Towns County Civic Association
Our mission is to provide a platform for all residents in Towns County to address issues and problems of mutual interest which affect the management, planning and development of the county and its environs.Towns County Civic Association Board
Some of What Your TCCA Is Doing Lately:
Keeping abreast of the treatment and control of the Parrot Feather invasive plants in Lake Chatuge, especially in the area around Macedonia Baptist Church.
Assessing the pros and cons of rapid growth in and around Highway 76 especially in the Hiawassee area, and what impact it might have on traffic and housing.
Looking into the possibilities of renovating or building a new Post Office for both Young Harris and Hiawassee.
Meetings
There is one mandatory General Membership Meeting in June each year that is a business meeting in addition to hosting speakers on matters of local interest. A second optional meeting is usually held in January that host speakers and provides information on current issues in the community.
The Board of Directors of the Towns County Civic Association meets on the second Monday of each month at 2 p.m. Members and the public are welcome. Due to Veteran's Day, the next meeting has been rescheduled to Wednesday, November 13 at 2:00pm in the upstairs conference room of the Towns County Courthouse.
Annual Membership Meeting – June 25, 2024
The annual meeting this year was a special one, as it marked the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of the Towns County Civic Association. Previous TCCA Presidents attended, as did a series of local leader, including Stan Gunter (Rep., incumbent) and Charlotte Cleczkowski (Dem.), the two candidates for GA State House District 8. Outgoing Hiawassee Mayor Liz Ordiales was present and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Others included Cliff Bradshaw, Towns Co. Sole Commissioner, Denise McKay, Hiawassee Downtown Development Authority, Rosemary Royston, Young Harris Mainstreet Program (the three of whom discussed plans for future growth in Hiawassee and Young Harris) and Jay Chastain, Jr., Hiawassee Mayor Pro Temp. There was a big turnout of TCCA members and the public, all of whom enjoyed a covered dish dinner with the main dish and the other basics provided by TCCA. Read a full descption in the meeting minutes: TCCA 2024 Annual Meeting Minutes
As always, members of the public were welcomed to attend whether members or not.
*** Also,TCCA President John Clemens and Board Member Michael Courey spoke at the Movers & Shakers meeting on June 21.
Special Events Hosted by TCCA
- Public Forum on Drug Abuse focused upon preventing drug abuse in local youth, Towns County Recreation & Conference Ctr, Foster Park
- Non-partisan Candidate Forum in advance of the 2022 Georgia Primary Election, Ann Mitchell Auditorium at Towns County High School
Donations for 2023-2024 fiscal year
- Mountain True: $500 sponsorship for their leadership in the control of Parrot Feather in Lake Chatuge
Board of Directors
- President - John Clemens
- Vice President - Andy Williams
- Secretary - Joan Crothers
- Treasurer - Leslie Howard
- Director - David Best
- Director - Michael Courey
- Director - Anna Denton
- Director - Jim Olson
Some TCCA issues
CITY OF HIAWASSEE
Towns County Civic Association board members regularly attend City of Hiawassee meetings. Issues include sidewalks, street crossings, permits, and a mayor’s park.
Several recent requested improvements include sidewalk repairs in front of the hospital; a lighted crosswalk sign for the Post Office, and personnel salary justifications.
City of Young Harris
TCCA board members attend City of Young Harris meetings to remain abreast of issues that concern both city and county residents.
Young Harris College, a centerpiece of the city, is a baccalaureate and master's degree granting, private institution that brings nearly 1,400 student residents to Towns County annually.
The "Dragon" and Proposed High Density Housing
Over the last several months, the TCCA has watched, with great interest and empathy, the citizens of Towns County expressing their feelings about the issue of the “dragon” in Hiawassee. Now, concerns from many of the citizens of Hiawassee are focused on the proposed housing plan for downtown Hiawassee.
The concerns of the citizenry of Hiawassee seem to be primarily about the type of tenants and the expected increase in traffic along Highway 76 through downtown Hiawassee. Both legitimate concerns.
The TCCA will always play a role in keeping our county environment as pristine as possible even though growth is inevitable. We will continue to do so by working with our administrators, both county and municipalities, to make sure they keep the
well-being of our environment in mind in their decision-making. Although it has been said the TCCA is pushing zoning to manage growth, we are still evaluating whether this is the best means to manage growth as there are other ways as well.
Using ordinances, and state mandated acts such as the Mountain Protection Act are also means in which growth can be managed if they are properly enforced and followed.
TOWNS COUNTY SIGN ORDINANCE
Thoughts concerning the relevance of preserving the County as the environment for which many came to live here.
There are a significant number of County residents that have relocated here to get away from the highly populated areas that contain many facets of the big city life. The sight of a mountain community free of major traffic, a high crime rate, large shopping malls, traffic lights at each road crossing, noise, and yes, the visual pollution of excessive advertising road and billboard signs. Towns County has now taken steps to better control the spread of large signs, particularly of off-premises billboards, via the county sign ordinance.
Parrot Feather in Lake Chatuge
The TCCA has been very concerned about the spread of this invasive aquatic plant since the public first became aware its presence in the south end of the lake around the Macedonia area and Sunset Cove. The initial hope that the winter draw down of the lake and freezing temperatures would eradicate the weed proved futile. Now we are working with other local organizations and our government leaders to determine the best approach to mitigating the spread of the weed to other parts of the lake and maintaining safeguards to protect the lake from further damage in the future.
Become a member of the Towns County Civic Association by clicking on the Membership Form link, then printing and mailing the form to our PO Box. Your participation in our work on behalf of the local community would be greatly appreciated.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues, Peacock Performing Arts Center, 301 Church St., Hayesville, Saturday, November 9th, 7:30pm, more at www.thepeaocknc.org
- Young Harris College Jazz Band Concert, Glenn-McGinnis Hall, Young Harris College, Thursday, November 14th, 7:00pm, FREE
- Mountain Community Chorus Fall/Holiday Concert, McConnell Baptist Church, Hiawassee, Friday, November 15th, 7pm & Saturday, November 16th, 3pm, FREE
- Skies Ofer Georgia, Rollins Planetarium, Young Harris College, Friday, November 22nd, 8:00pm, more at www.yhc.edu
- Towns County Sheriff's Christmas Parade, Main Street, Hiawassee, Saturday, November 30th, 5:30pm-7:00pm, FREE
YOU STAY INFORMED WHEN YOU ATTEND COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
Some are listed below. Other community meetings are posted weekly in the TC Herald.
- City of Hiawassee Work Sessions - 6 PM Monday, one week prior to City Council meeings at Hiawassee City Hall Council Chamber.
- City of Hiawassee Council Meetings - 6 PM, first Tuesday of each month at Hiawassee City Hall Council Chamber.
- Young Harris City Council Meetings - 7 PM, first Tuesday at City Hall
- TC Commissioners Meeting -5:30 PM as needed: Third Tuesday at TC Courthouse.
- TC Planning Commission Meeting - 7 PM, third Monday as needed at Civic Center
- Board of Education - 7 pm, first Monday except April and July, at Civic Center
- TC Water and Sewerage Authority Meeting - 6 PM, third Tuesday, 1224 Jack Dayton Circle, Young Harris
- TCCA Board Meetings - 2 PM, second Wednesday of each month.
- CVB Convention Visitors Board Meetings, second Tuesdays
- TC Health Dept Meetings - 9:30 quarterly, fourth Thursdays
Links about the area you might wish to peruse...
Towns County Chamber of Commerce
Appalachian Trail Conservancy- Georgia
Our mission
WE SUPPORT THE COUNTY
TCCA board members attend and report on local meetings: Towns County Commissioner, Cities of Young Harris and Hiawassee, TC Chamber of Commerce, TC Water Authority, and BRMEMC board meetings.
WE HAVE DONATED FUNDS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition, Towns County Food Pantry, TC High School Scholarships, Sheriff's Office, Hamilton Gardens at Lake Chatuge, Enotah CASA.
We Participate
TCCA board members take the lead in many efforts such as Clean Sweep Week, Hamilton Gardens maintenance and benefit galas, election candidate forums, and county economic improvements.
WE SPREAD THE WORD
Towns County Civic Association keeps the public informed through newspaper articles, letters, our website, and membership dinner meetings twice a year.