Multiple contracts, guests highlight county meeting

Collins also accepted a $255,589.50 contract with third-party appraiser GMASS, a longtime partner with the county, for the reappraisal of a third of all county properties between now and Dec. 31, 2026. The reappraisal process is governed by state law.

Staffing an in-house appraisal operation would cost north of $500,000 and would require extensive training to get off the ground, Collins said.

He further explained that, while he has committed to moving away from third-party appraisals, he wants another year to study the issue to come up with the best option.

The commissioner signed a $10,800 agreement with Duluth-based architecture firm Hill Foley Rossi & Associates “for the evaluation and replacement design of the existing roof at the Union County Courthouse,” which was installed over 2005 and 2006.

Due to its flat design, Collins said the courthouse roof is more prone to wear and tear over time, with several recurring leaks known to exist around the building. Replacing the roof will be a major SPLOST project, and bid documents will be prepared as part of this agreement.

Collins accepted two agreements for equipment and infrastructure at the new 911 Dispatch Center, which remains under construction. 911 Director David Dyer explained that the agreements serve to replace recording equipment and prepare the county for Next Gen 911.

Dyer also explained another contract Collins signed that evening with Southern Disaster Recovery. It was actually a contract extension for the company to provide debris removal services in the event of a major disaster, with no costs involved unless the services are used.

The commissioner presented $8,000 Substance Abuse Grants to four grateful organizations in the community. It was an impactful part of the meeting showcasing the great lengths altruistic individuals go to in assisting people with addiction and mental health issues.

Troy Beaver accepted the grant for New Hope Counseling, telling the audience that grants like this one were the sole funding source for the outpatient treatment facility, which mostly works with people who have zero financial resources of their own.

In addition to its many certifications and addiction treatment services, Beaver said New Hope operates the only DUI school in the immediate area, and he noted they turn no one away who is seeking help.

Shawn Harkins and Linda Beaver received one of the grants on behalf of Positive Pathways, a local Recovery Community Organization that supports people suffering from addiction and mental illness.

Harkins revealed that many of their clients are homeless and use Positive Pathways’ facilities for free to wash clothes, take showers, prepare food and find community, and Linda Beaver shared that she appreciates all the churches, individuals and first responder agencies that support them.

Troy Beaver and Harkins both said their organizations carry free NARCAN, an opioid overdose reversal medication, with Beaver detailing how New Hope actually used the medication to save a woman’s life last month who came into the office and collapsed from an overdose.

Karen Fischetti of Union County Family Connection accepted a grant, relating how she and her organization work in Union County Schools and in the community to prevent youth substance abuse, including nicotine and marijuana vaping.

Fischetti said some of the funds will be used to provide more vape detectors in the middle and high schools, as well as to sponsor educational outreach programs connecting students with local gas stations to campaign against underage alcohol consumption.

Freedom Ministries also received a grant, though no one from the nonprofit attended that evening.

Collins was happy to welcome Alexis Noe, the founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Luke’s Place, a local venue on Cleveland Street that provides teens a safe – and cool – environment to hang out after school in hopes of preventing substance abuse.

Luke’s Place has been specifically designed to appeal to teens with good clean fun and activities, like video games, air hockey, pool, ping pong, book clubs, post-prom parties, holiday events, crafts, snacks, first-aid training, multi-subject tutoring and more – all free to the students.

And supervision, though present, is light enough to afford kids the ability to cut loose with each other in a controlled setting.

The idea for Luke’s Place originated from personal tragedy; three years ago, Noe’s younger brother Luke fatally overdosed at the age of 35. Luke was a talented and loving person but started using drugs and alcohol at just 14, and he ultimately lost his battle with addiction.

Following his death, Noe created Luke’s Place to give teens a healthy alternative to the types of environments that introduced substances into her beloved brother’s life, and now Luke’s Place helps the youths of this community avoid the same pitfalls today.

Luke’s Place has managed to stay afloat thanks to generous supporters, but the organization is looking to both maintain the ability to pay its bills – about $3,000 a month – and grow its outreach efforts and regular youth attendance to impact the lives of even more local students.

The nonprofit has other initiatives in the works, such as AA/NA meetings geared toward teens and a “5th Quarter” post-game hangout, and Noe is hoping enough people see the importance of Luke’s Place that 100 donors step forward to commit $30 a month to ensure ongoing operations.

For more information and to support Luke’s Place, visit https://www.lukesplaceblairsville.org/.

Among other business, Collins proclaimed Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week in Union County, welcoming Jared Ogden – dressed in his colonial best – to represent the local Sons of the American Revolution and Stephen Weaver on behalf of the area Daughters of the American Revolution.

The commissioner also signed an affidavit of appointment for Wayne Dahlstrom to join the Union County Board of Elections as one of the two Republican Party appointees. His term will run Oct. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2026. Dahlstrom is replacing Board Member Pat Christ.

Most of the Q&A was taken up by regular users of the Farmers Barket Dog Park, four of whom attended to express their concerns directly to Collins about his plans to relocate the dog park away from the Farmers Market.

The Farmers Barket users passionately opposed moving the park from its current convenient location, offering opinions that doing so would be “bad governance” and bad for the economy and social fabric of the county.

One resident said he felt the county had misplaced blame on dog park users for pet waste in the Farmers Market, saying instead that he believed it was market attendees and others with dogs who fail to use the property as intended.

Another resident highlighted that the Farmers Barket came about as an Eagle Scout project several years ago that culminated in a successful public-private partnership, with an implication that moving it would dishonor the efforts of a local youth and other community stakeholders.

Collins responded that in addition to the waste problem outside the dog park, he has concerns about the potential for damage to the park because it sits in a flood plain along Butternut Creek, and he seemed unmoved in his decision to relocate the park at some point in the future.

He is apparently still in the process of selecting an alternate property and said previously the new park would be built with comparable amenities before the Farmers Barket closes. He added that evening he would utilize detainee labor to keep costs down, and that it will be “a nicer park.”

The discussion went long and ended up assuming an argumentative air, and Collins said at one point that if they were unable to move past the subject, he would feel compelled to implement a three-minute speaking limit for the Q&A despite wishing to let everyone have their say.

After the meeting, the county submitted its 2025 Property Tax Digest & Five-Year History of Levy for legal publication in the North Georgia News. Collins appears all set to adopt a lower property tax rate, expected to occur in a called meeting on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. inside the courthouse.