House Bill 121 was successfully passed by the House and Senate recently.

In lay terms, in the new code, no person will be allowed to wakesurf and wakeboard upon waters in Georgia as follows:

• Between sunset and sunrise
• Within 200 feet of any shoreline adjacent to a residence, public park, public park, public beach, public swimming area, marina, or other public use area

A huge thank you goes out to many who got this accomplished. Lake Burton Civic Association with Lake Burton resident Andrew Harris and LBCA Board Member deserves much credit. Harris used his 20+ year tenure as a lobbyist for Georgia Tech to good use. To accomplish this mission, he worked closely with GA Representative Victor Anderson, our local Representative, GA Senator John F. Kennedy, a Lake Burton resident, and GA Senator Bo Hatchett. LBCA Past President Chip Groome and President Elizabeth Gill have been in meetings with the leadership of the Lake Rabun Association for the past two years working on this task. Last year this bill failed to reach the floor.  

In the coming weeks, the LBCA will implement educational programs to ensure Lake Burton residents understand this new law. We will keep you informed on how this develops.

For now, let’s celebrate a huge victory for the team that ushered in a law that provides much-needed safety protocols for our lake and will help mitigate our shorelines.  

To read more about HB 121, click here.

Mark your calendars now for all the events at the lake! You don't want to miss a second of the fun! For full details, check the calendar on the website or under events.

Social Media Summer Intern 

The ideal candidate will be dedicated, self-starting, and eager. They will have the opportunity to develop and enhance their social media, SEO, and digital marketing skills for our membership  organization and nonprofit.

Part-time Intern Position 

Pay: $18/hour, 20 hours a week, Mid-May-Mid-August

Job Type: Part-time Internship for Membership Organization and Nonprofit

Pay: $18/hour, 15-20 hours a week, summer (mid-May-mid-August)
Flexible schedule, some weekend work required. LBCA does not have an office, so the candidate needs to be an independent team player with the self-discipline to work independently. 

Requirements

Undergraduate or recently graduated student in good standing with an accredited university, majoring in Graphic Design, Marketing, Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or a related field.
Excellent design, communication, and copy-editing skills for confident and engaging communication with internal and external partners.
Strong understanding of the digital media landscape, including various social media and associated scheduling platforms (such as Meta Business Suite)
Ability to present programmatic information in a clear, concise, engaging manner
Strong interpersonal skills
Strong organization skills, including proven ability to prioritize between multiple projects at once and produce high-quality work with quick turnaround
Ability to handle highly sensitive materials and relationships with good judgment and discretion
Ability to work independently, demonstrating a drive to complete work with minimal direction
Self-starter, detail-oriented, reliable, professional, organized, and a quick learner
Demonstrated proficiency with the following software: Canva and Google Office
Equipment Requirements: Computer and Smart Phone. Must have a current Driver’s License and access to a car. GA Boater’s license and access to a boat are a plus.
 

Responsibilities:

Assist with the design and execution of social media campaigns
Help create weekly and monthly editorial calendars to promote LBCA events on various social media channels
Create and distribute content such as infographics, videos, and press releases on social media and traditional news outlets
Track social media engagement to identify high-performing ideas and campaigns for scalability
Support team at live events
Perform social media marketing research
Respond to comments and DMs on social media platforms
Brainstorm and research ideas for original content
Create compelling graphics to share across social channels
Write social media captions that speak to our members
Help create and edit short-form videos
Develop new strategies for increasing engagement
Assist with photo/video content shoots for social media
Ensure the LBCA brand message is consistent
Write copy and design graphics for Facebook and Instagram, 
Work in conjunction with the LBCA board and, specifically, the communications team to ensure all messages align with the LBCA brand and purpose
Strong writing and communication skills
Excellent time management and prioritization skills to handle multiple weekly tasks and goals.
Ability to meet deadlines and work efficiently without sacrificing quality
Ability to work independently and problem-solve while participating in a team environment

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to communications@lbca.net.

In the 2021 survey of our members, Water Quality was the number one concern. We heard you! Just because the water at our beautiful lake is down, the Board has kept up their efforts to fight for you and the lake. 

Here is a brief update on some of the highlights of our efforts as it relates to Water Quality: 

• Murray Cove: Despite our best efforts in litigation against it, they will soon break ground on a storage facility at the corner of Murray Cove Road and Bridge Creek Road. Friends of Murray Cove Group and LBCA have spoken to an environmental firm that has seen the construction plans and judged those current plans to be a major environmental issue. We will keep pushing against the construction of this facility. 
• Moccasin Creek: Construction before and after The Boat Shop and storage facility on the lake have caused considerable erosion and silt issues. We understand the EPD, Georgia Power, and Rabun County are aware of this issue.
• Tallulah River North of the Bridge: There are LBCA members who have a lawsuit pending against The Waterfall Club. The lawsuit asserts the golf club did not properly permit and protect against silt and chemical runoff from the most recent golf course renovation. The suit claims more than 1,400 cubic yards of silt has entered the lake.
• Wildcat Creek/”Burton”: Phase one of this residential development will have 17 homes, a Clubhouse (formerly Kastner’s store), a pool, and ten short-term boat slips. Most lots are sold, and construction begins in the next few weeks. 

Our Next Steps
With all these recent developments on our lake, our Board has called in some professional environmental assistance to help us monitor water quality. Lake Burton is in the headwaters of the Savannah River. The Savannah Riverkeeper, a 501(c)(3), has agreed to begin working with the LBCA for the following: 

1) Hire a Savannah Riverkeeper employee who will live locally.
2) Work with state and local government to ensure compliance with permits, etc., and follow up on non-compliance.

The LBCA Board approved a donation to support and partner with the Savannah Riverkeeper’s work.

About Savannah Riverkeeper
Please visit their website here if you want to learn more about this organization. If you’d like to support Savannah Riverkeeper and its mission to restore, protect and educate, you can do so via the following link.

Preserving Our Beloved Burton
We love Lake Burton and want to protect it for future generations. We see this as a necessary step in preserving the Burton legacy.

Thank you for being an engaged member of the LBCA. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress in this regard. 

See you on the lake!

Elizabeth Gill
President,
LBCA

Want to join the fight?

The LBCA Lake Safety and Water Quality Committee could use your help if keeping Lake Burton clean and safe is important to you. Click here to join us!

It’s renewal time for LBCA members! Please check your email for your renewal notice. To ensure you will be included in the printed directory, please renew by February 15. 

If you did not receive your renewal by email, please notify admin@lbca.net.

In 2021-22, your generous donations allowed 35 Rabun County Students to pursue their higher education dreams. With your help, students like Carson Carpenter and Macie Conner will be helped again. As the 2023 LBCA Foundation Scholarship Drive kicks off today, your help is urgent! Your support allows Rabun County students to continue their education through the LBCA Foundation Scholarship Program.

Please make your 2022 tax-deductible gift before December 31, 2022. You can give online by clicking here. Help us reach our goal of $150,000 today!

A constitutional challenge has been filed with the Office of Clerk for Rabun County Superior Court against the commissioners’ scheduled second reading and potential Oct. 25 vote on the short-term rental ordinance amendments as unconstitutional; lacks a “grandfather” clause; and would negatively affect property owners in the county’s municipalities.

The legal filing was made by Clayton attorney C. Crandle Bray, P.C., on Oct. 20 against each of the county’s commissioners — Greg James, chairman; Kent Woerner; Scott Crane; Tom Garrison; and Will Nichols. The filing comes two days after a voluntary public forum in the Rabun County Civic Center was hosted by Crane with Woerner joining.

Due to this challenge and the huge outcry from the public, the Commissioners voted to table the proposed ordinance. They are seeking more input from the community as they draw up another ordinance.

Following a long and arduous zoning campaign, on Tuesday, August 23, the Rabun County Commissioners voted in favor (4-1) of the team who wants to build storage units on the corner of Bridge Creek Road and Murray Cove Road. This team announced at the Commissioner meeting they would not build boat and RV storage but regular storage units. You can read more in The Clayton Tribune.

This is the end of the road for this particular conflict which consisted of two Rabun County Commissioner meetings, two Rabun County Zoning Board meetings, and a lawsuit (LBCA, The Friends of Murray Cove, The Atlanta Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends vs Taywood LLC) which we won.  

Thank you to all our members who came to these meetings to lend support for our efforts. It is our desire to continue our work to keep Lake Burton a haven for all the members of our organization and the Rabun County Community.

Thanks to your generosity, the LBCA Foundation recently awarded Place of Hope in Clayton, GA, a $20,000 Impact Grant. Place of Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization formed to help the lives of foster children and foster parents during a stressful and critical transition from birth parents to foster homes.

The organization strives to create a safe and warm environment for foster children just separated from their birth families. Children brought by DFCS to the Place of Hope in Clayton are provided a safe, clean, and home-like atmosphere while transitioning to their new foster family placement. Supplies for the
children, clean clothes, backpacks, diapers, and other necessary items are also supplied. A bedroom, if needed, is also provided for the DFCS officer and children should the transfer to the new foster parent take more than 24 hours. The home is located at Derrick St. next to the Clayton Baptist Church, which leases the house to Place of Hope. The home has undergone extensive renovation and will open in October.

Current economic uncertainties, drug addiction or domestic troubles strain families and place children in tenuous circumstances every day in Georgia. On average, 18 children enter the Georgia foster care system every day. The need is great, and foster parenting is a demanding job. Place of Hope, through a network of volunteers, will also provide a Care Community for each foster family, providing meals, transportation, nights out, and other support services.

To learn more about partnering with Place of Hope North Georgia, contact Elizabeth Adams, Executive Director, at 706-982-1343 or email ExecDir@placeofhopenga.com . You may also visit their website atwww.placeofhopenga.com for more information or to make a donation.

The LBCA Foundation Impact Award is an annual grant award to a Rabun County nonprofit that positively impacts the lives of Rabun County residents. 

The 2022 LBCA Golf Tournament raised over $57,000 for the Volunteer Fire Departments and local Rabun nonprofits. Thank you to all our sponsors and members for making this possible! To see a full listing of all sponsors, please click here.