The Toccoa Record: Top Stories

The Toccoa Record

U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood met with local city and county commissioners as well as Development Authority members on Aug. 11 to discuss the proposed I-3 project and other economic development issues.

However, a representative of The Toccoa Record was not allowed to attend the meeting.

A quorum of city and county commissioners was present at the meeting, which potentially could constitute an illegal meeting under the Georgia Sunshine Law, if government business was discussed.

Norwood's office had notified The Toccoa Record of the 11:30 a.m. meeting on several occasions by phone as well as e-mail, but when the time came for the meeting, an aide representing Norwood, Steve Collins, told a staff writer with The Record that she was not supposed to be in attendance.

She was told by Collins that Norwood would meet with the press at 1 p.m., and the 11:30 a.m. meeting was for local officials only.

Also, a Franklin County citizen was present at Norwood's office in time for the 11:30 a.m. meeting while The Record's staff writer was there, but he also was denied access by Norwood's staff. However, he was offered an autographed picture of the congressman for his trouble at driving all the way to Toccoa for the meeting, according to the staff writer.

According to Toccoa city manager Billy Morse, among those in attendance at the meeting at Norwood's Toccoa office were Toccoa Mayor Ken Davis and city commissioners Ferrell Morgan and David Austin as well as Development Authority members Jennifer Blasingame and Bob Defenbaugh and executive director Mitch Griggs.

Also present were county commission chairman Steve Chitwood and commissioner Rex Anderson.

Morse said during a later interview that the City of Toccoa was not aware that The Record was denied access to the meeting, and county administrator Darrell Hampton, who wasn't present during the meeting, similarly did not know of the incident.

"In fact, I was quite surprised when [The Record's staff writer] was not in the room. I didn't know why that was the case, though. I wasn't even aware that we would be meeting with Rep. Norwood. We all thought we would be meeting with Mr. Collins, which is what the e-mail we received said," Morse said.

He said that he even met and shook hands with The Record's staff writer in attendance prior to entering the meeting in the congressman's conference room.

Morse said that things pertaining to economic development in Toccoa and Stephens County were discussed, including the proposed I-3 project.

"He [Norwood] definitely had an opinion on I-3. That opinion was that many studies are being done before it goes forward, and he said that he will wait until those studies are complete before he makes any kind of decision on it," Morse said.

"He went around the table and asked everyone what their opinion on it is," he said.

Additionally, Morse said that Norwood spoke about various other issues pertaining to economic development in Toccoa-Stephens County, and the informal discussion concluded about one hour after it had begun.

Both city and county commissions had announced in separate meetings prior to the event that the meeting would be held on Aug. 11.

When the staff writer informed The Record's news editor that she had been told she was not supposed to meet with Norwood until 1 p.m., the news editor went to Norwood's Toccoa office to inquire as to why.

The news editor was told by Collins that the entire incident was a mix up and that he was sorry that The Record was told that the meeting would be at 11:30 a.m. rather than 1 p.m. However, he said, a representative of The Toccoa Record was more than welcome to attend the 1 p.m. meeting, following Norwood's discussion with local officials.