members facing opposition in Tuesday’s primaries, Beggs said all three – Mark Still, Dan Cromer and Randall Holland – did take time out to attend the meeting.
However, they had known about the meeting since a June 29 school board work session when Superintendent Wanda Creel mentioned two possible meeting dates of July 20 or 27.
Creel told the Barrow Journal this week that when she approached Yearwood about those two dates, he had expressed no preference. So at its June 29 work session, the BOE agreed to Tuesday’s date.
After the school board work session June 29, Creel said she informed Yearwood of the selected meeting date. However, he apparently did not forward Creel’s email to the other commissioners until Monday.
Hendrix in his e-mail to Yearwood noted his nearly three-week delay in notifying the county commissioners.
“I realize that you have a busy schedule as the Chairman, but it is unacceptable for you to notify members of this Board about a joint meeting of this nature with little more than twenty four hours notice,” Hendrix wrote.
“I am also aware that both local newspapers were notified of this meeting either last Thursday or Friday. How is it that the press is afforded more courtesy and respect than members of this board when it comes to matters like this?”
The school system sent its public meeting notice to the media July 15.
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#1
Jim
on
08/01/10 at 03:55 PM
[Reply]
Need to stop spending money you don't have and get what you owe paid off then we want have a problem with money. You have already spent more than the county can pay back.