Commissioner Elect says Land Use plan on the books by second quarter of 2005
By Dan Pool

Commissioner-elect Robert Jones said he will move as quickly
as possible to have the proposed land use ordinance in action once he
takes office in January.
Speaking before the Optimist Club last Thursday, the incoming
sole Commissioner of Pickens County said, he would have the "zoning,
land use plan" in place within four months of taking office.
"We've been beating this thing around for four years," he
said. "The [planning] commission did a good job of preparing it and I
don't their work to be in vain."
Jones said he supports growth in the county, but it needs to
be controlled with regulations like those in the 58-page Land Use
District Ordinance.
"Progress is a good thing, don't get me wrong," he said. "But
uncontrolled growth is something we don't want in Pickens County."
Responding to a question during the meeting, Jones said
between now and the time the ordinances are adopted the current
county development statues are "sufficient to overview proposals."
"I know of a couple of projects that are being scrutinized
very closely, being detrimental to the county," he said.
Jones said he believes there are developers who will seek to
exploit the window of opportunity between now and the time the land
use ordinances are official, but there are rules in place to
safeguard against some projects that the residents wouldn't want here.
Jones said another high priority once taking office is to
beef up the commercial building inspections.
The "big issues" he sees the commissioner office dealing
with in the next four years are water and sewage.
"There are new requirements coming all the way down from the
federal level," he said. "I know they are paying attention to the
watersheds in this area."
Jones said more planning on water usage and resources will
take center stage as Georgia and Alabama continuing to negotiate over
water issues.
Jones said related to this is a desire by governing officials
to see more greenspace.
Jones said in case any one is unclear, Pickens uses a sole
commissioner form of government and the sole commissioner is "the
main chief."
He said the sole commissioner in a county has the power to
make most decisions including hiring and firing. "You're not held
accountable to anyone until four years are up and you go back to the
voters," he said.
Jones said he doesn't have any plans to make personnel
changes once he takes office.
"It's not my intent to clean house," he said. "I believe
there are good people in the courthouse and we need to give them the
support they need."
In the introduction of the commissioner-elect, Optimist Jan
Stephens said she wanted to commend both Jones and outgoing
commissioner Bill Newton for running campaigns without mud-slinging.
Jones said this didn't really come out during the campaign,
but part of the reason the election was cordial is that he and Newton
are actually cousins "which may have had something to do with it."
According to biographical information presented, Jones'
mother is a native of Tate, but moved to Clearwater, Florida in 1955.
Jones is a native of Florida and lived there through 10th grade when
his family moved back to Pickens County, where he has lived since.
Jones said he is able to identify with the current growth
reaching Pickens from what he saw growing up in Florida. Jones said
many of the newcomers moving to Pickens County are a valuable
resource to draw from for their experience in other areas.