JANUARY 2007 

Effingham County commissioners re-appointed Verna Phillips as chairwoman and Myra Lewis as vice-chairwoman.
Phillips, who represents District 5, was chosen by her fellow commissioners to serve a second term as chairwoman. Lewis represents the 2nd District.
School board members re-elected Vera Jones to serve as their chairperson.

Effingham County commissioners are still trying to figure out how to structure impact fees in order to pay for treated wastewater pipeline.
Commissioners voted to up the water and sewer impact fees by $600 each, but later rescinded their vote. The Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority had agreed to allow the county to structure its loan payment based on $200 increases in both the water and sewer impact fees and upping the re-use water fee by $800.
A $600 increase — to $2,600 for water and $3,100 for sewer — on the water and sewer impact fees passed.

Effingham County commissioners called Savannah architecture firm Lott and Barber on the carpet at their Jan. 16 meeting.
Commissioners were puzzled by architect Lott and Barber’s decision to turn over the judicial complex for occupancy when more than $1 million in work remains to be done.
County officials don’t want to take over the building as long as there is a lot of work left to do inside the building that would interfere with county employees trying to do their jobs.
The new judicial complex, when finished, will be 55,765 square feet. The total cost of the items to finish, some of which are to be done to the exterior of the building and grounds, is around $1.016 million. The county has about $1.1 million left to pay for it.

The Effingham County Economic Development Authority took another official step in its plans for both the Meldrim and Research Forest tracts.
At a special called meeting, EDA members gave final approval to arrangement with Wachovia Bank to finance more than $38 million in notes for its plans. Two portions of the deal — for $20.9 million and another $7.3 million — were put into action. The remaining deal for $10 million will go through in two weeks.

Effingham County commissioners filled two vacant spots on the Economic Development Authority at their meeting and re-appointed two members to their current posts.
Chairwoman Verna Phillips, the District 5 representative, appointed Rev. Delmons White and District 2 Commissioner Myra Lewis selected financial planner David Carter to fill two seats that had been vacant for months when Steve Collins and Harvey Kieffer stepped down from the board.
Fourth District Commissioner Reggie Loper re-appointed Martin Wilkins and District 3 Commissioner Jeff Utley re-appointed Arthur Rud. District 1 Commissioner Hubert Sapp did not make a recommendation.
All four names put forward were approved unanimously.

Habitat for Humanity officials and current and past board members cut the ribbon for the ReStore on Highway 21 just north of Rincon.
Under the roof of the ReStore, Habitat for Humanity will have new and what is termed “gently-used” building materials, fixtures, appliances and furniture for sale to the public. The items are donated by people and builders who may have leftover materials. The proceeds from the sales go to the Habitat for Humanity.
The Effingham ReStore will be open 20 hours week, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.
Homeowners and property owners in need of inexpensive material can use the ReStore’s selections. Habitat officials also boast that the ReStore saves landfills from taking in more solid waste.

The Effingham Economic Development Authority wants to get together with county commissioners to work out a plan for bringing water to its I-16 tract.
For EDA members, doing so may not come soon enough. Time is of the essence in their deal with DP Partners for the nearly 2,000 acres in the Meldrim area. DP Partners, a Las Vegas, Nev.-based industrial developer, has given the EDA a letter of intent for the land.

Developers are eyeing an upscale, gated apartment community behind the Food Lion in Rincon.
Plans call for 352 units with ground-level entry. Apartments will range in size from 700 square feet for studios to 1,200 square feet for three-bedroom units. Eighty percent of the units will be split between one- and two-bedroom units. Studios and three-bedroom units will each make up 10 percent of the apartments. There will be 750 parking spaces and 176 will be covered.
Developers have asked the state Department of Transportation for a traffic light to be installed at the intersection of Highway 21 and Towne Park West. However, DOT informed them it would be two years before they could install a light.
So, the developers, banks and others in the business community are trying to raise the money needed to purchase the light themselves and have it installed.

FEBRUARY 2007

Lawton Nease and Neil Ratchford were honored as the Rotary Club of Effingham County’s Lifetime Service Above Self Award recipients at the Volunteer of the Year banquet at the New Ebenezer Retreat Center.
Nease and Ratchford lured speakers to come talk, and their presenters have included two U.S. Senators and the Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter.

The Effingham County Board of Education learned dropouts may get another chance, thanks to computer giant Bill Gates and the Gateway to College program.

School board members got the results of the uniform committee’s research on the possibility of school uniforms to the school board.
All of the school councils were in favor, with one principal reporting that one parent member on the school council was opposed to uniforms.
One concern stated in the report given to the board was since all grade levels ride the bus together if one age group was required to wear uniforms it would open them up to teasing by students not required to wear uniforms.
Elementary schools had a 62.9 percent response rate to the surveys. Of elementary parents 73 percent said having a uniform would be a good idea, and 81 percent said they would support it if uniforms are affordable.
There was a 42.5 percent response rate for parents of middle school children.
Of parents who responded 67 percent said having uniforms is a good idea, and 74 percent said they would support uniforms if they are affordable.
The high schools had a 42.6 percent response rate with 41.7 percent of parents saying they think uniforms are a good idea, and 43.9 percent of parents responding they would support a uniform policy if the uniforms are affordable.

Effingham County commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of the EDA’s request to have their 1,550 acres on north side of I-16 in the Meldrim area rezoned to I-1. But the stipulations that went with the vote could render the property useless for what the EDA has in mind, according to EDA officials.
The EDA has been in talks with industrial developer DP Partners, but the commissioners’ requirements with the rezoning have put that deal in danger, according to EDA Chief Executive Officer John Henry.
The EDA also was asking for rezoning on 182.5 acres on the south side of I-16, but after the vote on the northern tract, Henry withdrew the request.