AB-H 6-1-09- “…Davis and the commission have exhibited a continuing lackadaisical attitude toward the state open meetings statue….” ....................AVOC- Melvin Davis is not solely responsible for some of his mess. He had four commissioners at all times he made the changes and commitments. They were frequently passive and did not stop it.

AVOC

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June 2, 2009

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Oconee’s Melvin Davis – Open Meetings Violations & Mistaken Policies adopted in secrecy

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By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

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The Athens Banner-Herald Editorial today again takes Davis and two other commissioners to task for their lackadaisical attitude about Open Government.    Thanks to Lee Becker and Adam Thompson’s reporting, the behind the scenes ‘wheeling and dealing’ of the Melvin Davis administrations is getting more exposure.

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With my predecessor’s insight, early on I realized Melvin Davis was changing policies without real public involvement.   It started in 2002 with changes in sewer and dense housing.   BOC at a “Retreat” in September 13-14, 2002: 4-09-04 Oconee County MPD Ordinances Were "Hatched and Birthed” in Secrecy

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Melvin Davis is no fan of Open Government

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Not only was Davis’s conduct disappointing but the local press has consistently let him ‘get away with it’.   Sometimes, it takes a while to realize the consequences of bad decisions.    Had we had more public discussion about sewer service to residential development, MPDs (Master Planned Developments) and Hard Labor Creek, we may have avoided some of the problems of today.  Projected growth, revenue and water customer increase estimates led to more debt, and ‘ghost towns’ for the county.

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Melvin Davis seems to want a legacy of new buildings, new parks etc.   However, for long time residents, his legacy will be the results of his secret deals.    PVC Farms and abandoned yards and houses are Davis real legacy.    Overly optimistic revenue and growth projections were not vetted enough.    We will all be paying for those mistakes as water and tax revenue declines.

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House Boarded up off Whippoorwill Rd- Pebblebrook @ Coldwater 6-2-09

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Melvin Davis is not solely responsible for some of his mess.   He had four commissioners at all times he made the changes and commitments.    They were frequently passive and did not stop it.   Without Don Norris’s automatic vote, he is now subject to more effective challenge.   The Commission needs to do its job.

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Any one commissioner could have let the media know about some of the “retreats”, secret meetings, and “non-meetings”.    They can object to Executive Sessions, used primarily to keep the public in the dark.    The recession and changed circumstances will not wear well with voters.   However, we let things ‘slide’ to the point of damaging our fine community before we woke up.

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It is time for the Commissioners to STOP SECRET MEETINGS!

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Pebblebrook @ Coldwater Entrance @ Whippoorwill Road 6-2-09

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Subdivision ‘ghost towns’ and boarded houses may be Melvin Davis’ Real Legacy

FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:

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The Athens Banner-Herald

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/060209/opi_446007690.shtml

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June 2, 2009

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Editorial: Oconee officials must respect open meetings law

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Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis knew he might be violating the state's open meetings law when he convened a Dec. 1 meeting of various county elected officials, but there is plenty of blame to go around in connection with what is a troubling lack of regard for doing the public's business in the open in Oconee County.

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Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis knew he might be violating the state's open meetings law when he convened a Dec. 1 meeting of various county elected officials, but there is plenty of blame to go around in connection with what is a troubling lack of regard for doing the public's business in the open in Oconee County…………….

Oconee County Observations

http://oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/2009/05/oconee-officials-met-secretly-to.html

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May 23, 2009

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Oconee Officials Met Secretly to Discuss Assembly Session

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By Lee Becker

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Davis Set Two December Meetings Without Public Notice

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Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis sent out an email message on November 14 of last year to 18 local governmental officials, including the four other members of the board, inviting them to a special meeting on Dec. 1 with Sen. Bill Cowsert and Rep. Bob Smith.

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The secret meeting, held at the Civic Center on Hog Mountain road, is a previously undocumented part of the complex story about the unsuccessful efforts by the Board of Education to increase its salary during the most recent legislative session……..

The Athens Banner-Herald

http://onlineathens.com/stories/060109/new_445770742.shtml

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June 1, 2009

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Leaders: Plenty of sunshine in Oconee County

Chairman defends unadvertised meetings

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By Adam Thompson

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Officials haven't tried to hide the meeting or keep residents from hearing what they're talking about with state Sen. Bill Cowsert and state Rep. Bob Smith, officials said last week.

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"Generally, when we meet with the representative and the senator, we pretty much ask them, don't pass any laws that are going to cost the local taxpayers any money," said Oconee Commissioner Chuck Horton, who was at last year's Dec. 1 session. "That's pretty much the gist of it."

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But, it's not that the officials don't understand the state's Open Meetings Law, either.

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While quorums of both the commission and school board usually attend, most officials said they haven't considered it a formal meeting of either governing body - so, they never thought the meeting might need to be advertised under the law………………………………

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…….."It never dawned on me that it wasn't being published in the paper," Commissioner Margaret Hale told the newspaper. "It's not like there's anything to hide. ... I can't imagine why it wasn't posted."

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Commissioner Chuck Horton told the newspaper he'd never considered the annual prelegislative sessions to be an official meeting, then went on to say, "I wish there had been some type of notice. I went; I'll take my licks on that one. But ... if I don't go, I don't know stuff."

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With all due respect to Commissioner Hale, asserting "(i)t's not like there's anything to hide" sounds a bit disingenuous in reference to a meeting that was, in fact, hidden from the public.

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And with all due respect to Commissioner Horton, the public needs and deserves the same opportunity as its elected officials to "know stuff."

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If the circumstances surrounding the Dec. 1 meeting were an isolated incident, they might not even bear mentioning. But Davis and the commission have exhibited a continuing lackadaisical attitude toward the state open meetings statue.

4-09-04 Oconee County MPD Ordinances Were "Hatched and Birthed” in Secrecy

5-5-04 Oconee County Opened Pandora’s Box With Residential Sewer Policy Change

5-10-04 Oconee’s “˜Pot of Gold” Fuels MPDs & Land Rush

5-14-04 Thoughts on Changing Oconee County Policies on Sewer Service & Growth

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AVOC

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April 8, 2004

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Oconee Sewer Policy and Dense Residential Development Just “Slipped In”

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Information and documentation has been made available to AVOC about the history of the drastic change in policy in Oconee County about sewer service for residential lots.   Some folks lobbied for it and even helped to write the ordinances according to memorandum and minutes of the County Commissioners.

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The subject was discussed by the full BOC at a “Retreat” in September 13-14, 2002.   The consultant hired by the BOC participated.

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Notes of the session reveal that at least two of the members of the BOC and the County Attorney, Daniel Haygood, were in favor of it. (See copies of the notes handwritten at the retreat and a typed transcript below. (Other documentation shows that Haygood participated in real estate transactions involving several of the developments.There will be more articles documenting this and the names of the Parties and Lenders involved.

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The first ‘official action’ by the BOC took place at a CALLED MEETING held on Friday afternoon at 5:00 PM (GA-FLA Game Weekend) on November 1, 2002.   Coincidentally, the voters of the county were preoccupied with the November 5 Alcohol Referendum and the vote on the ‘Big Park’.   (See Minutes of That Meeting Below)

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The next step in the process was a CALLED MEETING of the Planning Commission on November 25, 2002, the week of Thanksgiving.   It then went through some more hoops, rewritten by a committee including design planners and engineers, and was finally adopted around April 1, 2003.   (See Minutes of Meeting Below)

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Davis moved Oconee Connector Extension Project along ‘Behind the Scenes”

$ 6 Million on Right of Way

Madison ‘Retreat’ on December 7, 2007

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1-7-08 Oconee County BOC held “retreat” – (secret meeting) in Madison on 12-7-07

http://www.avoc.info/info/article.php?article=3835&ENGINEsessID=4ddd35639dda993c379b4c09a2a6747b

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RETREAT MINUTES 12-7-07)

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http://www.oconeecounty.com/Whatsnew/publicnotices/RetreatMinutes12-07-07.pdf

See 12-7-07 Madison Retreat Minutes

9-26-01 Oconee BOC Changes Agenda Format

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Many Oconee County Development Decisions were made in secret- problems later apparent

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12-20-04 Oconee's Behind the Scenes "Wheeling & Dealing"

Charlie Baugh’s analysis of legal and tax implications for Oconee with Hard Labor Creek Project

5-7-08 Davis’ spending and debt will haunt Oconee County in years to come – Part 2

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Graph of Oconee Water Revenues 2007-2008

Graph.Oconee.Water.Sewer.Sales.6.3.08.pdf x