Welcome 

www.ourgrantville.com

It is my intent to have a site for Grantville, GA

that will serve the citizens of this great community.

Mayor Jim Sells

September 3, 2011

SCRAPYARD UPDATE

The battle to turn Grantville‘s entrance into a scrapyard is heating up. Charles Douglass, assisted by his mother in law Councilwoman Rochelle Jabaley, is completely committed to putting 60 yard dumpsters, weight scales, and all the scrap he can collect on hwy 29 coming into the city.

And he will get it done if Councilwoman Selma Coty, Councilman Barham Lundy and Councilman Johnny Cooks don’t stop him. And I don’t know where they will stand! Do you? Know that your Mayor only votes when there is a tie. And since Councilwoman Rochelle Jabaley is pushing for the scrapyard,

there will be no tie!

The pressure is on to get these three councilmen to give in! Mr. Douglass’ attorney has warned the city, give us the scrapyard or get sued! Of course these threats come with ominous warnings of dire consequences to the city coffers if we don’t “do the right thing”. I do not know how the 3 remaining council members will respond. Are these three council members for the scrap yard or against it? Will they capitulate and allow it out of intimidation and fear? I am very concerned and you should be too.

We all know councilwoman Rochelle Jabaley is for it. She has decided; this scrap yard is in the best interest of this city or she will use the position you bestowed on her to put family gain above the best interest of the citizens that elected her.

Quite frankly I fear the worst. I believe if the public does not get involved you better double lock your lawnmower shed and start planning on delays to hwy 29 while trucks big enough to carry trailers loaded with junk cars move in and out of the lot next to the storage building at the entrance to our city. And that doesn’t mention the ugly sight from the road or the hazardous chemicals the rain will wash into the creek. Let’s also know this will make us completely undesirable for a grocery store, a bank, or a restaurant. They will not set up next to a scrap yard.

Here is the current situation in my opinion. By definition in the current city ordinances Charles Douglass wants to start a junkyard! Junkyard is clearly defined and his proposed activities fall into that category. To do that he must request a “special use permit” from the council. (The city attorney agrees with the last 2 sentences) Since his mother in law Councilwoman Rochelle Jabaley would be prohibited from voting , he has not tried that route. Sometime in the past recycle center was added to the list of permitted businesses. Now the intent many years ago related to what we saw as recycling; collecting your glass, plastic and cardboard as we did at the street and as the county does now. But now Mr Douglass wants to call his industrial collection of everything that is salvageable and saleable a “recycle center”. If he can get two of the three remaining council members to agree on a definition of “recycle center’ that includes junk cars and an unlimited number of 60 yard containers, bingo, his mother in law votes and the community is screwed. That is his current tactic and he is threatening us with being sued and

making us pay a fortune for his attorney and losses.

I believe it is imperative the council not add a ridiculous description of ‘recycle center” that will allow a scrap yard to operate as something other than a junk yard? And the previous administration in Grantville had no intention of recycle center being an industrial junk yard.

You must be informed. This Tuesday at 6PM the zoning committee will meet to discuss what definitions to recommend to the council. This is a very important meeting. The next deadline is this coming Wednesday at noon. If you want to speak to your city council at the beginning of the next meeting (Monday 6:30 PM September 12) you must sign up at city hall by then. It takes less than a minute to fill out the form but you must sign up the Wednesday before noon. You will be given three minutes to speak. It is not a Q and A. You may state your position uninterrupted. Your council meets every second and fourth Monday of the month. One way or another, let your voice be heard!

WHETHER OR NOT WE WIND UP WITH A SCRAPYARD FOR AN ENTRANCE TO THE CITY WILL BE DETERMINED BY YOUR COUNCIL. DO NOT LET ANYONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE.

HOLD YOUR COUNCIL ACCOUNTABLE!!! 

This page was last updated: September 3, 2011