NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PICKENS COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH

PROPOSED RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING LOCATIONS AND TYPES OF MOBILE FACILITIES THAT MAY BE SERVED BY ON-SITE SEWAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Pursuant to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Chapters 31-40-1 through 31-40-9, 31-5-1 and 31-3-5, the Pickens County Board of Health proposes to adopt rules and regulations governing locations and types of mobile facilities that may be served by on-site sewage management systems. The Official Code of Georgia Annotated 31-3-5 grants the power to Georgia County Boards of Health to specify the types of residences, facilities and buildings that may be served by onsite sewage management systems.

For the purposes of these proposed rules and regulations, “mobile facilities” means a wheeled vehicle designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable and designed not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use by the transient public. This definition includes recreational vehicles, motor homes, truck campers, pop-up campers, dependent trailers, travel trailers and similar units by whatever named called.

On-site sewage management systems may not be installed for or serve mobile facilities unless such mobile facilities are in properly zoned and approved locations such as recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds constructed on a common piece of property and intended only for temporary use by their owners, tourists, travelers and guests. Mobile facilities are not permitted in mobile home parks and may not use mobile home park septic systems; existing mobile facilities in mobile home parks may remain but once moved cannot be replaced with another mobile facility.

Existing mobile facilities served by properly operating on-site sewage management systems are granted grandfather rights (acquired rights) but may not be replaced by a mobile facility once moved.

Nothing in this proposed ordinance shall be interpreted to prevent property owners from storing their own recreational vehicles and similar mobile facilities on their residential or commercial properties and dumping accumulated wastewater from travel trips into their own septic systems; however, such mobile facilities shall not be used for permanent residential occupation nor permanently connected to a residential septic system.

Exceptions include temporary occupancy for visitors to a residential property, temporary occupancy by owner on undeveloped properties, emergency housing following a disaster, construction of a single-family dwelling by property owner, and temporary construction workers on major projects.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PICKENS COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH

Proposed Minimum Lot Size Requirements for On-Site Sewage Management Systems

Pursuant to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Chapters 31-40-1 through 31-40-9 and 31-5-1, the Pickens County Board of Health proposes to adopt minimum lot sizes for on-site sewage management systems based upon the current Pickens County lot size requirements with some modifications. The Pickens County Board of Health has never adopted minimum lot sizes and lot sizes are subject to state regulations if not locally adopted. On-site sewage management system means a sewage management system other than public or community sewage treatment system and generally referred to as a septic system.

 A copy of these regulations may be obtained via email by calling the Pickens County Environmental Health office at 706-253-0900 or viewed at this office located at 1266 East Church Street, Jasper, GA 30143 during regular business hours. Email copies may also be obtained by writing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Questions may be answered at the hearing or by calling Ray King at 706-529-5757, extension 11161.

The Pickens County Board of Health solicits your comments for this proposed action. Comments can be made in writing by mail to the Pickens County Environmental Health Office at the above address if received by the public hearing date or orally at the hearing before the Hearing Officer from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on August 25, 2017 in the Pickens Room located at 1266 East Church Street, Jasper, GA 30143.

All comments received will be presented to the Pickens County Board of Health at its next regular meeting. This notice is issued pursuant to the Pickens County Board of Health By-Laws.

North Ga. – On Monday, Aug. 21, Georgia will be among 14 states to experience a total eclipse of the sun. The Georgia Department of Public Health reminds those who will watch the solar eclipse that it’s never safe to look directly at the sun, or eye damage may occur. 

Viewing the solar eclipse should be done through “eclipse glasses” that meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard. See the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers for a list of dealers of eclipse glasses. To find out which libraries near you are distributing free eclipse glasses, see the library map on the STAR_Net website.

Retinal damage to eyes may occur while attempting to stare at the sun. Solar retinopathy is a result of too much ultraviolet light flooding the retina. Never look directly at the sun without proper protection – using ISO 12312-2 lenses. If you damage your eyes trying to view the solar eclipse, please contact your healthcare provider.

NASA’s additional recommendations for safe eclipse viewing are:

• Stand still, and put on your eclipse glasses before looking up at the eclipse. Turn away to remove your eclipse glasses — do not remove them while looking at the sun.   

• Do not look at the eclipse through a camera, a telescope or binoculars while using your eclipse glasses — the sun will damage the filter and your eyes.

• Always inspect your eclipse glasses before use; if scratched or damaged, do not use.

• Supervise children viewing the eclipse.

• Remove your eclipse glasses only when the moon completely covers the sun and it gets dark. Then, as soon as the sun begins to reappear, put your eclipse glasses back on.

The last time the U.S. saw a total eclipse was 1979. During this year’s eclipse, the moon will fully block the sun for two minutes and 40 seconds. Only the northeast corner of Georgia will experience this; the rest of the state will see a partial eclipse. The moon will pass between the Earth and the sun, blocking all or part of the sun, for up to three hours.     

Learn more about safely viewing the solar eclipse at: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety.

North Georgia – The North Georgia Health District office in Dalton and our health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties will close early to clients and visitors on Monday, August 21st in the interest of public safety during the solar eclipse. The health departments will close at 12 PM and the district office will close at 1 PM. This closing applies to all public health services in the district, including Environmental Health, WIC and Children’s Health services.

If viewing the solar eclipse, residents are urged to follow these safety precautions:

• Do not look directly at the sun
• Sunglasses do not provide sufficient protection
• Only look at the sun through an approved solar filter
• For even safer viewing, observe indirectly by projecting the sun’s image onto a blank sheet of white paper with a pinhole camera or with binoculars

For more safety information, log onto NASA’s website at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety. 

AUGUST IS NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION AWARENESS MONTH

Get more information from the CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam.html