SCDA Meets, Elects Officers

The Stephens County Development Authority starts off its calendar year.

The Development Authority board held its first meeting of 2015 Thursday morning at the Authority’s offices in downtown Toccoa.

During the meeting, the Authority welcomed two new members to the board, as Toccoa Mayor Terry Carter and Stephens County Commission Chair Dennis Bell took their seats on the Authority for the next 12 months.

Whoever holds the positions of Toccoa Mayor and Stephens County Commission Chair sit on the Development Authority board.

Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin said that the Authority also elected officers during Thursday’s meeting.

They are as follows:

Brian Akin, Chair; Terry Carter, Vice Chair; Dennis Bell, Secretary; Greg Roach, Assistant Secretary; Chuck Wright, Treasurer

Martin said the Authority also agreed during its meeting to help ASI, or GEM, Industries, with an issue related to its expansion that is underway.

“We agreed to give ASI Industries a sliver of land, about a half an acre of land,” said Martin. “They will be able to provide a separate driveway off of Clary Connector and keep vehicular traffic for their employees separate from tractor trailer traffic.”

Martin said that request came from ASI because the company wanted to keep its vehicle and tractor trailer traffic separate at its facility once it completes its expansion later this year.

The Development Authority also looked at its financial picture halfway through the fiscal year.

Martin said at the halfway point, the Authority’s budget is tracking pretty much as it should be.

“We have spent something like 46.71 percent of our budget,” said Martin. “We are right on budget.”

During Thursday’s meeting, the Authority also voted to move its monthly meetings to the second Thursday of each month at 8 a.m. in the Development Authority offices in downtown Toccoa.

The Development Authority will also meet separately from that next month for a strategic planning session to talk about the year ahead and also look at its budget.