Surfing the

Internet on Coweta County's time could soon be hazardous

to your job.

unanimous vote Tuesday afternoon, the Coweta County Board

of Commissioners endorsed an ordinance to make surfing

the web grounds for disciplinary action.

Assistant

administrator Chuck Crawford told the board the county

had recently installed the Internet and e-mail on the

county's computer system.

Crawford

cautioned county employees about the use of e-mail.

"They

might see their conversations in court if we're sued.

There is no right of privacy with e-mail" he said.

Commission

Chairman Vernon "Mutt" Hunter agreed, but was

bemused the county was even considering such a proposal.

"I

never thought I'd see the day where we would passing an

ordinance like this," he quipped.

Commissioner

Jim McGuffey pointed out that Hunter probably never

figured he'd see a car either, but society continues to

change.

The

commission reiterated that employees should only be using

the Internet for research, and Hunter emphasized that

some disciplinary measures would occur if employees were

using the computers for personal business.

In other

business, the commission:

� Approved a retail beer license for

Patricia Andrews at the Canongate Amoco in the northern

part of the county. The commission passed it unanimously,

but Commissioner Charlie Jones had a question to ask

Andrews.

"I

understand you have slot machines up there. Do you

understand that if you give cash payouts you can lose

your license?

Andrews

said yes and Jones explained that there are several of

these machines scattered around the county that are only

allowed to pay off with prizes or gift certificates.

Tabled a discussion between

the county and 21st Century Coweta. The two groups have

been haggling over details of a contract between the

county and the county's economic development group. But

21st Century President Scott Frederick was out of town,

so administrator Theron Gay said he would present the

contract at another date.