No Bookmarks Exist.
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
Link
Start video at
Social
Embed

* you need to log in to manage your favorites

My Favorites List
You haven't added any favorites yet. Click the "Add Favorite" button on any media page, and they'll show up here.
* use Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to search in document
Loading...
Unable to preview the file.
Name Document type
Meeting Materials Other
* use Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to search in document
Loading...
Unable to preview the file.
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
scroll up