Transcript

Well, OK. All right. Welcome to the May addition of the Watkinsville City Council meeting. Glad everyone is here tonight. We just 00:00:12
got done with an hour plus budget hearing and thanks to all who participated and viewed that online. We do have a quorum. In fact, 00:00:18
we have a full house tonight. So thank you for everybody who could make it and we will kick off the meeting with the Pledge of 00:00:25
Allegiance. CJ Worden, who directs our Emergency Management services for Oconee County is here tonight and he's going to lead us. 00:00:31
All right, first thing on the agenda tonight is the approval of the April 20th minutes. Everybody should have had those for most 00:01:01
of the month if I'll entertain a motion to approve the minutes or make any. 00:01:07
Make any changes that someone wants to suggest. 00:01:14
I make a motion to approve the minutes from last month. We have a motion. Do we have a? 00:01:17
We have a second from Councilman Garrett. Any discussion hearing? None. All in favor? Say aye. 00:01:23
Any opposed carries? 00:01:29
All right. On the agenda, we've got two changes I'd like to ask about. For the agenda, this is also your time. If you want to 00:01:32
bring something off consent, you need to voice that. Now. We do have two items on the consent agenda. 00:01:37
Tonight I'd like to remove item 14 from the agenda. That's a sewer capacity request. 00:01:42
And I'd like to go ahead and move to table item 17. 00:01:48
We have a little bit of lack of clarity over the process to move that forward and I think several council members feel like they 00:01:53
need some additional detail on that. 00:01:57
So I'd like if you guys will agree with that. I'd like to remove 14 and table 17. 00:02:01
I make a motion to approve the agenda with those two changes. 00:02:09
All right. We have a motion from Councilwoman Tucker. Do we have a 2nd I'll second? We have a motion. We have a second. Any 00:02:13
discussion. 00:02:16
All in favor, say aye. Any opposed like sign motion carries 5. 00:02:20
Everything working in virtual meeting land. 00:02:26
I saw a well dressed tech support coming through the room. 00:02:29
I've got somebody on the other side looking. 00:02:35
All right, we're ready to go, All right. 00:02:42
OK. We will move on to administration. Before we get into administration, I will looks like we have a lot of familiar faces here 00:02:47
tonight. So I don't know that I need to do a long reminder but. 00:02:51
Our public input process, if it's not a public hearing or a time noted specifically by our attorney for public input, Council does 00:02:57
from time to time at its own discretional out. Public input comments should be directly related to the item at hand. We'd ask you 00:03:03
to come up to the podium if you do speak. We're not going to have debate argument, personal attacks are relevant discussion. 00:03:10
Address the merits of the pending matter. And please address any comments towards the council, not towards the audience. 00:03:16
Council won't speak to potential litigation, attorney-client or personnel matters, even when we. 00:03:23
Provide an opportunity for public input on any matter. All right. So under administration, we're going to kick off with financial 00:03:29
reports. 00:03:32
Manager Dickerson, if you could start with that, you guys should have the general fund balance sheet, the revenues and 00:03:36
expenditures. Revenues are trending on on task or the expenditures. I don't unless there's questions about. I'll skip through this 00:03:42
since we just spent a whole bunch of time talking about money, but I will talk a little bit about the spouse reports because those 00:03:48
are important. These are your capital funds. 00:03:53
There are roughly $250,000 of money of funds and spots one. 00:04:00
About 1.3 million left and Sloss 2 which. 00:04:08
More than well $900,000 of that along with the money and spot one is dedicated to the water, sorry to the sewer line extension 00:04:12
through the industrial park and then 440,000 of the 449 is to pay our portion our pledge to the ADA accessible playground that has 00:04:19
been built. 00:04:26
And you'll notice that we are actually a balance of funds. I don't know why my cursor is all the way over there. Hang on. The 00:04:35
balance of funds, we actually have about $34,000 more than what we budgeted and that's just because we've had higher than average. 00:04:41
Monthly revenues on that. 00:04:48
So those have not been programmed. We'll work towards that as we get toward the end of these projects. So that's the total 00:04:51
unencumbered is 34,000, correct. 00:04:54
That's extra money that's not been dedicated yet. 00:04:59
OK. And then Sposs 3 reports, this is your newer 1? 00:05:02
Started accumulating money back in. I think it was October. 00:05:09
And you're trending as, as you can tell it's 50, we're about $58,000 more than what we projected and that's because we've been 00:05:12
getting and we budget around 61,000, we're getting more like 71,000 a month. 00:05:17
So that's about right for how far we've gotten into it so far these funds right now have been some of some of them have been 00:05:22
earmarked for some public safety. 00:05:27
And. 00:05:33
The record parts The $100,000 for the record park for the master plan at the at Hair Shoals Park. 00:05:36
Those are some of your big ones on there. 00:05:43
That have been earmarked. 00:05:45
And then this is your comparison. So to show you there where we're getting 70, about $71,000 a month on average. 00:05:48
And then our ARP which has changed, you guys are have been great about going with the flow, it's changed quite a bit, but 00:05:56
basically you have a balance in the in the bank account, you have $369,000 in the bank, another $548,204.50 it's supposed to be. 00:06:05
Distributed in July to the city from the American Rescue Plan. You have only expended about 187,000 of the of the of the first 00:06:15
installment of the first tranche of that funding. And we mentioned during the budget meeting earlier that some of the May that you 00:06:22
did earmark for police that's appropriate for public safety most likely won't be at 132,000 which is showing up on that. So the 00:06:29
second blue line on that screen. 00:06:35
So we anticipate some of that will come back and you can reprogram that money. 00:06:42
Just a little update on our budget process. We agreed thankfully at the last at the at the previous meeting that will not be a 00:06:48
work session on May 26th, but there will be the final public hearing on the budget and the mileage rate on June 15th and of course 00:06:53
tonight you will have your second. 00:06:59
Hearing for the mileage rate and your second hearing for the. 00:07:06
Budget. 00:07:09
Any questions about financial? 00:07:11
No, OK. 00:07:17
So economic reports, business licenses, we've had non business licenses. 00:07:20
In April, a little bit more than $1000 and then we had, let's see. 00:07:25
Building permits, we had nine building permits for eight projects, a couple over in Trove or getting getting some things going 00:07:33
over there in Trove. 00:07:36
And a wire Part 2 big projects others. 00:07:40
Sort of maintenance type issues. Any questions on either one of those reports? 00:07:43
OK. 00:07:50
We're looking for the police chief. Has anybody seen him? 00:07:54
You must not have realized everything, all right, We'll wait about 15 more seconds, and otherwise he might have to come back in 00:07:59
and catch up at a later moment. 00:08:04
I will say why he's gone and he'll miss. He'll miss this compliment. But if you look at the, if you look at the speeding reports 00:08:17
on the council, I always enjoyed digging into those and. 00:08:21
The speeds have come down. It's been a slow progress, but it's pretty impressive to see where the speeds are on some of our 00:08:27
busiest roads. Or maybe it was an unusual, unusually good month. But looking at the reports and then with the new sign, suddenly 00:08:31
we're able. 00:08:36
Pick up that data on Hardin Hill and other places. But it is it is impressive to see that some. 00:08:41
Some of those speeds are coming down, I see. 00:08:46
Sorry, I'm slightly conflicted. You know, I when when somebody passes by me on Hardin Hill on VFW drive and it starts flashing 00:08:51
red, I can't help but have to speed up myself to see what else is going is going to say like slowly roll or you know something 00:08:57
about the force. You know, use less force. Just remember when you're challenging this sign, there may be an officer on the other 00:09:04
side with an actual radar. It's the person. It's the person that's passing by me. 00:09:11
Anyway, Chief, I was just saying that it seems like it was a good a good month for. 00:09:19
For speeding, probably not a great month for revenue for you, but it looked like we, which was not what we're after. But it looked 00:09:25
like the speeds are continuing to come down and maybe folks do have a sense of humor and they're pausing to smile a little bit 00:09:29
when they see your new sign. So anyway, kudos on that, but go ahead with your report. We're making good progress towards an 00:09:34
efficient meeting tonight and I don't want to stand in the way of that. 00:09:39
Any questions over any of the data material? 00:09:45
Seeing none, hearing none, I would like to point out a couple of little elements before we move on from the data. 00:09:49
Real quick so we don't have a inefficient meeting. 00:09:57
If you recall. 00:10:03
So we did the study on Hardin Hill, both eastbound and West. 00:10:06
I can get to my P. 00:10:11
Where? 00:10:23
Yeah. 00:10:24
It's up on the screen. 00:10:29
Lay. 00:10:31
Is that the hard? 00:10:32
So use the 85th percentile on the eat westbound is 32. You know it's 25. Just imagine we we were. 00:10:34
35 Before we lower the speed, imagine what those speeds would be at the 85th percentile. 00:10:46
Keeping that same concept right there. So we are seeing a decline in the speed even though there are still some complaints over 00:10:52
there that there are some and there are some speeders, but by and large it's it's not. 00:10:57
And then the eastbound side was. 00:11:05
Although the westbound side was actually better. 00:11:09
That week, then the week before there was a little bit better. That's good. The other one that I wanted to point out was the South 00:11:14
main sign, which is 1 and you know right there in front of your house. 00:11:19
It is. 00:11:26
I'm sorry, 37. 00:11:30
85th percentile 37 miles an hour, which is excellent. 00:11:32
And the one on North Main heading north right there at just north of Simons Bridge is actually 28. 00:11:36
So good. Really good. 00:11:46
There's a lot of traffic going zero there, sometimes that. 00:11:48
There absolutely is, but don't count to 0. 00:11:52
Might be one of those mean median mode questions on that one. So right So on May 7th we had cops and bobbers. It was an absolutely 00:11:55
wonderful day. The good Lord provided us a beautiful day to celebrate with the children and the kids. 00:12:03
And the family members that were out there there. 00:12:11
Over 80 registered few didn't show up. We had a few extra show up that weren't aren't counted for but we had we had a really good 00:12:14
time out there during the during the morning. 00:12:18
Abigail Rice won first fish. 00:12:24
Lyndon Moses won the smallest with a four. 00:12:27
Blue. 00:12:31
McKenna Carter caught a the longest fish with an 11. 00:12:33
Believe that was a bass. Technically your son did, but you didn't let him win, so he caught a 12 inch I think. 00:12:38
He got he got a 12 inch bass, but he didn't get to count and then Sean Rice caught the most fish with 14. 00:12:46
And then he took home the kayak and fishing gear for the kayak. 00:12:52
So really good event that was. 00:12:57
All done with donated and you know raised funds that. 00:13:00
Made everything free for everybody that participated. It was a wonderful event. We look forward to doing it again next year. 00:13:05
For those of you that don't remember, I want to remind you your chief was selected by the Chiefs of Police of Georgia. 00:13:13
To participate in the 988 coalition and what that basically did for you is. 00:13:20
Put me on a panel of people all across the state of Georgia that helped establish the process and the methods by which 988 will go 00:13:27
into effect. 00:13:31
988 is a the new national hotline number for suicide. 00:13:36
And we'll go into effect nationwide July 16th. 00:13:41
And I'm very proud of the work that was accomplished throughout the state or the department, Department of Mental Health and Human 00:13:44
Services. 00:13:48
And. 00:13:52
That effort that they put forth to bring this to fruition, it was a massive undertaking, that website. 00:13:53
Is web link up there OK yeah, the website, the website there on the PowerPoint will take you to. 00:14:02
A plethora of information of what 980 is, what the processes were that were went through nationwide and in the state of Georgia. 00:14:08
And. 00:14:16
Highlight the facts. But now I will warn you, when you hit that website it will ask you with a splash. 00:14:18
Are you thinking about committing suicide or harming yourself? 00:14:24
So it'll do that twice before it lets you go into the into the data, but but a lot of valuable information. I would like, I would 00:14:27
love for everyone of y'all to go and improve that information. That was something that I was a part of. 00:14:33
What else? 00:14:41
One last thing before I go. I have brought on a number of employees, two-part time employees, Elena Krish and Alan Krish. 00:14:44
They are a married couple. They're working opposite shifts on opposite sides of the of the rotation. 00:14:53
They come to. 00:14:59
Believe it or not, Los Angeles Police Department. They are all both retirees from Los Angeles Police Department and found out we 00:15:01
were looking to hire part time employees and came to work. Alan is a full time employee at Oglethorpe Sheriff's Office. 00:15:07
And we're glad to have them on board and helping us fill the billets in the in the gaps that we've got going on in the department. 00:15:16
Also have Ron England who's in Academy he's. 00:15:22
In his third week in the Academy, what day is? 00:15:27
Yeah, he's gonna start a week in the. 00:15:31
And it's doing well. He's already made it through firearms and a couple of major, major tests that are critical. 00:15:34
And he seems to be doing well and not having any issues, which is a wonderful thing. 00:15:40
And then last this last week, Rebecca Stearns started. I'm sorry, Rachel Stearns started in the Academy. 00:15:45
Piedmont Technical College and Kevin. 00:15:55
Covington, yeah. 00:15:58
And she'll be going through an Elevate program just like Ryan is, is just in another location. So we've got them on board and 00:16:00
we're, you know, got the cookies in the oven and bacon. All right. Any questions? 00:16:05
Well, Chief, I know you've also got a big milestone coming up this weekend. I wanted to say congratulations to you on your 00:16:12
daughter's accomplishments. Pretty remarkable young lady with her academic and athletic accomplishments. And so we're really proud 00:16:19
of you and proud of her. And so just want to congratulate you too on Alex's upcoming graduation and all her successes. 00:16:26
Thank you very much. Yep. Thank you. 00:16:33
Thank you. 00:16:37
All right. We will move along to the consent agenda for the benefit of the public. We have two items on here that we won't spend 00:16:39
anytime discussing We have. 00:16:43
Had some conduit, believe it or not, on a trailer that was left in the city and we have put that after checking out the legal 00:16:48
protocols. We put that on Gov deals. 00:16:53
Have a buyer for that. So council will approve that with the motion to approve consent and then we also have are going to approve 00:16:58
our Statewide Mutual Aid and Assistance agreement after the meeting. Council will just need to put signatures on that and we will 00:17:03
hand a copy to CJ Warden and he'll be a happy man. 00:17:08
So that we'll have our relationship appropriately papered up, so. 00:17:14
Council, I'll take a motion on the consent agenda, please. 00:17:19
Make a motion that we approve the consent agenda as proposed. 00:17:24
All right, we have a motion. Do we have a second? 00:17:28
I second. 00:17:30
Any discussion all in favor? Say aye. Any opposed? 00:17:32
Motion carries 5. 00:17:36
All right. We're moving on to our public hearing. We have a couple public hearings tonight. The first one is on the property tax 00:17:39
mileage rate. We actually did a public hearing earlier today at 12:30. This is the second public hearing that's required for the 00:17:47
property tax mileage rate. We are holding our property tax mileage rate at the same level, but because the digest has increased, 00:17:55
we're required to have a public hearing because technically taxes will go up because of the increase in the digest. 00:18:03
Manager Dickerson, if you have anything else you want to add, please do so now and then we'll open up the public hearing. 00:18:11
I don't have anything. OK, All right. Well, the podium is open. Public hearing is open. If anyone wants to come up and offer a 00:18:15
comment on the mileage rate, please do so now. 00:18:21
And did we get any comments in advance of the? 00:18:32
Yes, Sir, Miss. 00:18:35
All right. Seeing no one coming forward, then I'll close the public hearing. 00:18:38
And we will move on to item 8, which is a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2023 General fund capital and Operating 00:18:42
Budget Manager, Dickerson, I will let you, I know we just spent a bunch of time on this, but please provide an overview for the 00:18:48
benefits of our guests and viewers. 00:18:53
We did just have a hour plus on work session on the budget, so if you don't hear questions from council, believe me it's not 00:18:59
because we didn't have them, but we've already invested 75 minutes in it tonight. 00:19:05
Yeah, so how? 00:19:13
Pull that down in a very brief way. So obviously my job is to make sure that the, the wishes of the council and their strategic 00:19:15
strategic initiatives and the services that the council has approved that they're delivered efficiently and effectively to the 00:19:22
public. In doing so, we have determined that and and looking at our revenues, we've determined that we will need. 00:19:30
2500 and $59,000 and 574, sorry, 22 million, I'll get this right, $2,559,574 in revenues to cover the same in expenses that will 00:19:38
require a fund, fund balance contribution that's being recommended of a little bit more than 210,000. 00:19:48
Our big services, I think it's always important to point out that the big services that the city provides are police 24/7 at 00:19:58
nearly $900,000 a year and public works at a little bit more than $570,000 a year. 00:20:04
So for 1.4 million out of 2.5, that's where your big chunks are coming from. 00:20:11
We also pointed out in the budget work session earlier that 51% of our budget is personnel. If you add in contract labor, which 00:20:17
includes our city engineer or city attorney and our planning and building inspections people, that increases the number to 72%. So 00:20:24
most of what we do is people that cost money. 00:20:30
A couple things to point out that are highlighted in the budget that are being recommended. 00:20:37
And it's not going to really show up there, but downtown development director for six months beginning in January of 2023. So of 00:20:42
course, Three and four will estimate that it's going to run somewhere around $57,000. 00:20:49
We are requesting a refresh of our employee pay and classification, Say that was done in 2018. That'll cost somewhere in the 00:20:57
neighborhood of 15,000. 00:21:01
We are. I'm requesting and recommending a cost of living adjustment for the employees at $5000 across the board. That helps out 00:21:06
those at the lower end more than those at the higher end, which we think is important right now with what's going on. 00:21:13
With people resigning and and people getting opportunities for other other jobs that are higher paying, we want to retain our 00:21:21
employees and we think that that will go a long way to do so. 00:21:26
The average city wage right now is $47,000. 00:21:31
We do have about a 6% increase in medical and dental insurance costs. We're just going to run about $10,000 more a year. 00:21:35
Fuel is going to be more expensive, of course. We've got police officers and nine different vehicles out there running around, so 00:21:43
that's going up roughly about $30,000 a year is what we're estimating, hopefully not higher than that. 00:21:49
We are asking for a part-time attack, a terminal agency coordinator and I think Chief walked out the door. But basically someone 00:21:56
who can help us with the Georgia, I'm sorry, yeah, with the Georgia criminal information. 00:22:03
Help me out Georgia Crime Information Computer. So I always get that stuff GC I see, I know, but people don't know what that 00:22:10
means. Obviously I don't either today, but will help us make sure that they were in compliance with policies and procedures. 00:22:17
Managing user accounts, ensuring the data quality of the of the National Crime Information Center records and the finger 00:22:24
fingerprint submission process is all in accordance with the law. There's also $7500 request from Okaf, a $14,000. 00:22:31
Request from the Fire department, Station One and a $30,000 pledge commitment to the library from the city. 00:22:40
All in all, as I said, we were looking at about a $210,000. 00:22:48
Deficit that will need to come and we're recommending to come out of the fund balance. 00:22:54
So that's hopefully that's brief enough and informative. 00:22:59
All right, we are in a public hearing if anyone has. 00:23:04
Input on the budget now is your opportunity. Please come forward. State your name, your address and. 00:23:08
Provide us with feedback. 00:23:13
All right. I'm not hearing or seeing any feedback, so we will, we will close that public hearing. 00:23:17
And we'll move on to our next public hearing, which involves A zoning text amendment for car sales, primarily an indoor showroom 00:23:25
as a conditional use in the employment center. District Attorney Reitman, if you want to kick us off on that, please, Sir. 00:23:32
Report Ralph's going to do the report under conditional use, but I can jump forward if you want me to do the report now. 00:24:00
Well the the text amendment is fairly self-explanatory, simply adds car sales primarily indoor showroom as a conditional use in 00:24:05
employment center and then we can get in the particulars of this application. So this time does anyone present who wishes to speak 00:24:11
in favor of the text amendment adding this use that's already permitted in another district in the Employment Center Zoning 00:24:16
district? Anyone wish to speak? 00:24:22
We do have the applicant, but do you wish for him to come forward and speak? And once we get to the condition we use just for the 00:24:30
benefit of the public and those who may be watching online, this is a 2 step process that we have to do for a new use that's 00:24:36
coming, being proposed. And so before we have a discussion about whether we want Mr. 00:24:42
Would then allow an indoor car sales and showroom facility, primarily indoor. So that's what we're voting on. Try to make it a 00:25:22
little more simple for y'all. 00:25:27
Because I know y'all don't live in this world like like the attorney and I get to sometimes. 00:25:32
So anybody wish to speak on whether or not to yay or nay on the text amendment? 00:25:38
Michael Perhoska, the accounting enterprise, I just asked if the council could brief the public on the indoor showroom last year 00:25:53
and what zoning district that is in that process. Thank you. Yeah, so on that one, we followed the same process that's in the 00:26:00
quarter commercial zone, which is adjacent to the employment center zone. Both of those zones are designed and anticipate more of 00:26:07
a commercial use. You know the employment center obviously is what it says. It's designed to be a place where it's primarily. 00:26:14
People working Butler buildings and quasi industrial buildings, quarter commercials a little bit more flexible. It can, it has 00:26:22
retail uses as well as it allows the other uses. So the previous one that we approved was a conditional use, but in the quarter 00:26:27
commercial zone which is Hwy. primarily Hwy. 15. 00:26:33
South of the railroad tracks to the city limits. 00:26:39
Thank you, Michael. 00:26:42
OK. Any other comments? 00:26:44
All right. Hearing none, we're going to close then the public hearing. 00:26:46
On the text amendment, it'll come back behind the rail now councils, your opportunity to ask questions of staff or the applicant 00:26:51
or the attorney. 00:26:55
On the text amendment allowing car sales, primarily indoor showroom in the Employment Center District. 00:26:59
So I guess I kind of feel like I need. 00:27:08
Before we vote on this, I mean, do we we vote on this before we actually hear in the staff report or from the applicant. I think 00:27:10
this would be a moment where you could, you could certainly ask the applicant to come forward and offer the report at this point. 00:27:15
But legally we need to go through it that way. But it doesn't. It's no harm to ask Mr. Payne to come forward and tell us about his 00:27:20
business. So. 00:27:25
OK. That'll be great. Thank you. 00:27:30
I'm Scott Paying 1001 Apache Rd. Walkinsville. 00:27:36
Would you like to know? 00:27:41
If you want, I was going to do a little brief. You know, I talked about this. I'll run through a little bit and you can sort of 00:27:44
fill in whatever just so the council knows it. So this is, this is your location. This is off of Morrison St. behind Jerry Smith 00:27:49
Dr. That's the location that we're talking about. This is the proposed building. 00:27:55
Inter. 00:28:02
He's going to be set up somewhere like motors on Main. We'll have cars inside. There's a man actually does some repair work. 00:28:04
You're just going to be selling car. He's literally going to be straight on indoor car sales. 00:28:10
I personally like that one at the front. I think it's pretty. And then some ideas of what the office area would look like. So just 00:28:17
so y'all, get a visual. I'm, I'm a visual learner as well. So Scott, if you want to feel a little bit more about what your 00:28:23
business plan is, that'd be great. 00:28:29
Solely we have nothing outside, it's all indoors. So we're bringing in more. I'm more of an auto broker. So like a lot of the cars 00:28:36
that I bring in, I, I don't even touch, I have customers looking for specific models and. 00:28:42
I take them from where they're being sold to the customer. I have a car hauler that I use is actually stored in here too, as long 00:28:49
as my car or vehicle. So everything that I use is always inside or at my home. 00:28:55
So there'll be nothing else out of this building except if I'm in my office, which I'll see pictures of that as well, so there 00:29:02
will be no out. 00:29:06
I mean, if I have a customer coming in, I may pull them in the shop and say this is what I'm looking at, you know, let them look 00:29:11
at their car that they want. But other than that, there's nothing parked outside. There's no for sale signs. 00:29:17
There's nothing like that, so the car will just change. 00:29:23
Over the last really last 15 years, just with the Internet. 00:29:27
Most your dealerships you know that are putting cars outside or having to move massive product just to pay the bills. So what I'm 00:29:32
doing, I'm a one man show how many employees, it's just me. 00:29:37
So I'm just bringing cars, storing them for the customer or if I find a car that I like that I'm trying to to market to certain 00:29:42
people that pull it in the side, but then I'll do some. 00:29:47
That there's no maintenance, nothing like that. It's just just a holding facility. 00:29:53
I have a question with the with your car carrier the I'm assuming that I mean I'm picturing. 00:30:00
You know, the ones among the Expressway and there's eight cars on it. Like, what is it? One, it's A1 car. And is it? 00:30:07
You're probably more familiar with this area's egress, and I mean is that. 00:30:15
Be disturbing to the residents on Morrison St. going in and out or is that I mean how frequently is is that car carrier going in 00:30:20
and out? What's pause on that is your are you coming off of Business Blvd. Are you coming off of Morrison St. what's going to be? 00:30:27
This Blvd. So we can get there. So you're going to usually 15 to Morrison. 00:30:34
But we're not coming in off that the way the blue line shown there, you're coming off that he's coming off the cul-de-sac. 00:30:39
Yeah, yeah. So if you have to come in off of off of Morrison and that's a dead end into that area. So it doesn't show the new 00:30:48
buildings right there, but there. 00:30:52
4 units. You can see those small little buildings right there. There's 4 units there and they're building. 00:30:56
For more opposite sizes of massive concrete, it's a dead end. There's no other traffic coming in and out except for the people 00:31:02
that are releasing those units. These are the buildings that Billy Bishop came in and had permitted recently. 00:31:08
And so, yeah. And so do you give there is traffic on university or on business Blvd. just because there's a lot of other 00:31:16
businesses in there, You know, there's definitely semis coming in and out. 00:31:21
So my car haulers not. 00:31:26
A disruption compared to. 00:31:28
Like I said, everything is stored indoors. 00:31:31
OK. Any other? 00:31:38
Is there any reason on the text amendment why we call it a primarily indoor showroom? 00:31:42
Because when the application was made, when the application was made a year or two ago, they wanted to have the flexibility to 00:31:48
have a few cars outside as my general recollection. 00:31:53
So we need this language to match up with the language of what we approve. 00:32:00
With an express definition when it was done originally. OK, so if my recollection is correct, the last one was four cars outside. 00:32:08
Is that? 00:32:12
What the primary use? 00:32:18
Whatever that definition is correct, but we can always put a condition on this one or any of them that came in, I would assume, 00:32:21
where it would be only indoor. I don't think Mr. Payne would be opposed to swimming in the indoor because he said expressly that's 00:32:26
what he wants. 00:32:31
Is that it's not on the road frontage, you know, coming into the city. I mean, it's back behind. 00:32:37
Umm. 00:32:43
Not getting that's correct. Yep. 00:32:44
OK. Does anybody want to do suggest anything or do we we're still at technically in the public hearing for? 00:32:49
The text amendment. So at this point are there. 00:32:56
So we're not going to get into the his request until the next item. So are there any further discussions or input you need to make 00:32:59
a decision about the zoning text amendment? 00:33:03
Mr. Painting, probably just stay there because we're going to have you right back up in a minute. OK. I'm going to go ahead then 00:33:10
and. 00:33:12
The public hearing has been closed, so I'll entertain a motion then as it relates to the text amendment. 00:33:16
To be more specific, I need someone to make a motion in favor of or opposing allowing car sales, primarily indoor showroom, as a 00:33:26
conditional use in the Employment Center zoning district. 00:33:30
Is this where we can? 00:33:37
Take away primary. I mean, I know we have. That's the next one. 00:33:40
And it would still be conditional use. So we're not opening up a can of worms. That's right. Anybody who wants to, anybody who 00:33:47
wants to have this use in this zone would still come before us on an individual basis to apply, correct? Yeah. Then I make a 00:33:52
motion to approve. 00:33:56
The zoning text amendment. All right, we have a motion in favor of adding that approving the zoning text amendment. Do we have a 00:34:02
second? 00:34:05
All right, we have a second from Councilman Garrett. Any further discussion on? 00:34:09
The text Amendment. 00:34:14
Hearing none all in favor, say aye. Any opposed? All right. That motion carries 5 O. 00:34:16
All. 00:34:23
We will now move to. 00:34:26
The public hearing directly related to Mr. Payne's Passion Autos LLC which is for a conditional use in the employment center. And 00:34:29
again as I told everybody, this is a 2 step process. We're now on step two. I think we would now get an update from the manager. 00:34:36
Anything you didn't tell us before, tell us now. Now I pretty much told you what what you need to know. So and I think you'll ask 00:34:42
good questions so. 00:34:48
He will have a site, he'll have to go through the process of that, you know, filling out a business license if you approve it. 00:34:55
Business license sign application for for the business sign, I think actually I think it's on this. 00:35:01
I thought it was on there. It's on one of these pictures. I thought we had a picture of what the sign would look like on the 00:35:06
outside of the building, but I may not have it up there. So anyway, But now I don't have anything else to add. I don't know if the 00:35:11
applicant does, but OK. Mr. Payne, is there anything else you'd want us to know? 00:35:15
No, Sir. Are you open to a condition as you stated that all the vehicles would be inside? 00:35:20
I'm fine if you don't want to scratch. Primarily, I'm following that. OK, all right. 00:35:27
All right. Do we have we still, I think at this point then, Mr. Payne, you can have a seat. Technically, it looks like I have to 00:35:32
do yet another public hearing because this is a conditional use. So we have a public hearing if anyone would like to step up and 00:35:36
comment. 00:35:40
About this conditional use, now is your time. 00:35:45
I don't see any movement. Did we have any feedback in writing in advance? 00:35:49
No, Sir. All right. We had no input and either regard that we'll consider the public hearing closed. 00:35:54
And now we will move on to Council consideration. 00:36:02
Council, do you have any other questions or a proposed motion? 00:36:04
And just to be clear, I don't think we can change the name of the primarily, but what we would indicate is that this is we approve 00:36:12
this license with the condition that all sales would be indoor agreed. OK. So that's that's what it seems like y'all are leaning 00:36:18
towards. So if someone could make a motion or say so moved. 00:36:23
I make a motion that we approve with the condition that it all sales are indoor. All right, Do we have a second one? Second. All 00:36:31
right, we have a motion. We have a second. Any further discussion? 00:36:36
Clarification All sales are indoor, meaning all vehicles are displayed indoors, not outdoors. Thank you, thank you attorney 00:36:41
Reitman. 00:36:45
Any further clarifications, discussion, Hearing none all in favor say aye any opposed? 00:36:49
Motion carries 5. 00:36:55
And we have are done with our public hearings and we will move on. 00:36:58
To appearances. We do have one appearance tonight. 00:37:03
And I think that is from our friends with Waters walk. Good to see all of Y'all back again tonight. I don't know who's 00:37:08
representing you tonight. I think it should be pretty straightforward. Attorney Reitman may be very briefly cover the rules for 00:37:13
appearances, it looks like. 00:37:18
They will be pretty brief tonight and then we'll turn it over to Councilman Thomas to present the report from the Urban Forest. 00:37:23
Yes, exactly same rules as previously stated, 4 minutes per individual and we can proceed at this time. Who is going to speak on 00:37:28
behalf? 00:37:33
And. 00:37:38
Yeah, I was going to say just before Councilman Thomas speaks, I have reviewed the plans from a technical standpoint. So if 00:37:39
there's any technical questions, I'll I'll be happy to answer those, speaking both with the design professional and the urban 00:37:44
forest board. 00:37:48
Alright, so it sounds like we may not have a report from the applicant, but Councilman Thomas we will turn it over to you to read 00:37:53
us into the urban Forest Board. Thank you. So we we've this is multiple times of looking at this plan as you know the the back 00:37:59
half of of it to the TO. 00:38:05
Left side of the screen, if you're looking at it, is a primarily wooded which is all-encompassing in in this plan, so their 00:38:11
numbers is well above. 00:38:17
There. 00:38:24
219, I mean they're well above the the required density. They do have a great plan. We, we, we reviewed it and we would like to. 00:38:25
The applicants it to go forward. I don't know why I want stumbling on my words tonight, but we recommend that it go forward. All 00:38:39
right. So there's a recommendation from the earliest forest board with I think. 00:38:45
Considerations, Mark did the land planner indicate that they would be OK with those considerations as outlined by the Urban Forest 00:38:52
Board? One appears to be that there's. 00:38:57
That we need to exclude the one acre parcel, specifically one acre, but that was a very important point as far as the the 00:39:02
conversation or the discussion. So if if you remember Waterswalk, right that the application for the rezone, that process there 00:39:08
was the remaining portion of the property, which is part of the property that's closest to the courthouse. And so that is not part 00:39:15
of this application because it allows the flexibility for that property to be developed at a later point for for whatever it would 00:39:21
be. 00:39:27
And if it is still mixed-use office and it is not attached residential, the way Waters walk is attached residential. So that was a 00:39:33
point of clarification. It's on the plans, it's a point of clarification from the urban forest board as well. And then the the, 00:39:40
the tree species clarification there as well from the urban forest board that I don't think there's any issues with that, but just 00:39:47
want to make sure everybody's on the same page as it's indicated on the plans here and and what the urban Forest board has stated. 00:39:54
And just to be clear there would be issues of female ginkgo's were planted we would we would all be very we would all be very 00:40:01
unhappy at a certain time of year. So as would the neighbors. I did have just a question you know the when I looked at the plans 00:40:07
and they might have changed since it looked like the street trees were actually are they are they the same species or is there a 00:40:12
variety in the street trees that are proposed. 00:40:18
I just was wondering if. 00:40:24
Are they going for a uniform look or is it this kind of random? There is a variety but but based on the scale of the plans and the 00:40:26
symbol for the trees themselves, there's a variety of those trees, but they're of the a similar size, they are OK all right. 00:40:33
Because they can look really weird if you have like if. 00:40:41
18 trees lining the street there and they all leaf out at different times and look look different, you know, So I don't think we 00:40:45
have any reason to say. 00:40:49
I just have the land planner thinks about whether that's attractive from a design standpoint, but. 00:40:53
We'll keep the hand of government out of it and what the, what the private market take care of that, OK. Any other comments on the 00:40:57
tree plan? 00:41:01
Council, anybody from our applicants y'all have any comments on your trees? 00:41:06
OK. All right. 00:41:11
All right, Council, then we'll entertain a motion to approve the Urban Forest board, please. 00:41:13
Urban forest report and recommendation plan. Bret, I'm stumbling on my words. 00:41:17
Urban urban forest, Urban forest. 00:41:24
Can we have a motion to approve please? 00:41:26
I don't know if I can. I've never made a motion to approve my own recommendation. 00:41:31
But I'll make a motion awkward, but nobody's stopping yet. I'll make a motion that we approve Urban forest board recommendation. 00:41:35
So we have a motion from Councilman Thomas. Do we have a second? 00:41:40
All in favor. 00:41:46
OK. All right. Item 14 has been removed. Item 15 is a request from Edward Van Geez and the third for residential wastewater 00:41:49
Capacity Allocation Request Manager, Dickerson, this comes to you. 00:41:55
Thank you, Mayor. 00:42:04
So this is a request for a residential property. Hang on a second, get this thing to move. 00:42:07
Located to 84th Rasher Drive. 00:42:14
Under normal circumstances this would well, potentially this could be approved by me, but. 00:42:17
There is no current house on this property. There is no failing septic tank or septic system, which is the only way that I can 00:42:25
approve administratively something like this. So it's coming before council for that reason. He does intend to develop a lot you 00:42:32
may recall with the pot. The way the policy works is if you grant Mr. Van Geez. 00:42:38
Wastewater capacity. He has to progress within six months or he loses it. We've had a few others, or at least one other expire 00:42:46
because they did not progress. That means I need to pull a building permit and start. 00:42:53
Developing the property within six months, it is not transferable. So should he not develop the property, then it has to come back 00:42:59
to council and you guys would have to. I believe that's right. That's what I remember. Yeah, looked it up. So, so. 00:43:07
Gallons. 00:43:54
Available out of your 100,000, you do not get another bump until the county's wastewater treatment plant expands and I believe 00:43:55
that's a two to three-year process outstanding. 00:44:01
The. 00:44:08
The way you set up initially, set the policy was you're going to sort of split it, but you really didn't have anything hard and 00:44:10
fast about how you were going to distribute. But I thought it might be worthwhile for you to see how you've distributed, what 00:44:15
you've distributed already, the percentage and residential and commercial. 00:44:20
And part of the reason commercials low, keep in mind that in the like with the water park project, our agreement with the county 00:44:26
was that they would pick up commercial within the EC with an employment center. And so any development in there that has that has 00:44:32
connected or will connect any of the commercial that will be will be needed capacity wise the county will pick up. So you don't 00:44:37
have to, you don't have to allocate any of your. 00:44:43
Amount of wastewater. 00:44:50
So that's probably the reason it looks so it's so heavy residential on that side and of course the residential was. 00:44:54
Trove and. 00:45:01
Wisteria Ridge. Yeah, Wisteria Ridge was a big part of it. I think Waters Walk is actually under commercial. 00:45:04
I think we counted that as commercial because it was seen a little differently at that time, but. 00:45:11
I think majority of that may be residential and wire part to come and again you can't you won't be able to see it because it's too 00:45:17
small. But if anybody wants to see it let me know there's that sort of shows when. 00:45:21
The Well, actually this one doesn't. I do have AI do have a sheet of when we expect things to trigger. Maybe I do it on this 00:45:28
sheet. Yeah on this one. So you'll see it here. So you've got you know Worcester Ridge should trigger. 00:45:34
Any any day now, right. And and then why apart they have their phased out over time and that that phasing probably needs to be 00:45:41
adjusted a little bit? 00:45:45
So. 00:45:49
Same thing with Trove. Theirs is not there. There's will be phased and they won't need immediately. So there'll be some 00:45:50
flexibility as those projects come forward. We'll talk about them, but you're talking about 260 gallons a day and that's not. 00:45:56
Something that will break the bank. 00:46:03
So just so I'm clear, Mr. Van Geeson sells the lot. The new owner would have to come back in and reapply for this. But if he 00:46:05
builds a home and sells the home, then it travels with the home because he's developed a lot. 00:46:10
And to see, does the applicant know that? Yeah, OK, great. 00:46:16
All right. Any questions for manager Dickerson? 00:46:20
As someone who has gone through some of this process myself lately. 00:46:26
Oh, well, there is one thing and I'm sorry. 00:46:33
If you approve this, you have to approve it on the condition that he provides a letter from the health department because we have 00:46:37
not received that letter and that is a trigger required by the application process that he received. 00:46:41
That he get a letter from the health department saying that his lot cannot accommodate a septic tank. 00:46:47
Contingent upon, so it'll be conditional approval and but he has to provide that letter to us and I can handle that 00:46:54
administratively. You know if he brings it in well and I'm just I mean this isn't necessarily our call I guess it's ultimately the 00:47:00
health department. But when I was speaking with them what he has provided the from Fowler Septic and drain solutions. 00:47:06
Would not suffice, so he has to do soil samples and but he did that doesn't need to be. 00:47:13
Part of this application? No, no, what I'm saying is he does. So he submitted it. We've told him it's incomplete because he needs 00:47:20
to give us a letter from the health department, a certified letter from them saying that his lot cannot accommodate a septic 00:47:25
field, a septic system. 00:47:29
And if he gets that letter from them and and whatever they require, if it requires soil testing or whatever, he gets that letter 00:47:35
from them and we get it. Then that's the checkbox that we need. 00:47:39
To do well the other. The other thing is I look at the check box. 00:47:44
Is it? 00:47:48
As one of the conditions, Construction has design standards that reflect the aesthetics and character of Watkinsville, including 00:47:50
without limitation design and Fenestration and meet all Watkinsville requirements. So it would need to be conditional on that as 00:47:56
well since we do not have any building. 00:48:02
Plans was that. But that would y'all see it that way as well. Basically contingent upon meeting all criteria set forth in the 00:48:08
code. Well, I mean, he's up to meet the code. He has to meet the code either way, right? I mean, we're not going to let it, you 00:48:13
know. So he's got him. I don't know. 00:48:18
I'm just one. I mean, this is the first we've had of these, so. 00:48:23
A lot of development. The intent of this policy was to deal with large developments, not necessarily a single family or, you know, 00:48:29
lot and so. 00:48:32
I think that's your flex, your flexibility you want to you know you want to require they bring a plan forward before that you 00:48:37
approve and that's something you can do. I know the, I know the mayor had some conversations with Mr. Van Geez and with our folks 00:48:43
compliance officer that you know at some point I think you know he recognizes that he's going to have to, he's going to have to 00:48:48
develop the property either he will develop. 00:48:54
Yeah, yeah. So just context. Just so you all know, Mr. Van Geeson has a lot that's bisected by a sewer line. OK? It was owned by 00:49:02
Miss Gus Vern. 00:49:06
When she donated the sewer system, he bought it from the burners. So the line bisects his property so it's unlike most of our 00:49:11
others so and it's it's off Thrasher Drive. It's kind of down in that hole and so he literally has enough space. 00:49:18
To build, to cite a house may be put in a septic tank, but she could never replace the there's not enough room to do two sets of 00:49:25
drain fields, and he can't. He can't. 00:49:30
Pump. He can't add a drain fill on the other side because the property is bisected by the sewer line. So that's why this is, you 00:49:36
know, just some context. I mean, it's not your average site who's asking for help. It's literally you know. 00:49:42
Yep. 00:50:22
Yeah, that was super helpful contact. Thank you. So I would then make a motion. 00:50:27
To approve as long as all the conditions are met. 00:50:33
Approval Review the documents and approval from the health department and meeting appropriate city residential building codes. 00:50:42
Does that sound good? 00:50:46
Sound good, Christine. OK, OK, good. Yep. OK, great. I'll 2nd I have a second from Councilman Thomas. Any further discussion? 00:50:54
All in favor? Say aye. All right. Any opposed? 00:51:04
All right. Five. Oh, no old business. 00:51:07
Under new business, we have a It's like we might be getting some concrete work done at City Hall. Manager Dickerson, if you want 00:51:12
to update us on that. 00:51:16
Absolutely. 00:51:22
So. 00:51:24
We gotten, we gotten originally gotten some price estimates sort of see where it was at and we realized that we were going to have 00:51:26
to go out for a price proposal. It's not a, it's not a bid. So we don't have to take the lowest bidder. We are actually going to 00:51:33
go with the lowest. But we received on May 13th, we received three bids. Mayweather Concrete Finishing has met all the 00:51:40
requirements. As crazy as it seems, he says he can do it for that and we've asked we've. 00:51:47
Ensured that he's going to be doing all the, you know, checking all the boxes that we need to as far as the PSI and the depth of 00:51:56
the of the concrete. 00:51:59
Out of the walkway area. 00:52:38
So all this funding is actually going to be able to come from the monies that left in the local maintenance improvement grant. We 00:52:40
have a little bit more than $19,000 in there. And so you'll be appropriating about 15 and that's the purpose of the local 00:52:46
maintenance improvement grant is to for sidewalks and actually a whole bunch of things that put in your list, but sidewalks and 00:52:51
roads. So that's what we're asking for. 00:52:56
And part of the reason this is being done is to ensure complete connectivity with the new extra special people facilities and you 00:53:02
know some additional the ability to handle more people from an ADA perspective as that project comes along. So it's going to be a 00:53:07
it's it'll. 00:53:12
Continue to kind of create a positive sort of campus feel and alleviate for any of you who've come to rainy meetings, alleviate or 00:53:17
alleviate our giant puddle outside the the door to City Hall. So not a lot of good reasons to do this and I'm pleased we got a 00:53:22
little bit. 00:53:27
Council Any questions for the manager? 00:53:32
Hearing none, do we have a motion. I make a motion to approve. 00:53:36
Up to 15. OK, do we have a second? 00:53:39
We have a second from Councilman Garrett. All in favor, say aye. Any opposed? 00:53:45
Motion carries 5. 00:53:50
We tabled item. 00:53:52
We'll now go to public comments. If any members of the public have a comment, please step forward. 00:53:55
Court client, did we receive any in advance from the public? 00:54:02
Yes. 00:54:05
All right. I don't see any movement, so we will close. Public comment will now go to mayor's report. 00:54:06
If you haven't been out back lately, check it out the IT looks really great. The playground is basically complete, a few finishing 00:54:14
touches are being done, and on the next slide you'll see that ESP is planning the grand opening of the ball field. 00:54:23
On June 6, they are slowly introducing more and more information. All I want to say at this point. 00:54:32
Stay tuned for more. It's going to be a really exciting evening for Oconee County. 00:54:38
They we anticipate having more than 1000 people here for that. 00:54:44
Maybe double that number so ESP has has. 00:54:50
As you can imagine, there's some you know, with the population that ESP serves, there's a tremendous need for handicap parking. 00:55:24
You know more than we typically have on site and then with that number of people, they're partnering with several local 00:55:32
businesses. 00:55:35
Institutions to allow for shuttles to drop people off. So we don't have, you know, 400 vehicles convening on City Hall and all 00:55:38
trying to park here at 4:30 on June 6th. So it does require a fair bit of planning. 00:55:44
For that. So that's an exciting event that's coming up. Please mark your calendars if you're in town. 00:55:51
Mark Novak and our group from the Public Works have gotten a weed bed under control by the Vernon Pedestrian Bridge and have 00:55:58
planted native species there. 00:56:03
So that's exciting to see and an attempt to beautify that area and take better care of water quality. So that's by the pedestrian 00:56:08
bridge and it's exciting. 00:56:13
It is. It's pretty amazing. Y'all. I think as my kids said that it's a vibe, whatever that means. So, so anyway. 00:57:20
It's it's it's really a neat space and the food is great, Jeff, you'll want to get up there and. 00:57:29
You would understand the smoker and all the other things they're talking about. They even have a piece of equipment that channels 00:57:34
clean grease away from old group fire grease. And you know, nobody's having to carry out heavy containers. It's really, they've 00:57:40
made a really substantial investment in that space and I think it's going to be. 00:57:45
Council members, they're always their doors are open if you want to go see him, but two great businesses. 00:58:50
And Sharon, I don't know if I have anything else. I think that's it for me. 00:58:56
But I did just, again want to remind the public so that they know that our plans are online for Harris Hills Park. Christine and 00:59:30
Connie and their committee are working very hard to advance those plans. We've allocated $100,000 to get that going and that will 00:59:36
be starting very quickly on the heels of the facilities behind Extra Special People. 00:59:42
With that, we'll move on to council, reports Councilman Garrett. Got anything for us? 00:59:48
Let's see. 00:59:54
I ran upon the district engineer with G dot this past week and I talked to him. 00:59:56
Crossing that ash. 01:00:02
And. 01:00:05
He's assured me it was on the list to be done. You know, they did the other side of the road last year. 01:00:07
And these those guys said, yeah, we're going to do the other side. 01:00:13
Anyway, he assured me it's on the list and it's going to be getting done. 01:00:17
Good news. 01:00:21
All right, Councilman Massey. 01:00:23
All right, Councilman Thomas. 01:00:27
All right. 01:00:30
Councilwoman Tucker. 01:00:31
Yes, I do have some updates on Hair Shoals Park. It is still a work in progress. 01:00:34
I do want to just say because. 01:00:41
Of some of the misinformation that has been out there that there is not a plan to totally take away the BBQ pits at Harris Shoals 01:00:43
Park. So please let the record show we know that is an important part of our community, an important part of our heritage. A lot 01:00:50
of nonprofits use that so that is not going away. We are discussing relocating some of them. So that I. 01:00:58
There is. 01:01:06
Horseshoe area was and I got pictures but I forgot put them in slideshow but so that's ready to be used. We are having to replace 01:01:45
the harness on the Ivy swing. It has to have a harness and it rotted or messed up and so we're trying to get that worked on with 01:01:53
Mr. Delatorre and then Councilwoman Tucker met with me and my staff last week or week before last and walked the the old wooden 01:02:01
playground. By June 6th it will be completely covered around surrounded by orange. 01:02:10
Fencing to make sure nobody gets on it because we're going to start deconstructing the portions that need to be deconstructed and 01:02:18
shoring up the ones that need to stay with the new design. 01:02:23
And this picture is one of three signs that will be placed in the park. I'm I'm currently working to have those in place by the 01:02:30
6th so that people who do come for this other event will see what's going on and understand why we have orange stuff up and why 01:02:37
some parts of the park are not renovated yet. The mayor worked on the the copy and we've got a QQQR code that people can scan. 01:02:44
Of the areas and so that we put position near where some of the stuff would happen. 01:03:24
All right. Thank you. Anything else, Councilwoman Tucker? 01:03:32
All right, Councilman Campbell. 01:03:36
Nothing to report, all right. Nothing to report. I don't think we have any need for executive session tonight. 01:03:38
So with that, I will ask for a motion to adjourn. I'll make a motion to adjourn. Do we have a second second? All in favor, raise 01:03:45
your hand and say aye. Aye. All right. We're adjourned. 01:03:50
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Transcript

Well, OK. All right. Welcome to the May addition of the Watkinsville City Council meeting. Glad everyone is here tonight. We just 00:00:12
got done with an hour plus budget hearing and thanks to all who participated and viewed that online. We do have a quorum. In fact, 00:00:18
we have a full house tonight. So thank you for everybody who could make it and we will kick off the meeting with the Pledge of 00:00:25
Allegiance. CJ Worden, who directs our Emergency Management services for Oconee County is here tonight and he's going to lead us. 00:00:31
All right, first thing on the agenda tonight is the approval of the April 20th minutes. Everybody should have had those for most 00:01:01
of the month if I'll entertain a motion to approve the minutes or make any. 00:01:07
Make any changes that someone wants to suggest. 00:01:14
I make a motion to approve the minutes from last month. We have a motion. Do we have a? 00:01:17
We have a second from Councilman Garrett. Any discussion hearing? None. All in favor? Say aye. 00:01:23
Any opposed carries? 00:01:29
All right. On the agenda, we've got two changes I'd like to ask about. For the agenda, this is also your time. If you want to 00:01:32
bring something off consent, you need to voice that. Now. We do have two items on the consent agenda. 00:01:37
Tonight I'd like to remove item 14 from the agenda. That's a sewer capacity request. 00:01:42
And I'd like to go ahead and move to table item 17. 00:01:48
We have a little bit of lack of clarity over the process to move that forward and I think several council members feel like they 00:01:53
need some additional detail on that. 00:01:57
So I'd like if you guys will agree with that. I'd like to remove 14 and table 17. 00:02:01
I make a motion to approve the agenda with those two changes. 00:02:09
All right. We have a motion from Councilwoman Tucker. Do we have a 2nd I'll second? We have a motion. We have a second. Any 00:02:13
discussion. 00:02:16
All in favor, say aye. Any opposed like sign motion carries 5. 00:02:20
Everything working in virtual meeting land. 00:02:26
I saw a well dressed tech support coming through the room. 00:02:29
I've got somebody on the other side looking. 00:02:35
All right, we're ready to go, All right. 00:02:42
OK. We will move on to administration. Before we get into administration, I will looks like we have a lot of familiar faces here 00:02:47
tonight. So I don't know that I need to do a long reminder but. 00:02:51
Our public input process, if it's not a public hearing or a time noted specifically by our attorney for public input, Council does 00:02:57
from time to time at its own discretional out. Public input comments should be directly related to the item at hand. We'd ask you 00:03:03
to come up to the podium if you do speak. We're not going to have debate argument, personal attacks are relevant discussion. 00:03:10
Address the merits of the pending matter. And please address any comments towards the council, not towards the audience. 00:03:16
Council won't speak to potential litigation, attorney-client or personnel matters, even when we. 00:03:23
Provide an opportunity for public input on any matter. All right. So under administration, we're going to kick off with financial 00:03:29
reports. 00:03:32
Manager Dickerson, if you could start with that, you guys should have the general fund balance sheet, the revenues and 00:03:36
expenditures. Revenues are trending on on task or the expenditures. I don't unless there's questions about. I'll skip through this 00:03:42
since we just spent a whole bunch of time talking about money, but I will talk a little bit about the spouse reports because those 00:03:48
are important. These are your capital funds. 00:03:53
There are roughly $250,000 of money of funds and spots one. 00:04:00
About 1.3 million left and Sloss 2 which. 00:04:08
More than well $900,000 of that along with the money and spot one is dedicated to the water, sorry to the sewer line extension 00:04:12
through the industrial park and then 440,000 of the 449 is to pay our portion our pledge to the ADA accessible playground that has 00:04:19
been built. 00:04:26
And you'll notice that we are actually a balance of funds. I don't know why my cursor is all the way over there. Hang on. The 00:04:35
balance of funds, we actually have about $34,000 more than what we budgeted and that's just because we've had higher than average. 00:04:41
Monthly revenues on that. 00:04:48
So those have not been programmed. We'll work towards that as we get toward the end of these projects. So that's the total 00:04:51
unencumbered is 34,000, correct. 00:04:54
That's extra money that's not been dedicated yet. 00:04:59
OK. And then Sposs 3 reports, this is your newer 1? 00:05:02
Started accumulating money back in. I think it was October. 00:05:09
And you're trending as, as you can tell it's 50, we're about $58,000 more than what we projected and that's because we've been 00:05:12
getting and we budget around 61,000, we're getting more like 71,000 a month. 00:05:17
So that's about right for how far we've gotten into it so far these funds right now have been some of some of them have been 00:05:22
earmarked for some public safety. 00:05:27
And. 00:05:33
The record parts The $100,000 for the record park for the master plan at the at Hair Shoals Park. 00:05:36
Those are some of your big ones on there. 00:05:43
That have been earmarked. 00:05:45
And then this is your comparison. So to show you there where we're getting 70, about $71,000 a month on average. 00:05:48
And then our ARP which has changed, you guys are have been great about going with the flow, it's changed quite a bit, but 00:05:56
basically you have a balance in the in the bank account, you have $369,000 in the bank, another $548,204.50 it's supposed to be. 00:06:05
Distributed in July to the city from the American Rescue Plan. You have only expended about 187,000 of the of the of the first 00:06:15
installment of the first tranche of that funding. And we mentioned during the budget meeting earlier that some of the May that you 00:06:22
did earmark for police that's appropriate for public safety most likely won't be at 132,000 which is showing up on that. So the 00:06:29
second blue line on that screen. 00:06:35
So we anticipate some of that will come back and you can reprogram that money. 00:06:42
Just a little update on our budget process. We agreed thankfully at the last at the at the previous meeting that will not be a 00:06:48
work session on May 26th, but there will be the final public hearing on the budget and the mileage rate on June 15th and of course 00:06:53
tonight you will have your second. 00:06:59
Hearing for the mileage rate and your second hearing for the. 00:07:06
Budget. 00:07:09
Any questions about financial? 00:07:11
No, OK. 00:07:17
So economic reports, business licenses, we've had non business licenses. 00:07:20
In April, a little bit more than $1000 and then we had, let's see. 00:07:25
Building permits, we had nine building permits for eight projects, a couple over in Trove or getting getting some things going 00:07:33
over there in Trove. 00:07:36
And a wire Part 2 big projects others. 00:07:40
Sort of maintenance type issues. Any questions on either one of those reports? 00:07:43
OK. 00:07:50
We're looking for the police chief. Has anybody seen him? 00:07:54
You must not have realized everything, all right, We'll wait about 15 more seconds, and otherwise he might have to come back in 00:07:59
and catch up at a later moment. 00:08:04
I will say why he's gone and he'll miss. He'll miss this compliment. But if you look at the, if you look at the speeding reports 00:08:17
on the council, I always enjoyed digging into those and. 00:08:21
The speeds have come down. It's been a slow progress, but it's pretty impressive to see where the speeds are on some of our 00:08:27
busiest roads. Or maybe it was an unusual, unusually good month. But looking at the reports and then with the new sign, suddenly 00:08:31
we're able. 00:08:36
Pick up that data on Hardin Hill and other places. But it is it is impressive to see that some. 00:08:41
Some of those speeds are coming down, I see. 00:08:46
Sorry, I'm slightly conflicted. You know, I when when somebody passes by me on Hardin Hill on VFW drive and it starts flashing 00:08:51
red, I can't help but have to speed up myself to see what else is going is going to say like slowly roll or you know something 00:08:57
about the force. You know, use less force. Just remember when you're challenging this sign, there may be an officer on the other 00:09:04
side with an actual radar. It's the person. It's the person that's passing by me. 00:09:11
Anyway, Chief, I was just saying that it seems like it was a good a good month for. 00:09:19
For speeding, probably not a great month for revenue for you, but it looked like we, which was not what we're after. But it looked 00:09:25
like the speeds are continuing to come down and maybe folks do have a sense of humor and they're pausing to smile a little bit 00:09:29
when they see your new sign. So anyway, kudos on that, but go ahead with your report. We're making good progress towards an 00:09:34
efficient meeting tonight and I don't want to stand in the way of that. 00:09:39
Any questions over any of the data material? 00:09:45
Seeing none, hearing none, I would like to point out a couple of little elements before we move on from the data. 00:09:49
Real quick so we don't have a inefficient meeting. 00:09:57
If you recall. 00:10:03
So we did the study on Hardin Hill, both eastbound and West. 00:10:06
I can get to my P. 00:10:11
Where? 00:10:23
Yeah. 00:10:24
It's up on the screen. 00:10:29
Lay. 00:10:31
Is that the hard? 00:10:32
So use the 85th percentile on the eat westbound is 32. You know it's 25. Just imagine we we were. 00:10:34
35 Before we lower the speed, imagine what those speeds would be at the 85th percentile. 00:10:46
Keeping that same concept right there. So we are seeing a decline in the speed even though there are still some complaints over 00:10:52
there that there are some and there are some speeders, but by and large it's it's not. 00:10:57
And then the eastbound side was. 00:11:05
Although the westbound side was actually better. 00:11:09
That week, then the week before there was a little bit better. That's good. The other one that I wanted to point out was the South 00:11:14
main sign, which is 1 and you know right there in front of your house. 00:11:19
It is. 00:11:26
I'm sorry, 37. 00:11:30
85th percentile 37 miles an hour, which is excellent. 00:11:32
And the one on North Main heading north right there at just north of Simons Bridge is actually 28. 00:11:36
So good. Really good. 00:11:46
There's a lot of traffic going zero there, sometimes that. 00:11:48
There absolutely is, but don't count to 0. 00:11:52
Might be one of those mean median mode questions on that one. So right So on May 7th we had cops and bobbers. It was an absolutely 00:11:55
wonderful day. The good Lord provided us a beautiful day to celebrate with the children and the kids. 00:12:03
And the family members that were out there there. 00:12:11
Over 80 registered few didn't show up. We had a few extra show up that weren't aren't counted for but we had we had a really good 00:12:14
time out there during the during the morning. 00:12:18
Abigail Rice won first fish. 00:12:24
Lyndon Moses won the smallest with a four. 00:12:27
Blue. 00:12:31
McKenna Carter caught a the longest fish with an 11. 00:12:33
Believe that was a bass. Technically your son did, but you didn't let him win, so he caught a 12 inch I think. 00:12:38
He got he got a 12 inch bass, but he didn't get to count and then Sean Rice caught the most fish with 14. 00:12:46
And then he took home the kayak and fishing gear for the kayak. 00:12:52
So really good event that was. 00:12:57
All done with donated and you know raised funds that. 00:13:00
Made everything free for everybody that participated. It was a wonderful event. We look forward to doing it again next year. 00:13:05
For those of you that don't remember, I want to remind you your chief was selected by the Chiefs of Police of Georgia. 00:13:13
To participate in the 988 coalition and what that basically did for you is. 00:13:20
Put me on a panel of people all across the state of Georgia that helped establish the process and the methods by which 988 will go 00:13:27
into effect. 00:13:31
988 is a the new national hotline number for suicide. 00:13:36
And we'll go into effect nationwide July 16th. 00:13:41
And I'm very proud of the work that was accomplished throughout the state or the department, Department of Mental Health and Human 00:13:44
Services. 00:13:48
And. 00:13:52
That effort that they put forth to bring this to fruition, it was a massive undertaking, that website. 00:13:53
Is web link up there OK yeah, the website, the website there on the PowerPoint will take you to. 00:14:02
A plethora of information of what 980 is, what the processes were that were went through nationwide and in the state of Georgia. 00:14:08
And. 00:14:16
Highlight the facts. But now I will warn you, when you hit that website it will ask you with a splash. 00:14:18
Are you thinking about committing suicide or harming yourself? 00:14:24
So it'll do that twice before it lets you go into the into the data, but but a lot of valuable information. I would like, I would 00:14:27
love for everyone of y'all to go and improve that information. That was something that I was a part of. 00:14:33
What else? 00:14:41
One last thing before I go. I have brought on a number of employees, two-part time employees, Elena Krish and Alan Krish. 00:14:44
They are a married couple. They're working opposite shifts on opposite sides of the of the rotation. 00:14:53
They come to. 00:14:59
Believe it or not, Los Angeles Police Department. They are all both retirees from Los Angeles Police Department and found out we 00:15:01
were looking to hire part time employees and came to work. Alan is a full time employee at Oglethorpe Sheriff's Office. 00:15:07
And we're glad to have them on board and helping us fill the billets in the in the gaps that we've got going on in the department. 00:15:16
Also have Ron England who's in Academy he's. 00:15:22
In his third week in the Academy, what day is? 00:15:27
Yeah, he's gonna start a week in the. 00:15:31
And it's doing well. He's already made it through firearms and a couple of major, major tests that are critical. 00:15:34
And he seems to be doing well and not having any issues, which is a wonderful thing. 00:15:40
And then last this last week, Rebecca Stearns started. I'm sorry, Rachel Stearns started in the Academy. 00:15:45
Piedmont Technical College and Kevin. 00:15:55
Covington, yeah. 00:15:58
And she'll be going through an Elevate program just like Ryan is, is just in another location. So we've got them on board and 00:16:00
we're, you know, got the cookies in the oven and bacon. All right. Any questions? 00:16:05
Well, Chief, I know you've also got a big milestone coming up this weekend. I wanted to say congratulations to you on your 00:16:12
daughter's accomplishments. Pretty remarkable young lady with her academic and athletic accomplishments. And so we're really proud 00:16:19
of you and proud of her. And so just want to congratulate you too on Alex's upcoming graduation and all her successes. 00:16:26
Thank you very much. Yep. Thank you. 00:16:33
Thank you. 00:16:37
All right. We will move along to the consent agenda for the benefit of the public. We have two items on here that we won't spend 00:16:39
anytime discussing We have. 00:16:43
Had some conduit, believe it or not, on a trailer that was left in the city and we have put that after checking out the legal 00:16:48
protocols. We put that on Gov deals. 00:16:53
Have a buyer for that. So council will approve that with the motion to approve consent and then we also have are going to approve 00:16:58
our Statewide Mutual Aid and Assistance agreement after the meeting. Council will just need to put signatures on that and we will 00:17:03
hand a copy to CJ Warden and he'll be a happy man. 00:17:08
So that we'll have our relationship appropriately papered up, so. 00:17:14
Council, I'll take a motion on the consent agenda, please. 00:17:19
Make a motion that we approve the consent agenda as proposed. 00:17:24
All right, we have a motion. Do we have a second? 00:17:28
I second. 00:17:30
Any discussion all in favor? Say aye. Any opposed? 00:17:32
Motion carries 5. 00:17:36
All right. We're moving on to our public hearing. We have a couple public hearings tonight. The first one is on the property tax 00:17:39
mileage rate. We actually did a public hearing earlier today at 12:30. This is the second public hearing that's required for the 00:17:47
property tax mileage rate. We are holding our property tax mileage rate at the same level, but because the digest has increased, 00:17:55
we're required to have a public hearing because technically taxes will go up because of the increase in the digest. 00:18:03
Manager Dickerson, if you have anything else you want to add, please do so now and then we'll open up the public hearing. 00:18:11
I don't have anything. OK, All right. Well, the podium is open. Public hearing is open. If anyone wants to come up and offer a 00:18:15
comment on the mileage rate, please do so now. 00:18:21
And did we get any comments in advance of the? 00:18:32
Yes, Sir, Miss. 00:18:35
All right. Seeing no one coming forward, then I'll close the public hearing. 00:18:38
And we will move on to item 8, which is a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2023 General fund capital and Operating 00:18:42
Budget Manager, Dickerson, I will let you, I know we just spent a bunch of time on this, but please provide an overview for the 00:18:48
benefits of our guests and viewers. 00:18:53
We did just have a hour plus on work session on the budget, so if you don't hear questions from council, believe me it's not 00:18:59
because we didn't have them, but we've already invested 75 minutes in it tonight. 00:19:05
Yeah, so how? 00:19:13
Pull that down in a very brief way. So obviously my job is to make sure that the, the wishes of the council and their strategic 00:19:15
strategic initiatives and the services that the council has approved that they're delivered efficiently and effectively to the 00:19:22
public. In doing so, we have determined that and and looking at our revenues, we've determined that we will need. 00:19:30
2500 and $59,000 and 574, sorry, 22 million, I'll get this right, $2,559,574 in revenues to cover the same in expenses that will 00:19:38
require a fund, fund balance contribution that's being recommended of a little bit more than 210,000. 00:19:48
Our big services, I think it's always important to point out that the big services that the city provides are police 24/7 at 00:19:58
nearly $900,000 a year and public works at a little bit more than $570,000 a year. 00:20:04
So for 1.4 million out of 2.5, that's where your big chunks are coming from. 00:20:11
We also pointed out in the budget work session earlier that 51% of our budget is personnel. If you add in contract labor, which 00:20:17
includes our city engineer or city attorney and our planning and building inspections people, that increases the number to 72%. So 00:20:24
most of what we do is people that cost money. 00:20:30
A couple things to point out that are highlighted in the budget that are being recommended. 00:20:37
And it's not going to really show up there, but downtown development director for six months beginning in January of 2023. So of 00:20:42
course, Three and four will estimate that it's going to run somewhere around $57,000. 00:20:49
We are requesting a refresh of our employee pay and classification, Say that was done in 2018. That'll cost somewhere in the 00:20:57
neighborhood of 15,000. 00:21:01
We are. I'm requesting and recommending a cost of living adjustment for the employees at $5000 across the board. That helps out 00:21:06
those at the lower end more than those at the higher end, which we think is important right now with what's going on. 00:21:13
With people resigning and and people getting opportunities for other other jobs that are higher paying, we want to retain our 00:21:21
employees and we think that that will go a long way to do so. 00:21:26
The average city wage right now is $47,000. 00:21:31
We do have about a 6% increase in medical and dental insurance costs. We're just going to run about $10,000 more a year. 00:21:35
Fuel is going to be more expensive, of course. We've got police officers and nine different vehicles out there running around, so 00:21:43
that's going up roughly about $30,000 a year is what we're estimating, hopefully not higher than that. 00:21:49
We are asking for a part-time attack, a terminal agency coordinator and I think Chief walked out the door. But basically someone 00:21:56
who can help us with the Georgia, I'm sorry, yeah, with the Georgia criminal information. 00:22:03
Help me out Georgia Crime Information Computer. So I always get that stuff GC I see, I know, but people don't know what that 00:22:10
means. Obviously I don't either today, but will help us make sure that they were in compliance with policies and procedures. 00:22:17
Managing user accounts, ensuring the data quality of the of the National Crime Information Center records and the finger 00:22:24
fingerprint submission process is all in accordance with the law. There's also $7500 request from Okaf, a $14,000. 00:22:31
Request from the Fire department, Station One and a $30,000 pledge commitment to the library from the city. 00:22:40
All in all, as I said, we were looking at about a $210,000. 00:22:48
Deficit that will need to come and we're recommending to come out of the fund balance. 00:22:54
So that's hopefully that's brief enough and informative. 00:22:59
All right, we are in a public hearing if anyone has. 00:23:04
Input on the budget now is your opportunity. Please come forward. State your name, your address and. 00:23:08
Provide us with feedback. 00:23:13
All right. I'm not hearing or seeing any feedback, so we will, we will close that public hearing. 00:23:17
And we'll move on to our next public hearing, which involves A zoning text amendment for car sales, primarily an indoor showroom 00:23:25
as a conditional use in the employment center. District Attorney Reitman, if you want to kick us off on that, please, Sir. 00:23:32
Report Ralph's going to do the report under conditional use, but I can jump forward if you want me to do the report now. 00:24:00
Well the the text amendment is fairly self-explanatory, simply adds car sales primarily indoor showroom as a conditional use in 00:24:05
employment center and then we can get in the particulars of this application. So this time does anyone present who wishes to speak 00:24:11
in favor of the text amendment adding this use that's already permitted in another district in the Employment Center Zoning 00:24:16
district? Anyone wish to speak? 00:24:22
We do have the applicant, but do you wish for him to come forward and speak? And once we get to the condition we use just for the 00:24:30
benefit of the public and those who may be watching online, this is a 2 step process that we have to do for a new use that's 00:24:36
coming, being proposed. And so before we have a discussion about whether we want Mr. 00:24:42
Would then allow an indoor car sales and showroom facility, primarily indoor. So that's what we're voting on. Try to make it a 00:25:22
little more simple for y'all. 00:25:27
Because I know y'all don't live in this world like like the attorney and I get to sometimes. 00:25:32
So anybody wish to speak on whether or not to yay or nay on the text amendment? 00:25:38
Michael Perhoska, the accounting enterprise, I just asked if the council could brief the public on the indoor showroom last year 00:25:53
and what zoning district that is in that process. Thank you. Yeah, so on that one, we followed the same process that's in the 00:26:00
quarter commercial zone, which is adjacent to the employment center zone. Both of those zones are designed and anticipate more of 00:26:07
a commercial use. You know the employment center obviously is what it says. It's designed to be a place where it's primarily. 00:26:14
People working Butler buildings and quasi industrial buildings, quarter commercials a little bit more flexible. It can, it has 00:26:22
retail uses as well as it allows the other uses. So the previous one that we approved was a conditional use, but in the quarter 00:26:27
commercial zone which is Hwy. primarily Hwy. 15. 00:26:33
South of the railroad tracks to the city limits. 00:26:39
Thank you, Michael. 00:26:42
OK. Any other comments? 00:26:44
All right. Hearing none, we're going to close then the public hearing. 00:26:46
On the text amendment, it'll come back behind the rail now councils, your opportunity to ask questions of staff or the applicant 00:26:51
or the attorney. 00:26:55
On the text amendment allowing car sales, primarily indoor showroom in the Employment Center District. 00:26:59
So I guess I kind of feel like I need. 00:27:08
Before we vote on this, I mean, do we we vote on this before we actually hear in the staff report or from the applicant. I think 00:27:10
this would be a moment where you could, you could certainly ask the applicant to come forward and offer the report at this point. 00:27:15
But legally we need to go through it that way. But it doesn't. It's no harm to ask Mr. Payne to come forward and tell us about his 00:27:20
business. So. 00:27:25
OK. That'll be great. Thank you. 00:27:30
I'm Scott Paying 1001 Apache Rd. Walkinsville. 00:27:36
Would you like to know? 00:27:41
If you want, I was going to do a little brief. You know, I talked about this. I'll run through a little bit and you can sort of 00:27:44
fill in whatever just so the council knows it. So this is, this is your location. This is off of Morrison St. behind Jerry Smith 00:27:49
Dr. That's the location that we're talking about. This is the proposed building. 00:27:55
Inter. 00:28:02
He's going to be set up somewhere like motors on Main. We'll have cars inside. There's a man actually does some repair work. 00:28:04
You're just going to be selling car. He's literally going to be straight on indoor car sales. 00:28:10
I personally like that one at the front. I think it's pretty. And then some ideas of what the office area would look like. So just 00:28:17
so y'all, get a visual. I'm, I'm a visual learner as well. So Scott, if you want to feel a little bit more about what your 00:28:23
business plan is, that'd be great. 00:28:29
Solely we have nothing outside, it's all indoors. So we're bringing in more. I'm more of an auto broker. So like a lot of the cars 00:28:36
that I bring in, I, I don't even touch, I have customers looking for specific models and. 00:28:42
I take them from where they're being sold to the customer. I have a car hauler that I use is actually stored in here too, as long 00:28:49
as my car or vehicle. So everything that I use is always inside or at my home. 00:28:55
So there'll be nothing else out of this building except if I'm in my office, which I'll see pictures of that as well, so there 00:29:02
will be no out. 00:29:06
I mean, if I have a customer coming in, I may pull them in the shop and say this is what I'm looking at, you know, let them look 00:29:11
at their car that they want. But other than that, there's nothing parked outside. There's no for sale signs. 00:29:17
There's nothing like that, so the car will just change. 00:29:23
Over the last really last 15 years, just with the Internet. 00:29:27
Most your dealerships you know that are putting cars outside or having to move massive product just to pay the bills. So what I'm 00:29:32
doing, I'm a one man show how many employees, it's just me. 00:29:37
So I'm just bringing cars, storing them for the customer or if I find a car that I like that I'm trying to to market to certain 00:29:42
people that pull it in the side, but then I'll do some. 00:29:47
That there's no maintenance, nothing like that. It's just just a holding facility. 00:29:53
I have a question with the with your car carrier the I'm assuming that I mean I'm picturing. 00:30:00
You know, the ones among the Expressway and there's eight cars on it. Like, what is it? One, it's A1 car. And is it? 00:30:07
You're probably more familiar with this area's egress, and I mean is that. 00:30:15
Be disturbing to the residents on Morrison St. going in and out or is that I mean how frequently is is that car carrier going in 00:30:20
and out? What's pause on that is your are you coming off of Business Blvd. Are you coming off of Morrison St. what's going to be? 00:30:27
This Blvd. So we can get there. So you're going to usually 15 to Morrison. 00:30:34
But we're not coming in off that the way the blue line shown there, you're coming off that he's coming off the cul-de-sac. 00:30:39
Yeah, yeah. So if you have to come in off of off of Morrison and that's a dead end into that area. So it doesn't show the new 00:30:48
buildings right there, but there. 00:30:52
4 units. You can see those small little buildings right there. There's 4 units there and they're building. 00:30:56
For more opposite sizes of massive concrete, it's a dead end. There's no other traffic coming in and out except for the people 00:31:02
that are releasing those units. These are the buildings that Billy Bishop came in and had permitted recently. 00:31:08
And so, yeah. And so do you give there is traffic on university or on business Blvd. just because there's a lot of other 00:31:16
businesses in there, You know, there's definitely semis coming in and out. 00:31:21
So my car haulers not. 00:31:26
A disruption compared to. 00:31:28
Like I said, everything is stored indoors. 00:31:31
OK. Any other? 00:31:38
Is there any reason on the text amendment why we call it a primarily indoor showroom? 00:31:42
Because when the application was made, when the application was made a year or two ago, they wanted to have the flexibility to 00:31:48
have a few cars outside as my general recollection. 00:31:53
So we need this language to match up with the language of what we approve. 00:32:00
With an express definition when it was done originally. OK, so if my recollection is correct, the last one was four cars outside. 00:32:08
Is that? 00:32:12
What the primary use? 00:32:18
Whatever that definition is correct, but we can always put a condition on this one or any of them that came in, I would assume, 00:32:21
where it would be only indoor. I don't think Mr. Payne would be opposed to swimming in the indoor because he said expressly that's 00:32:26
what he wants. 00:32:31
Is that it's not on the road frontage, you know, coming into the city. I mean, it's back behind. 00:32:37
Umm. 00:32:43
Not getting that's correct. Yep. 00:32:44
OK. Does anybody want to do suggest anything or do we we're still at technically in the public hearing for? 00:32:49
The text amendment. So at this point are there. 00:32:56
So we're not going to get into the his request until the next item. So are there any further discussions or input you need to make 00:32:59
a decision about the zoning text amendment? 00:33:03
Mr. Painting, probably just stay there because we're going to have you right back up in a minute. OK. I'm going to go ahead then 00:33:10
and. 00:33:12
The public hearing has been closed, so I'll entertain a motion then as it relates to the text amendment. 00:33:16
To be more specific, I need someone to make a motion in favor of or opposing allowing car sales, primarily indoor showroom, as a 00:33:26
conditional use in the Employment Center zoning district. 00:33:30
Is this where we can? 00:33:37
Take away primary. I mean, I know we have. That's the next one. 00:33:40
And it would still be conditional use. So we're not opening up a can of worms. That's right. Anybody who wants to, anybody who 00:33:47
wants to have this use in this zone would still come before us on an individual basis to apply, correct? Yeah. Then I make a 00:33:52
motion to approve. 00:33:56
The zoning text amendment. All right, we have a motion in favor of adding that approving the zoning text amendment. Do we have a 00:34:02
second? 00:34:05
All right, we have a second from Councilman Garrett. Any further discussion on? 00:34:09
The text Amendment. 00:34:14
Hearing none all in favor, say aye. Any opposed? All right. That motion carries 5 O. 00:34:16
All. 00:34:23
We will now move to. 00:34:26
The public hearing directly related to Mr. Payne's Passion Autos LLC which is for a conditional use in the employment center. And 00:34:29
again as I told everybody, this is a 2 step process. We're now on step two. I think we would now get an update from the manager. 00:34:36
Anything you didn't tell us before, tell us now. Now I pretty much told you what what you need to know. So and I think you'll ask 00:34:42
good questions so. 00:34:48
He will have a site, he'll have to go through the process of that, you know, filling out a business license if you approve it. 00:34:55
Business license sign application for for the business sign, I think actually I think it's on this. 00:35:01
I thought it was on there. It's on one of these pictures. I thought we had a picture of what the sign would look like on the 00:35:06
outside of the building, but I may not have it up there. So anyway, But now I don't have anything else to add. I don't know if the 00:35:11
applicant does, but OK. Mr. Payne, is there anything else you'd want us to know? 00:35:15
No, Sir. Are you open to a condition as you stated that all the vehicles would be inside? 00:35:20
I'm fine if you don't want to scratch. Primarily, I'm following that. OK, all right. 00:35:27
All right. Do we have we still, I think at this point then, Mr. Payne, you can have a seat. Technically, it looks like I have to 00:35:32
do yet another public hearing because this is a conditional use. So we have a public hearing if anyone would like to step up and 00:35:36
comment. 00:35:40
About this conditional use, now is your time. 00:35:45
I don't see any movement. Did we have any feedback in writing in advance? 00:35:49
No, Sir. All right. We had no input and either regard that we'll consider the public hearing closed. 00:35:54
And now we will move on to Council consideration. 00:36:02
Council, do you have any other questions or a proposed motion? 00:36:04
And just to be clear, I don't think we can change the name of the primarily, but what we would indicate is that this is we approve 00:36:12
this license with the condition that all sales would be indoor agreed. OK. So that's that's what it seems like y'all are leaning 00:36:18
towards. So if someone could make a motion or say so moved. 00:36:23
I make a motion that we approve with the condition that it all sales are indoor. All right, Do we have a second one? Second. All 00:36:31
right, we have a motion. We have a second. Any further discussion? 00:36:36
Clarification All sales are indoor, meaning all vehicles are displayed indoors, not outdoors. Thank you, thank you attorney 00:36:41
Reitman. 00:36:45
Any further clarifications, discussion, Hearing none all in favor say aye any opposed? 00:36:49
Motion carries 5. 00:36:55
And we have are done with our public hearings and we will move on. 00:36:58
To appearances. We do have one appearance tonight. 00:37:03
And I think that is from our friends with Waters walk. Good to see all of Y'all back again tonight. I don't know who's 00:37:08
representing you tonight. I think it should be pretty straightforward. Attorney Reitman may be very briefly cover the rules for 00:37:13
appearances, it looks like. 00:37:18
They will be pretty brief tonight and then we'll turn it over to Councilman Thomas to present the report from the Urban Forest. 00:37:23
Yes, exactly same rules as previously stated, 4 minutes per individual and we can proceed at this time. Who is going to speak on 00:37:28
behalf? 00:37:33
And. 00:37:38
Yeah, I was going to say just before Councilman Thomas speaks, I have reviewed the plans from a technical standpoint. So if 00:37:39
there's any technical questions, I'll I'll be happy to answer those, speaking both with the design professional and the urban 00:37:44
forest board. 00:37:48
Alright, so it sounds like we may not have a report from the applicant, but Councilman Thomas we will turn it over to you to read 00:37:53
us into the urban Forest Board. Thank you. So we we've this is multiple times of looking at this plan as you know the the back 00:37:59
half of of it to the TO. 00:38:05
Left side of the screen, if you're looking at it, is a primarily wooded which is all-encompassing in in this plan, so their 00:38:11
numbers is well above. 00:38:17
There. 00:38:24
219, I mean they're well above the the required density. They do have a great plan. We, we, we reviewed it and we would like to. 00:38:25
The applicants it to go forward. I don't know why I want stumbling on my words tonight, but we recommend that it go forward. All 00:38:39
right. So there's a recommendation from the earliest forest board with I think. 00:38:45
Considerations, Mark did the land planner indicate that they would be OK with those considerations as outlined by the Urban Forest 00:38:52
Board? One appears to be that there's. 00:38:57
That we need to exclude the one acre parcel, specifically one acre, but that was a very important point as far as the the 00:39:02
conversation or the discussion. So if if you remember Waterswalk, right that the application for the rezone, that process there 00:39:08
was the remaining portion of the property, which is part of the property that's closest to the courthouse. And so that is not part 00:39:15
of this application because it allows the flexibility for that property to be developed at a later point for for whatever it would 00:39:21
be. 00:39:27
And if it is still mixed-use office and it is not attached residential, the way Waters walk is attached residential. So that was a 00:39:33
point of clarification. It's on the plans, it's a point of clarification from the urban forest board as well. And then the the, 00:39:40
the tree species clarification there as well from the urban forest board that I don't think there's any issues with that, but just 00:39:47
want to make sure everybody's on the same page as it's indicated on the plans here and and what the urban Forest board has stated. 00:39:54
And just to be clear there would be issues of female ginkgo's were planted we would we would all be very we would all be very 00:40:01
unhappy at a certain time of year. So as would the neighbors. I did have just a question you know the when I looked at the plans 00:40:07
and they might have changed since it looked like the street trees were actually are they are they the same species or is there a 00:40:12
variety in the street trees that are proposed. 00:40:18
I just was wondering if. 00:40:24
Are they going for a uniform look or is it this kind of random? There is a variety but but based on the scale of the plans and the 00:40:26
symbol for the trees themselves, there's a variety of those trees, but they're of the a similar size, they are OK all right. 00:40:33
Because they can look really weird if you have like if. 00:40:41
18 trees lining the street there and they all leaf out at different times and look look different, you know, So I don't think we 00:40:45
have any reason to say. 00:40:49
I just have the land planner thinks about whether that's attractive from a design standpoint, but. 00:40:53
We'll keep the hand of government out of it and what the, what the private market take care of that, OK. Any other comments on the 00:40:57
tree plan? 00:41:01
Council, anybody from our applicants y'all have any comments on your trees? 00:41:06
OK. All right. 00:41:11
All right, Council, then we'll entertain a motion to approve the Urban Forest board, please. 00:41:13
Urban forest report and recommendation plan. Bret, I'm stumbling on my words. 00:41:17
Urban urban forest, Urban forest. 00:41:24
Can we have a motion to approve please? 00:41:26
I don't know if I can. I've never made a motion to approve my own recommendation. 00:41:31
But I'll make a motion awkward, but nobody's stopping yet. I'll make a motion that we approve Urban forest board recommendation. 00:41:35
So we have a motion from Councilman Thomas. Do we have a second? 00:41:40
All in favor. 00:41:46
OK. All right. Item 14 has been removed. Item 15 is a request from Edward Van Geez and the third for residential wastewater 00:41:49
Capacity Allocation Request Manager, Dickerson, this comes to you. 00:41:55
Thank you, Mayor. 00:42:04
So this is a request for a residential property. Hang on a second, get this thing to move. 00:42:07
Located to 84th Rasher Drive. 00:42:14
Under normal circumstances this would well, potentially this could be approved by me, but. 00:42:17
There is no current house on this property. There is no failing septic tank or septic system, which is the only way that I can 00:42:25
approve administratively something like this. So it's coming before council for that reason. He does intend to develop a lot you 00:42:32
may recall with the pot. The way the policy works is if you grant Mr. Van Geez. 00:42:38
Wastewater capacity. He has to progress within six months or he loses it. We've had a few others, or at least one other expire 00:42:46
because they did not progress. That means I need to pull a building permit and start. 00:42:53
Developing the property within six months, it is not transferable. So should he not develop the property, then it has to come back 00:42:59
to council and you guys would have to. I believe that's right. That's what I remember. Yeah, looked it up. So, so. 00:43:07
Gallons. 00:43:54
Available out of your 100,000, you do not get another bump until the county's wastewater treatment plant expands and I believe 00:43:55
that's a two to three-year process outstanding. 00:44:01
The. 00:44:08
The way you set up initially, set the policy was you're going to sort of split it, but you really didn't have anything hard and 00:44:10
fast about how you were going to distribute. But I thought it might be worthwhile for you to see how you've distributed, what 00:44:15
you've distributed already, the percentage and residential and commercial. 00:44:20
And part of the reason commercials low, keep in mind that in the like with the water park project, our agreement with the county 00:44:26
was that they would pick up commercial within the EC with an employment center. And so any development in there that has that has 00:44:32
connected or will connect any of the commercial that will be will be needed capacity wise the county will pick up. So you don't 00:44:37
have to, you don't have to allocate any of your. 00:44:43
Amount of wastewater. 00:44:50
So that's probably the reason it looks so it's so heavy residential on that side and of course the residential was. 00:44:54
Trove and. 00:45:01
Wisteria Ridge. Yeah, Wisteria Ridge was a big part of it. I think Waters Walk is actually under commercial. 00:45:04
I think we counted that as commercial because it was seen a little differently at that time, but. 00:45:11
I think majority of that may be residential and wire part to come and again you can't you won't be able to see it because it's too 00:45:17
small. But if anybody wants to see it let me know there's that sort of shows when. 00:45:21
The Well, actually this one doesn't. I do have AI do have a sheet of when we expect things to trigger. Maybe I do it on this 00:45:28
sheet. Yeah on this one. So you'll see it here. So you've got you know Worcester Ridge should trigger. 00:45:34
Any any day now, right. And and then why apart they have their phased out over time and that that phasing probably needs to be 00:45:41
adjusted a little bit? 00:45:45
So. 00:45:49
Same thing with Trove. Theirs is not there. There's will be phased and they won't need immediately. So there'll be some 00:45:50
flexibility as those projects come forward. We'll talk about them, but you're talking about 260 gallons a day and that's not. 00:45:56
Something that will break the bank. 00:46:03
So just so I'm clear, Mr. Van Geeson sells the lot. The new owner would have to come back in and reapply for this. But if he 00:46:05
builds a home and sells the home, then it travels with the home because he's developed a lot. 00:46:10
And to see, does the applicant know that? Yeah, OK, great. 00:46:16
All right. Any questions for manager Dickerson? 00:46:20
As someone who has gone through some of this process myself lately. 00:46:26
Oh, well, there is one thing and I'm sorry. 00:46:33
If you approve this, you have to approve it on the condition that he provides a letter from the health department because we have 00:46:37
not received that letter and that is a trigger required by the application process that he received. 00:46:41
That he get a letter from the health department saying that his lot cannot accommodate a septic tank. 00:46:47
Contingent upon, so it'll be conditional approval and but he has to provide that letter to us and I can handle that 00:46:54
administratively. You know if he brings it in well and I'm just I mean this isn't necessarily our call I guess it's ultimately the 00:47:00
health department. But when I was speaking with them what he has provided the from Fowler Septic and drain solutions. 00:47:06
Would not suffice, so he has to do soil samples and but he did that doesn't need to be. 00:47:13
Part of this application? No, no, what I'm saying is he does. So he submitted it. We've told him it's incomplete because he needs 00:47:20
to give us a letter from the health department, a certified letter from them saying that his lot cannot accommodate a septic 00:47:25
field, a septic system. 00:47:29
And if he gets that letter from them and and whatever they require, if it requires soil testing or whatever, he gets that letter 00:47:35
from them and we get it. Then that's the checkbox that we need. 00:47:39
To do well the other. The other thing is I look at the check box. 00:47:44
Is it? 00:47:48
As one of the conditions, Construction has design standards that reflect the aesthetics and character of Watkinsville, including 00:47:50
without limitation design and Fenestration and meet all Watkinsville requirements. So it would need to be conditional on that as 00:47:56
well since we do not have any building. 00:48:02
Plans was that. But that would y'all see it that way as well. Basically contingent upon meeting all criteria set forth in the 00:48:08
code. Well, I mean, he's up to meet the code. He has to meet the code either way, right? I mean, we're not going to let it, you 00:48:13
know. So he's got him. I don't know. 00:48:18
I'm just one. I mean, this is the first we've had of these, so. 00:48:23
A lot of development. The intent of this policy was to deal with large developments, not necessarily a single family or, you know, 00:48:29
lot and so. 00:48:32
I think that's your flex, your flexibility you want to you know you want to require they bring a plan forward before that you 00:48:37
approve and that's something you can do. I know the, I know the mayor had some conversations with Mr. Van Geez and with our folks 00:48:43
compliance officer that you know at some point I think you know he recognizes that he's going to have to, he's going to have to 00:48:48
develop the property either he will develop. 00:48:54
Yeah, yeah. So just context. Just so you all know, Mr. Van Geeson has a lot that's bisected by a sewer line. OK? It was owned by 00:49:02
Miss Gus Vern. 00:49:06
When she donated the sewer system, he bought it from the burners. So the line bisects his property so it's unlike most of our 00:49:11
others so and it's it's off Thrasher Drive. It's kind of down in that hole and so he literally has enough space. 00:49:18
To build, to cite a house may be put in a septic tank, but she could never replace the there's not enough room to do two sets of 00:49:25
drain fields, and he can't. He can't. 00:49:30
Pump. He can't add a drain fill on the other side because the property is bisected by the sewer line. So that's why this is, you 00:49:36
know, just some context. I mean, it's not your average site who's asking for help. It's literally you know. 00:49:42
Yep. 00:50:22
Yeah, that was super helpful contact. Thank you. So I would then make a motion. 00:50:27
To approve as long as all the conditions are met. 00:50:33
Approval Review the documents and approval from the health department and meeting appropriate city residential building codes. 00:50:42
Does that sound good? 00:50:46
Sound good, Christine. OK, OK, good. Yep. OK, great. I'll 2nd I have a second from Councilman Thomas. Any further discussion? 00:50:54
All in favor? Say aye. All right. Any opposed? 00:51:04
All right. Five. Oh, no old business. 00:51:07
Under new business, we have a It's like we might be getting some concrete work done at City Hall. Manager Dickerson, if you want 00:51:12
to update us on that. 00:51:16
Absolutely. 00:51:22
So. 00:51:24
We gotten, we gotten originally gotten some price estimates sort of see where it was at and we realized that we were going to have 00:51:26
to go out for a price proposal. It's not a, it's not a bid. So we don't have to take the lowest bidder. We are actually going to 00:51:33
go with the lowest. But we received on May 13th, we received three bids. Mayweather Concrete Finishing has met all the 00:51:40
requirements. As crazy as it seems, he says he can do it for that and we've asked we've. 00:51:47
Ensured that he's going to be doing all the, you know, checking all the boxes that we need to as far as the PSI and the depth of 00:51:56
the of the concrete. 00:51:59
Out of the walkway area. 00:52:38
So all this funding is actually going to be able to come from the monies that left in the local maintenance improvement grant. We 00:52:40
have a little bit more than $19,000 in there. And so you'll be appropriating about 15 and that's the purpose of the local 00:52:46
maintenance improvement grant is to for sidewalks and actually a whole bunch of things that put in your list, but sidewalks and 00:52:51
roads. So that's what we're asking for. 00:52:56
And part of the reason this is being done is to ensure complete connectivity with the new extra special people facilities and you 00:53:02
know some additional the ability to handle more people from an ADA perspective as that project comes along. So it's going to be a 00:53:07
it's it'll. 00:53:12
Continue to kind of create a positive sort of campus feel and alleviate for any of you who've come to rainy meetings, alleviate or 00:53:17
alleviate our giant puddle outside the the door to City Hall. So not a lot of good reasons to do this and I'm pleased we got a 00:53:22
little bit. 00:53:27
Council Any questions for the manager? 00:53:32
Hearing none, do we have a motion. I make a motion to approve. 00:53:36
Up to 15. OK, do we have a second? 00:53:39
We have a second from Councilman Garrett. All in favor, say aye. Any opposed? 00:53:45
Motion carries 5. 00:53:50
We tabled item. 00:53:52
We'll now go to public comments. If any members of the public have a comment, please step forward. 00:53:55
Court client, did we receive any in advance from the public? 00:54:02
Yes. 00:54:05
All right. I don't see any movement, so we will close. Public comment will now go to mayor's report. 00:54:06
If you haven't been out back lately, check it out the IT looks really great. The playground is basically complete, a few finishing 00:54:14
touches are being done, and on the next slide you'll see that ESP is planning the grand opening of the ball field. 00:54:23
On June 6, they are slowly introducing more and more information. All I want to say at this point. 00:54:32
Stay tuned for more. It's going to be a really exciting evening for Oconee County. 00:54:38
They we anticipate having more than 1000 people here for that. 00:54:44
Maybe double that number so ESP has has. 00:54:50
As you can imagine, there's some you know, with the population that ESP serves, there's a tremendous need for handicap parking. 00:55:24
You know more than we typically have on site and then with that number of people, they're partnering with several local 00:55:32
businesses. 00:55:35
Institutions to allow for shuttles to drop people off. So we don't have, you know, 400 vehicles convening on City Hall and all 00:55:38
trying to park here at 4:30 on June 6th. So it does require a fair bit of planning. 00:55:44
For that. So that's an exciting event that's coming up. Please mark your calendars if you're in town. 00:55:51
Mark Novak and our group from the Public Works have gotten a weed bed under control by the Vernon Pedestrian Bridge and have 00:55:58
planted native species there. 00:56:03
So that's exciting to see and an attempt to beautify that area and take better care of water quality. So that's by the pedestrian 00:56:08
bridge and it's exciting. 00:56:13
It is. It's pretty amazing. Y'all. I think as my kids said that it's a vibe, whatever that means. So, so anyway. 00:57:20
It's it's it's really a neat space and the food is great, Jeff, you'll want to get up there and. 00:57:29
You would understand the smoker and all the other things they're talking about. They even have a piece of equipment that channels 00:57:34
clean grease away from old group fire grease. And you know, nobody's having to carry out heavy containers. It's really, they've 00:57:40
made a really substantial investment in that space and I think it's going to be. 00:57:45
Council members, they're always their doors are open if you want to go see him, but two great businesses. 00:58:50
And Sharon, I don't know if I have anything else. I think that's it for me. 00:58:56
But I did just, again want to remind the public so that they know that our plans are online for Harris Hills Park. Christine and 00:59:30
Connie and their committee are working very hard to advance those plans. We've allocated $100,000 to get that going and that will 00:59:36
be starting very quickly on the heels of the facilities behind Extra Special People. 00:59:42
With that, we'll move on to council, reports Councilman Garrett. Got anything for us? 00:59:48
Let's see. 00:59:54
I ran upon the district engineer with G dot this past week and I talked to him. 00:59:56
Crossing that ash. 01:00:02
And. 01:00:05
He's assured me it was on the list to be done. You know, they did the other side of the road last year. 01:00:07
And these those guys said, yeah, we're going to do the other side. 01:00:13
Anyway, he assured me it's on the list and it's going to be getting done. 01:00:17
Good news. 01:00:21
All right, Councilman Massey. 01:00:23
All right, Councilman Thomas. 01:00:27
All right. 01:00:30
Councilwoman Tucker. 01:00:31
Yes, I do have some updates on Hair Shoals Park. It is still a work in progress. 01:00:34
I do want to just say because. 01:00:41
Of some of the misinformation that has been out there that there is not a plan to totally take away the BBQ pits at Harris Shoals 01:00:43
Park. So please let the record show we know that is an important part of our community, an important part of our heritage. A lot 01:00:50
of nonprofits use that so that is not going away. We are discussing relocating some of them. So that I. 01:00:58
There is. 01:01:06
Horseshoe area was and I got pictures but I forgot put them in slideshow but so that's ready to be used. We are having to replace 01:01:45
the harness on the Ivy swing. It has to have a harness and it rotted or messed up and so we're trying to get that worked on with 01:01:53
Mr. Delatorre and then Councilwoman Tucker met with me and my staff last week or week before last and walked the the old wooden 01:02:01
playground. By June 6th it will be completely covered around surrounded by orange. 01:02:10
Fencing to make sure nobody gets on it because we're going to start deconstructing the portions that need to be deconstructed and 01:02:18
shoring up the ones that need to stay with the new design. 01:02:23
And this picture is one of three signs that will be placed in the park. I'm I'm currently working to have those in place by the 01:02:30
6th so that people who do come for this other event will see what's going on and understand why we have orange stuff up and why 01:02:37
some parts of the park are not renovated yet. The mayor worked on the the copy and we've got a QQQR code that people can scan. 01:02:44
Of the areas and so that we put position near where some of the stuff would happen. 01:03:24
All right. Thank you. Anything else, Councilwoman Tucker? 01:03:32
All right, Councilman Campbell. 01:03:36
Nothing to report, all right. Nothing to report. I don't think we have any need for executive session tonight. 01:03:38
So with that, I will ask for a motion to adjourn. I'll make a motion to adjourn. Do we have a second second? All in favor, raise 01:03:45
your hand and say aye. Aye. All right. We're adjourned. 01:03:50