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Are we good, Sharon? 00:00:07
All right, I want to welcome everybody to the April 17th meeting of the Watkinsville City Council. Grateful to see a good crowd 00:00:11
here tonight. We have several. 00:00:17
Items that will require some conversation. So I will. I'm going to move us pretty quickly through most of the agenda items and I 00:00:23
would ask those who have. 00:00:26
Administrative reports to do the same, please. And not not dawdle as we move forward. Given everything we've got going tonight, we 00:00:31
do have a quorum grateful that all of you are here. Tonight we'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance, as we always do. Please 00:00:36
join me in the pledge. 00:00:40
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, 00:00:46
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 00:00:53
Right, we have several. 00:01:04
Announcements to make at the top of the meeting #1. 00:01:07
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Watkinsville is proud. 00:01:11
To recognize that and to support all the efforts in this community. 00:01:16
To to try to eradicate child abuse. And I do proclaim the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Watkinsville, GA. 00:01:22
And encourage all citizens to volunteer their talents and energies on behalf of children in our community. 00:01:30
To reduce child abuse and neglect and neglect significantly in the years to come. So we have a proclamation there and court 00:01:35
client. If you can get that to whoever needs a copy of said proclamation, that would be great. 00:01:40
We also have a proclamation. It is a Municipal Court. Week will come up before our next meeting. 00:01:47
And it just so happens Watkinsville has the best municipal clerk in the world. And Julie Fine. 00:01:54
Julie. 00:02:03
If we don't say it enough, you deserve our extreme gratitude. 00:02:04
As the city has evolved and changed. 00:02:08
25 How many years, 27 years. Julie has been a rock. She has been a smiling face. And not just a smiling face, but someone who gets 00:02:12
a tremendous amount done and keeps us organized, efficient and legal and all that we do. And Julie, we are grateful to you. So I 00:02:20
will read this proclamation and offer my thanks to you along with the rest of the council. 00:02:28
Whereas the office of professional Municipal clerk is a time honored and vital part of local government exists throughout the 00:02:36
world. 00:02:39
The Office of Professional Municipal Clerk is among the oldest public servants. The Office of the Professional Municipal Court 00:02:43
provides the professional link between citizens and the local governing bodies and agencies of government. 00:02:48
At other levels, whereas professional municipal clerks have pledged to be mindful of their neutrality and impartiality, rendering 00:02:53
equal service to all. 00:02:57
The Professional Municipal Court serves as the Information Center on functions of local government and community, whereas 00:03:01
professional Municipal courts continually strive to improve the administration of affairs of the Office of the Professional 00:03:06
Municipal Court through participation Education program seminars, workshops and the annual means of the state, provincial, county 00:03:11
and international Professional organizations. Now. Therefore, I, Brian Broderick, Mayor of Watkinsville, recognize the week of May 00:03:15
5th through May 11th. 00:03:20
2024 is professional Municipal Court this week and extend further appreciation to our professional Municipal Court. Julie Klein. 00:03:25
And to all professional municipal clerks for the vital services they perform and their exemplary dedication to the communities 00:03:32
they represent. Thank you, Julie. 00:03:36
Thank you all. I appreciate it. 00:03:43
Our next item up is we have. 00:03:47
Some poets in the room and I think James Mitchell and Kate Patterson are going to hand, are going to make that announcement. Is 00:03:49
that right? 00:03:54
OK, so we have Kate, who's our DDA director and our Oconee Library branch manager, James Mitchell. If you could come up to the 00:03:59
podium and make that announcement. Yes, I'm Kate, I'm the downtown development director and we partnered up with the County 00:04:05
Library. This is James. He's the manager of the library here and hosted a poetry competition. We had an adult category and a youth 00:04:11
category with quite a few entries. And tonight we would like to present certificates to our winners, Miss. Gwendolyn Peck and 00:04:17
Miss. 00:04:24
Amelia. Amelia Emerson. Yes, their poems actually that were selected to be the winners will be chalked on the sidewalk in downtown 00:04:32
Watkinsville later this month, so we're excited to see their poetry in writing downtown. 00:04:40
All right. Are they going to? 00:04:49
There you go. 00:05:13
Awesome. All right, ready. 00:05:16
Not to speak about briefly about these two, these two young women. 00:05:27
Amelia Emerson This is her second meeting in a row. For those of you who aren't participating, you should be. She helped launch 00:05:33
our April Litter pickup contest in Watkinsville. 00:05:38
So. 00:05:43
I saw about probably 12 or 14 high school age students out picking up litter on 3rd St. and South Main Street on Sunday. 00:05:47
So that's been wonderful to see. And Amelia, we appreciate your leadership and hope to have you back in May to announce our winner 00:05:55
then. Our other young lady is Miss Gwendolyn Peck, a long time friend of mine. 00:06:01
Wonderful teacher at Oconee County High School. 00:06:09
Probably wrote the most meaningful and thoughtful thing to me on my wedding day that I received and in terms of a note and a 00:06:12
wedding gift. And so I know you're a talented writer, also very talented coach, a state champion. 00:06:18
Coach and Coach Beck, we're grateful for you and grateful for your involvement with the library and that you still have that 00:06:25
writing talent. Can't wait to see it on the sidewalk. So thank you for being with us tonight. 00:06:29
All right, a few reminders for the public before we get into the meeting. We just talked about the litter pickup contest with the 00:06:40
only way out. We've got the grabbers Come by City Hall. We'll put you to work if you are interested in. 00:06:45
Interested in participating in that for first place? You'll get 100. Whoever picks up the most is going to get $100.00 gift 00:06:52
certificate to Athens running company 2nd Place. 00:06:56
$75.00 to Mama nings 3rd place $50.00 Gift certificate to scoops. 00:07:01
And the strangest litter find, whatever that is, gets a $50.00 gift card to bird and brass so. 00:07:06
Hopefully we have have a lot of people participating in that. Then we also have coming up this weekend, a very busy weekend in 00:07:14
Watkinsville, so the more litter we can get picked up before this weekend we have the Piedmont Garden Tour. 00:07:20
Which is coming to Watkinsville on Saturday, so if you see crowds of people. 00:07:27
Along S Main St. and around oh Calf. They are at participants in the Piedmont Garden Tour, so please drive carefully. We will have 00:07:33
people crossing S Main St. 00:07:37
So, so be very careful as you drive drive out there. 00:07:43
Excuse me? 00:07:48
OK, test, test. Any better? 00:07:51
That any better? OK. All right. Then we will also have the next day we'll have the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Spring 00:07:55
Ramble that's in Athens, I think the 18th and no, the 19th and 20th. 00:08:02
And then the 21st in Oconee, so there are a lot of homes in Watkinsville on that tour. 00:08:09
I think including including Mayor Pro Tem Tucker's home and Councilman Garrett's home, so so it'll be a great opportunity to see 00:08:14
some of the historic homes in Watkinsville and we thank those owners for opening up their homes. 00:08:21
To the public, we'll have guests from around the state visiting on Sunday in Oconee County and seeing our historic homes, so we're 00:08:28
excited to have them and other structures. I heard that Wire Park has a guided tour that the Eagle Tavern will be open, so it's 00:08:33
going to be a great day if you enjoy history you won't want to miss. 00:08:38
The Ramble. Also see Sam Drennan out there. I think your home is on the tour. Anybody else? Oh, Susannah. Kathleen, you're home 00:08:44
too. OK, we've got all the sanctuary. 00:08:48
What's that? Yeah, so a lot of rambling going on. 00:08:53
Today is the last day. Today may be the last day to buy tickets. So when you leave here, if you want to do it, then sign up and 00:08:58
get your tickets. All right, we will move along to what's next. 00:09:03
So as I remind everyone at most meetings, these meetings are broadcast simultaneously online via the Suite 1 webcasting public 00:09:09
portal. Those who aren't able to attend the meeting can access that portal at the link on our website and they can follow along. 00:09:14
All the information is shared on those tabs. We do provide closed captioning for those meetings. If you want to watch live and 00:09:20
have closed captioning, you have to click the CC icon. 00:09:26
In the lower right corner of the video window, when the video from tonight's meeting is posted online, the closed captions will 00:09:32
automatically appear. You can also view a transcript. 00:09:37
There, as a reminder, the agenda is posted a week in advance and then the packet is posted as soon as possible prior to the 00:09:41
meeting so people can write in. 00:09:45
About what they have going on, we will have a couple public hearings tonight where public comment is required. We also have the 00:09:50
quarter ordinance which is under old business. I know a lot of you are here to talk about that. We will do public comment on that. 00:09:56
We have a few other items under appearances where we will probably will not have public comment as much as we'll just have a 00:10:02
briefing from those who are the applicants. So we can keep things moving tonight and get to what you guys want to hear about. 00:10:08
With that, I'll move on to meeting minutes. Council, you have the meeting for the the minutes for the March 20th meeting in front 00:10:14
of you and you've had them. Do we have a motion to approve or any comments on the minutes? 00:10:20
I make a motion to approve. 00:10:26
Do we have a second? 00:10:30
I'll say we have a second from Councilman Thomas. Any comments hearing? None. All in favor, Say aye. Motion carries 5. 00:10:32
We also had, if you were at the last meeting, we had a discussion around. 00:10:40
Some site modifications they want to make it Trove Mayor Pro Tem Tucker and I met with them during the eclipse. 00:10:46
So that was, that was, I think I'd have no black spots in my eyes. I'm proud to report. I don't think you're seeing everything OK 00:10:52
as much as I ever think. So anyway, it was a good excuse to be outside in a cool moment and we did include the minutes of those 00:10:57
meetings. We also advertised that meeting to the public. 00:11:03
And I posted those notes. So council, I would entertain a motion to approve those minutes. Please, I make a motion to approve the 00:11:09
minutes. 00:11:13
Second. Second All right. Any discussion all in favor, say aye. 00:11:16
Motion carries 5 O. 00:11:22
We'll move to the approval of the agenda. I have no adjustments to the agenda. Does anyone have any? 00:11:24
Hearing none, I'll entertain a motion to approve the agenda. Motion to approve the agenda. Do we have a second? 00:11:29
All in favor, Say aye. 00:11:36
Motion carries 5. 00:11:38
All right, we are proud to welcome a new Lieutenant to our Police Department, and that's Robert Benton's. 00:11:40
Mr. Benton is a 20 year police veteran who most recently served as a Sergeant with the City of Thompson Police Department and has 00:11:47
served as a uniformed officer with increasing responsibility since 1998, first as an officer for the CAB. 00:11:53
From 1998 to 2022, then the city of Thompson, 2022 to 2024. 00:12:00
Officer Benton and his wife previously lived in Oconee County but now reside in the Warrenton area on a farm. 00:12:05
Officer Benton, welcome to Watkinsville. We're thrilled to have you here and I think Attorney Reitman is going to step up to 00:12:11
administer the oath of office if you want to stand as well. 00:12:14
Thank you. 00:12:19
Welcome, Sir, and I'm going to administer the official oath that you will raise your right hand, please, and repeat after me at 00:12:29
the end. You can say I do or I do, so help you, God, do you solemnly swear affirm that you will faithfully execute the office of 00:12:35
Police Lieutenant for the City of Watkinsville, and to the best of your ability, support and defend the Constitution of the United 00:12:41
States, the Constitution of Georgia, and the Charter. 00:12:47
Ordinances and Regulations of the City of Watkinsville and. 00:12:54
Without fear, favor, affection, reward, or expectation thereof. If you agree with that oath and say I do or I do, so help me out I 00:13:31
do. 00:13:34
Congratulations. 00:13:38
Make it 100% official and then I will. 00:13:45
Witness it. 00:13:49
I got the blue pan out for you. I figured that would be appropriate. 00:13:52
Again, congratulations. Thank you, Sir. 00:14:00
Thank you. 00:14:10
All right. We'll move on to administration and we'll kick off with the financial reports for a manager Dickerson. Thank you, 00:14:37
Mayor. 00:14:40
Everybody should have the balance sheet, their general revenues and the general fund expenses. We are on track, do not anticipate 00:14:44
any problems with that at this point. I will walk you through some of this. The other reports are special purpose local option 00:14:51
sales tax 3, which we began collecting revenues on in October of 21 and will continue through September 30th of 2027. Right now 00:14:58
we're showing if we continue at this rate, we will project to collect another half million dollars. 00:15:04
You'll see that we are about 5% up. We compare year to year. So we're about 5% over where we were last year, have a little bit 00:15:44
more than $1,000,000 in the bank. 00:15:48
On the cheese losses, our transportation special purpose local option sales tax. 00:15:54
That is specifically transportation projects. You'll see sidewalks, traffic efficiency improvements, and Rd. resurfacing monies 00:15:58
that have been set aside, right now, the only monies that we have. 00:16:03
Officially spent have been on the sidewalks that you see down New High Shoals Industrial Blvd. 00:16:08
Probably a couple little segments here there, but those are the two large ones. We've got another one coming hopefully on the 00:16:15
South Main side. 00:16:18
But there are monies that have been that are being proposed that have been encumbered and that's some of what we'll talk about 00:16:22
tonight as well there. Some of these monies may be used for the L, Meg or the local Rd. 00:16:27
Probably more, but we'll see. Right now we have a little bit more than $580,000. 00:17:07
In that account. 00:17:12
And then the American rescue plan. 00:17:14
Acts reports, These are the funds that the. 00:17:16
State Sorry, the United States Federal Government. 00:17:19
Gave to communities throughout the United States after COVID hit. 00:17:22
And those monies are supposed to be used for transformative projects I'm happy to report council did use. 00:17:27
A good chunk of it 710,000 to purchase the 100 acre Thomas Farm Preserve. 00:17:32
We still have about 9, a little bit more than $95,000 that needs to be appropriated and that decision will most likely come when 00:17:37
the council approves budget in June, because the requirement from the federal government is that those funds be appropriated. 00:17:45
Before December 31st of this year and then have to be spent by December 31st of 2026. 00:17:53
Any questions? 00:17:59
OK. I'll go on to the economic development report. So this is our business license, alcohol, licensing fees, you'll see, I know 00:18:02
nobody can read this in the audience, but it is online if you'd like to see. It took in a little bit more than $19,000 and that's 00:18:08
pretty typical. March 15th is our deadline. So we've got a few people we're still trying to bring in their. 00:18:15
There get their licenses approved, but. 00:18:22
I think we're on track, pretty close. So excise tax on alcohol and on our short term vacation rentals, hotel, motel tax, we're 00:18:25
tracking pretty well on those as well. 00:18:30
And then the building permits, we only had three permits for three projects this month, small projects. 00:18:36
I mean, I guess technically the one at wire parks, not small, but anyway mostly home type projects. Any questions on any of those? 00:18:43
OK. 00:18:52
All right. So we have had a busy month with the DDA. 00:18:57
We had. 00:19:04
Our sidewalk sale. Our first ever sidewalk sale, and it was the weekend before. 00:19:06
Easter, The weekend of Easter and. 00:19:13
The merchants in town, most everybody was thrilled. They want to see us do this on a regular basis. 00:19:17
And the only thing that we are going to tweak is to have we did a lot of social media. 00:19:24
Advertising, but to have some more signs around town, so there's actually physical signs and those have already been ordered and 00:19:30
taken care of because we have a very efficient DDA director. So we are all ready to go for the next one. 00:19:37
OK, so I am personally incredibly excited about this. I will not be cooking next week because there are seven different 00:19:45
restaurants in our downtown that are doing 7 different burgers. 00:19:51
Next week. And it's a competition and it's also a fundraiser and so. 00:19:58
I encourage all of you to visit at least one of these, but I think we should maybe have a little separate side contest for anybody 00:20:05
who does all 7. 00:20:09
So we haven't discussed that, but I'm I'm going to try. I will be eating a lot of smoothies and broccoli for lunch if this is my 00:20:16
dinner. But so. 00:20:20
I know a lot of work has gone into organizing this. 00:20:26
And it's a great way to support our downtown and our local restaurants. 00:20:29
And then also we have been talking about this barbecue and Bake Off. It had been scheduled for May 3rd, however. 00:20:35
For a lot of different reasons. 00:20:45
It is rescheduled to August 3rd and everybody, every mom in the town is breathing a sigh of relief because May is insanely busy so 00:20:49
this will be a great way to kick off our before school starts. So mark your calendar for August 3rd if you had it on May 3rd. Go 00:20:56
ahead and do one of the other many many, many many things that are happening that day and so. And also if you are, this is more 00:21:03
time for you to figure out that you can enter this at that your BBQ is worth it or your baked goods are worth it. This again is a 00:21:10
fundraiser and. 00:21:18
The DVA is doing this in partnership with the Oconee Visitors Bureau Center. 00:21:25
Yeah. So and it's supporting Bethlehem, which is really important. So that's it for the DDA. 00:21:33
Thank you, Chief. Gale. 00:21:42
Good evening. 00:21:45
To those types of incidences, criminal investigations, what are the proper ways to investigate? 00:22:24
Calls and and stuff that we're going on to make sure it the case will make it all the way through the court. 00:22:32
Setting. 00:22:39
Moving on our police vehicles, we did get a notification that the Ford Motor had some recall on a Bolt, so we're having to 00:22:41
schedule our vehicles. 00:22:46
It is there they have told us there is no safety. 00:22:51
Issues and I said these are emergency vehicles, are they OK? They have ensured that we can do this in a scheduled protocol, but 00:22:55
that is going on right now. So it will take a few weeks to get all of our cars updated through this recall. 00:23:03
We also have cops and bobbers coming up. I was talking to the gentleman that that really helps us with this and and it sounds like 00:23:14
we're a full house already with reservations for this program. So it's going to be very exciting and we're in conversations with 00:23:20
some. 00:23:27
Some instructors to teach a self-defense class that's been asked by citizens. So more to come dates, scheduling, making sure 00:23:33
spaces are available. Safety protocols are met. But so that's what we're working on and we're just we're in a really good spot 00:23:42
right now and I'm not on wood and I, I, I just want to welcome you know Lieutenant Benton to. 00:23:51
Watkinsville, which he lived here for a long minute, so he's very familiar and that that was another part of the fitting piece. 00:24:00
So that's really what we have. Chief, you want to talk about the storm? OK. And you said we did. 00:24:08
The the storms that came through what, a week and a half ago? I. 00:24:16
There was a a tree that came down in downtown and it fell. There was property damage. So officers responded, city officials 00:24:22
responded, and we all work together very well. We, you know, we were making sure that the roadways were safe for passing and we 00:24:29
actually shut down the roadway for a short period so that there was no interference while the road was being cleaned up. 00:24:36
And thankfully, there were no injuries reported. 00:24:45
All right. Questions for Chief Gale. 00:24:51
All right. Thank you, Chief. 00:24:54
All right. Consent agenda I think we're just. 00:24:58
We're just surplus in a police motorcycle, so can I entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda? I make a motion to approve 00:25:02
the consent agenda. We have a second. 00:25:07
Second, any discussion. 00:25:12
Hearing none. All in favor, say aye. All right, Motion carries. 00:25:14
We're going to move into public hearings. Some of these are. 00:25:18
At least one of these is a kind of a minor. 00:25:23
Zoning matter than the other will be about the budget. We do have to follow a little bit of a process where we do a hearing and we 00:25:26
do a vote on the zoning matter, so bear with me as we go through that. 00:25:30
We have to follow the law here and that means that. 00:25:34
You know, if you want to come forward, there's 4 minutes per person. 00:25:38
If you want to discuss any of these items, refrain from debate, argument or personal attacks, address your comments directly to 00:25:41
the Council and discuss the merits of the pending matter. 00:25:45
And address remarks directly to council. Council won't speak to potential litigation, attorney-client or personnel matters. So in 00:25:50
that these are the rules that we'll also use on any other matter tonight when we have. 00:25:55
When we have, I know that technically the corridor ordinance is under old business, but we're going to treat that like a hearing. 00:26:01
So you all remember that you'll have 4 minutes if you want to make comments and you'll need to address the council, not the crowd, 00:26:05
for that. 00:26:08
But this one is about Trove, and really all it is is kind of a zoning cleanup matter. 00:26:13
Where they had dedicated some green space to the city as part of that transaction and we want to be sure that that that those 00:26:18
parcels. 00:26:22
Are rezoned from detached residential to parks, recreation and conservation because they do have a conservation easement on those. 00:26:26
And that's the parcel you see directly across from Colin Perry Elementary. 00:26:32
A parcel back towards a. 00:26:38
The pond off of Morrison St. and then a parcel also across. 00:26:40
Morrison St. by the Creek down there, so that'll all be permanent green space. 00:26:44
So at this point, I'm going to open the public hearing. If anybody wants to come forward and speak to that, they're welcome to. 00:26:48
Hearing none, I'm going to close that public hearing council. At this point, I'll entertain a vote on rezoning the parcels listed 00:26:57
in your packet from detached residential to Parks, recreation, and conservation. 00:27:04
I make that motion. 00:27:12
Do we have a second? 00:27:14
Have a second from Councilman Thomas any discussion. 00:27:16
Hearing none, all in favor, say aye, aye. 00:27:21
Motion carries 5 O. 00:27:25
We have. 00:27:26
Looks like. 00:27:28
Let's say 1012 new acres of permanent green space in Watkinsville. So this is, this is good, so. 00:27:32
Public hearing on the budget. So this is that time of year where we start talking about budget. We'll actually have a budget, a 00:27:39
budget for your review, for the public review, I think at our next council meeting. But tonight is the moment, if you have 00:27:46
something that you just is on your mind that you'd love to see the city budget for. 00:27:52
For the city to do or a request for the budget, not having seen the budget but just something that you've always thought, why 00:27:59
don't you do X or Y? This is your opportunity to come speak to council before that budget is fully developed and presented to 00:28:03
council. So if anybody would like to come forward. 00:28:08
And and offer suggestions for the budget for fiscal year. 00:28:13
25 Now is your Mama. 00:28:18
Yes, ma'am. Come on, you gotta say no. Yeah. So this is your first time? This is my first time. Name and address. 00:28:24
37 S Main and I wasn't really planning on doing this, but it just occurred to me. So I have a question. You said if you know why 00:28:32
haven't you, I'm going to ask. 00:28:35
In that big intersection. 00:28:40
Of Greensboro Highway and South Main and Varnish Hills. There is kind of a triangle that's paved in there that looks slightly 00:28:43
different. 00:28:47
Can we plant anything in there? 00:28:53
That's a great question. We will ask G dot about that and that's their road and they control that and. 00:28:55
Good question. That would be really nice. Yeah. And and we'll say if if we are able to, then we will budget for that. So that'll 00:29:02
be a budget comment. So thank you. 00:29:05
Mrs. Drennan, great comment. Any other thoughts on budget? Suggestions, ideas? 00:29:10
All right. Well, we will have, as you can see up there, we have a pretty exhaustive process on budget. 00:29:15
We'll have public hearings, public hearings. 00:29:20
Galore over the next few months and you guys are welcome to join us for any of those and give us your input once you've seen the 00:29:24
budget. 00:29:27
Which we anticipate posting at some point in May for public review. 00:29:30
Thank you all. close that public hearing. 00:29:36
And we'll move on. And we have two appearances tonight. The first one is on behalf of Mr. Johnny Lay, and I think it'll be a 00:29:38
consulting. And Abe, are you presenting this matter tonight? OK, if you want to step forward. 00:29:46
And step up there. We're going to have a report from engineer Campbell first. 00:29:54
And then we will hear from the manager about wastewater capacity. 00:29:59
And then we'll have you come forward a, but that's OK. So thank you Mayor. So the the first item would be the residential 00:30:03
subdivision plat. The address is 110 N Main St. It's owned by Johnny Lay, the lay family on several parcels that are around this 00:30:09
area. It is zoned attached residential. It's a little bit less than an acre, but the the request is to subdivide an existing 00:30:15
partial into two residential tracks. So if we can go to the next slide again and give you an idea. This is on the east side of 00:30:21
North Main Street, it's north of Thrasher. 00:30:27
South of White Street, ext. 00:30:33
Next slide. So this is the, the site plan that's been submitted as part of that subdivision, so the existing track. 00:30:37
Has a structure on the northern portion of the track and then it is an undeveloped portion where there is a proposed track to be 00:30:44
there that would be a little less than half an acre. That's where you see a future home driveway shown. There is an existing 00:30:52
structure on that track. There's a couple of kind of garage storage buildings. Access based on what the applicant has submitted 00:30:59
would be via the existing driveway that's there on North Main Street. You can kind of see the relationship. 00:31:06
Of this parcel as it relates to to Thrasher Drive. 00:31:13
Here's a few pictures from the right way. Again here. This is approximately a picture from the corner of A N Main St. and 00:31:18
Thrasher. Looking back you can see kind of what's in the foreground. Some of those trees would not be part of the subject parcel, 00:31:24
but it's more the green open space. The existing structure that reference it's on the northern portion of that parcel is the the 00:31:29
two-story brick building you see kind of in the center of that picture. 00:31:34
There's another picture from. 00:31:41
From the existing driveway that I referenced there, then this kind of looks back in the opposite direction again on North Main 00:31:43
Street, but looking back and see some of the existing structures there that are at the rear. But that's the to give you an idea of 00:31:48
where the subject area is. 00:31:52
Is on sewer. It doesn't have a septic system. If it did, this subdivision couldn't happen, but but that's not the case. It's not a 00:32:32
septic drain field where the proposed subdivision is, but there's not enough room for a new structure. 00:32:38
And a septic drain field, so hopefully that makes sense to everyone. The submitted plan does include a sidewalk along that portion 00:32:44
of the section on North Main Street that is a G dot right of way, so any sidewalk per meeting would have to go through through G 00:32:49
dot. 00:32:54
Be happy to answer any questions you might have. 00:33:01
All right. Manager Dickerson, do you want to give us the update on the wastewater capacity there? Sure. So we've reached out to 00:33:04
Oconee County since they own and operate the wastewater treatment center, they said the capacity would be 260 gallons a day. I 00:33:10
know it's really hard to see on there. In fact, I can't read it from there. But right now, well, our balance available is the 00:33:17
allocation that's been approved. There's they'll be, if you approve this, they'll be a little less than 6593 gallons. 00:33:24
If a breeze. 00:33:31
But there's no plans imminent to build the structure. No there's not. Will you know if this is approved with the wastewater will 00:33:33
issue the the letter and then after six months if there's no development, the the wastewater capacity will expire and that that 00:33:39
individual have to come back before this council to ask for future wastewater. All right. 00:33:44
All right. A. Would you like to add? 00:33:51
Any additional information? 00:33:54
Good evening, Mayor. Members of the council, Good to see you all. My name is Abu Hamdan. The address, 2410 Hog Mountain Rd. Suite 00:33:57
103, Watkinsville. Thank you for allowing us to be here. I think Mr. Cameron had a. 00:34:04
Covered the process pretty well. I think what what you need to hear beyond what he has provided this This is a family land. 00:34:12
Mr. Lay and his family has owned this property for many, many generations. So the reason for this division is really to to bring 00:34:21
his grandson closer back home, so his son will have the lot on the upper section of that flat if you wish to look at that. So the 00:34:28
grandson will be actually would be using or getting that lot that would be subdivided. Mr. Ray understands that sewer capacity is 00:34:36
available for six months. 00:34:44
And enhance, if that's not developed or some plans have been developed to be submitted to the city, you know we'll have to. He'll 00:34:52
have to ask for that capacity at the time of development. But this might not be the biggest project the city is seeing. But it is 00:34:58
very important to Mr. Lay. It is a big project for him. 00:35:04
We do hope that you see a positive approach to this because it does mean a lot for him and we appreciate your support on that. Be 00:35:11
glad to answer any questions to Mayor. 00:35:15
Thank you. Why don't you just stay up there? Council may have some questions and I did not recognize. Always like to recognize 00:35:22
formal. 00:35:25
Former council members who were here. So Mr. Lay, again, it's always great to see you and glad. Glad to have you back with us 00:35:28
here, all right. 00:35:32
OK, Council, questions for Mr. Abe. I always get your last name wrong, so I'm just going to say the last question. I don't have a 00:35:36
question for him, but I do have some thoughts on this. Do you want to wait and see? 00:35:41
Questions. 00:35:46
Questions for Abe and then we will hear Christine's thoughts. I have AI have one question. The sidewalk is proposed the. 00:35:48
It's going to be subdivided, but the driveways on another lot is the sidewalk proposed for to go across those two lots. 00:35:56
I think I can't see it really. I'm getting up in age so I was not really great. 00:36:04
Well, there's already a side we'll leave on shows. 00:36:09
Johnny's house is below, thresher below. 00:36:14
That was part of what I was wondering. Does the current sidewalk go to Thrasher or the Bunny hop Thrasher? It does go to Thrasher. 00:36:18
Yeah, so, so we will put it across the whole front. So all three lots, the two lots what we have right now, but I know there is a. 00:36:27
What we want to call it the spreadsheet or the check points that we initial. 00:36:39
And that has been turned into the city, so we understand that will have to continue down to thrash. 00:36:44
With that process. 00:36:51
So you, because of the overlay district and the fact that y'all are not in it, you understand that you would need to put the 00:36:54
sidewalk from looking at this picture at the top of track one all the way down the Thrasher. 00:36:59
Yes, ma'am. So the the. 00:37:07
I believe that that has been initial and sent into the city and we understand that's what has to happen. 00:37:11
But we understand that hashtag. 00:37:19
Hopefully that answers your question. 00:37:23
Any other comments, Christine? I mean, that was my main one. That the other one is really a question for our attorney. 00:37:27
If we do approve this and then if we do later this evening, approve the order. 00:37:35
Ordinance. 00:37:42
Will this automatically be subject to that or do we need to make it contingent on that possibility because it's coming before in 00:37:44
the, I think it is in the map. 00:37:50
So does it matter that this is coming earlier in the meeting before that it's going to be subject to it if that lot pre 00:37:56
subdivision is shown the entirety of it? 00:38:01
Would be subject to it again if it's shown on the map. So it doesn't matter if we pass? I wouldn't know. OK, thank you. 00:38:07
Any other questions? 00:38:15
All right. I'll entertain a motion regarding the. 00:38:18
The subdivision plant and wastewater capacity allocation request. 00:38:21
For 110 N. 00:38:26
So I make a motion. 00:38:29
Contingent. 00:38:32
The G dot approval two of the three sidewalks and if if G dot, I know we don't have a lot of control of G dot. 00:38:34
So OK, this is going to be a long motion. Hold on, let me. 00:38:41
'Cause for a second question, we if G dot won't allow the sidewalk is there. We've talked about this before, but is there a way 00:38:46
then for that? 00:38:51
Because, you know, we. 00:38:56
I want it to be equal and fair and the the overlay district is there for a reason for sewer capacity and all that. Would there be 00:38:58
any kind of mechanism or anything we could say that if for some reason G dot didn't? 00:39:04
Approve the sidewalk. 00:39:11
That that equivalent square feet of sidewalk could be put elsewhere. Does that even make sense that I'm asking? I mean, it makes 00:39:13
sense, but I don't think we have a legal mechanism to not presently. 00:39:17
Even if it can't throw it in and. 00:39:23
OK, thought I would ask. 00:39:28
So I do make a motion to approve A. 00:39:33
With the sidewalk being across all three parcels. Good. 00:39:36
All right, Motion is the recommendation is a motion to approve, inclusive of the sidewalk on all three parcels, Should that 00:39:41
property be developed? Do we have a second? 00:39:45
2nd We have a second for Mr. Campbell. Any further discussion? 00:39:49
Hearing none all in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? 00:39:54
Motion carries 5 O Mr. Way. 00:39:58
Thank you always great to have you all in. 00:40:02
All right. We have up next under appearances, an update on the pipe plant project, so Chad Keller and his team. 00:40:05
Will come forward and present a concept plan on this site. We will not be voting on this tonight. 00:40:14
We do anticipate a potential vote on a rezone in May, but tonight this is we did this with. 00:40:20
Trove. We did this with Wire Park where we had the developer. Rather than having it all happen at one meeting, we encourage the 00:40:27
developers to come in earlier so the community can begin to hear about the project. 00:40:31
And react to it. We do not anticipate significant public comment on this tonight. Chad will share his information. You can reach 00:40:36
out to Chad. We can do additional meetings. Chad may do additional meetings, but we probably won't. 00:40:43
Do we may, if you have technical questions, we may tackle those. But in terms of do I like it, do I don't that we're not going to 00:40:49
get into that on this tonight. We're going to let Chad present it and we'll react to it. So Chad let you take it from here. 00:40:53
Welcome. Thanks, Council. 00:40:57
My name is Chad Keller. I grew up in Oconee, lived here my whole life. Went off to school for a little while in college, came 00:41:03
back. 00:41:06
And own a landscape company here and done some done some development in Watkinsville. 00:41:10
My mom lives in Christian Lake, so I'm very dear to Watkinsville and very close. 00:41:17
Kind of noticing the the pipe plant project a couple years ago and and after we got done with stereo, we thought that would be a 00:41:23
pretty cool project, that kind of a legacy project and my vision for that project was just. 00:41:30
Develop something that adds already some rich legacy to Watkinsville, revitalizing the most important piece of property and 00:41:38
offering something new that brings value to the residents and the community. And so thanks for having me and and let me come talk 00:41:43
about this project and and and love to go forward. 00:41:49
So the location is just South of the the trail train tracks. 00:41:56
On Hwy. 15. 00:42:02
And the current zoning character maps is Corridor Commercial. 00:42:05
And that's a that's a floodplain. It just shows the floodplains where it's it's outside of the floodplain. 00:42:11
And existing conditions as far as grade topography and stuff like that. 00:42:18
And this is a conceptual master plan, so this project will entail a. 00:42:23
A mixed-use of commercial, residential, some office space and probably one of the main things that I'm most excited about is the 00:42:30
fact that it's going to bring back a grocery store to the city of Watkinsville. We've been communicating and talking with a local 00:42:38
resident that is about to retire that is in the grocery store business and he is pitching something that will very be similar to 00:42:46
the striplands and it's going to be called a Coney made. 00:42:54
It's going to offer local, local food, local products, a nice meat counter, just a breakfast spot, cafeteria or a little lunch 00:43:03
spot and just kind of a place where people can go so they don't have to drive all the way back to Butler's Crossing. So really, 00:43:12
super excited about that. Another component of this project is the retail and it's got a large green lawn and. 00:43:21
I centered the development around 3 pillars and it was community connection. 00:43:32
And collaboration. And so bringing the community together in a development like this where you can take the kids out, grab some 00:43:37
food, grab, grab dinner, maybe do some shopping at some local retail stores was huge. And the connection piece giving that this is 00:43:44
so central, located the downtown Watkinsville and making sure that it was connected with sidewalks, walkability and just kind of 00:43:52
give the city more residents, more shops and more restaurants was super exciting. 00:43:59
One thing that it does border is the the rail line and and hopefully we can encourage our governments to pursue this rail line and 00:44:07
hopefully one day be connected to to the University of Georgia. It's 8.5 miles from this site to Sanford Stadium and how cool 00:44:16
would it be if you could just go jump on this thing and 8.5 miles later be it be at a Georgia football game so in collaboration. 00:44:24
We want this thing to be a place where people can come together, live, work and play and then attend for the developments project 00:44:33
to be something where we welcome ideas to create something that is best for Watkinsville. So here are some images that we that 00:44:38
we're kind of mirroring. One thing I want this thing to look like is an old historic mill that we've redeveloped and so that's 00:44:44
kind of the look we're going for. 00:44:49
Here's some more inspirational pictures that we'll be using in design. 00:44:56
Here's some elevations. Up top is the grocery store and if you look down below, I don't think you can quite see. But it's the 00:45:02
buildings that are running along Hwy. 15 and we've got some more inspiration pictures to to show you on this. 00:45:09
Here's a view. If you're standing across 15 looking at the main building of the development, To the left will be off. Is the 00:45:17
grocery store, Kind of. 00:45:22
Some old. 00:45:27
Brick some and kind of going for the old mill, restored old mill look and it'll be retail and commercial along the bottom. 00:45:29
And the next one, and this is kind of inside the development on the backside of Building 5 and 600. 00:45:38
So thank you Sheriff, for for showing those one thing about want to go back to the grocery store Coney made? 00:45:45
No worries, Cody Made is going to be offering. 00:45:52
Products, local products and a meat counter, which is most important to me at least. 00:45:54
Something similar to shiplands. So folks in the South end of the county don't have to drive all the way across the county to get. 00:46:01
When he came to me about this, he gave me a pitch deck that he has as local brands. 00:46:07
A homemade assortment of biscuits in the morning. 00:46:13
Oconee Coffee he's going to be selling. 00:46:18
And then these are some inspiration pictures of what the store is going to look like. 00:46:22
So a couple other things we've decided to go. 00:46:28
Decided to do so. We have partnered with some local partners, some nonprofit groups. One thing that we're missing in Oconee County 00:46:34
and Watkinsville is some workforce housing. And so we have worked with the city of Watkinsville are going to be working with the 00:46:40
city of Watkinsville to provide a percentage of some of our residents to try to help that problem. We're also going to be working 00:46:47
with some nonprofits, Lydia's place and. 00:46:54
One great thing about that is working with them. There are residents can can walk to work and can work at the grocery store. 00:47:02
The missing middle the workforce, the firefighters, the teachers offering a solution to a problem. So we can have residents in 00:47:11
Oconee County that work here can actually live here. And so that's one thing that we're trying to to address. 00:47:18
Watkinsville is one of the most beloved communities in Georgia and experienced a good bit of growth and some more. Specifically, 00:47:27
there's a need for housing that fits the price point of which is known as the missing metal to help public service like first 00:47:32
responders and teaching, as well as middle class families in Oconee. 00:47:37
Another issue, another thing we're going to do is we are working with a local nonprofit. 00:47:42
The Historical Society and we will be donating A2 acre parcel on the other side of the tracks which faces Main Street, working 00:47:48
with them to relocate. Probably one of the oldest. 00:47:55
Historic houses that is in the county and saving it from getting demolished. If y'all familiar with Oconee on the Highway 53, it's 00:48:04
a it's a house called the Dooley House and we're working with a guy to come in that has a lot of experience with working. 00:48:11
With historical houses. And so we're proud to say that this project will enable us to to do that save a house and to put a 00:48:20
historic house back on the only empty lot that that's right there on Main Street. 00:48:26
And the last thing is I am lifelong resident of Oconee County and the lovest community. My dream is to be able to create something 00:48:34
that can leave a legacy for the community and be a benefit. As you know, I work closely with the city on the building with Steer 00:48:39
Ridge, Watkinsville First apartment Complex. 00:48:44
And in this pipe project represents roughly a huge investment into the city and would love to get some feedback. Thanks for 00:48:49
allowing me to come up and talk about it. I am going to be available for the next month. If anybody reaches out, we will have a 00:48:57
landing page and I will provide that as well. So any questions or any comments you can go on that my contact information will be 00:49:05
on there as well. Love to meet and discuss this with any of the residents, any of anybody that would love to talk about it. 00:49:13
And so just wanted to be available for that and. 00:49:22
Well, the only bad thing that we have addressed that we know that it's going to be probably an issue is, is the talk of traffic. 00:49:26
So just. 00:49:29
Let everyone know that we have. 00:49:34
Hired Travis Pruitt and associates to do a traffic study and and this project will will work with the two egress points that we 00:49:37
have and hopefully once we obtain. 00:49:43
The rail line will have the third Internet exit out the back, which will help. So anybody has any questions I'd love to answer 00:49:52
them and thank you for your time. 00:49:56
All right, Council. And it's a lot to process, but. 00:50:01
Questions for Mr. Keller. 00:50:05
Nobody wants to go first. And then there you go. I have questions, So yeah. 00:50:16
I don't have any questions. I just have a comment, you know, so I think I've been talking about the the workforce housing for. 00:50:20
As long as I've been on council and I greatly appreciate the fact that you're trying to put some houses in there for. 00:50:28
Our workers are, you know, it's. 00:50:35
It's a shame that we have. I mean it's it's a great problem to have, but it's a shame that, you know, the median house in Oconee 00:50:38
County is, you know, $600,000 and you know, the average person, heck, I couldn't afford the median house in Oconee County and I've 00:50:43
lived here my whole life. So I'm, I'm thankful that you're trying to circumvent that that issue that we have. 00:50:49
Chad, can you talk a little bit more about how that would actually work? Because I know. 00:50:56
When we talked earlier conceptually about this, it was a percentage of your. 00:51:01
Apartments, right. That you were going to do that way. Is that kind of what you're is that what you're thinking? Yeah, that's what 00:51:07
we're thinking. You know honestly this is this will be my first development with a restrainer on on on you know what we can charge 00:51:14
and stuff like that. So what we are envisioning my attorney and I is to come with a percentage of the total development and. 00:51:21
And I think the way they calculate it is it's a percentage of the median average income of a 5 or 10 mile radius. 00:51:29
And keep those keep the housing to where it's affordable for for the middle class and that's kind of one thing that we're prying 00:51:36
ourselves on going to be working with Lydia's place and those will actually be a donation to to their her nonprofit and and we 00:51:44
haven't set what the final total numbers of of those units will be but working with her to help out and. 00:51:51
With her nonprofit and then to help with the issue of the workforce. 00:51:59
And then what about the breakdown of the different housing types, like it looks like you have a mix of? 00:52:07
Some single family homes and how all that be taken care of? I do. So there's 203 apartments, there's 24 attached townhomes and 00:52:12
then there's six detached cottages, the 30. 00:52:20
Residents in the back will be for sale. They will not be for rent. We will keep everything. The first five buildings, the top 00:52:28
right corner will be will be kept together. 00:52:33
Just do want to mention though that the whole project will be maintained by one HOA. 00:52:40
And so those condos, once they sell, they'll pay money into an HOA that will maintain the whole. That way we can keep the 00:52:46
aesthetics and the appearance up of the of the whole site. 00:52:51
The office complex will will also be back. That's a one other thing I wanted to mention is. 00:52:57
We are willing and would love to present an option to the city. If you guys were interested in ever relocating City Hall, we think 00:53:04
that'd be a great place for it if we're growing and we need some room. 00:53:11
So one option that we would love to do is give you guys the first router refusal if that was any interest to coming in to where 00:53:19
that that 10,000 square feet office is. So that's another another thing that we'd love to to do. We've seen some other 00:53:25
developments around the around this area that has partnered with the municipalities and did this with the with the City Hall into 00:53:31
a new development and it's worked really well and I think it'd be a great addition to this and I think it'd benefit the city and 00:53:37
and all the residents as well. 00:53:43
Chad, can you talk a little bit about the level of quality like our what kind of finishes are there going to be, what is your plan 00:53:51
for that? Yes ma'am. So we are going to do four sides brick, it'll be predominantly brick over 80% the only. 00:53:58
Areas that won't be breaking right where the breezeway or. 00:54:06
Pavilions and the balconies and stuff where they tie in. So those areas will be a Hardiplank finish. So I'd say at least 80% 00:54:09
brick, an old tumble brick to kind of make it look. 00:54:15
Like a mill. An old mill. 00:54:20
Probably still cloud or. 00:54:24
Not still clad, but like a little clad windows, bronze little cloud windows. Similar to the picture on the inside we'll have solid 00:54:27
surface countertops, tile backsplashes, towels on the floor, probably a laminated or LVP floor which which is not carpet. Sort of 00:54:34
a little bit higher end finishes and we did it with stereo, but nine feet sailings so. 00:54:42
Similar to the finishes that we did, there will be will be what we do with here as well. 00:54:50
We've, you know, one of the. 00:55:07
Things that we've. 00:55:11
Looked at would be the potential I know. 00:55:13
The rail. I don't think the rail line would allow a crossing at this point, just given its situation, but. 00:55:15
I know we have. 00:55:21
Concerns about South Main traffic speeds and things like that. How would? 00:55:23
How would you see that if you were able to cross the railroad tracks back there? How would you see that intersection working, and 00:55:29
how would you see that impacting S Main St. 00:55:33
I think it would slow traffic down. Have an intersection coming in to to Main Street. I don't see you. 00:55:38
One thing we did, we didn't want to do a straight corridor cut through and and have this be something where people just shot 00:55:47
through like they they do on some other roads are cut through. So I think you would get some of the traffic on the overflow 00:55:52
traffic out the back. 00:55:57
But I think they're going out and taking a left that that tie in would be, you know? 00:56:04
The same size as a public Rd. coming in and and whatever we needed to do to assist on making sure that the sight lines, visibility 00:56:12
and all that stuff will be a will be done by our engineers to to make sure that's as safe as possible. Another thing connection 00:56:18
wise, we're planning on connecting the sidewalks to con ferry extension. 00:56:25
And we're also going to extend our, the utilities, the sewer to the Cone Fair extension. The houses that the Septotex are failing, 00:56:32
we're going to run the sewer lines to them so they can time to sewer just because they don't have any other option at this point. 00:56:38
And so anything we can do to help out other parcels or other projects and with surrounding neighbors and be good neighbors and 00:56:44
that's what we're willing to do. 00:56:51
And we all. 00:57:00
We also have talked about, you know. 00:57:02
We all hope that the rail line may someday be a rail trail, but if it's not, how would you get people to downtown, get people to 00:57:04
wire park and things like that? So we are proposing that anywhere the city doesn't have connectivity from sidewalks from downtown 00:57:10
to our development or for water park for that matter. 00:57:16
That we are proposing to to install or help with the infrastructure to get sidewalks. 00:57:24
You can get out and you know, take your kids to to water park, walk there, walk to our development. 00:58:00
And and kind of enjoy the rail line once it gets developed jump on the rail line, ride your bike up and down it. So that's kind of 00:58:06
the vision that I feel like we could go to and I and I really think it's it's possible with the with the growth that we've had in 00:58:10
the city. 00:58:14
Well, I also appreciate the the workforce housing component that that in my profession I just see the struggle. 00:58:25
So thank you for that and and I will say just. 00:58:33
It seems to me like you truly do care about our community and want to. 00:58:39
Help make this, you know, fill in gaps grocery store things that we're looking for. So thank you for that. And that's another 00:58:44
thing too. We, we talked a little bit, Christine, about this, but wanted to kind of bring it to the public's attention as the 00:58:51
retail price. You know, I, I truly feel like we are running our models with 0 retail income. 00:58:58
And so one reason why we had to get the density that we're asking for was to make up for that. 00:59:05
And so hopefully moving forward we can we can go and establish an affordable retail solution to local retailers and and that that 00:59:13
really hit home when you said that to me and and I think that'd be a cool component to this is shop local, you know local 00:59:20
eateries, local retail places and so I think that'd be a pretty cool thing to put here. 00:59:26
Any other questions from council? 00:59:41
Just a few thoughts on process. You know obviously I'm assuming you're open to development agreement that would we'd have to go, 00:59:46
we'd have to begin to go through that process. 00:59:50
Similar to what we've done on other significant projects in Watkinsville, we'll have to. 00:59:56
You know, appreciate the thought about City Hall. We'll have to take a look at that. I think we'd be fiscally irresponsible not to 01:00:00
look at that if there's if there's an opportunity for us to. I'm assuming you're talking to us about, you know. 01:00:05
A low cost option there. So I think we'd have to look at that and see if that makes sense. This building was built in 1977, I 01:00:12
think. So it's got some, it's got some. 01:00:17
Years on it and it doesn't get any easier to take care of it sometimes so. 01:00:23
We'll have to look at that. You know, ultimately I think this, this is up to council, but I. 01:00:27
You know something will happen on the site and. 01:00:33
I think there's a lot of things that. 01:00:37
Could be important for Watkinsville's future that we've talked about, that are priorities. We've talked about the need maybe to 01:00:41
have City Hall be a little bit more central. 01:00:44
To Watkinsville, we've talked about desperately about the need for a grocery store. It's probably the number one thing that's most 01:00:47
requested. 01:00:50
In our research is where can I go to get groceries? 01:00:53
How can I do that? You know the idea that the percentage of this could be for? 01:00:57
Allow our teachers and EMT's and firefighters to be able to live here, have some appeal as long as there's some guardrails on 01:01:02
that. I think that's really important to us, I mean. 01:01:05
The best practices show those being distributed, not consolidated in one area. I don't think anybody wants to crack the door open. 01:01:09
To some of the other dense housing types of projects that we've seen. So I think that's going to be well. 01:01:17
Thought out. 01:01:24
You know and then ultimately we are going to have to think about traffic, you know, potentially a traffic circle that might help 01:01:26
move things around at 15. I know that requires G dot approval. 01:01:30
But really thinking through how how that could potentially work there? 01:01:34
We know that in the years ahead we're likely to have hopefully a truck bypass around Watkinsville that will remove a lot of that 01:01:38
traffic and we're working hard to try to advance that. 01:01:42
Which I think makes this. 01:01:47
Ultimately, much more potentially viable, but. 01:01:49
We've got a month to think about this. You've got a month to engage with your neighbors. A lot of them are here tonight. 01:01:52
I don't know if you're comfortable sharing your phone number or how you want to do that. I know you've got a website coming, but 01:01:57
if you've got an e-mail or phone number that you can. 01:02:00
Put out there so we have it. I think that would be helpful to them in case they want to get in touch with you, and I'd encourage 01:02:04
you to. 01:02:07
Seek them out and and go spend some time with them and listen and if we need to help facilitate that, we can. Thanks. Thank you 01:02:10
for your time. 01:02:14
OK. All right. And we will, we're not going to do public comment on that, but if anybody wants to hang around and comment on it, 01:02:20
we will have public comments later, but. 01:02:25
We are going to go ahead and move on through the agenda. So thank you. Thank you Mr. Keller for coming for that. 01:02:30
Let's see where are we? We have. 01:02:38
The corridor we're under old business. So next we go to the corridor ordinances, the quarter standards. 01:02:41
We spent a lot of time on this last month and we had the officially required public hearing on this last month, but I think it's 01:02:48
important to kind of restate what the big idea is here. 01:02:52
As I know, we have people who are passionate about it. The big idea here is to create an opportunity. 01:02:57
On our key residential quarters to make sure that future development in homes. 01:03:04
Are similar to the historic nature of what so many of them are today. 01:03:09
So that's what we're hoping to accomplish with this ordinance. 01:03:14
Nobody ever said it was easy in terms of how you can do that. What we realized as we went through this is that we don't have very 01:03:18
specific residential building standards. 01:03:22
In Watkinsville, because most of the things we anticipated, we're going to be in subdivisions and we're going to be in projects 01:03:27
where builders were coming through. The other thing I remembered and those of you have been coming to council meetings for a long 01:03:31
time as we used to approve every single building permit when they came in. So every permit used to come to council a few years 01:03:35
ago. 01:03:39
We quit doing that for administrative purposes, which I think is fine. But what we realized is it can get to be a little bit of 01:03:44
the wild, Wild West on some of our infill quarters, you know, So think about Simonton Bridge where we've recently had two infill 01:03:48
lots permitted. 01:03:52
New high schools. We've had six lots permitted and could probably have another six lots on that road. 01:03:57
Probably not too much more space on Column Ferry that's that's been built out over the past few years, unless some of the larger 01:04:03
property owners wanted to do something different with their property. 01:04:08
North Main, there's a lot of infill opportunities there as well. So the idea is how do we? 01:04:13
Essentially, create an opportunity for a conversation with a builder. 01:04:18
And establish some standards around what the community wants to see and how they want to see things built there and what that 01:04:23
should look like. Because what we've seen in a lot of other communities across the South is. 01:04:28
Homes that either come in that are built poorly or aren't built to great community standards, or homes that are just massive and 01:04:34
are totally out of scale with what may happen. 01:04:39
In the community. So the intent behind I'd put a lot of work into this and some other council members did to. The intent was to 01:04:44
try to create an opportunity to have conversations with builders so we could work together with them and make sure that that 01:04:49
designs reflect the history and heritage of our community and what we want to be in the future. 01:04:55
So that was the intent. 01:05:01
Where we are in the process is we had a long public hearing about this last month. We also then tabled that we also lifted A 01:05:03
moratorium that had been put in on New High Shoals Rd. 01:05:08
Specifically, what's also happened is the main ordinance has not changed much, but we also. 01:05:13
Delivered specific design standards and those have been posted for public review. 01:05:20
And we also posted the maps that actually outlined the parcels that were affected. 01:05:26
There were some minor changes I think made to those maps. We realized that if you're already in the downtown zone. 01:05:31
You can't build a detached residential unit there. So I think Sharon, I think we discussed anything that's in. 01:05:37
A zone that just doesn't allow a detached residential to be built, those would be pulled out of those maps already. The other 01:05:43
thing that's important to note is we have passed a historic preservation ordinance. So if the historic preservation ordinance and 01:05:48
the quarter ordinance conflict, the historic preservation ordinance would prevail in that matter. 01:05:54
That ordinance has a lot of work left to do that'll be going on this summer. So that's really not in a position to enforce 01:06:01
significantly at this point, but that is work is ongoing on the historic preservation ordinance. 01:06:06
So with that council, if any of you want to share anything as a preamble, that's fine. I think then we need to leave time to hear 01:06:12
from the public. 01:06:15
Then we can wrap up with any additional comments that we have and take a vote if we get to that tonight, if anyone makes a motion. 01:06:19
So at this point. 01:06:26
Feel free to fill in what I missed. I've been traveling a lot in the past few days and likely forgot something or add in any 01:06:28
perspective you have that would benefit our audience before we get going. 01:06:33
So I know some of y'all were here last month. Thank you guys for coming back and we have new people here as well as we talked 01:06:39
about this. 01:06:43
And there is always that balance between. 01:06:48
How much do you want? 01:06:53
Regulations, how much do you want free property rights? You know, we're always weighing that. That is just part of being an 01:06:57
American, part of of of just the balance that we have. And so we have worked really hard on this to try to keep. 01:07:06
As much personal freedom for people. 01:07:15
And one side of that bed that I do want to bring up is that. 01:07:19
Yes, everybody's individual rights and freedom is very important, but it, in my opinion and a big reason why I sit here, is as 01:07:24
humans, as citizens. 01:07:30
It is part of our job to think about other people as well and to think about other people's rights and their needs. And so to me 01:07:37
this is bringing a balance to that. There's a lot of freedom, there's a lot of flexibility. This is not draconian that is 01:07:43
dictating everything at all, but. 01:07:50
We are looking to the future and. 01:07:58
So far I would say the vast majority, if not all of the building that's happened in Watkinsville has been done by local people. 01:08:02
That is not always going to be the case. 01:08:11
We are making this. Everyone in this room is making this a more and more desirable community. We have excellent schools. We are 01:08:14
working on a transportation plan that's going to give connectivity. We have green space. We have a lot of things that is making 01:08:20
this more and more desirable and there is going to come a day where. 01:08:26
Developers from other areas that don't care a hill of beans about anybody who already lives here and already owns property are 01:08:33
going to potentially come in. 01:08:38
And do whatever they need to do to make the most money and not necessarily care about the rights of the people who have settled 01:08:44
and lived and worked in this community to make it what it is. And so this is not not allowing people to buy and develop property 01:08:51
at all. It's just saying there needs to be some standards we don't want. I don't know who put this picture up here, but did Doug 01:08:58
do this? 01:09:05
And I don't know if you all can see this, I'm happy to pass it around. But here is an example of something that's happened if this 01:09:13
is from what Doug mentioned last time in Nashville. 01:09:17
Where it's totally out of character and out of place. 01:09:23
So one of the things that I really like about this is it gives a percentage of scale homes can't be. 01:09:27
15% small, more than 15% smaller or larger. 01:09:34
Then the biggest or smallest home on that corridor, it just gives continuity. Again, this is not dictating everything, It's not 01:09:39
saying we are going to have these cookie cutter things. This is just giving protection to all of the people who have already 01:09:45
purchased property here in Watkinsville for those who are coming in the future, so. 01:09:51
Yes. 01:09:59
All right. Anybody else want to share anything as a preamble? What I would say is, if you share it as your preamble, let's not 01:10:03
share it as your closing statement. 01:10:06
Let's say it once, and unless we have something new to offer, and I'd say that goes for folks, the audience too. If if somebody's 01:10:11
already stood up and said what you want to say in your 4 minutes, just get up and say Ditto, right? And I support such and such a 01:10:15
person's comments. 01:10:19
So we can keep things moving. So anything anybody else wants to share is a kickoff. 01:10:24
All right, hearing none, I'm going to let the open up here and four minutes per person. 01:10:30
Mr. Reitman, you keep my timer and come on up and speak if you feel that. 01:10:35
Good evening, this is my first time in front of you. 01:10:44
State your name and address. Start with that, getting there 4 minutes. My name is Sam Drennan. I live at 37 S Main St. the Old 01:10:48
Doctor Ward House. 01:10:53
I had the great fortune of being raised in a family home in Charleston, WV, which was built in 1902. 01:11:00
It was built to the guides of my great grandmother, Emma Boyd Cox. We lived in that house for over 20 years. 01:11:07
And the single most important lesson I learned during that time was one of stewardship, not only of the property and of the land, 01:11:12
but of the community in which we lived and in which we worked. 01:11:18
And where we built long friendships. 01:11:23
Maintaining that property was hard work and it was expensive, but simply that was the deal. 01:11:26
During the BID 1990s, I attended the University of Colorado in Boulder and watched the community create immense building 01:11:32
restrictions on its homeowners that resulted in a curtailing of maintenance and improvements. And now tiny two-bedroom 1 bath 01:11:37
homes are selling for over 1,000,000 bucks, well over what a working family can afford. 01:11:42
On the other side of the spectrum, I lived in Austin, TX during the 90s and 2000s. It's not unlike Nashville right now. 01:11:49
Where the preservation of culture and historical values were superseded by the bottom line of developers. 01:11:55
The result was that Austin lost its way, and what used to be keep Austin weird became unrecognizable as hundreds of antebellum 01:12:02
homes. 01:12:06
Historical structures and cultural sites were redeveloped without concern. 01:12:11
For their historical contacts or sense of community. 01:12:15
The proposed quarter ordinance, in my opinion, attempts to find the middle ground between these extremes. The intent seems to be 01:12:20
to balance our rights as individual homeowners with the stewardship that comes with living in this community. 01:12:26
My wife and I moved to Watkinsville for this home. 01:12:33
And we care for this community. We love the houses heritage and its history, and in spite of the drafty windows and the plumbing 01:12:36
solutions that span centuries. 01:12:40
We're also here because of friendships, because of Dave and Mario convinced us that this was a perfect community for us and they 01:12:46
knew that the old Doctor Ward House. 01:12:51
Was going to be treated to loving stewardship. 01:12:55
Since 2020, we put our time and treasure to make our home special. 01:12:58
We do so because we want to be proud of it, but also because I want my community. 01:13:02
Like Alice and Ann and Chuck and Jeff and Brian? 01:13:06
And even Bob, to be proud of our efforts to make this community thrive. 01:13:11
We want to be good stewards and that means living up to an expectation that we all live in this community together and strive to 01:13:16
make it wonderful. 01:13:19
What these entry corridors provide is a process to maintain the quote harmony and consistency in our community. 01:13:24
It provides some security when Jeff and Alice and Chuck, Bryan and Sam are not the buyers or the developers. 01:13:31
I've seen Austin and I know what no holds barred capitalism means. That is the epitome of it's my dirt and I'll do with it what I 01:13:37
want. 01:13:41
The result of that is that we lose the ability to preserve our historical, cultural and aesthetic values, the very identity we 01:13:45
hold dear in this town. 01:13:50
In summary, I support the proposed corridor ordinance. I feel it is a compromise between maintaining the Watkinsville we want to 01:13:55
see thrive and the rights of individual property owners. 01:13:59
That is how a community. 01:14:04
We work as stewards, not just for ourselves, but the entire community of Watkinsville. 01:14:06
Thank you. 01:14:11
Thank you, Mr. Drennan. 01:14:17
Who wants to come next? 01:14:19
Kathleen Mcquiston, 13, S Barnett shows, and I support everything that he said. 01:14:28
All right, Next up. 01:14:36
Welcome back, Mr. Elder. Thank you all. 01:14:42
Matt Elder. 01:14:45
Oliver Bridge Rd. On. 01:14:47
Several tracks in the city. I think we need to get this. 01:14:49
Historical preservation stuff done. 01:14:54
I think we've got our cart before our horse. 01:14:56
On this one. Let's get that done and see what the. 01:14:59
Ramifications of it is, and we can always pass something to get it done. 01:15:02
At A at a later date. 01:15:07
I think this one. 01:15:09
The way it's designed and written a. 01:15:11
You know if your neighbor doesn't like the style or whatever. 01:15:15
Of the half that you're doing, it says you know your neighbor can have input on it. 01:15:19
And I might not like Brian's house, or I might not like Chuck's house. And then I'm. 01:15:23
Put my input in here and if it happens and y'all pass it then. 01:15:29
Well, I'm mad forever at my neighbor. 01:15:35
Where if we had a set of rules ABCDE. 01:15:37
Then that's what developers could do. 01:15:40
That's what neighbors would know could be built. 01:15:43
And I'm for a hard and fast set of rules. 01:15:46
Thank you, Mr. Elder. 01:15:52
All right. 01:15:55
Next up, Yes, Sir. 01:15:59
Welcome back, Mr. Carson. 01:16:01
Shane Carson, 1121 Timber Ridge Rd. 01:16:04
I'm against it. 01:16:08
I think like I said before and y'all heard it before. 01:16:09
It's happened organically. 01:16:13
People have taken care of the houses and built what fits in our area. We are not Nashville. 01:16:15
We're not Austin. We're not at Atlanta for Watkinsville. 01:16:21
I mean if you look at the just if nothing else, the population of Watkinsville versus these other areas that everybody's talking 01:16:26
about that this has happened. 01:16:30
That's apples to oranges. 01:16:35
Let's stay apples to apples here so we can do this. 01:16:37
The ordinance way it's written right now is left up. There's there's a lot of interpretations because they're just guidelines. 01:16:42
So what I may think fits the character of the neighborhood, you might not. 01:16:48
And as being a minor of the City Council, that's totally left up to you and interpretations with these guidelines. They're not. 01:16:53
And I can't believe I'm even saying if you're going to do it, make it specific. 01:17:01
Because somebody is going to look for a way to work around it. 01:17:05
So I think or this may be a great idea, but not the way it's written not. 01:17:10
Let's iron this thing out, to which, and I know it's always a living document, things are going to change, but let's narrow down 01:17:16
this scope a little bit so it's not left up to interpretation. 01:17:21
I mean, because like I said, it may be your mortal enemy that's building a house down here on North Main. 01:17:27
But you know, again, as as a mayor, you have that ultimate vote to, if it's not spelled out perfectly clear in the in the rules 01:17:34
and the ordinance. 01:17:39
And we're not there yet. 01:17:45
I think so. As of right now, I'm against this until. 01:17:46
Iron it out and get a little bit more detail, a little more definition to it. 01:17:51
Thank you, Mr. Carson. 01:17:55
Next up. 01:18:02
Matt Oliver I live at 185 Calvin Ferry Road, right next to. 01:18:10
Colin Ferry School. 01:18:15
Directly across the Trove subdivision. 01:18:18
You know, as a landowner that would be directly affected by this. 01:18:22
I do want rational development and I do want rational. 01:18:27
Construction where I reside. 01:18:32
But when I read this ordinance, I feel strongly it's it's too early to vote on this issue. 01:18:35
Several words come to mind. 01:18:41
After reading the ordinance of. 01:18:44
I feel like it's it's vague. 01:18:46
I feel like it's been rushed. I feel like it's been unadvertised and I feel like it's. 01:18:49
Redundant and I'd like to go over those a little bit. When I say vague, I think the current. 01:18:54
Verbiage is not specific enough. 01:19:01
To be voted on. 01:19:04
I'm a land surveyor I deal with. 01:19:07
Different municipalities, different codes. 01:19:10
And I can tell you from my experience when things were vague. 01:19:13
The Authority always is a back in the governing body. 01:19:18
Which is the mayor and council, which I have no problem with right now. 01:19:22
But what I mean by that? 01:19:27
As as we move forward and elected positions change. 01:19:33
You know, I don't know what everyone's politics beliefs are going to be. 01:19:37
I do agree with Shane and with Mr. Elder that we need a specific code to go by. 01:19:42
That way it's a fair. 01:19:50
Playing field for everyone's. 01:19:54
I just like I say there's no problems now. I don't plan to do anything with my property. I love where I'm at. I love this 01:19:58
community. 01:20:01
I've been here since 2019. 01:20:04
I also took a little issue with. 01:20:08
The Vintage Houses of Oconee reference. 01:20:11
When I read the ordinance. 01:20:15
I didn't see any. 01:20:18
I didn't see where where I could find the book to see what we're referencing. I don't know what we're looking at here, The talk 01:20:20
was saying with my neighbors about that. 01:20:24
They don't. They've never heard of it, you know. 01:20:28
And didn't know where to find it. It's not on the website that I could find. 01:20:31
I feel like. 01:20:35
You know, if we're going to reference that, then maybe that needs to be shown. 01:20:37
In the ordinance, you know, so we can actually. 01:20:42
Know what we're looking at, what we're up against, Subspech. 01:20:45
Unadvertised, I mentioned that I believe that the land owners. 01:20:50
That are going to be affected by this ordinance should be notified by mail and e-mail. 01:20:56
And I really believe there should be signs posted along these corridors. 01:21:02
I read somewhere in the ordinance if it was passed that. 01:21:07
You know land owners would need to post a sign for approximately 45 days. 01:21:11
Before potential construction or review. 01:21:18
And I think the city should adhere to that standard. I feel like they should put some signs out telling the citizens that could be 01:21:23
affected what exactly changes are going to be. 01:21:29
Occur with the land. 01:21:35
Before that was taken. 01:21:38
I mentioned rushed. 01:21:42
I'm going to tell you, I don't normally come to these kind of things. 01:21:45
That's just not me. I'm not a political guy. Really. I. 01:21:49
And I I just wanted to say that, you know, but I feel like I am pretty active in the community through my business and through my 01:21:52
family, you know, through sports, my wife's. 01:21:57
Work at Oconee High School for many years before she went to UGA. 01:22:03
And I've just recently heard of this and. 01:22:07
Again, that's partly my fault. Maybe, but I talked with many of my neighbors about this. 01:22:11
And they're the same position, so anyway. 01:22:17
I guess my time is up, but. 01:22:23
I'm not in support of it right now. I do support smart growth and you know, rational construction and rational. 01:22:27
But I just read out this code right now is not where it needs to be to be voted on. 01:22:35
Thank you, Thank you, Mr. Ulmer. 01:22:40
And I think it's a fairpoint about the vintage houses. I mean we'd have to, we'll have to scan that and make that available to 01:22:43
everybody. It it's not the east. Unfortunately we don't have a great architectural reference book for Oak County, for Watkinsville 01:22:48
County County, it's about the closest we can come. But yeah, we. 01:22:52
We would need to make that available online. We can do that. 01:22:57
All right, who's next? 01:23:01
Hi, I'm Doug Crowe, 143 New High Shoals Rd. My wife Julie and I have lived in that home since 2005. And yeah, I'm the one that. 01:23:09
Passed out those photos and if anyone else wants to see this. 01:23:18
I'll just put another one in your lap, so. 01:23:25
I'd like to. 01:23:32
Address the Council tonight to express my support for the corridor concept detailed in the most recent communication that many of 01:23:33
us received. 01:23:37
And I'd like to provide a little rationale for my support. 01:23:41
I support this concept because I've seen first hand what a lack of oversight and appropriate regulation can lead to. 01:23:45
In a very similar setting. And Brett, you were right, it it's Tennessee. It's not, you know, it's not Watkinsville. I get it. This 01:23:52
is my sister in Laws home on the right hand side of this photograph. 01:23:57
When she bought this home, she wasn't thinking that this would ever happen to her, but. 01:24:05
It's located on a typical corridor leading directly into downtown Nashville 12 S. 01:24:10
Right across from Severe Park and. 01:24:16
You know, this is a stretch of 12 S that is in the process, for lack of a better term, of being invaded by enormous homes that are 01:24:18
completely. 01:24:24
Inconsistent with all the beautiful older homes that are in that area. 01:24:29
This was not a rundown. 01:24:35
Area at all. It's not like this is gentrification that needed to happen. 01:24:38
Several years ago, the first shoe fell when a developer purchased a home that was for sale and then stored installed an enormous 01:24:43
home and was built right to the lot lines and. 01:24:48
All the existing homeowners despise that home. 01:24:53
And in subsequent years, this has become a trend in that area. 01:24:56
Once it happens, it's almost impossible to stop and it's a. It really looks like a one way St. and. 01:25:00
Although someone just said that, you know, we're not Austin, we're not Nashville, we're Watkinsville. This could happen here in 01:25:06
Watkinsville. There is no logical reason to assume that somehow we are special. 01:25:13
From a more practical standpoint, my sister-in-law had offers on this home a number of years ago. 01:25:21
For I won't reveal the number specifically, but I will say that she just sold this home about a month and a half ago, and she sold 01:25:29
it for about $500,000 less than what she could have gotten a couple years ago. 01:25:35
The arrival of that enormous home, and I'm sorry I should be addressing you, the arrival of that enormous home. 01:25:43
Definitely impacted negatively. 01:25:49
Her stake in her. 01:25:52
Without a doubt. 01:25:56
It's possible that you could view this as we are giving up some property ownership rights, I get that. 01:26:02
In reading through what has been distributed, we are going to be required to maintain our homes to a certain standard and I guess 01:26:09
all I would say to that is I have every intention of maintaining my home. 01:26:14
And the only thing that I am really concerned about is if other people don't, that they may negatively affect my property values. 01:26:21
So I view perhaps having a couple of rules about, well, you know, your house has to look this way or that it really doesn't bother 01:26:27
me because I have every intention of keeping my nice old home nice. 01:26:34
I really don't think we need to make this into a property rights issue. 01:26:45
Quite frankly, rather, I think this is an opportunity for our city to put some protections in place to prevent construction of 01:26:48
homes like we're seeing in Nashville and Austin and other places. 01:26:53
That we could easily see here in Watkinsville. And you know, really all this is doing is laying out some simple rules. In addition 01:26:59
to preventing all these large homes from showing up is putting out some simple rules. 01:27:05
To ensure that the homes in the corridor are maintained and we don't lose property value. So that's my two cents. Thank you, Mr. 01:27:12
Crow. 01:27:16
Will allow golf clapping. That's fine. It's more raucous than that. We'll we'll shut it down, all right. 01:27:25
Would anybody else like to speak? 01:27:32
Alice. 01:27:33
My name is Alice Woodruff and I live at 35 S Main St. and have done so for the last 30 years. We don't have to go to Nashville. We 01:27:42
don't have to go anywhere other than 30 miles down the road South and look at Madison. 01:27:48
I don't know what their rules for development were when all those little brick houses went in with all the antebellums, but 01:27:55
there's certainly no consistency or visual. 01:28:01
Pleasure in seeing the main drag right through Washington. Excuse me, Madison. 01:28:07
And I think that could easily happen here. It doesn't have to be great big houses, it could be little. 01:28:13
Little little bitty houses too. There's nothing wrong with small there's there's a good place where. 01:28:20
Thank you. Thank you. 01:28:27
Would anybody else like to come forward? 01:28:33
All right, I'm going to close the. 01:28:39
Hearing we did hear from. We also heard from Laura Mitchell. 01:28:42
Via e-mail, Laura does live on New High Shoals Rd. 01:28:45
What's that? And she said. 01:28:52
Or she owns property on New High Shoals Rd. She said she cannot attend tonight's meeting. 01:28:54
If this ordinance is not approved, there will be an increase in non compliant development within the city limits. The housing 01:28:58
standards, specifically the ones that are not mentioned in the ordinance, will change the character of several neighborhoods. 01:29:03
New home should be consistent in square footage with current homes and ordinance should be approved to maintain single family 01:29:08
density. 01:29:11
And maintain traffic outflow to the main streets listed as part of the quarters. 01:29:14
Obviously this is my opinion and thoughts as a homeowner on New High Shoals Rd. 01:29:18
And Mr. Omer spoke. Yeah, we did receive yours, Matt. Thank you for that. 01:29:22
OK, we'll bring it back behind the rail at this point for conversation. I also got an e-mail and I think all council did from Dana 01:29:27
Blair, who was unable to attend. She was here last month and she was just expressing her support of the ordinance as well. 01:29:35
All right. 01:29:45
OK, council, back to you guys. So we'll have a little conversation if anybody wants to make a motion. 01:29:48
We'll go from there. So I'll tell you what, why don't we get a motion out and then we can have a conversation. 01:29:54
I make a motion to approve. 01:30:01
All right, we have a motion to approve. Do we have a second? 01:30:03
2nd we have a motion. 01:30:08
Standards, yes. Standards. Maps. 01:30:12
I've got really dangerous separate if you could, oh. 01:30:16
What do we have to do that orbits itself 1st? And then the standards, Yeah, I mean, the ordinance, it's incorporated into the 01:30:21
ordinance. It's all incorporated into the ordinance. I mean, it's. 01:30:25
Approved as a whole. So the motions around the ordinance, OK, so we have a motion in a second now it's right for conversation. 01:30:31
Council, I know we'll have some conversation on this one, so. 01:30:39
Go ahead. 01:30:44
All Right, so just like last month I wrote down my these are pre recorded notes that I had before we get here, so. 01:30:46
I simply do not believe that the city should be involved in the direct planning of houses being built. 01:30:55
Additionally, don't think that the city should be telling existing homeowners. 01:31:00
How to rebuild the front porches or the types of building materials that they should be used. These standards go as far as 01:31:05
suggesting preferred windows and doors and shingles that homeowners should be. 01:31:10
Using at their house, and I personally believe this is a gross example of government overreach. I do however believe the city 01:31:16
through the code compliance. 01:31:20
Should enforce building standards. If we are so concerned with the types of future homes being built, maybe we should be concerned 01:31:25
with all the future homes and not just the visible ones that as we drive in. Therefore I suggest that we place all these. 01:31:32
Proposed standards. 01:31:40
Once they get a little bit. 01:31:43
Refined within the existing code. 01:31:45
So you have all heard from several people this evening? 01:31:48
About the the standards and there's a whole lot of shoulds and encourages and very few showers. In fact I think I only highlighted 01:31:52
2 showers in this whole thing. 01:31:56
So are these standards just recommendations? Are they requirements? Because there's a big difference in a should you should do 01:32:01
something versus you must or shall do something. So there I mean I I circled about 17 encourages or shoulds and I think there's 01:32:07
two showers. 01:32:12
This whole thing. So in my mind, this, this is just saying, hey, we think you ought to do this and then we'll we'll decide once it 01:32:18
gets back here behind the rail. 01:32:23
What what our opinion is not so there's no clearly defined. 01:32:27
Showers in here. So I am. 01:32:32
Very much opposed to this, this ordinance passing the way it is. 01:32:37
Thank you, Mr. Thomas. 01:32:44
Who wants to speak next? 01:32:48
I just want to add to the comment about the vagueness or and but just what you were talking to and I understand that I my 01:32:54
profession, I'm a realtor and I help people buy homes and. 01:33:00
A lot of times you have a very short amount of time to make a decision about something, and so I do understand that. 01:33:08
However. 01:33:15
The the showers and the come before the council. That's for new building things that that's for new builds and I also. 01:33:16
Sorry, my brain is a little fuzzy tonight. I also tell my clients who are thinking about doing a new build. 01:33:27
That they need to plan on a minimum of six months before there's ever going to be a shovel in the ground. There is a there is a 01:33:35
process no matter where it is. No, nobody is going to buy a lot and start building on it in a few weeks. That just does not happen 01:33:41
right now. There's too many engineering things there's there's no matter where you are buying or building there are permits that 01:33:47
have to be gotten and so. 01:33:53
This process is meant to not slow things down. 01:34:02
But it is to make sure that there are some guidelines and the reason why it is. 01:34:07
As some people have said, vague is because. 01:34:14
We aren't wanting to give super clear. It has to be this. It has to be that we have different characters if you drive down these 01:34:18
or these. 01:34:23
I'm sorry, she has unplugged her headphones. 01:34:29
I didn't even know there was a little person back there. That's pretty impressive, so. 01:34:41
So. 01:34:47
It is, as some people have said, vague. It's not. 01:34:50
Vague it is. 01:34:54
Giving freedom so that homes can match what's in their corridors. 01:34:56
And that is the intention behind this. So I just wanted to make that point because we are wanting to get that freedom of 01:35:03
flexibility. 01:35:07
Thank you, Christine. 01:35:14
Anybody else like to weigh in? 01:35:16
I just think it helps on new builds and that's what this is addressing that that for when builders build, they're going to build. 01:35:22
Definitely for profit, Definitely. 01:35:30
But you're also going to take into hand into account enhancing the community and that's what this bill does. 01:35:33
IS focuses on building property for profit that will enhance the community. Without it, you're building. 01:35:39
But you don't care. You could grab a stock House plan and pop it down. 01:35:47
Whereas we choose to live in the city, it's different than buying a house in the country where you can do what you want. 01:35:51
Just like you buy a house in the neighborhood similar same way in the city. So basically for me, my bottom line is it's having 01:35:57
builders build to enhance our community that we all live in and. 01:36:04
In the long run, I think those houses are going to be more valuable. 01:36:11
Then something that's built. 01:36:14
Not to enhance the community or fit into the community. 01:36:16
That's my bottom line. 01:36:20
Anyone else? 01:36:25
OK. All right. I'll just chime in. 01:36:29
I do support this. I think it's. 01:36:34
I think it's important that we have. 01:36:36
Have standards in a community that's going to grow over the next few years. I think Christine's example is a powerful one, you 01:36:41
know, and it's pressure we're going to see in the county, sadly for good or I'll a lot of. 01:36:45
Local home builders aren't around anymore, the folks who built a lot of the homes that we're in, and we do have an increasing 01:36:51
number of national and regional builders taking an interest in our community. 01:36:56
And they have less of an interest of coming in. 01:37:02
You know, they haven't known us. They don't know any of us. They kind of just come in and. 01:37:04
Do what they do and and they've got they've got private equity behind them and they've got a set of house plans they like and 01:37:09
that's the way they like to build and. 01:37:14
They don't build with the community in mind. They build, build. 01:37:20
To a set of rules, and I do think these standards were created to give opportunity to folks who. 01:37:23
Want to build and want to create create. 01:37:30
Infill opportunities that are in line with the homes we've seen, you know, if you drive down Simonton Bridge Rd. 01:37:33
Right now, and you drive between the cemetery and downtown, anybody who hadn't lived here for longer than 10 years, you probably 01:37:39
have trouble picking out which of those houses was built in the last 15 years and which of them has been there. 01:37:45
For 50 years and I think ultimately. 01:37:52
That's what we want to do. There's other quarters in town where it's painfully obvious, you know how that's happened and and why 01:37:55
that's happened. 01:37:59
So I think it's about establishing a set of standards that are flexible enough that allow people to take care of their homes. 01:38:02
To make decisions. 01:38:09
And not be we Look, believe me, we looked at some standards that were super specific. 01:38:11
Spent a lot of time on those and and I even talked to some builders and they're like I really wouldn't want it to be that way. 01:38:17
They wanted to have that flexibility in terms of what they could do. So we did pressure test this, You know, we've looked at it. 01:38:23
And we've had multiple public meetings on this at least three months in a row. It's been on the front of the newspaper. 01:38:32
You know, so we've talked about it a long time. 01:38:38
So I hope we'll consider putting these protections in place for our. 01:38:41
Entry quarters and Brett, if we don't do that, then you know we may consider putting it in place for everything that's built in 01:38:45
Watkinsville. That's not a bad idea. 01:38:48
So, so we'll see. So with that, I'll quit talking unless anybody else has anything they want to say, I'm going to call the 01:38:54
question. 01:38:56
All right. I'll clarify the motion. I think the motion was to prove the corridor ordinance including standards and math. Thank 01:39:01
you. So that's, that's the motion we have. We have a motion from Mayor Pro Tem Tucker. We have a second from Councilman Campbell. 01:39:08
We'll do. We'll do a voice vote. Mayor Pro Tem before. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I just want to make sure there were some. 01:39:17
So voice vote, Mayor Pro Tem. 01:39:55
Yes, Councilman Campbell. 01:39:58
Councilwoman Massey, Yes, Councilman Garrett and Councilman Thomas, OK Motion carries 4/1. 01:40:02
All right. We will move on. 01:40:11
To. 01:40:15
New business We have two Urban Forest Board appointments to expire. 01:40:16
2026 Councilman Thomas Yeah, sure. The Urban Force Board would like to recommend that we keep on the current two that are going to 01:40:22
expire, Bill Hunt and Harris Lowry for the next term or until properly released. 01:40:29
OK, Council, Do we have, is that a form of a motion coming from the committee? Yes. Yeah. OK. 01:40:37
Councillor, we have a second. 01:40:46
All right, all in favor. Say aye. Aye. Motion carries 5 O. 01:40:50
Sharon, I think we have some paving updates. Yes, we do. All right. 01:40:55
Give a little background. So we're going to ask you tonight just to approve the selection of the contractor for both the ELMIG, 01:41:01
the local Maintenance Improvement Grant for School St. and Simonton Way and the Fiscal Year 24 local Rd. assistance. 01:41:07
Program grant, which is the supplement that was approved with the governor's amendment of the. 01:41:15
State budget and that would include Niagara Drive and Jackson St. digital history. I'm sorry. So the specific request is that the 01:41:19
ELMIG project to pave school St. and Simonton Way. 01:41:26
It is estimated at $79,000. We're going to ask that you appropriate 43, the 43,000 and some change from ELMIG funding, 19,000 from 01:41:35
the city's required match that is currently in the SPICE budget, which was previously designated by the council. 01:41:42
From the spouse budget and an additional $18,000 from T SPLOST, the road resurfacing portion of that teaspoon which is a 01:41:50
requirement to have in the teaspoon as well as approving Smith and Company, the contractor for the LRA application for all of 01:41:58
Niagara Drive and all of Jackson St. and we'll I'll talk a little bit more about that. So history we did several years ago 01:42:05
complete a pavement maintenance management sorry management program had a company come through. 01:42:13
Piggybacked on the county and have them evaluate all of our roads. 01:42:21
To let us know the condition of those roads. We now have a list so we don't have to city manager and I don't. I'm a city engineer 01:42:25
and I don't have to. 01:42:28
Just look at the roads and determine whether or not we think it looks bad or not. We actually have an official evaluation and we 01:42:33
have a list and you all have access to that list and we're working down that list. 01:42:37
In June, G dot notified us that our application would would be 43,592 and some change Council approved submitting an application 01:42:43
based on that funding and the other funding I mentioned a few minutes ago we submitted that in January G dot approved our LMEG 01:42:51
application and so we released a request for proposal for those two roads and got the got the responses back in March In in the 01:42:59
interim the state, the governor and legislature amended the budget for the state and gave us an extra. 01:43:07
Gave us some extra money. 01:43:16
And so when we got the proposals back, you'll see we got Smith and Company, Garrett Paving and all about asphalt. Just a note, 01:43:17
Chuck Garrett, our council member is not. 01:43:21
In any way affiliated with Garrett Paving. But Smith and company came in the lowest, most responsive. Again, it's a proposal, not 01:43:26
a bid. So we evaluated those. City Engineer and I evaluate those. 01:43:32
And at the March 20th meeting, the council allowed us to go ahead and negotiate with the lowest. 01:43:40
The lowest price proposal, not the lowest, the best price proposal to go ahead and negotiate for these additional roads so that we 01:43:48
wouldn't have to go back out and ask for proposals and that saved us a little bit of time. So on April 11th, we received a price 01:43:54
proposal from Smith and Company who was responsive on the 1st and they gave us pricing for half of Niagara Drive between Southland 01:44:00
and Concord, the entire stretch of Niagara Drive, half of Jackson Street from Dooley to South Main and all of Jackson Street so 01:44:05
that we could evaluate. 01:44:11
You know what type of economies of scale we could get from doing all those? 01:44:18
Just as a reference, so the TS BOSS Fund is required to dedicate 30% of the funding toward Rd. resurfacing and rehabilitation, and 01:44:23
our current proposed 2022 splash appropriations show that we would need another $86,000. That was what we assumed when we 01:44:30
submitted the application to the state. If we do, if, if the Council goes with what we're recommending night, the difference 01:44:38
between what we had already asked Council for and. 01:44:45
Council had approved is about $45,000 out of tea spots. 01:44:53
To point out we did have the RFP was advertised in the County Enterprise provided directly to All About Asphalt, ASA, Paving, 01:44:57
Atlanta Paving, CW, Matthews Contracting Company, Garrett Paving and Smith and Company. 01:45:03
So we again we are asking our recommendation would be to continue forward with the school St. the section between court and main 01:45:09
Simonson way which is the cul-de-sac, the first cul-de-sac on the left after you enter into Simonton subdivision and the all of 01:45:15
Niagara Drive and all of Jackson St. You do have another option on there but this is our recommendation that you go ahead and do 01:45:22
that and the funding is is listed there. It's a lot of reading but anyway that's what we're at but that's what we're recommending 01:45:28
so. 01:45:34
Any questions? 01:45:40
Questions. 01:45:43
All right, motion. And don't feel like you have to encapsulate that. Maybe you would say motion to approve if you support this. 01:45:45
Maybe a Motion to to approve what? 01:45:50
City management is recommending. 01:45:57
I'll make a motion. We approve. 01:46:00
I guess this line item a that city management is. 01:46:02
Andy that city management is. 01:46:05
Requesting. 01:46:09
And I do want to note that I am glad that we're paving all of the roads and not just a portion of the road. 01:46:10
Agreed. All right, we have a motion. Do we have a second? 01:46:17
All right. We have a motion in a second, just a comment before we vote. You know, this is really possible because of the T spot 01:46:20
funds and I think that's important to note if if we didn't have those funds, we would. 01:46:26
We would not be able to repay hardly anything. I mean, these are small stretches of road and you see how much they cost, I mean. 01:46:32
You're talking, you know, less than 1/10 of a mile. In some cases, you know, 1/4 of a mile and it's, it's. 01:46:38
You know, almost $50,000 and for a little city with a $3 million budget and it's really hard to keep up with. So we're grateful to 01:46:44
all of you who raised your who voted for that. It's making a big difference in Watkinsville and our ability to. 01:46:49
Maintain these streets and still be able to deliver police and garbage and pick up your trash, pick up your leaf and limb and. 01:46:55
Offer police because we couldn't have done all that without this. So we have a motion. We have a second. All in favor, say aye. 01:47:01
Aye. Any opposed? 01:47:07
Motion carries 5 O. 01:47:09
Similar to what we mentioned to Mr. Keller, even if a developer sells its property, the agreement they make with the city travels 01:47:43
with them and that protects us from what they may do. 01:47:47
All right, we're to public comments. I don't know if we need a motion to table that, though. Do we need a motion to table? OK, 01:47:52
motion to table, please. 01:47:56
Second. Second. All right, all in favor. Say aye. Motion is carries, it's tabled. 01:48:01
Public comment if anybody would like to come forward. 01:48:07
4 minutes per person. 01:48:12
Don't everybody come at once. I'm going to call it. 01:48:15
No public comment. Grateful to all of you who are still here. A couple items all run through. I'm excited to share that we are a. 01:48:17
Finalist for the All American City Award. 01:48:24
We are one of 20 communities across the country. We are far and away the smallest. I think the next smallest is. 01:48:28
12,000 people. So this is a big deal for Watkinsville. We'll be talking about our work with ESP, Thomas Farm Preserve, Rocket 01:48:36
Field and overall community building. 01:48:42
We are trying to figure out how many people we can afford to take to Denver and how we would do that, as I pointed out to the 01:48:49
manager. 01:48:53
An event like this is a rounding error for a big city. For us, this is a big deal to figure out how we can do this. So we're 01:48:57
trying to trying to figure out how to get people there. 01:49:01
Whether we have budget dollars from careful management that allow us to do it or whether we're going to have to work with some 01:49:06
partners to try to find our way out there, but we're excited about that. We're planning for that and working to put our best foot 01:49:10
forward in June in Denver. 01:49:14
If we move on, I was Chief GAIL and I were both at Courtney, Reverend Courtney E. 01:49:20
D Brian's. 01:49:27
Installation at Bethel on Sunday. My my cheeks hurt from smiling so much at that. Y'all. That was just a wonderful service. 01:49:30
The church was rocking if you. If you'd have driven by during that, you probably would have seen it shaking on the outside. 01:49:39
Reverend Brian, we welcome him to Watkinsville and deleting one of our longest tenured institutions at Bethel Baptist, we're 01:49:45
grateful that he's he's there. 01:49:49
Farmers Market is open at Hair Shoals every Saturday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PMI. Think we've navigated the paving and the improvements at 01:49:55
Hair Shoals. 01:49:58
It's a cool vibe down there. Y'all if you don't go down there. I know some of us miss having it on downtown, but it's actually a 01:50:02
fun vibe. And what they tell me is they just really enjoy seeing all the different families and people who are coming into hair 01:50:07
Shoals and going to the playground of possibilities on Saturdays. Many more families, many more children. 01:50:12
So try to get there if you can. 01:50:18
They want to grow it. 01:50:20
We will be doing the paving assurance that earlier Thursday and Friday. 01:50:21
At the park, a lot of that work is underway, but this ought to tighten it all up. I guess we'll pave it Thursday, Friday. They'll 01:50:26
have to come back and restripe later. Is that right, Sharon? 01:50:30
But we're really excited about adding additional parking spaces to hair Shoals. This is the first phase to really beginning some 01:50:35
of the other additional improvements that were on our master plan that. 01:50:40
SPG did for us, so we're excited to see that happen. 01:50:44
We have a mother of a rock star here, up here with us. Faith Tucker, congratulations on being a Georgia scholar. 01:50:48
She's in good company there. I don't know Miss Hollower, but I do know Mary Webb, who also has an amazing story, cancer survivor. 01:50:56
Talented musician and a wonderful young lady, but we are very proud of Faith and everything she's doing. Christine and all your 01:51:03
children of course, but I feel like Faith is just always popping up and doing remarkable things. So congratulations to Fate. 01:51:09
This guy had a birthday. 01:51:16
Next year is the big one, so we'll leave it at that for now, but thank you. It was a good day. 01:51:20
Before. 01:51:28
Before we move on, yesterday, I spent my birthday through an accident of scheduling, but probably providential with my dad and my 01:51:29
brother. My dad's best friend and college roommate served 33 years in the military, and he was interred with honors at Arlington. 01:51:37
National Cemetery yesterday and it's a birthday I'll never forget and it had nothing to do with me, but had everything to do with 01:51:46
this man's service to our country. 01:51:50
And the opportunity to see not just him saluted, but to see 450,000. 01:51:54
Markers of people who have made tremendous sacrifices to our country and it just really made me reflect on. 01:52:00
It's it's easy to be negative about America right now, but it is so easy when you go to Washington, you see those sacrifices and 01:52:07
understand what those men and women have done for our country. 01:52:12
To take a moment and gain a little perspective and understand this is still. 01:52:16
The greatest country in the world with the most opportunity for all of us and. 01:52:21
There's nowhere else I'd rather be. So anyway, it was it was a great birthday. With that, we will go post one Chuck Garrett. 01:52:26
Let's see. I wouldn't. 01:52:34
Remind everybody to remind your family and friends that they're traveling from downtown to Publix and on that side of town to be 01:52:36
extra careful with the road construction because. 01:52:42
I was told. 01:52:49
Fall of 25 is when they help to be finished. 01:52:51
So we got all. 01:52:54
Another year of it. 01:52:56
And that's if the weather is good. 01:52:59
All of 25. 01:53:02
Hang in there, team, all right? I. 01:53:05
Councilman Massey. Nothing to report, all right? 01:53:08
Councilman Thomas. Nothing for me, All right? Councilwoman Tucker. Murder Pro Tem Tucker. Excuse me. 01:53:13
Just Sharon mentioned it, but we have some beautiful sculptures coming in in the next month that'll be very exciting. 01:53:19
So be looking for those and walk the the great path between the playground and possibilities down to Harris Shoals. So 01:53:28
improvements are continuing. 01:53:32
And Councilman. 01:53:37
Under economic development, we had a local Watkinsville business. This is a fantastic contest that's put on each year by 01:53:40
University of Georgia and the Department of Agriculture. And Paul Paul Coister of New Creation Soda entered his patches. 01:53:49
Peach soda into it and he was not only the beverage category winner, he was the overall grand champion out of all products that 01:53:59
were submitted. And the nice thing about his so the one. 01:54:05
The name from the sign that's on the Peach stand, Eatonton area. And so that's that's one homage. The other one is he doesn't use 01:54:11
Peach flavoring. He uses Peaches from Pearson Farms in Georgia. 01:54:18
So, and that's also why the soil is not available year round. 01:54:26
So we were trying to get some more on our store and he's like you got to wait till mid-May when the Peaches are ready. So he he's 01:54:30
run out of all the Peaches from last season. So anyway it's a great story that a local business created this product and and one 01:54:36
that that's a big honor to win that especially the overall champion. 01:54:42
There's somebody else who makes some local ice cream. That's that way too, right? You can't get Peach ice cream in the winter at 01:54:49
Farm 441, can you? 01:54:52
All right. I don't think we need an executive session unless anybody is aware of that. So with that, I'll entertain a motion to 01:55:00
adjourn. I make a motion to adjourn. 01:55:04
Second all I ever say. Aye, Aye. 01:55:09
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Are we good, Sharon? 00:00:07
All right, I want to welcome everybody to the April 17th meeting of the Watkinsville City Council. Grateful to see a good crowd 00:00:11
here tonight. We have several. 00:00:17
Items that will require some conversation. So I will. I'm going to move us pretty quickly through most of the agenda items and I 00:00:23
would ask those who have. 00:00:26
Administrative reports to do the same, please. And not not dawdle as we move forward. Given everything we've got going tonight, we 00:00:31
do have a quorum grateful that all of you are here. Tonight we'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance, as we always do. Please 00:00:36
join me in the pledge. 00:00:40
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, 00:00:46
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 00:00:53
Right, we have several. 00:01:04
Announcements to make at the top of the meeting #1. 00:01:07
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Watkinsville is proud. 00:01:11
To recognize that and to support all the efforts in this community. 00:01:16
To to try to eradicate child abuse. And I do proclaim the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Watkinsville, GA. 00:01:22
And encourage all citizens to volunteer their talents and energies on behalf of children in our community. 00:01:30
To reduce child abuse and neglect and neglect significantly in the years to come. So we have a proclamation there and court 00:01:35
client. If you can get that to whoever needs a copy of said proclamation, that would be great. 00:01:40
We also have a proclamation. It is a Municipal Court. Week will come up before our next meeting. 00:01:47
And it just so happens Watkinsville has the best municipal clerk in the world. And Julie Fine. 00:01:54
Julie. 00:02:03
If we don't say it enough, you deserve our extreme gratitude. 00:02:04
As the city has evolved and changed. 00:02:08
25 How many years, 27 years. Julie has been a rock. She has been a smiling face. And not just a smiling face, but someone who gets 00:02:12
a tremendous amount done and keeps us organized, efficient and legal and all that we do. And Julie, we are grateful to you. So I 00:02:20
will read this proclamation and offer my thanks to you along with the rest of the council. 00:02:28
Whereas the office of professional Municipal clerk is a time honored and vital part of local government exists throughout the 00:02:36
world. 00:02:39
The Office of Professional Municipal Clerk is among the oldest public servants. The Office of the Professional Municipal Court 00:02:43
provides the professional link between citizens and the local governing bodies and agencies of government. 00:02:48
At other levels, whereas professional municipal clerks have pledged to be mindful of their neutrality and impartiality, rendering 00:02:53
equal service to all. 00:02:57
The Professional Municipal Court serves as the Information Center on functions of local government and community, whereas 00:03:01
professional Municipal courts continually strive to improve the administration of affairs of the Office of the Professional 00:03:06
Municipal Court through participation Education program seminars, workshops and the annual means of the state, provincial, county 00:03:11
and international Professional organizations. Now. Therefore, I, Brian Broderick, Mayor of Watkinsville, recognize the week of May 00:03:15
5th through May 11th. 00:03:20
2024 is professional Municipal Court this week and extend further appreciation to our professional Municipal Court. Julie Klein. 00:03:25
And to all professional municipal clerks for the vital services they perform and their exemplary dedication to the communities 00:03:32
they represent. Thank you, Julie. 00:03:36
Thank you all. I appreciate it. 00:03:43
Our next item up is we have. 00:03:47
Some poets in the room and I think James Mitchell and Kate Patterson are going to hand, are going to make that announcement. Is 00:03:49
that right? 00:03:54
OK, so we have Kate, who's our DDA director and our Oconee Library branch manager, James Mitchell. If you could come up to the 00:03:59
podium and make that announcement. Yes, I'm Kate, I'm the downtown development director and we partnered up with the County 00:04:05
Library. This is James. He's the manager of the library here and hosted a poetry competition. We had an adult category and a youth 00:04:11
category with quite a few entries. And tonight we would like to present certificates to our winners, Miss. Gwendolyn Peck and 00:04:17
Miss. 00:04:24
Amelia. Amelia Emerson. Yes, their poems actually that were selected to be the winners will be chalked on the sidewalk in downtown 00:04:32
Watkinsville later this month, so we're excited to see their poetry in writing downtown. 00:04:40
All right. Are they going to? 00:04:49
There you go. 00:05:13
Awesome. All right, ready. 00:05:16
Not to speak about briefly about these two, these two young women. 00:05:27
Amelia Emerson This is her second meeting in a row. For those of you who aren't participating, you should be. She helped launch 00:05:33
our April Litter pickup contest in Watkinsville. 00:05:38
So. 00:05:43
I saw about probably 12 or 14 high school age students out picking up litter on 3rd St. and South Main Street on Sunday. 00:05:47
So that's been wonderful to see. And Amelia, we appreciate your leadership and hope to have you back in May to announce our winner 00:05:55
then. Our other young lady is Miss Gwendolyn Peck, a long time friend of mine. 00:06:01
Wonderful teacher at Oconee County High School. 00:06:09
Probably wrote the most meaningful and thoughtful thing to me on my wedding day that I received and in terms of a note and a 00:06:12
wedding gift. And so I know you're a talented writer, also very talented coach, a state champion. 00:06:18
Coach and Coach Beck, we're grateful for you and grateful for your involvement with the library and that you still have that 00:06:25
writing talent. Can't wait to see it on the sidewalk. So thank you for being with us tonight. 00:06:29
All right, a few reminders for the public before we get into the meeting. We just talked about the litter pickup contest with the 00:06:40
only way out. We've got the grabbers Come by City Hall. We'll put you to work if you are interested in. 00:06:45
Interested in participating in that for first place? You'll get 100. Whoever picks up the most is going to get $100.00 gift 00:06:52
certificate to Athens running company 2nd Place. 00:06:56
$75.00 to Mama nings 3rd place $50.00 Gift certificate to scoops. 00:07:01
And the strangest litter find, whatever that is, gets a $50.00 gift card to bird and brass so. 00:07:06
Hopefully we have have a lot of people participating in that. Then we also have coming up this weekend, a very busy weekend in 00:07:14
Watkinsville, so the more litter we can get picked up before this weekend we have the Piedmont Garden Tour. 00:07:20
Which is coming to Watkinsville on Saturday, so if you see crowds of people. 00:07:27
Along S Main St. and around oh Calf. They are at participants in the Piedmont Garden Tour, so please drive carefully. We will have 00:07:33
people crossing S Main St. 00:07:37
So, so be very careful as you drive drive out there. 00:07:43
Excuse me? 00:07:48
OK, test, test. Any better? 00:07:51
That any better? OK. All right. Then we will also have the next day we'll have the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Spring 00:07:55
Ramble that's in Athens, I think the 18th and no, the 19th and 20th. 00:08:02
And then the 21st in Oconee, so there are a lot of homes in Watkinsville on that tour. 00:08:09
I think including including Mayor Pro Tem Tucker's home and Councilman Garrett's home, so so it'll be a great opportunity to see 00:08:14
some of the historic homes in Watkinsville and we thank those owners for opening up their homes. 00:08:21
To the public, we'll have guests from around the state visiting on Sunday in Oconee County and seeing our historic homes, so we're 00:08:28
excited to have them and other structures. I heard that Wire Park has a guided tour that the Eagle Tavern will be open, so it's 00:08:33
going to be a great day if you enjoy history you won't want to miss. 00:08:38
The Ramble. Also see Sam Drennan out there. I think your home is on the tour. Anybody else? Oh, Susannah. Kathleen, you're home 00:08:44
too. OK, we've got all the sanctuary. 00:08:48
What's that? Yeah, so a lot of rambling going on. 00:08:53
Today is the last day. Today may be the last day to buy tickets. So when you leave here, if you want to do it, then sign up and 00:08:58
get your tickets. All right, we will move along to what's next. 00:09:03
So as I remind everyone at most meetings, these meetings are broadcast simultaneously online via the Suite 1 webcasting public 00:09:09
portal. Those who aren't able to attend the meeting can access that portal at the link on our website and they can follow along. 00:09:14
All the information is shared on those tabs. We do provide closed captioning for those meetings. If you want to watch live and 00:09:20
have closed captioning, you have to click the CC icon. 00:09:26
In the lower right corner of the video window, when the video from tonight's meeting is posted online, the closed captions will 00:09:32
automatically appear. You can also view a transcript. 00:09:37
There, as a reminder, the agenda is posted a week in advance and then the packet is posted as soon as possible prior to the 00:09:41
meeting so people can write in. 00:09:45
About what they have going on, we will have a couple public hearings tonight where public comment is required. We also have the 00:09:50
quarter ordinance which is under old business. I know a lot of you are here to talk about that. We will do public comment on that. 00:09:56
We have a few other items under appearances where we will probably will not have public comment as much as we'll just have a 00:10:02
briefing from those who are the applicants. So we can keep things moving tonight and get to what you guys want to hear about. 00:10:08
With that, I'll move on to meeting minutes. Council, you have the meeting for the the minutes for the March 20th meeting in front 00:10:14
of you and you've had them. Do we have a motion to approve or any comments on the minutes? 00:10:20
I make a motion to approve. 00:10:26
Do we have a second? 00:10:30
I'll say we have a second from Councilman Thomas. Any comments hearing? None. All in favor, Say aye. Motion carries 5. 00:10:32
We also had, if you were at the last meeting, we had a discussion around. 00:10:40
Some site modifications they want to make it Trove Mayor Pro Tem Tucker and I met with them during the eclipse. 00:10:46
So that was, that was, I think I'd have no black spots in my eyes. I'm proud to report. I don't think you're seeing everything OK 00:10:52
as much as I ever think. So anyway, it was a good excuse to be outside in a cool moment and we did include the minutes of those 00:10:57
meetings. We also advertised that meeting to the public. 00:11:03
And I posted those notes. So council, I would entertain a motion to approve those minutes. Please, I make a motion to approve the 00:11:09
minutes. 00:11:13
Second. Second All right. Any discussion all in favor, say aye. 00:11:16
Motion carries 5 O. 00:11:22
We'll move to the approval of the agenda. I have no adjustments to the agenda. Does anyone have any? 00:11:24
Hearing none, I'll entertain a motion to approve the agenda. Motion to approve the agenda. Do we have a second? 00:11:29
All in favor, Say aye. 00:11:36
Motion carries 5. 00:11:38
All right, we are proud to welcome a new Lieutenant to our Police Department, and that's Robert Benton's. 00:11:40
Mr. Benton is a 20 year police veteran who most recently served as a Sergeant with the City of Thompson Police Department and has 00:11:47
served as a uniformed officer with increasing responsibility since 1998, first as an officer for the CAB. 00:11:53
From 1998 to 2022, then the city of Thompson, 2022 to 2024. 00:12:00
Officer Benton and his wife previously lived in Oconee County but now reside in the Warrenton area on a farm. 00:12:05
Officer Benton, welcome to Watkinsville. We're thrilled to have you here and I think Attorney Reitman is going to step up to 00:12:11
administer the oath of office if you want to stand as well. 00:12:14
Thank you. 00:12:19
Welcome, Sir, and I'm going to administer the official oath that you will raise your right hand, please, and repeat after me at 00:12:29
the end. You can say I do or I do, so help you, God, do you solemnly swear affirm that you will faithfully execute the office of 00:12:35
Police Lieutenant for the City of Watkinsville, and to the best of your ability, support and defend the Constitution of the United 00:12:41
States, the Constitution of Georgia, and the Charter. 00:12:47
Ordinances and Regulations of the City of Watkinsville and. 00:12:54
Without fear, favor, affection, reward, or expectation thereof. If you agree with that oath and say I do or I do, so help me out I 00:13:31
do. 00:13:34
Congratulations. 00:13:38
Make it 100% official and then I will. 00:13:45
Witness it. 00:13:49
I got the blue pan out for you. I figured that would be appropriate. 00:13:52
Again, congratulations. Thank you, Sir. 00:14:00
Thank you. 00:14:10
All right. We'll move on to administration and we'll kick off with the financial reports for a manager Dickerson. Thank you, 00:14:37
Mayor. 00:14:40
Everybody should have the balance sheet, their general revenues and the general fund expenses. We are on track, do not anticipate 00:14:44
any problems with that at this point. I will walk you through some of this. The other reports are special purpose local option 00:14:51
sales tax 3, which we began collecting revenues on in October of 21 and will continue through September 30th of 2027. Right now 00:14:58
we're showing if we continue at this rate, we will project to collect another half million dollars. 00:15:04
You'll see that we are about 5% up. We compare year to year. So we're about 5% over where we were last year, have a little bit 00:15:44
more than $1,000,000 in the bank. 00:15:48
On the cheese losses, our transportation special purpose local option sales tax. 00:15:54
That is specifically transportation projects. You'll see sidewalks, traffic efficiency improvements, and Rd. resurfacing monies 00:15:58
that have been set aside, right now, the only monies that we have. 00:16:03
Officially spent have been on the sidewalks that you see down New High Shoals Industrial Blvd. 00:16:08
Probably a couple little segments here there, but those are the two large ones. We've got another one coming hopefully on the 00:16:15
South Main side. 00:16:18
But there are monies that have been that are being proposed that have been encumbered and that's some of what we'll talk about 00:16:22
tonight as well there. Some of these monies may be used for the L, Meg or the local Rd. 00:16:27
Probably more, but we'll see. Right now we have a little bit more than $580,000. 00:17:07
In that account. 00:17:12
And then the American rescue plan. 00:17:14
Acts reports, These are the funds that the. 00:17:16
State Sorry, the United States Federal Government. 00:17:19
Gave to communities throughout the United States after COVID hit. 00:17:22
And those monies are supposed to be used for transformative projects I'm happy to report council did use. 00:17:27
A good chunk of it 710,000 to purchase the 100 acre Thomas Farm Preserve. 00:17:32
We still have about 9, a little bit more than $95,000 that needs to be appropriated and that decision will most likely come when 00:17:37
the council approves budget in June, because the requirement from the federal government is that those funds be appropriated. 00:17:45
Before December 31st of this year and then have to be spent by December 31st of 2026. 00:17:53
Any questions? 00:17:59
OK. I'll go on to the economic development report. So this is our business license, alcohol, licensing fees, you'll see, I know 00:18:02
nobody can read this in the audience, but it is online if you'd like to see. It took in a little bit more than $19,000 and that's 00:18:08
pretty typical. March 15th is our deadline. So we've got a few people we're still trying to bring in their. 00:18:15
There get their licenses approved, but. 00:18:22
I think we're on track, pretty close. So excise tax on alcohol and on our short term vacation rentals, hotel, motel tax, we're 00:18:25
tracking pretty well on those as well. 00:18:30
And then the building permits, we only had three permits for three projects this month, small projects. 00:18:36
I mean, I guess technically the one at wire parks, not small, but anyway mostly home type projects. Any questions on any of those? 00:18:43
OK. 00:18:52
All right. So we have had a busy month with the DDA. 00:18:57
We had. 00:19:04
Our sidewalk sale. Our first ever sidewalk sale, and it was the weekend before. 00:19:06
Easter, The weekend of Easter and. 00:19:13
The merchants in town, most everybody was thrilled. They want to see us do this on a regular basis. 00:19:17
And the only thing that we are going to tweak is to have we did a lot of social media. 00:19:24
Advertising, but to have some more signs around town, so there's actually physical signs and those have already been ordered and 00:19:30
taken care of because we have a very efficient DDA director. So we are all ready to go for the next one. 00:19:37
OK, so I am personally incredibly excited about this. I will not be cooking next week because there are seven different 00:19:45
restaurants in our downtown that are doing 7 different burgers. 00:19:51
Next week. And it's a competition and it's also a fundraiser and so. 00:19:58
I encourage all of you to visit at least one of these, but I think we should maybe have a little separate side contest for anybody 00:20:05
who does all 7. 00:20:09
So we haven't discussed that, but I'm I'm going to try. I will be eating a lot of smoothies and broccoli for lunch if this is my 00:20:16
dinner. But so. 00:20:20
I know a lot of work has gone into organizing this. 00:20:26
And it's a great way to support our downtown and our local restaurants. 00:20:29
And then also we have been talking about this barbecue and Bake Off. It had been scheduled for May 3rd, however. 00:20:35
For a lot of different reasons. 00:20:45
It is rescheduled to August 3rd and everybody, every mom in the town is breathing a sigh of relief because May is insanely busy so 00:20:49
this will be a great way to kick off our before school starts. So mark your calendar for August 3rd if you had it on May 3rd. Go 00:20:56
ahead and do one of the other many many, many many things that are happening that day and so. And also if you are, this is more 00:21:03
time for you to figure out that you can enter this at that your BBQ is worth it or your baked goods are worth it. This again is a 00:21:10
fundraiser and. 00:21:18
The DVA is doing this in partnership with the Oconee Visitors Bureau Center. 00:21:25
Yeah. So and it's supporting Bethlehem, which is really important. So that's it for the DDA. 00:21:33
Thank you, Chief. Gale. 00:21:42
Good evening. 00:21:45
To those types of incidences, criminal investigations, what are the proper ways to investigate? 00:22:24
Calls and and stuff that we're going on to make sure it the case will make it all the way through the court. 00:22:32
Setting. 00:22:39
Moving on our police vehicles, we did get a notification that the Ford Motor had some recall on a Bolt, so we're having to 00:22:41
schedule our vehicles. 00:22:46
It is there they have told us there is no safety. 00:22:51
Issues and I said these are emergency vehicles, are they OK? They have ensured that we can do this in a scheduled protocol, but 00:22:55
that is going on right now. So it will take a few weeks to get all of our cars updated through this recall. 00:23:03
We also have cops and bobbers coming up. I was talking to the gentleman that that really helps us with this and and it sounds like 00:23:14
we're a full house already with reservations for this program. So it's going to be very exciting and we're in conversations with 00:23:20
some. 00:23:27
Some instructors to teach a self-defense class that's been asked by citizens. So more to come dates, scheduling, making sure 00:23:33
spaces are available. Safety protocols are met. But so that's what we're working on and we're just we're in a really good spot 00:23:42
right now and I'm not on wood and I, I, I just want to welcome you know Lieutenant Benton to. 00:23:51
Watkinsville, which he lived here for a long minute, so he's very familiar and that that was another part of the fitting piece. 00:24:00
So that's really what we have. Chief, you want to talk about the storm? OK. And you said we did. 00:24:08
The the storms that came through what, a week and a half ago? I. 00:24:16
There was a a tree that came down in downtown and it fell. There was property damage. So officers responded, city officials 00:24:22
responded, and we all work together very well. We, you know, we were making sure that the roadways were safe for passing and we 00:24:29
actually shut down the roadway for a short period so that there was no interference while the road was being cleaned up. 00:24:36
And thankfully, there were no injuries reported. 00:24:45
All right. Questions for Chief Gale. 00:24:51
All right. Thank you, Chief. 00:24:54
All right. Consent agenda I think we're just. 00:24:58
We're just surplus in a police motorcycle, so can I entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda? I make a motion to approve 00:25:02
the consent agenda. We have a second. 00:25:07
Second, any discussion. 00:25:12
Hearing none. All in favor, say aye. All right, Motion carries. 00:25:14
We're going to move into public hearings. Some of these are. 00:25:18
At least one of these is a kind of a minor. 00:25:23
Zoning matter than the other will be about the budget. We do have to follow a little bit of a process where we do a hearing and we 00:25:26
do a vote on the zoning matter, so bear with me as we go through that. 00:25:30
We have to follow the law here and that means that. 00:25:34
You know, if you want to come forward, there's 4 minutes per person. 00:25:38
If you want to discuss any of these items, refrain from debate, argument or personal attacks, address your comments directly to 00:25:41
the Council and discuss the merits of the pending matter. 00:25:45
And address remarks directly to council. Council won't speak to potential litigation, attorney-client or personnel matters. So in 00:25:50
that these are the rules that we'll also use on any other matter tonight when we have. 00:25:55
When we have, I know that technically the corridor ordinance is under old business, but we're going to treat that like a hearing. 00:26:01
So you all remember that you'll have 4 minutes if you want to make comments and you'll need to address the council, not the crowd, 00:26:05
for that. 00:26:08
But this one is about Trove, and really all it is is kind of a zoning cleanup matter. 00:26:13
Where they had dedicated some green space to the city as part of that transaction and we want to be sure that that that those 00:26:18
parcels. 00:26:22
Are rezoned from detached residential to parks, recreation and conservation because they do have a conservation easement on those. 00:26:26
And that's the parcel you see directly across from Colin Perry Elementary. 00:26:32
A parcel back towards a. 00:26:38
The pond off of Morrison St. and then a parcel also across. 00:26:40
Morrison St. by the Creek down there, so that'll all be permanent green space. 00:26:44
So at this point, I'm going to open the public hearing. If anybody wants to come forward and speak to that, they're welcome to. 00:26:48
Hearing none, I'm going to close that public hearing council. At this point, I'll entertain a vote on rezoning the parcels listed 00:26:57
in your packet from detached residential to Parks, recreation, and conservation. 00:27:04
I make that motion. 00:27:12
Do we have a second? 00:27:14
Have a second from Councilman Thomas any discussion. 00:27:16
Hearing none, all in favor, say aye, aye. 00:27:21
Motion carries 5 O. 00:27:25
We have. 00:27:26
Looks like. 00:27:28
Let's say 1012 new acres of permanent green space in Watkinsville. So this is, this is good, so. 00:27:32
Public hearing on the budget. So this is that time of year where we start talking about budget. We'll actually have a budget, a 00:27:39
budget for your review, for the public review, I think at our next council meeting. But tonight is the moment, if you have 00:27:46
something that you just is on your mind that you'd love to see the city budget for. 00:27:52
For the city to do or a request for the budget, not having seen the budget but just something that you've always thought, why 00:27:59
don't you do X or Y? This is your opportunity to come speak to council before that budget is fully developed and presented to 00:28:03
council. So if anybody would like to come forward. 00:28:08
And and offer suggestions for the budget for fiscal year. 00:28:13
25 Now is your Mama. 00:28:18
Yes, ma'am. Come on, you gotta say no. Yeah. So this is your first time? This is my first time. Name and address. 00:28:24
37 S Main and I wasn't really planning on doing this, but it just occurred to me. So I have a question. You said if you know why 00:28:32
haven't you, I'm going to ask. 00:28:35
In that big intersection. 00:28:40
Of Greensboro Highway and South Main and Varnish Hills. There is kind of a triangle that's paved in there that looks slightly 00:28:43
different. 00:28:47
Can we plant anything in there? 00:28:53
That's a great question. We will ask G dot about that and that's their road and they control that and. 00:28:55
Good question. That would be really nice. Yeah. And and we'll say if if we are able to, then we will budget for that. So that'll 00:29:02
be a budget comment. So thank you. 00:29:05
Mrs. Drennan, great comment. Any other thoughts on budget? Suggestions, ideas? 00:29:10
All right. Well, we will have, as you can see up there, we have a pretty exhaustive process on budget. 00:29:15
We'll have public hearings, public hearings. 00:29:20
Galore over the next few months and you guys are welcome to join us for any of those and give us your input once you've seen the 00:29:24
budget. 00:29:27
Which we anticipate posting at some point in May for public review. 00:29:30
Thank you all. close that public hearing. 00:29:36
And we'll move on. And we have two appearances tonight. The first one is on behalf of Mr. Johnny Lay, and I think it'll be a 00:29:38
consulting. And Abe, are you presenting this matter tonight? OK, if you want to step forward. 00:29:46
And step up there. We're going to have a report from engineer Campbell first. 00:29:54
And then we will hear from the manager about wastewater capacity. 00:29:59
And then we'll have you come forward a, but that's OK. So thank you Mayor. So the the first item would be the residential 00:30:03
subdivision plat. The address is 110 N Main St. It's owned by Johnny Lay, the lay family on several parcels that are around this 00:30:09
area. It is zoned attached residential. It's a little bit less than an acre, but the the request is to subdivide an existing 00:30:15
partial into two residential tracks. So if we can go to the next slide again and give you an idea. This is on the east side of 00:30:21
North Main Street, it's north of Thrasher. 00:30:27
South of White Street, ext. 00:30:33
Next slide. So this is the, the site plan that's been submitted as part of that subdivision, so the existing track. 00:30:37
Has a structure on the northern portion of the track and then it is an undeveloped portion where there is a proposed track to be 00:30:44
there that would be a little less than half an acre. That's where you see a future home driveway shown. There is an existing 00:30:52