CLARKESVILLE – The Habersham County Commission is taking steps to ensure area veterans can receive assistance without leaving the county.
Monday night, the commission voted unanimously to allow Commission Chairman Stacy Hall to sign a lease agreement with the State Properties Commission to allow the Veterans Services Office to occupy 723 square feet of office space in the Habersham County Health Department on Scoggins Drive just outside Demorest.
The Veterans Service Office has been housed in leased space in the Habersham EMC Annex, along with some Habersham County offices. When county offices relocate to the new Habersham County Administration Building in March, the county’s maintenance staff will make minor modifications to the current Environmental Health office to allow the Veterans Services Office to relocate there in late April.
Hall credits the work of County Manager Phil Sutton for the relocation plans.
Currently, the county pays $3,600 per year for the space occupied by the Veterans Service Office in the former HEMC building, plus some $1,000 in utilities.
“That is a state office, so the county is paying the rent for a state office,” Hall said. “With several offices moving out of the old HEMC building and into the new [Habersham] County Administration Building, we were not able to relocate the Veterans Office into that new building, but we realize the absolute importance of that office and the work that they do for our veterans, which we value greatly. So, we wanted to do everything possible we could to help in finding them a new location, which we have.”
The solution will save the county money because the county already owns the health department building, saving the county some $3,600 per year in rent. Additionally, the Veterans Service office will pay its proportionate share of the electric and water bills, further reducing county expenditures by roughly another $1,000 per year.
Also in Monday night’s vote, the commission authorized an expense of $6,850 so that county maintenance personnel can provide a handicapped-accessible side entrance to the building to serve those using the Veterans Services Office.
