Transcript

Good evening and welcome to the March meeting of the Watkinsville City Council. Excited to have a good crowd here tonight of 00:00:15
friends and media. 00:00:19
We have a quorum tonight. We also have joining. 00:00:25
From Kuwait, Colonel Brett Thomas once again. 00:00:28
Colonel Thomas how. 00:00:32
I'm doing very well. Thank you all for having me. I yeah, the time the time changes is messing with all of the city is 1:30 in the 00:00:35
morning here though. 00:00:39
How's the weather in Kuwait? 00:00:45
It is. It's been warm here lately in the 70s and 80s. 00:00:50
Uh, mostly. So it's it's warming up over here. All right, well, you stay safe and thank you for your service and always appreciate 00:00:57
you joining us in the dead of night. 00:01:01
No, absolutely. It's it's my pleasure. 00:01:06
All. 00:01:09
With that, we will move along. We do have a quorum, so we'll move to the pledge. 00:01:11
I'm gonna pick at random. 00:01:16
Mr. Thaxton, will you lead us in the pledge please Sir? 00:01:19
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. 00:01:24
And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 00:01:29
Yeah. 00:01:38
Thank you, Chief. 00:01:42
He has not made it back, but I did want to take a moment to recognize Toby Cartilage. Toby is our Public Works Supervisor and code 00:01:45
Compliance Officer. 00:01:49
Toby recently completed his Level 2 certification for the Georgia Association of Code Enforcement. That takes a lot of work. 00:01:54
There's three levels of certification. He had completed Level one last spring. He completed 45 hours of course work and had to 00:02:00
pass a written exam for each course. 00:02:05
With a grade of 70 or better, I'm assuming Toby got straight A's. I hope but but that was probably three additional conferences, 00:02:11
45 hours of work. I hate that Toby can't be here, but he is one of the busiest men in Watkinsville. 00:02:18
The portal allows the public to view and listen to the meeting in progress and see those meeting materials as they go through the 00:03:03
meeting agendas. Posted one full week before and the packet is posted several days in time so we can get those questions. 00:03:09
With that, we'll move on to the items on the agenda tonight. Number one, approval of the minutes. Everyone's had those, so we had 00:03:16
time to review those. 00:03:20
I'll entertain a motion unless there's any edits or changes that need to be suggested. 00:03:25
Make a motion. 00:03:30
To approve the Minutes. 00:03:32
And I said, we have a motion, we have a second, any discussion of the Minutes. 00:03:33
Hearing none all in favor, say aye. 00:03:38
Thank you. 00:03:41
Minutes pass. 00:03:43
All right. Approval of the agenda. 00:03:45
We have nothing on the consent agenda, but we have received. 00:03:49
I would ask Council to consider moving an item. 00:03:54
New business, not new business. Excuse me from appearances Item 7. 00:03:59
To the consent agenda, and the reason I'm asking for that is that document has been adjusted significantly since it was initially 00:04:06
submitted. 00:04:11
To the point where our City Engineer and City Attorney are both comfortable with it. It will require a few more certifications 00:04:17
before I can sign it, but there's really no need for us to discuss that under appearances. We can handle that as a matter of. 00:04:23
Course on the consent agenda at this point I need to see some head nods from Joe and from Mark on that. 00:04:31
But if everyone's comfortable with that, we'll move that to the consent agenda. If I can get a motion to modify the agenda, 00:04:36
please, I make a motion to move. 00:04:40
That item to the consent agenda and out of appearances, OK, And do we have a second on them? 00:04:45
All right, we have a motion. We have a second. Any discussion. 00:04:51
All in favor? Say aye. All right, so we're moving item 7 from appearances. 00:04:56
60 S main subdivision of Platt to. 00:05:01
The consent agenda, which means we will have no discussion of that. We'll just approve the entire consent agenda at once when that 00:05:05
we get to that item on the agenda. 00:05:08
All right. Administration, I'll remind everybody what our public input process is. Generally here in Watkinsville, we try to keep 00:05:13
it informal. There are a few points where we're required to allow. 00:05:18
Umm. Umm. 00:05:23
Public input that's typically under appearances or under zoning matters or changes of code, things like that. If it is formally 00:05:24
required, then Mr. Reitman will. 00:05:28
Alert us to that. He and I will administer that. But generally, if you do have something you want to comment on, raise your hand 00:05:33
and indicate so, and it counsels discretion, we will allow you to comment. We may also ask you to stop. Again, that's a council's 00:05:38
discretion. If you do decide to comment, we'd ask you to address it to us. Not address it to the crowd or the camera, but to look 00:05:43
at council and direct your questions and comments to us. 00:05:48
Refrain from debate, argument. Personal attacks are irrelevant. 00:05:54
You'll only be addressing the route, the pending matter or if you're under citizen comments, it can be any matter that you choose. 00:05:58
So that's how we'll handle public comment tonight. But with that, we will go to financial reports and hear from manager Dickerson. 00:06:04
Thank you, Mayor. 00:06:10
Before I get started, I just wanted to touch on what obviously a lot of you guys are aware of. There were some bank failings. 00:06:11
Silicon Valley Bank and Signature were both both failed. I wanted to assure everybody that I talked to the bank and that our our 00:06:18
funds are insured and protected. In addition, obviously the FDIC is taking additional steps to short the banking system. 00:06:25
The Silicon Valley Bank and Signature were both specialized banks. They had significant industry concentrations among depositors 00:06:34
and very high average deposits, meaning a lot of their customers were uninsured. 00:06:38
All right. So you guys should have received your financial reports, the balance sheet, the revenues and expenditures. On the 00:07:17
revenue side, we are should be around 66%, we're at 70, almost 72% receipts and on our expense side, we again should be around 66% 00:07:23
and we're at 62%. So pretty good starting off. 00:07:29
Any questions on those in general? 00:07:35
On splashed one, this is our 2009 Splash One. The money's left in there are going are being allocated for the sewer sewer line A. 00:07:39
Project along with the 904,000 that you see on the water and sewer. 00:07:48
Facility line there on spots two, we do have a little bit of money left in public Safety and Rec and Parks, but most of that will 00:07:52
be probably be done this month. So next month you'll see that probably zeroed out. 00:07:59
On Spice Three, our projects right now we've spent some money in in the public safety line item for the jaws of life for the fire 00:08:06
and emergency services. There is a set aside we'll talk about later tonight in our capital budget request. There's a set aside 00:08:12
you've already approved for Police Department equipment. 00:08:18
On Parkside, we have spent some money on Hair Shoals Park and you guys at last last month's meeting approved an increase the green 00:08:25
space category on the splash. 00:08:30
Line item we've also spent money on. 00:08:36
And roads for the hard hill resurfacing project, I believe on that one. 00:08:40
I think it's on that one. Maybe it's boss too. I get confused sometimes. Excuse me. And then we've got some money set aside for L 00:08:46
Meg for the resurfacing projects, which we hope to bring that forward to you guys next month. 00:08:50
And of course some signage and you will be seeing some additional signage week today finalize the decision on the Hair Shoals park 00:08:56
sign that's in production. We were hoping to reuse the metal. Unfortunately, that's not going to work. It's so old, it's just not 00:09:01
going. The paint's not going to work really well, but we've got that under production. We'll have two new signs on either end of 00:09:06
the industrial park going up and then some wayfinding signs downtown going up as well. Hopefully, hopefully by the end of April 00:09:12
have all those signs up. 00:09:17
On the on the actual revenue report, I think it's important to note, obviously we had a really great in December. January wasn't 00:09:23
wasn't too bad either, but we're averaging 84,000 a month which is 16% higher than the year before. 00:09:31
And then on the American Rescue plan, we still have roughly $800,000 that's not been appropriated and we talked about different 00:09:40
uses for that. I know the intent was that that be used for some transformational projects in the city. Those are decisions are 00:09:45
still yet to be made, but I anticipate that money will be spent you know within the next year probably or dedicated for that for 00:09:51
those purposes. Any questions on any of those reports? 00:09:56
Just remind you guys at the physical fiscal year 2024 budget process, we did not have a work session tonight for the capital. I'm 00:10:03
going to be presenting that just as a regular agenda item tonight for you guys. There won't be a vote on it. It's just simply 00:10:09
giving you a heads up on what's going on with that. And then you will tonight receive reports from your independent agencies, 00:10:15
OCALAF and the Fire and Emergency Services. 00:10:20
All. 00:10:29
Economic development. 00:10:34
Our deadline is today. We've gotten Julie do you know how many like percentage wise where we're at with how many people we still 00:10:36
have outstanding that have not submitted their business licenses with all of the. 00:10:42
The licenses that have come in, in the last couple of days, we're probably. 00:10:49
A little less than half that have submitted. Some of those though are just waiting on the fire inspections and those are in 00:10:56
process. So I think we're we're on a good track. 00:11:00
And we also received some renewal on our alcohol license. 00:11:09
For. 00:11:14
On the excise tax collection report, we are now fully receiving funds from Airbnb, which is our biggest country. I think we have 00:11:17
one other small one. I can't think of the name of the other vendor, but we're we've got that all ironed out. So we're seeing that 00:11:22
money come in. 00:11:27
And alcohol, excise, taxes, all ironed out with the breweries and with the restaurant. 00:11:33
That. 00:11:38
On the building permit side, we have 11 permits for eight projects. You'll see quite a few at Electric Ave. or Wire Park. Golden 00:11:39
Pantry and the library are the two biggest ones on that list. 00:11:45
Any questions on any of? 00:11:53
All right. 00:11:57
And then I'm going to do a little tap dance here for Kate. We're going to talk a little Downtown Development Authority update. 00:11:59
Obviously you guys remember that back in September of last year you activated. 00:12:06
Downtown development author. 00:12:10
And a board. And those seven board members are listed. Our Councilwoman Christine Tucker is the chair. 00:12:12
We also estab. 00:12:19
DDA map, which just jump to that real quick to show you what the map looks like, picks up those areas that are now designated as 00:12:21
Downtown Development Authority. 00:12:26
Par. 00:12:31
We hired Kate Patterson in January. She's been going nonstop. We had last Thursday. She had a meet and greet at Oconee State 00:12:34
Bank's community room. 00:12:39
With probably about 15 or so people that showed up really good turn out. 00:12:44
And she right prior to that, about a week prior, she submitted. 00:12:48
A survey to gather information about downtown and what people would like to see. That survey was out less than 30 hours and 00:12:52
instead of getting what typically they see around 200 surveys we got. 00:12:58
700 and somet. 00:13:04
Surveys in a very short period of time. So we shut down the survey. I think we got plenty of data and a company we've hired 00:13:05
Georgia Downtown's will be helping us on May 23rd will help the DDA start creating a strategic plan for the next one to three 00:13:12
years that will provide some road map for the for the development authority as they start to pursue. 00:13:19
Redevelopment of downtown. 00:13:27
I'm sorry, do not what I say May 4th, sorry. 00:13:30
There are two initiatives that require applications will be coming before you guys next month to ask for those to be approved for 00:13:35
completion. 00:13:39
Georgia Main Street Program and the rural program. 00:13:43
George Main Street really just provides a lot of resources, some tools for us to use as we start diving into developing downtown. 00:13:47
The rural program, however, is a designation that is both These programs are under the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. 00:13:53
The rural program is a designation that will allow for tax credits if you create two jobs, 2 full-time equivalent jobs. 00:14:00
Umm, that business will receive a tax credit, not a deduction, but a tax credit. There are also redevelopment tax credits. These 00:14:08
things are stackable. There's quite a bit of other resources and and opportunities. If we get this as a designation, it will be 00:14:14
good for five years. It is highly competitive. They only give out 10 every year. So we are hoping that we get it and it's a quite 00:14:20
lengthy application is I think that one's due in August. 00:14:26
And the Main Street program, I think both of these have opened, but the Main Street program is in July, I think is due in July. 00:14:32
Encourage you guys to follow the Downtown Development Authority on Facebook and Instagram there at downtown Watkinsville. 00:14:39
Yeah, like and share. 00:14:46
Any questions on? 00:14:50
That. 00:14:51
OK. 00:14:53
All right, Chief, let's hear from you. All right, I'm. 00:14:57
Good evening, Mayor and Council. Always a pleasure to be here before. 00:15:02
I submitted my report for all the activity and fun stuff that we do over the last month last week. 00:15:06
Is there any questions over any material? 00:15:13
Hearing, none of seeing. 00:15:19
That's good. We're Treasurer, right? 00:15:24
Oh. 00:15:26
I went too far. I'm sorry, I got excited. I didn't really did that. Sorry about that. I would like to remind everybody that on 00:15:29
April 1st we're not going to be having any fools because it is a fools day, but we will have a bunch of eggs and a bunch of kids 00:15:34
and a bunch of fun. 00:15:39
On April fools day 10:00 AM here at the other side of the building in here in a Shoals park where we're going to. 00:15:45
Post a bunch of children and eggs and beast, your Bunny will be here. So I'm gonna be taking the Easter Bunny and all that good 00:15:52
stuff. 00:15:55
Hope to see some of y'all. 00:15:59
I am very pleased to announce that you know about badges and benevolence. Walking to the Police Department, Law Enforcement 00:16:02
Foundation is alive and inactive. 00:16:06
And I've created some material here for us to give out to business owners and individuals, to direct them, guide them, guard them. 00:16:11
Where they need to be getting their stuff done to provide tax dollars to us rather than to the state, so. 00:16:21
I'm all about it. 00:16:28
The blue link there gives you a PDF document that was created by Georgia Tax Commissioner that gives you step by step processes of 00:16:29
how to go to tax the Georgia Tax Center website and create your application for pre submission. 00:16:37
And the yellow link is the actual website where everything resides in the Department of Revenues website for. 00:16:46
Qualified Law Enforcement Foundation. 00:16:56
Umm. 00:17:00
I'm very happy to announce this morning we received a notification from the Commissioner that our first approval was received. 00:17:00
From a local. 00:17:09
For a $10,000 donation. 00:17:11
So we're live and active and if any of y'all would want. 00:17:17
Some. 00:17:22
Invoke cards where I have all the information readily available for to hand out and I'll be happy to give it to. 00:17:23
Any. 00:17:29
That's great. Are we going to, how are we going to get those? 00:17:31
Businesses because these this can work for businesses or individuals, correct it allows. The program allows for individuals to 00:17:34
donate to up to $5000. 00:17:39
Joint filers can follow up to 10,000. 00:17:46
And corporations and organizations can do 10,000. 00:17:50
You know, we'll go around Hannah Mountain. And you know, I've already handed a few out this this afternoon already. I had a couple 00:17:58
business owners coming here. 00:18:02
And talking on kind of hijacked him and the cards. So, but yeah, and I think I think we could send them out on the e-mail list to 00:18:06
Julie has the businesses. So we can send that out that way. I can do that. And then let's be sure you know those of us who know 00:18:11
accountants or no business owners to remind them of this. A lot of people are probably more used to doing it for private school. I 00:18:17
think there's a similar program for private schools. 00:18:22
In the state where you get a tax credit for donating to. 00:18:28
A private school. This is an exciting opportunity to be able to do the same for law enforcement. But you do have to move. There's 00:18:33
only a certain amount of money the state makes available. Correct. Chief State State allocated 75,000,000 for the entire state. 00:18:40
There really are not that many law enforcement foundations that are alive and active. 00:18:47
So 75,000,000 can go a long way, but they've only they've they've, they've put a moratorium on what how much a foundation can get 00:18:53
a year and it's $3,000,000. 00:18:57
You know, if everything goes well and we can get the information out, we can have $3,000,000 in the foundation, you know, operate. 00:19:03
A lot of things going on, so. 00:19:09
We could, we could do some magic with our budget if. 00:19:11
And you can use that for any So the foundation money can go to help replenish equipment, update equipment. 00:19:15
Hardware. 00:19:26
Various things that are needed for law enforcement purposes training. 00:19:27
Educational expenses and can also provide twice a year bonuses to officers. 00:19:33
As well as support and manage the. 00:19:40
Programs that the Police Department runs like the Easter egg Hunt, the Cops and bobbers and all those things as well. 00:19:43
So is this. 00:19:50
If someone is interested in doing this, do they need to do it before they file their taxes for 2022? Is this for 2022 or 2023? 00:19:53
20. 00:20:02
So it's for tax returns that would be. 00:20:04
So yes. 00:20:09
Yeah, I started in January. So anything that's contributed in this year, you get credit for in the next year's taxes? 00:20:11
OK, so but they don't have to write a check to the Police Department, do they? I mean, it's it's a credit. The state pays the 00:20:19
money to the Police Department. It is. It is actually. 00:20:23
Umm. 00:20:28
To wait for the taxes on the next year is a dollar for dollar thing. But the big thing is, is, you know, because it is a 00:21:04
moratorium with a $75 million, they're keeping track of it. They're approving it. 00:21:09
You got to do the pre approval plan, you got to do the pre pre approval that that PDF there will literally walk you step by step 00:21:15
through the Georgia Tax Center. 00:21:19
How to? 00:21:24
Create the information and submit applications. 00:21:26
Great. Thank you, Chief. Thank. 00:22:08
All right, Consent agenda used to say none. But there is a consent agenda, so we will all entertain a motion to approve the 00:22:16
consent agenda. 00:22:19
Motion to approve the consent agenda All right, do we have a second? 00:22:23
We have a motion. We have a second. Any discussion. 00:22:27
Hearing none, all in favor, say aye. Aye. All right. 00:22:30
Motion carries. Thank you, Colonel Thomas. 00:22:34
We got you there. Hang with us. All right? Our appearances we have. 00:22:39
Always as a part of our budgeting process, we'd like to hear from. 00:22:44
Independent agencies and two of them that we like to help out and the budget process for the Oconee County Fire Department and the 00:22:49
Oconee Cultural Affairs Foundation. 00:22:54
Ladies first, I'll invite Miss Wendy Cooper to step forward and off share what her budget request may be, and then after that 00:22:59
we'll have Chief Thaxton. 00:23:04
I was like Cultural Arts Foundation. 00:23:15
He says cultural affairs. Did I say affairs? Yeah, yeah. County Cultural Arts Foundation. There we go. That sounds better. 00:23:20
Yeah, no problem. Good evening, Mayor and Council. I have submitted a request for $5000. Last year we replaced six of the art 00:23:28
panels we'd like to replace. 6 markers are looking pretty. 00:23:35
Worse for wear. And so that would include the actual stipend to the artist, which I'm going to hand pick. There won't be any. 00:23:44
Controversial pieces and it will also cover some maintenance that needs to be done on some of them as far as sharing up the 00:23:53
foundations, because we have several that are leaning like this. 00:23:59
And so that will help me reimburse the city for that assistance if hopefully Toby has time. 00:24:05
And that was the same amount that was requested two years ago when we replaced the six. So I just went by that same budget. 00:24:12
And it worked out well. 00:24:19
Any quest? 00:24:22
Questions. 00:24:24
And I know we're getting an update on public art. 00:24:26
In the meeting, correct. 00:24:30
Good. When do you gonna hang around for that conversation? Can you? I think we'll. I don't think it'll take us too long to get 00:24:33
there, so alright. 00:24:35
All right. If there's no questions, we'll turn it over to Chief Saxon. 00:24:39
Good evening Mayor, City Council, appreciate the opportunity to be here again tonight. So thank you for letting us put in a 00:24:50
proposal budget tonight and. 00:24:55
It's the same amount as last year. I'm asking for 1500 for meal travel, 11,750 for equipment. 00:25:00
754 meals. 00:25:10
And this this money is designated for Station 1 here in Watkinsville. 00:25:12
All right. Any questions? 00:25:19
Thank you for what y'all do. Thank you. We appreciate it. 00:25:24
Yep. 00:25:27
I was just, I'm going to riff a little bit, but, Chairman Daniel at the State of the County meeting yesterday, shared. 00:25:30
Big numbers on everything that y'all all. 00:25:36
How many calls you get and all the responses you do and then I really enjoyed seeing on I don't know if it was on your social 00:25:40
media, but about the work y'all do on is it every Thursday or is it once a month? We all get every piece of equipment out and make 00:25:44
sure everything's. 00:25:49
Training is every Thursday night, right? 00:25:54
Yeah, make sure everything works. That's that's really awesome. And the average response time, John, do you remember off the top 00:26:00
of your head or one of y'all remember? 00:26:04
Say that again. 00:26:11
7 minutes. 00:26:13
7 minutes 17 seconds with a. 00:26:15
Fire department in our community really great response time. So thank you all John. Thanks for what y'all do to. 00:26:19
Keep everything running there and those great looking news stations and everything so. 00:26:26
All right. 00:26:30
Item 7 is off the agenda, so we don't have to worry about that. Item eight, we have the cost Creek water. 00:26:32
Reclamation Facility Site plans, Oconee County Board of Commissioners Engineer Campbell, if you want to give us a report on that. 00:26:39
Thank you, Mayor. Yes, so this is the, the wastewater reclamation facility that has an address there of Durham's Mill way, but 00:26:45
it's on the northern side of College Creek. It is within the Watkinsville city limits, although it's not within that beautiful 00:26:53
mile circle radius. It kind of jogs up there. It's on the on the edges much like Station one. It's not far from there, but so this 00:27:01
would be an upgrade to that facility. This is kind of the land disturbance site portion of that. So the upgrade is going from 1.5. 00:27:08
Million to three million. So there you see on the map where that reclamation facility is located. If you haven't happened to had a 00:27:16
reason to drive down there before, so there's some pictures from you can see there's a lot of already existing buildings. Phase 00:27:24
one of this upgrade was actually completed or plans were turned in and approved in around 2017. So it's it's been about six years 00:27:31
since that phase was begun and so this is the beginning of the subsequent phase. 00:27:38
Most of the. 00:27:46
So some of the improvements that this includes would be what's called an aerobic digester. 00:28:28
Again, we're not really reviewing the details from a engineering level of exactly that water treatment that happens at a much 00:28:37
higher level than the City of Watkinsville. We're really looking at the the land disturbance portion of this. But there will be a 00:28:45
new pump station which are those are some of the more significant things that will be happening within this phase. 00:28:52
I've talked to Adam Layfield with Oconee County Water Resources. 00:29:00
As the director there, and I've also talked to the engineers. 00:29:07
That they have corresponded with to create these plans. There was a little bit of a question about wetlands and how those wetlands 00:29:10
are called out. There's no wetlands disturbance this proposed, but there as is actually wetlands within the property because it 00:29:15
goes to the Creek and and so the area where the Creek is doesn't contain wetlands, but there's no wetlands proposed. They don't 00:29:21
have to get Army Corps permit. There'll be a clarification on the plans on that, but they do require state approval for erosion 00:29:26
control. 00:29:31
I'll be happy to answer any other questions to the best of my ability as well. I have some additional information provided me by 00:29:37
Adam Layfield and and can read through that, but hopefully that's helpful information. 00:29:42
All right. Chairman, you have anything you want to add? 00:29:51
OK. All right. 00:29:56
Council, Any questions on the project? 00:29:58
Mark, what are we looking for tonight? Just an approval of, is this a site plan? Is it a building permit? So it's not, yeah, it's 00:30:01
not a building permit, but I think it's site plan approval with conditions would be acceptable. The conditions could just be that 00:30:06
comments are addressed. 00:30:10
I think that would be sufficient. 00:30:16
So that would be one of the comments is that that we do the plans have been submitted for Georgia Solar Water Conservation 00:30:18
Commission. They've already got their NOI approved, but we haven't heard back from the tool mark Conservation Commission. So if 00:30:24
they have any conditions as part of their approval, we would need to make that a condition of our approval. 00:30:29
OK, So what are the when someone makes a motion? I wanted to be able to say so move, so will you state what you want and what the 00:30:34
condition? So again, I was trying to keep it simple. There's really only a couple conditions but I think with with, with. 00:30:39
Approval with conditions of the two staff comments would be sufficient. 00:30:45
We have a motion. We have a second. Any further discussion? 00:30:53
All right, All in favor. Say aye. 00:30:58
Motion carries unanimously. 00:31:02
Old business will move into a historic preservation update. 00:31:07
Councilman Campbell and Councilman Garrett have been. 00:31:13
Spearheading, spearheading this for us. I think this was kind of pulled some of this from last week's last month's meeting. I 00:31:15
think though that Councilman Garrett and Campbell have done some more homework and may have a little update for us and some 00:31:21
thoughts on what our process might be moving forward. 00:31:26
Yeah, we met with Chuck and I both. Oh, sorry. Yeah. 00:31:33
Chuck and I met with Doctor Scott Nesbitt with the University of Georgia. 00:31:38
He does work in historic preservation. He worked with the city of Winterville. 00:31:43
As one example, he did a class project to kind of document and define the historic areas of Winterville. 00:31:48
And so we discussed with him the possibility of another class project. 00:31:57
For the city of Watkinsville, and he's interested in doing that, that would be in the fall. He's going to get back to. 00:32:01
Once he knows for sure, he's also got. 00:32:11
He mentioned Jennifer Lewis as someone who's run charrettes, public charrettes in regards to historic preservation. 00:32:15
So he was going to reach out with her to find out if she's available to. 00:32:24
Facilitate one, and he also mentioned the Watson Brown Foundation. 00:32:29
Which would you could apply? 00:32:35
For a grant to help pay for, you know, putting this historic preservation ordinance together as it's a lot of work documenting all 00:32:39
that, all the houses and such. 00:32:44
So all that would be in the. 00:32:50
Timeline if we wanted to go that route. 00:32:52
Was there anything else? 00:32:58
So council, you know what we talked about before was potentially beginning the public input process in April and kind of moving 00:33:03
down the road. These were some dates that we had. 00:33:07
Arrived at it, sounds like we may be able to have. 00:33:12
Some expert assistance rather than us kind. 00:33:18
Moving quickly and. 00:33:21
You know, hearing from citizens but not having a lot of answers, so. 00:33:23
You know, I think that's an interesting option from the Councilman here. What do y'all think do you feel like? 00:33:27
This is, it's viable to wait until fall to move this forward. I know staff also has a lot on their plate for the next few months. 00:33:34
We have an expert in Mr. Nesbitt or Doctor Nesbitt I would say is Health Winterville. And I know that Winterville's approach, 00:33:41
which is not it's very practical, not super heavy-handed, but also recognizes that architecture. 00:33:47
So would love to hear from council as to whether we'd like to. 00:33:54
Maybe at least take a month and see what we can workout with Mr. Nesbitt before we commit to these dates and move on down the 00:33:57
road. This is a fast this would be a very fast process where we'd be getting input and we wouldn't have a lot for citizens to 00:34:02
react to on these days. 00:34:07
The longer I. 00:34:17
Sit here and see changes and see decisions being made. It makes sense to have experts come in beside us to help. 00:34:18
So I'm leaning towards as much as I wish this was done four years ago. 00:34:27
I think waiting just a little bit longer to really do it well and right makes sense to me. 00:34:33
Connie Brett. 00:34:41
Thought. 00:34:43
Nope, that's fine with me. 00:34:45
Brett, you have any thoughts, are you good if we you might be back by them too? 00:34:48
Yeah, yeah, I I'm, I'm absolutely OK with holding off a little bit. Let's let's figure it out. 00:34:56
Well then, Council Councilman, if Y'all can work with Mr. Nesbitt, it could put some meat, more meat on the bone in terms of 00:35:05
timing, potential budget resources, what exactly we would get from this partnership. 00:35:10
And you know, we may also want to hop on the phone with Doctor Ellen Winterville and talk it through from an elected official 00:35:17
perspective. Happy to do that too, if we want to. 00:35:21
What's her timing? When's best to do that? 00:35:56
Yeah, whatever the best process is, I think makes a lot of sense. So OK. 00:36:00
All right. So I don't think we need any action on historic preservation tonight. Thank you both for your work on that. 00:36:05
We appreciate it. 00:36:12
Moving on to new business item. 00:36:14
Capital budget requests for fiscal year 24 Manager Dickerson. Thank you, Mayor. So I just want to point out a couple things before 00:36:18
we start looking at these. 00:36:23
So last year we changed how we were budgeting for capital prior to that and for the few years that I was here prior to that time, 00:36:27
we would set aside a certain amount in each independent individual department's budget to cover capital that might be coming 00:36:34
forward that. 00:36:40
You know, didn't start making a lot of sense because we're just putting money in the bank when we weren't needing it. So then last 00:36:47
year we shifted gears and we're continuing that process this year. 00:36:51
Where we look at what our needs are, we look at how much money we have in the bank and we say OK. 00:36:55
We've got X amount of money in the bank. We want to keep a certain amount in the bank. We're going to add a little bit just to 00:37:00
keep it floating because we're going to have some. If you looked at your packet, you'll see. 00:37:04
You know, there's like next year, next fiscal year, we don't have any capital that's planned, but then the next year we have quite 00:37:09
a bit. So I think each year what we'll do is we'll evaluate sort of where things are. I think even if you looked at the and I 00:37:13
could put it up here because it would have been impossible for y'all to follow for anybody to be able to see, but on the 00:37:17
spreadsheet. 00:37:21
There are also some options and the chief is going to be looking into. I found out through the Georgia Georgia City County Manager 00:37:56
Association that. 00:37:59
The 2009 Crown Victoria. The 2011 Crown Victoria. I'm just reminding you guys about the 2011 Crown Victoria. Last fall, Chief came 00:38:36
forward with a request to buy a used 2018 for 15-8 that should have replaced this car. But you guys may recall that we asked you 00:38:44
to table that decision because we weren't sure where we were going to be with our staff or whatnot, so we're actually asking that. 00:38:52
Going ahead and replacing this one with a new one, which means we've basically upped it by 1 vehicle. So I think we'll have 10 00:39:01
vehicles. 00:39:05
And one. 00:39:09
So we'll have you guys may recall so that we have part time employees that need a vehicle and then we have a vehicle for each 00:39:11
officer. 00:39:14
And at any given time we could have a piece of equipment down for some reason. We certainly don't want to have to try to you know. 00:39:19
Shuffle cars around to try to get a car for an officer. So the intent is to is to replace this one. So basically what that means 00:39:27
is last year in November you added a vehicle for 15/8. 00:39:32
There is an 8 year life on that vehicle as well. 00:39:37
We are again asking that we move up the code truck with. We ran into some problems this year. 00:39:41
With and I don't sorry about those little I see there's like a question mark that's not supposed to be a question mark. I think 00:39:47
that was a signal that's something that did not. 00:39:50
Because the coach not always needed. So it's sort of like a spare. It can be, it can be flexed. Toby's not in it all the time, but 00:40:33
it gives us some flex with that, with that department and also with parks. 00:40:38
So we're asking these be surplus, we don't anticipate, I don't know where Chief went, but I don't think we anticipate more than 00:40:44
two or $3000 for this Crown VIX, but then again who knows right get a lot of money on those surplus. I think the truck we do 00:40:50
anticipate probably about 10 or 10 or 11,000 again. 00:40:56
We never know what we're going to get. They get into that auction situation, people get excited. 00:41:02
We are asking to delay several Massey Ferguson. We don't use it a lot. We've looked at the, you know the hours and time on it. We 00:41:07
think we can push that out quite a quite a distance. And then the zero turn mowers we actually got Toby got them onto a 00:41:13
maintenance schedule which we never had before. And so now that we're maintaining them properly, we feel like we can push those 00:41:18
out, keep it on those. Those are probably about $10,000 a piece. 00:41:24
So. 00:41:30
And then finally, we're asking that you add the purchase of a 2023 John Deere Gator for the parks. As we start, we're going to 00:41:32
start pulling Mark. 00:41:37
Novak away from public utility public works and moving him more towards the parks as the as both Rocket Field, Watkinsville Woods 00:41:43
and Harris Hills Park or parts that we're supposed to maintain. He hasn't had a lot of opportunity to to do what he needs to do in 00:41:48
those areas. As we're starting to move into phase one and hopefully the phase two on Hare Shoals Park, he'll need to be able to 00:41:53
get into some spots we can't get with a pickup truck. 00:41:58
A Gator would be a great way to do it. If he needs to get to walk into the woods, we'll trailer it up and get him up through 00:42:04
there. So we're asking for that as well. 00:42:07
And then this isn't really and tonight you're not going to be voting on anything anyway. This is all just a primer for the budget 00:42:10
when you see it come forward. 00:42:15
But we are it would be worthwhile for us to go ahead and talk about designating the money that is set aside in public safety for 00:42:21
the vehicles that we see coming forward mainly because you know typically. 00:42:27
Some of the strategy, some of it is you want to spend the money before you get to your next Bloss because you people don't go 00:42:34
where you got all this money in the bank you're not going to. This money is set aside for that purpose. It keeps it from coming 00:42:39
out of the general fund capital, it comes out of SPLOST and and so. 00:42:43
It'd be worthwhile to do that. So on your spreadsheet, you may have seen where I put in red, it's not for fiscal year 24, but for 00:42:48
26/27/28. I put those amounts in and it's a pretty complicated spreadsheet. But it like I said, the whole intent is to is to spend 00:42:55
the money out of the splash project, which is it does end. At some point you do have to use those funds to reduce the burden on 00:43:02
the general fund and then figure out what the difference is that we need to keep in that. 00:43:09
Operating operating budget contribution and that I put a TVD because I'm not quite sure what I'm going to recommend yet. I want to 00:43:17
play with that a little bit and see once we get the numbers in what we really need. I don't. 00:43:22
If you look, you know the intent is not ever end up in a in a deficit situation on your spreadsheet. So if you look at the 00:43:28
spreadsheet, you'll see as long as we contribute, we're actually good based on how it's currently all these projects are budgeted, 00:43:32
we're good and we don't fall into the. 00:43:37
Until FY 37. 00:43:42
And that's if we did everything that's on here now, which I'm telling you, some of the stuff may change. We may get grants. I 00:43:45
mean, there's just all sorts of variables that we can't predict. 00:43:49
So I think it's a good way to budget. So you know we're still kind of new at it. So I think it just requires a little flexibility 00:43:53
and and understanding and how we're maneuvering. 00:43:57
Based on our current needs. 00:44:03
I think every year it may change. You know, we may say we need this this year, next year, I may say we can push that out a year. 00:44:04
We need to move something up just like we're doing this year, so. 00:44:08
That's the general general idea. Any questions about what we're asking for? 00:44:12
Any. 00:44:17
How about? 00:44:21
The capital allocation, I know you said you're just trying to manage it to a number, but for things that are relatively new like 00:44:23
the playground equipment, that kind of stuff, we're still. 00:44:27
Planning ahead enough to have those funds set. 00:44:31
For years down the road when we have to begin making repairs and replacements there, right, Yeah, so the playground equip. So 00:44:34
that's the other thing too. So we're in, this is still brand new too since they we just got it open. So we have warranties, 00:44:38
there's limited warranties. 00:44:42
It has a full one year warranty and I think there's some other pieces to it and there's some things we're doing now to try to 00:45:19
address during the warranty period what we can do to make sure that that stays in place. 00:45:24
In the budget process, so but but I did set aside some because I figure there's going to be some cost involved. 00:46:01
Yeah, I think it's getting getting more use than anybody anticipated. Oh, yeah, it's been crazy. Yeah. 00:46:07
Watching those, watching those little legs run by. All right, Any questions on capital budgeting? 00:46:15
OK. Thank you, Sharon, for your diligence on that number 11 alcohol ordinance amendments. Sharon and Joe, this is your item. 00:46:22
You want to start? Yeah, sure. So. 00:46:32
This this sort of came up in staff meeting we. 00:46:35
As we were you know go about enjoying going to lunches and dinners and things, we noticed that some of the bars were doing some 00:46:39
things that technically were were not allowed by the ordinance, but I'm sorry restaurant sorry restaurants are doing things that 00:46:45
were not allowed in ordinance and so. 00:46:50
We were kind of among ourselves saying well you know, should even still be in there. And I'm sure this is just a leftover from 00:46:56
when everything switched over and and sort of everybody trying to take baby steps into allowing for having alcohol in the in the 00:47:01
in the city and the county. So the ones that are struck through are the ones we feel like probably could be removed. So the 00:47:05
recommendation is to remove those and allow that to happen. But it's just a staff recommendation. We're certainly looking for 00:47:10
input. 00:47:14
Mr. Reitman, you have anything else you want to offer before council discuss this? 00:47:23
Fairly standard boilerplate language that was adopted back in 2006 when you all went to beer and wine at restaurants and then 00:47:27
ultimately mixed drinks to support the local restaurants. So I think this is a discretionary you can keep the boilerplate 00:47:34
language. If you'd rather dispense with that, you have that option in your legislative discretion. 00:47:41
Council thoughts? 00:47:50
Whether or. 00:47:57
Someone chooses to drink or not to drink, I think. 00:47:58
Happy hours are great. I mean because they often have food specials that go with them as well and but. 00:48:02
Because this is saying basically you can't. 00:48:08
Anyway, I won't go into the details. 00:48:12
Anybody goes to a restaurant. 00:48:15
It's a little sticker shock looking at prices, so if this can help people save a little money during certain times of the day, I'm 00:48:18
all for making these changes. Especially if. 00:48:22
Some of it's. 00:48:27
A little bit, anyway. And if some places are trying to really follow the rules and then others aren't, and we don't want to become 00:48:30
a police state having to figure all that out, it just makes sense to adopt it with. 00:48:36
New language. 00:48:42
OK. Any other comments? 00:48:46
Are. 00:48:51
All. 00:48:54
I'll entertain a motion. 00:48:56
So I make a motion to amend our alcohol ordinance as outlined above. 00:48:57
We have a second. 00:49:05
We have a second second from Councilman Campbell. Any discussion. 00:49:06
All in favor, Say aye, Aye. 00:49:10
All opposed. 00:49:13
Motion carries father. 00:49:16
All right. John Kirkpatrick. 00:49:19
Welcome back to the Watkinsville City Council. I understand you're going to provide an update on one of our most exciting 00:49:21
projects, Watkinsville branch of the Oconee County Library. 00:49:25
Getting the mayor and council, thank you. 00:49:30
Inviting me before begin. It's really cool to see kids playing on the playground after dinner for the time change. 00:49:32
When I thought of what I was going to say tonight, and other than just the update, I went back and looked at text messages I. 00:49:40
Exchange between Councilmember Tucker and. 00:49:47
Mayor Bob. 00:49:51
And just to kind of jog my memory on what the timeline is on this project, it started in August of 2020 during the middle of the 00:49:53
pandemic. That was when this idea to move the library wire part first took place. 00:50:00
So if you think about over the last 2 1/2 years, we've made it through a pandemic, We've made it through serious inflationary 00:50:08
pressures. 00:50:12
We've gone back to our state legislature for more money to compensate for that. 00:50:17
And we've already broken ground on this library, so. 00:50:23
It seems like a long time, 2 1/2 years, but quite frankly, we've done a lot and. 00:50:27
We're now over those hurdles and now now we're building. 00:50:33
Before I get a brief update, I just want to thank you Mayor. Thank you council for being steadfast throughout all of this you've 00:50:38
you've supported this project from the get go. 00:50:44
Since Chairman Daniel's here tonight, I would like to thank him as well, because without him this would never have come to a vote 00:50:50
before the library board and you didn't have to do that. 00:50:56
I certainly appreciate that. 00:51:03
As for the update. 00:51:06
The construction is. 00:51:07
There will be a ceremonial groundbreaking on April 14th at 10:00 in the morning. It's obviously after the ground has been broken. 00:51:10
But this is so that the the legislators can come because they. 00:51:19
Representatives Weed, Our in Games and Senator Cousin have also played a big role. 00:51:24
And funding this for us. Without them, you know, we would probably be shipping old shelves and stuff over to the new library. 00:51:29
So with that said. 00:51:38
The plan is to complete construction by the end of this year, so we're hopeful that we'll stay on track and have a new library by 00:51:39
the end of this calendar year. 00:51:44
Additionally, I know there. 00:51:51
When Ponder and ponder came here and presented to. 00:51:53
A list of add-ons that were desired that we did not have funding for at that time. They have all been approved. 00:51:57
Council member Tucker, especially the bathroom in the children's area. 00:52:04
So all of the add-ons have been approved. 00:52:10
All the furniture and equipment and everything that's going to be going into the library is going to be here. So we're going to 00:52:15
have something really special. That's where we are. 00:52:18
Any questions that? 00:52:23
Thank you. 00:52:25
Questions, John, I do have, just want to call out. And I mentioned this to Missus Bell when I was emailing with her. 00:52:27
And that's I would just ask y'all to be very thoughtful about. 00:52:33
The Ivy room and the history space in the current library, which I think is really unique that this called the Ivy room. Isn't it 00:52:37
the? 00:52:40
Where the yeah, where there's all the local history and those. 00:52:44
And. 00:52:48
We've had so many people in recent weeks and months talk to us about the need to. 00:52:50
Better capture and highlight our history in Oconee County and that's really a precious resource and. 00:52:55
I'm not sure how Ponder and Ponder is thinking about that area and those resources and how to be maintained and taken care of and. 00:53:00
But, you know, I told Valerie, and I'd love it if we could talk a little bit more about what that's what that's going to look like 00:53:09
and how that information will be curated and shared and made available to the public. 00:53:14
You know, there's there's just a tremendous amount of interest that I'm seeing. It's something that I think we'll be talking more 00:53:21
about as a council in terms of. 00:53:23
What we can do to capture and highlight and share local history and those those books. 00:53:26
It's funny on Facebook how much interest these you know the historic of county pictures get but if you go to that if you go to Ivy 00:53:31
Room you just sit there for hours and and you you can just OD on local history which is really cool. But I don't think a lot of 00:53:37
people know or appreciate that. You know with I think it's a new opportunity for people to re engage at the libraries. They think 00:53:43
that's a great point Mayor and I'll certainly bring that up. We have our quarterly meeting next month and I'll bring that to. 00:53:49
OK. Awesome. Thank you. 00:53:57
All right. I think we're going to talk a little bit about the Public Arts Committee and Creative Place making updates, so I know 00:54:04
that. 00:54:08
Some people in the room had. 00:54:12
Had an intriguing trip to Thomasville and have taken some action since. 00:54:14
Mayor Pro Tem, I'll let you give us an update and if anybody else wants to chime in, that'd be great. OK, so we received a grant 00:54:18
and it was actually competitive. I found out more as we went down there. Only 12 communities were selected. 00:54:25
And all of us that went are in the room right now. It was Wendy Cooper representing Okaf and arts organization. I went 00:54:35
representing the DDA and then Jeff city government. 00:54:41
And. 00:54:48
It was. 00:54:50
Really an incredible experience, one just being in Thomasville and seeing all that they have accomplished. 00:54:51
With their arts organization and their just. 00:54:59
When you have arts organizations, economic develop. 00:55:04
Functioning and then government being very much supportive of all of that. It is amazing what can happen. And so we have all of 00:55:09
those pieces. I feel like we have a community that supports all of those things and so we learned from. 00:55:16
Umm. 00:55:25
People from all over the state, from big cities like Atlanta and Savannah to smaller communities like Swanee. 00:55:26
That are using public art to increase community and also economic development and I'll share one story that was really compelling 00:55:35
I think to all of us. 00:55:41
So in Newnan GA, there was. 00:55:47
A derelict kind of alleyway that. 00:55:52
Teens were going and just kind of hanging out there and weren't up to a lot of good and so the community got together and or a few 00:55:55
people did because it really only takes a couple people to get. These things sparked and going and they started by just taking. 00:56:03
Paint hands from Home Depot and spray painting them and putting them in the alley. And then they kind of observed what happened 00:56:11
with them and they looked at where people were. 00:56:15
Using them to sit, one was used to collect water that was kind of leaking and they ended up going in and putting. 00:56:20
More permanent furniture in those places, cleaning up the alley and all. They only spent $14,000, including in kind donations, and 00:56:28
it ended up. 00:56:33
Having an impact of over $1,000,000 in economic development because it ended up revitalizing that entire area with the businesses 00:56:39
and so. 00:56:44
You think about a few people you know sweat equity time ideas. 00:56:49
But not much financially invested and then what it did for the community as a whole, so we have incredible opportunities here. 00:56:56
I don't know if we have any derelict alleys. 00:57:04
But I'm I'm sure that we have spaces that could be become those third spaces that you hear about that not work, not home, but 00:57:08
those community spaces that people can gather. 00:57:14
And that's one of the core values of us as a city, is that? 00:57:22
That we want those. 00:57:28
We want to be a community that really connects. So at the end of this incredible workshop where we saw things in person and heard 00:57:30
incredible information. Also because it was small, it was very. 00:57:37
We had contact and could have just, you know, spontaneous conversations with all of the speakers, with all of the people in 00:57:46
Thomasville. And so there was great opportunity to ask questions and learn and they had a whole session where we were making 00:57:51
plans. 00:57:56
So coming out of this. 00:58:01
We are and. 00:58:04
DDA. 00:58:07
Committee. 00:58:09
We, the Downtown Development Authority, is has approved the start of a. 00:58:12
New committee called Creative Placemaking and because we have received an $8000 grant. 00:58:20
To use on this and so. 00:58:30
Up on the board are or the screen are the the members of this committee. It's a nice cross section of people in our community. We 00:58:33
have Best Carter, the art teacher at Oconee County High School, Ashley Johnson, Kaylin Ashford and Caitlin. 00:58:42
Message are all community members that have a lot of different things that they can bring to the table. Bobby Johnson is a local 00:58:52
artist. We have conversations with a few potential student artists to be involved. And then Wendy Cooper, our Oakaf Director, Jeff 00:59:00
Campbell Council member, myself as ADDA Board Chairperson and then Kate Patterson is our DDA director, so. 00:59:08
We hope to have our final project has to be done in order to get the grant, has to be done by the end of the year. 00:59:18
We are ambitious. 00:59:23
Not even having met this committee yet, hoping to have ours at the end of September, beginning of October, prior to Fall Festival. 00:59:25
So that is our ambitious goal and. 00:59:31
I'm very excited that we have had the opportunity to learn and again, just always impressed by our community. 00:59:38
The resource, the people, resources we have, we are so, so fortunate. 00:59:47
To live and be where we are. 00:59:51
That was a lot. I don't know if they want to add. 00:59:56
What 08000, I thought I said that but yes, we got an 8000, so we had gotten $500 grant to help with just the expenses of going 01:00:00
down there and then at the end they announced that we got an $8000 grant to put towards this project which has to just. 01:00:08
Community have some kind of art aspect which can be visual art, performance art and be a partnership with the city. 01:00:16
Art organization and then hopefully help spark some economic development with that as well. 01:00:26
That's great, Jeff. Anything? 01:00:34
She covered a lot of it. Do you, the previous couple slides there, were you going to talk about those? How to solve those? 01:00:37
I just put them up, but I was not prepared. She just pulled them. Yeah, go to the next. 01:00:46
Yeah, that was one. That's a bit yes. Savannah, GA they did a mural on. 01:00:51
The road it's going Di. 01:00:57
From the Senators across, from left to right left corner to the bottom right corner, that street is now the longest mural. No, no, 01:01:01
in the middle of the slide. That kind of goes diagonally from top left to bottom right. 01:01:08
That mural looks like a street that's been painted, yeah. 01:01:14
It's the the longest mural in Georgia on a street, I believe, she said. 574 feet. 01:01:18
And it was an area of town that was just rundown and neglected. And there's the old Waterworks building. You can see at the top 01:01:26
there that they're in the process of renovating. And one idea they had was that kind of hard to see, but there's. 01:01:33
Tall windows that are arched at the top on that brick building, towards the top you can see four of them and so they're going 01:01:41
around that building. 01:01:45
What they did, they found historic pictures of people who lived in that area 100 years ago roughly. And they put those pictures of 01:01:49
those people that represent this was our neighborhood. 01:01:55
And so that that was a very interesting project of revitalizing that area of Savannah. 01:02:02
Then the next one I think was 21 swings in Montreal, Canada. 01:02:09
So those swings. 01:02:13
21 of them. And as they swing there's a, it's a like a solid pad you sit on and there's like a light bar underneath it. So at 01:02:15
night it kind of lights up as you go back and forth, but the really cool thing is. 01:02:21
As you move, it's a harp is the instrument to use and it's in do re MI faculatida, so it's going back and forth so you try to 01:02:29
swing in unison, so so it's even louder. So it makes music so neat, so just if you Google 21 swings Montreal, you'll see it 01:02:37
anyway. It's just a neat thing and it gets children and adults playing together because everybody likes to swing. 01:02:45
Beltway. Oh, they did they. This one probably doesn't apply to us too much, but it's pretty cool. 01:02:55
Chairman Daniels, you can maybe. You know, 441 maybe, but. 01:03:01
Yeah, all the new, yeah, that's maybe that's our Main Street solution. When we put in the L that goes through, it was a rundown 01:03:08
area underneath an overpass that they converted to a park. So you know space you already had that just. 01:03:16
Now it's being used by everybody to bike and jog, so that was anyone. 01:03:24
Anyway, it got you thinking about and I I personally did not think of art as economic development. I just thought. 01:03:29
Nice. I like art but never thought about it attracting business. And you know, Christine, talking about that example that started 01:03:37
with, you know, buckets from Lowe's brought in you know, over $1,000,000 to the city of Newnan is very impressive. 01:03:43
You know, starting off with, you know, $5 and. 01:03:50
You know, led to it. 01:03:54
The bikes, OK, Thomasville. 01:03:56
Their first project was they want to do a temporary art exhibit. 01:03:59
And it was. 01:04:05
In a section of town that was kind of neglected, it was the poor side of town and. 01:04:07
There were no businesses in the buildings. One of the buildings had actually fallen in, so it created this alleyway in between 01:04:14
2:00. 01:04:17
Old buildings and in the back was a mud. 01:04:20
Well, the mud pit, they converted to an amphitheater. This now alleyway, they decided they got Darlene, which. 01:04:24
Our new favorite person. She's a person that just gets things done. She doesn't say we need to do this. She's the one with a saw, 01:04:33
you know, and doing things. Anyway, She decided her project was going to be to do a temporary art exhibit on the walls of this now 01:04:40
alleyway. And it'd be temporary. It'd be up for 30 days, and they do it about every other year. 01:04:47
And the first one was that she went to the junkyard herself and her pickup truck and rounded up every bicycle that was in the 01:04:55
junkyard. Brought them back, spray painted them all with caution. Paint yellow, just ugly. I mean, tires, wheels, it looks like 01:05:01
the whole paint. The bicycle was dipped in a, you know, a VAT of paint. 01:05:07
Then she decides to get sponsors and you so your business could buy a bicycle and be in front of your store for it's like 30 to 60 01:05:14
days. 01:05:19
Yeah. So it's $500 per bicycle. She got 48 businesses. 01:05:25
To spend $500 on a hideous yellow bicycle, you know, but it on there, said who sponsored that bicycle and that was the event was 01:05:30
called Flaunt. 01:05:35
And I think it must have said something about, you know. 01:05:41
Go here in whatever the date is when there are going to be, all these bikes will eventually be moved. So anyway, all the bikes, 01:05:45
you got 48 bikes around downtown. So it gets everyone talking, what in the world are these yellow bikes? What's going on? So you 01:05:52
know it builds momentum, it builds anticipation, builds interest and and then three days before. 01:05:59
The unveiling. They went around, picked up all the bikes in the town, disassembled every single bike, took the wheels off chains 01:06:06
off handlebars off whatever, and they bolted them onto the two sides of the buildings next door and just created this. 01:06:14
Art out of bicycles that you know cost. 01:06:22
And they left it up for 30 days and everyone just. 01:06:26
So, and this led to, OK, now we're going to do it, you know, next year. So they say it's about every two years to do. And it's 01:06:29
just everyone loves it. It's like, oh, why'd you take it down? It's like, well, you know, it's not permanent. It's 30 days. 01:06:36
Anyway, that was a great concept that's kind of been some inspiration for our initial thoughts on what we want to do. And it also 01:06:43
that project ended up revitalizing a whole section of their town. So it's the main thoroughfare from Tallahassee up through that 01:06:50
section of town and people would actually bypass it, go out of their way because it was so rundown and then revitalizing this one 01:06:57
non building building now. 01:07:04
Has completely sparked It's their Creative Arts district now. 01:07:12
And I don't even know how they didn't give numbers, but I'm sure it has sparked a lot of economic development. I mean, 30-40 01:07:15
million, Yeah, at least there's a brewery of restaurants and yarn shop. So I mean. 01:07:22
It's it's it's one of the coolest stretches of St. Down there. I've never been to Thomasville before. 01:07:31
And Christine and I were both falling in love with it, with the city. So yeah, it was a great trip, Wendy. Anything you want to 01:07:36
have? 01:07:40
Yeah, I was just reiterating how incredible that experience was and I was very grateful to be able to go. 01:07:45
Unbelievable educational about how and they call it activating the spaces when they go into you know space and county fairly and 01:07:52
we're going to activate the space. 01:07:57
Temporary exhibition People come, and then it ends up just in like, you're right, Thomasville, their whole arts district. 01:08:04
Is developed around this space. It was building. It was turned down between two older buildings of Justice. 01:08:10
Space with two brick walls and they have rotating and positions there now. It is amazing. 01:08:16
And I love the connection piece and how connected so many people in our. 01:08:22
One project, 50 bucks. 01:08:27
Uh. 01:08:29
So they did the bicycles then. Then this past year it was they did the Monopoly game. 01:08:31
So they had these life. Well, you know, these houses that were about 6 feet tall like cutouts of a house for the pieces, the mayor 01:08:36
dressed up as the monopoly guy with the monocle and the tucks and everything. So it was just really great to see the whole 01:08:42
community involved in in such a fun project. 01:08:49
Awesome. Well, thank you all for your leadership. They're really excited to see. 01:08:57
You know the art side of the community being reactivated, Wendy. Thank you for your leadership and stewardship at Oak F. 01:09:03
And Jeff and Christine thanks for all your. 01:09:09
And I'm excited to see what the committee comes up with. Let's. 01:09:13
Move quickly. That's great. All right, now is the time for public comments while we wait for anyone who wants to come forward. 01:09:17
Julie, did we receive any online? 01:09:22
All right. We had done online. Anybody have anything they wish to share? 01:09:28
All right. Hearing none, we'll move along to the mayor's. 01:09:33
A couple items I. 01:09:37
Highlight I'll be quick, February 25th. I know a lot of us were out there. The Community Field Festival at Wire Park was a big 01:09:39
success. 01:09:43
Great, great attendance, great music We had. You know, a good BBQ. Unfortunately, the wrong choice was made. 01:09:48
In the in in the for the winter, Jeff, here's yours was the best that I had. 01:09:57
And so anyway, but it was a but it was a really great night for Watkinsville. It's great to see that community spirit continuing 01:10:05
to happen at Wire Park. I think they're having something on Saint Patrick's Day if anyone wants to Don their green and head out 01:10:09
there. 01:10:14
I would anticipate a nice crowd and some good music. So so anyway another great event out there. Continue to make progress at 01:10:19
Rocket Field. Sometimes it's hard to tell when there's a lot of dirt work going, but they are working out there. 01:10:26
We have we're in good shape on our inspections. 01:10:33
Dugouts will be foundations will be poured next week. 01:10:37
Windows are going up in the in the building we have. 01:10:40
Have a lot happening, so anyway we continue to track. Lights are anticipated arriving there around April 15th. 01:10:48
We've got a few having some good discussions with our partner on some of the finished materials. 01:10:56
What some of the best choices are. So I'll update you guys as we get a little further down the road on that, but continue to make 01:11:03
great progress there. 01:11:05
Sewer line A we are under Hwy. 15 and I don't think we are under. We've got one more Jack and bore right underneath that dock at 01:11:12
the Bishop building. Have they started that yet Mark or they getting close, do you know? 01:11:18
They hadn't OK yeah, they hadn't. As of I think it rained and they didn't look like got much got done on Monday when I went. 01:11:25
But they are off Jerry Smith, which is great because that was a mess for a while, but overall I don't think it was quite as bad as 01:11:32
we had feared. I know they hit some rock mark, but it didn't seem like it brought him to a complete stop or anything. They were 01:11:36
able to keep moving. 01:11:40
So now they have one more board to do and hopefully that'll go smoothly. That's a little bit of it's a tricky bend in the line 01:11:44
where they're going under a existing building with a loading dock, so. 01:11:50
But that is on the agenda and happening moving quickly John and his team. Thank you John for leading the way on the comprehensive 01:11:56
plan update And Guy Herring's office, I do want to call out the comp plan does impact us. The county has been great about it, 01:12:01
keeping us engaged through that process. 01:12:06
There is an open house March 29th, three to seven. PMI will drop in there at some point. I would encourage any of you to also drop 01:12:12
in and share your thoughts. Chairman Daniel made a great point yesterday talking about the first comprehensive plan was done when 01:12:17
you're how old, John too, two years old. 01:12:23
And he said it hadn't changed much. And I think we all appreciate that. But the reason it doesn't change much and I give John and 01:12:29
his colleagues a lot of credit is they're very disciplined in terms of listening to that comp plan and making their decisions 01:12:34
based on what the citizens have said they want. 01:12:39
Well, you know how they know what the citizens want. You got to go and come to these things. So we've been pretty clear on that, 01:12:44
but take some time and I'd encourage our citizens to go and get engaged in that process. 01:12:49
We also have on the county level. This is also really important. 01:12:54
The Parks and Rec team has done a really nice master plan. 01:13:00
For recs it includes some also includes things that are near and dear to our heart including future plans for on their master plan 01:13:05
involving should it become available, the rail line a trail called the Hog Mountain trail blue ways on county rivers which is 01:13:12
something a lot of people have talked about some really cool ideas John credit to you and Lisa and your team. 01:13:20
Advancing this and T spots that gives our friends at the county. John, you just shake your head if I get this wrong because I'm 01:13:28
speaking for you. But this is, you know, as John said it yesterday. The T spot gives us the ability to go ahead and advance and 01:13:33
get some of these things moving that have been planned for a while. 01:13:37
So this is really exciting. So I'd encourage if any of y'all can make it and support that plan. This is a big priority for our 01:13:42
citizens, these kind of paths and connections. We're going to want to get connected into what the county's infrastructure is doing 01:13:47
and connect that to what we're doing. 01:13:52
So let's show up and support, support this if if we can. So that's next Tuesday night, right, John? 01:13:57
Yep. 01:14:03
The wooden playground is no more, I know. 01:14:07
A lot of us have watched our children play on that or might have played on that ourselves and we'll miss it, but obviously we know 01:14:11
the other playground nearby is getting a ton of use. 01:14:15
And credit to Christine and her committee, as you said last week, we just couldn't find. 01:14:19
Particularly practical use for that equipment, but I think we are going to try to reuse a little bit of that. 01:14:23
In our art project at Hair Shoals. 01:14:28
Which Wendy, thank you for issuing that RFP and excited to see where that comes in. 01:14:32
There's actually one thing I wanted to add at hair Shoals on phase one. We're working on the bathrooms right now and we had an 01:14:38
issue yesterday where they got into replacing the roof and we had Carpenter ants up in the roof and. 01:14:44
In the insulation, they got in the insulation. So it's going to require that we buy insulation. Well, I happen to know that 01:14:52
certainty will give it to you free if you ask them. So we asked them and we'll be picking it up tomorrow morning. So we'll be 01:14:56
taking pictures and we'll highlight that next month because they get back to the community that way. We're going to be getting 4 01:15:00
big. 01:15:04
You know, rolls, I think it's like 300 feet plus of insulation to put in the in the top of the of the park bathrooms. 01:15:08
Thank you, Certainte. 01:15:16
Yes, ma'am. 01:15:19
Good. 01:15:21
Would they brought it over to Captain Lawrence Duke? Thoughts. An artist to use it, and an artist picked it up. 01:15:23
As being repurposed for a children's educational. 01:15:29
Thing at Little Rose. Yeah, that's great. 01:15:33
And there's any left for potential art projects for the? 01:15:39
OK. 01:15:44
All right. We're all we're all for. 01:15:45
Yeah, we're all we're all for free cycling. That's great. 01:15:50
A couple months ago, Matthew Miller completed his Eagle Scout project in Watkinsville Woods. This lovely, lovely bridge that those 01:15:54
of you who travel the woods have probably used. 01:15:58
It is. It's really awesome. Rock solid. He had a couple scouts help. 01:16:05
And did a great job on that project. So thank you Matthew. I think he's officially going to be. 01:16:09
Get his pen this weekend. So excited for Matthew and his family. 01:16:15
And with that, I'm done. I'll turn it over at post One. Councilman Garrett, you got any updates? 01:16:20
All right. 01:16:26
Post to Miss Massey. 01:16:27
Post 3 Colonel Thomas. 01:16:30
None of this stuff. 01:16:33
Post for Miss Tucker. I already gave mine. 01:16:36
Post 5 Mr. Campbell. 01:16:39
Just one thing, the stop sign on Morrison St. you know, I initially got some negative feedback that was from business owners on 01:16:42
Morrison St. 01:16:46
But I've been driving the street, you know, to my warehouse regularly every day, and everyone stopping at the stop sign or at 01:16:51
least doing a. 01:16:55
You know, a slow around the bend at least, Yeah. And so anyway, it's it's, it's working well and it's making it a much safer. 01:17:00
Area on Morrison St. so that was. It's been nice to see because it is. Some people just cut that corner with a stop sign. They're 01:17:09
not cutting the corner. 01:17:13
I know the neighbors are pleased. 01:17:17
As I remind people who complain about the speed limits and other things, I said I I really start listening when the neighbors talk 01:17:19
to me, not the people who are just driving through. 01:17:23
So, so anyway and I know that they're they're pleased with that, so and that's important. 01:17:27
I did visit Speaking of things in that neighborhood I visited Trove the other day and they said that they have two or three either 01:17:33
lots under contract where people want to build their own homes or pick their own finishes for homes that are to come. So so anyway 01:17:39
and they're optimistic that they. 01:17:45
Some of the others may go under contract soon, so anyway, interesting visit over. 01:17:51
They had people coming in and out on a Sunday, cold and rainy Sunday, which was good. 01:17:56
All right. Unless there's anything else, we will. 01:18:01
Entertain a motion to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel, real estate, and threatened and pending 01:18:04
litigation. 01:18:08
To go to executive session for those things, do we have a second? 01:18:13
All in favor? Say aye. All right, Councilman Thomas. Feel. Remain with us. 01:18:17
I make a motion to adjourn. 01:18:43
I'll. 01:18:45
We have a second second. 01:18:47
Motion is second All in favor of journey, Say aye. 01:18:49
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Transcript

Good evening and welcome to the March meeting of the Watkinsville City Council. Excited to have a good crowd here tonight of 00:00:15
friends and media. 00:00:19
We have a quorum tonight. We also have joining. 00:00:25
From Kuwait, Colonel Brett Thomas once again. 00:00:28
Colonel Thomas how. 00:00:32
I'm doing very well. Thank you all for having me. I yeah, the time the time changes is messing with all of the city is 1:30 in the 00:00:35
morning here though. 00:00:39
How's the weather in Kuwait? 00:00:45
It is. It's been warm here lately in the 70s and 80s. 00:00:50
Uh, mostly. So it's it's warming up over here. All right, well, you stay safe and thank you for your service and always appreciate 00:00:57
you joining us in the dead of night. 00:01:01
No, absolutely. It's it's my pleasure. 00:01:06
All. 00:01:09
With that, we will move along. We do have a quorum, so we'll move to the pledge. 00:01:11
I'm gonna pick at random. 00:01:16
Mr. Thaxton, will you lead us in the pledge please Sir? 00:01:19
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. 00:01:24
And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 00:01:29
Yeah. 00:01:38
Thank you, Chief. 00:01:42
He has not made it back, but I did want to take a moment to recognize Toby Cartilage. Toby is our Public Works Supervisor and code 00:01:45
Compliance Officer. 00:01:49
Toby recently completed his Level 2 certification for the Georgia Association of Code Enforcement. That takes a lot of work. 00:01:54
There's three levels of certification. He had completed Level one last spring. He completed 45 hours of course work and had to 00:02:00
pass a written exam for each course. 00:02:05
With a grade of 70 or better, I'm assuming Toby got straight A's. I hope but but that was probably three additional conferences, 00:02:11
45 hours of work. I hate that Toby can't be here, but he is one of the busiest men in Watkinsville. 00:02:18
The portal allows the public to view and listen to the meeting in progress and see those meeting materials as they go through the 00:03:03
meeting agendas. Posted one full week before and the packet is posted several days in time so we can get those questions. 00:03:09
With that, we'll move on to the items on the agenda tonight. Number one, approval of the minutes. Everyone's had those, so we had 00:03:16
time to review those. 00:03:20
I'll entertain a motion unless there's any edits or changes that need to be suggested. 00:03:25
Make a motion. 00:03:30
To approve the Minutes. 00:03:32
And I said, we have a motion, we have a second, any discussion of the Minutes. 00:03:33
Hearing none all in favor, say aye. 00:03:38
Thank you. 00:03:41
Minutes pass. 00:03:43
All right. Approval of the agenda. 00:03:45
We have nothing on the consent agenda, but we have received. 00:03:49
I would ask Council to consider moving an item. 00:03:54
New business, not new business. Excuse me from appearances Item 7. 00:03:59
To the consent agenda, and the reason I'm asking for that is that document has been adjusted significantly since it was initially 00:04:06
submitted. 00:04:11
To the point where our City Engineer and City Attorney are both comfortable with it. It will require a few more certifications 00:04:17
before I can sign it, but there's really no need for us to discuss that under appearances. We can handle that as a matter of. 00:04:23
Course on the consent agenda at this point I need to see some head nods from Joe and from Mark on that. 00:04:31
But if everyone's comfortable with that, we'll move that to the consent agenda. If I can get a motion to modify the agenda, 00:04:36
please, I make a motion to move. 00:04:40
That item to the consent agenda and out of appearances, OK, And do we have a second on them? 00:04:45
All right, we have a motion. We have a second. Any discussion. 00:04:51
All in favor? Say aye. All right, so we're moving item 7 from appearances. 00:04:56
60 S main subdivision of Platt to. 00:05:01
The consent agenda, which means we will have no discussion of that. We'll just approve the entire consent agenda at once when that 00:05:05
we get to that item on the agenda. 00:05:08
All right. Administration, I'll remind everybody what our public input process is. Generally here in Watkinsville, we try to keep 00:05:13
it informal. There are a few points where we're required to allow. 00:05:18
Umm. Umm. 00:05:23
Public input that's typically under appearances or under zoning matters or changes of code, things like that. If it is formally 00:05:24
required, then Mr. Reitman will. 00:05:28
Alert us to that. He and I will administer that. But generally, if you do have something you want to comment on, raise your hand 00:05:33
and indicate so, and it counsels discretion, we will allow you to comment. We may also ask you to stop. Again, that's a council's 00:05:38
discretion. If you do decide to comment, we'd ask you to address it to us. Not address it to the crowd or the camera, but to look 00:05:43
at council and direct your questions and comments to us. 00:05:48
Refrain from debate, argument. Personal attacks are irrelevant. 00:05:54
You'll only be addressing the route, the pending matter or if you're under citizen comments, it can be any matter that you choose. 00:05:58
So that's how we'll handle public comment tonight. But with that, we will go to financial reports and hear from manager Dickerson. 00:06:04
Thank you, Mayor. 00:06:10
Before I get started, I just wanted to touch on what obviously a lot of you guys are aware of. There were some bank failings. 00:06:11
Silicon Valley Bank and Signature were both both failed. I wanted to assure everybody that I talked to the bank and that our our 00:06:18
funds are insured and protected. In addition, obviously the FDIC is taking additional steps to short the banking system. 00:06:25
The Silicon Valley Bank and Signature were both specialized banks. They had significant industry concentrations among depositors 00:06:34
and very high average deposits, meaning a lot of their customers were uninsured. 00:06:38
All right. So you guys should have received your financial reports, the balance sheet, the revenues and expenditures. On the 00:07:17
revenue side, we are should be around 66%, we're at 70, almost 72% receipts and on our expense side, we again should be around 66% 00:07:23
and we're at 62%. So pretty good starting off. 00:07:29
Any questions on those in general? 00:07:35
On splashed one, this is our 2009 Splash One. The money's left in there are going are being allocated for the sewer sewer line A. 00:07:39
Project along with the 904,000 that you see on the water and sewer. 00:07:48
Facility line there on spots two, we do have a little bit of money left in public Safety and Rec and Parks, but most of that will 00:07:52
be probably be done this month. So next month you'll see that probably zeroed out. 00:07:59
On Spice Three, our projects right now we've spent some money in in the public safety line item for the jaws of life for the fire 00:08:06
and emergency services. There is a set aside we'll talk about later tonight in our capital budget request. There's a set aside 00:08:12
you've already approved for Police Department equipment. 00:08:18
On Parkside, we have spent some money on Hair Shoals Park and you guys at last last month's meeting approved an increase the green 00:08:25
space category on the splash. 00:08:30
Line item we've also spent money on. 00:08:36
And roads for the hard hill resurfacing project, I believe on that one. 00:08:40
I think it's on that one. Maybe it's boss too. I get confused sometimes. Excuse me. And then we've got some money set aside for L 00:08:46
Meg for the resurfacing projects, which we hope to bring that forward to you guys next month. 00:08:50
And of course some signage and you will be seeing some additional signage week today finalize the decision on the Hair Shoals park 00:08:56
sign that's in production. We were hoping to reuse the metal. Unfortunately, that's not going to work. It's so old, it's just not 00:09:01
going. The paint's not going to work really well, but we've got that under production. We'll have two new signs on either end of 00:09:06
the industrial park going up and then some wayfinding signs downtown going up as well. Hopefully, hopefully by the end of April 00:09:12
have all those signs up. 00:09:17
On the on the actual revenue report, I think it's important to note, obviously we had a really great in December. January wasn't 00:09:23
wasn't too bad either, but we're averaging 84,000 a month which is 16% higher than the year before. 00:09:31
And then on the American Rescue plan, we still have roughly $800,000 that's not been appropriated and we talked about different 00:09:40
uses for that. I know the intent was that that be used for some transformational projects in the city. Those are decisions are 00:09:45
still yet to be made, but I anticipate that money will be spent you know within the next year probably or dedicated for that for 00:09:51
those purposes. Any questions on any of those reports? 00:09:56
Just remind you guys at the physical fiscal year 2024 budget process, we did not have a work session tonight for the capital. I'm 00:10:03
going to be presenting that just as a regular agenda item tonight for you guys. There won't be a vote on it. It's just simply 00:10:09
giving you a heads up on what's going on with that. And then you will tonight receive reports from your independent agencies, 00:10:15
OCALAF and the Fire and Emergency Services. 00:10:20
All. 00:10:29
Economic development. 00:10:34
Our deadline is today. We've gotten Julie do you know how many like percentage wise where we're at with how many people we still 00:10:36
have outstanding that have not submitted their business licenses with all of the. 00:10:42
The licenses that have come in, in the last couple of days, we're probably. 00:10:49
A little less than half that have submitted. Some of those though are just waiting on the fire inspections and those are in 00:10:56
process. So I think we're we're on a good track. 00:11:00
And we also received some renewal on our alcohol license. 00:11:09
For. 00:11:14
On the excise tax collection report, we are now fully receiving funds from Airbnb, which is our biggest country. I think we have 00:11:17
one other small one. I can't think of the name of the other vendor, but we're we've got that all ironed out. So we're seeing that 00:11:22
money come in. 00:11:27
And alcohol, excise, taxes, all ironed out with the breweries and with the restaurant. 00:11:33
That. 00:11:38
On the building permit side, we have 11 permits for eight projects. You'll see quite a few at Electric Ave. or Wire Park. Golden 00:11:39
Pantry and the library are the two biggest ones on that list. 00:11:45
Any questions on any of? 00:11:53
All right. 00:11:57
And then I'm going to do a little tap dance here for Kate. We're going to talk a little Downtown Development Authority update. 00:11:59
Obviously you guys remember that back in September of last year you activated. 00:12:06
Downtown development author. 00:12:10
And a board. And those seven board members are listed. Our Councilwoman Christine Tucker is the chair. 00:12:12
We also estab. 00:12:19
DDA map, which just jump to that real quick to show you what the map looks like, picks up those areas that are now designated as 00:12:21
Downtown Development Authority. 00:12:26
Par. 00:12:31
We hired Kate Patterson in January. She's been going nonstop. We had last Thursday. She had a meet and greet at Oconee State 00:12:34
Bank's community room. 00:12:39
With probably about 15 or so people that showed up really good turn out. 00:12:44
And she right prior to that, about a week prior, she submitted. 00:12:48
A survey to gather information about downtown and what people would like to see. That survey was out less than 30 hours and 00:12:52
instead of getting what typically they see around 200 surveys we got. 00:12:58
700 and somet. 00:13:04
Surveys in a very short period of time. So we shut down the survey. I think we got plenty of data and a company we've hired 00:13:05
Georgia Downtown's will be helping us on May 23rd will help the DDA start creating a strategic plan for the next one to three 00:13:12
years that will provide some road map for the for the development authority as they start to pursue. 00:13:19
Redevelopment of downtown. 00:13:27
I'm sorry, do not what I say May 4th, sorry. 00:13:30
There are two initiatives that require applications will be coming before you guys next month to ask for those to be approved for 00:13:35
completion. 00:13:39
Georgia Main Street Program and the rural program. 00:13:43
George Main Street really just provides a lot of resources, some tools for us to use as we start diving into developing downtown. 00:13:47
The rural program, however, is a designation that is both These programs are under the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. 00:13:53
The rural program is a designation that will allow for tax credits if you create two jobs, 2 full-time equivalent jobs. 00:14:00
Umm, that business will receive a tax credit, not a deduction, but a tax credit. There are also redevelopment tax credits. These 00:14:08
things are stackable. There's quite a bit of other resources and and opportunities. If we get this as a designation, it will be 00:14:14
good for five years. It is highly competitive. They only give out 10 every year. So we are hoping that we get it and it's a quite 00:14:20
lengthy application is I think that one's due in August. 00:14:26
And the Main Street program, I think both of these have opened, but the Main Street program is in July, I think is due in July. 00:14:32
Encourage you guys to follow the Downtown Development Authority on Facebook and Instagram there at downtown Watkinsville. 00:14:39
Yeah, like and share. 00:14:46
Any questions on? 00:14:50
That. 00:14:51
OK. 00:14:53
All right, Chief, let's hear from you. All right, I'm. 00:14:57
Good evening, Mayor and Council. Always a pleasure to be here before. 00:15:02
I submitted my report for all the activity and fun stuff that we do over the last month last week. 00:15:06
Is there any questions over any material? 00:15:13
Hearing, none of seeing. 00:15:19
That's good. We're Treasurer, right? 00:15:24
Oh. 00:15:26
I went too far. I'm sorry, I got excited. I didn't really did that. Sorry about that. I would like to remind everybody that on 00:15:29
April 1st we're not going to be having any fools because it is a fools day, but we will have a bunch of eggs and a bunch of kids 00:15:34
and a bunch of fun. 00:15:39
On April fools day 10:00 AM here at the other side of the building in here in a Shoals park where we're going to. 00:15:45
Post a bunch of children and eggs and beast, your Bunny will be here. So I'm gonna be taking the Easter Bunny and all that good 00:15:52
stuff. 00:15:55
Hope to see some of y'all. 00:15:59
I am very pleased to announce that you know about badges and benevolence. Walking to the Police Department, Law Enforcement 00:16:02
Foundation is alive and inactive. 00:16:06
And I've created some material here for us to give out to business owners and individuals, to direct them, guide them, guard them. 00:16:11
Where they need to be getting their stuff done to provide tax dollars to us rather than to the state, so. 00:16:21
I'm all about it. 00:16:28
The blue link there gives you a PDF document that was created by Georgia Tax Commissioner that gives you step by step processes of 00:16:29
how to go to tax the Georgia Tax Center website and create your application for pre submission. 00:16:37
And the yellow link is the actual website where everything resides in the Department of Revenues website for. 00:16:46
Qualified Law Enforcement Foundation. 00:16:56
Umm. 00:17:00
I'm very happy to announce this morning we received a notification from the Commissioner that our first approval was received. 00:17:00
From a local. 00:17:09
For a $10,000 donation. 00:17:11
So we're live and active and if any of y'all would want. 00:17:17
Some. 00:17:22
Invoke cards where I have all the information readily available for to hand out and I'll be happy to give it to. 00:17:23
Any. 00:17:29
That's great. Are we going to, how are we going to get those? 00:17:31
Businesses because these this can work for businesses or individuals, correct it allows. The program allows for individuals to 00:17:34
donate to up to $5000. 00:17:39
Joint filers can follow up to 10,000. 00:17:46
And corporations and organizations can do 10,000. 00:17:50
You know, we'll go around Hannah Mountain. And you know, I've already handed a few out this this afternoon already. I had a couple 00:17:58
business owners coming here. 00:18:02
And talking on kind of hijacked him and the cards. So, but yeah, and I think I think we could send them out on the e-mail list to 00:18:06
Julie has the businesses. So we can send that out that way. I can do that. And then let's be sure you know those of us who know 00:18:11
accountants or no business owners to remind them of this. A lot of people are probably more used to doing it for private school. I 00:18:17
think there's a similar program for private schools. 00:18:22
In the state where you get a tax credit for donating to. 00:18:28
A private school. This is an exciting opportunity to be able to do the same for law enforcement. But you do have to move. There's 00:18:33
only a certain amount of money the state makes available. Correct. Chief State State allocated 75,000,000 for the entire state. 00:18:40
There really are not that many law enforcement foundations that are alive and active. 00:18:47
So 75,000,000 can go a long way, but they've only they've they've, they've put a moratorium on what how much a foundation can get 00:18:53
a year and it's $3,000,000. 00:18:57
You know, if everything goes well and we can get the information out, we can have $3,000,000 in the foundation, you know, operate. 00:19:03
A lot of things going on, so. 00:19:09
We could, we could do some magic with our budget if. 00:19:11
And you can use that for any So the foundation money can go to help replenish equipment, update equipment. 00:19:15
Hardware. 00:19:26
Various things that are needed for law enforcement purposes training. 00:19:27
Educational expenses and can also provide twice a year bonuses to officers. 00:19:33
As well as support and manage the. 00:19:40
Programs that the Police Department runs like the Easter egg Hunt, the Cops and bobbers and all those things as well. 00:19:43
So is this. 00:19:50
If someone is interested in doing this, do they need to do it before they file their taxes for 2022? Is this for 2022 or 2023? 00:19:53
20. 00:20:02
So it's for tax returns that would be. 00:20:04
So yes. 00:20:09
Yeah, I started in January. So anything that's contributed in this year, you get credit for in the next year's taxes? 00:20:11
OK, so but they don't have to write a check to the Police Department, do they? I mean, it's it's a credit. The state pays the 00:20:19
money to the Police Department. It is. It is actually. 00:20:23
Umm. 00:20:28
To wait for the taxes on the next year is a dollar for dollar thing. But the big thing is, is, you know, because it is a 00:21:04
moratorium with a $75 million, they're keeping track of it. They're approving it. 00:21:09
You got to do the pre approval plan, you got to do the pre pre approval that that PDF there will literally walk you step by step 00:21:15
through the Georgia Tax Center. 00:21:19
How to? 00:21:24
Create the information and submit applications. 00:21:26
Great. Thank you, Chief. Thank. 00:22:08
All right, Consent agenda used to say none. But there is a consent agenda, so we will all entertain a motion to approve the 00:22:16
consent agenda. 00:22:19
Motion to approve the consent agenda All right, do we have a second? 00:22:23
We have a motion. We have a second. Any discussion. 00:22:27
Hearing none, all in favor, say aye. Aye. All right. 00:22:30
Motion carries. Thank you, Colonel Thomas. 00:22:34
We got you there. Hang with us. All right? Our appearances we have. 00:22:39
Always as a part of our budgeting process, we'd like to hear from. 00:22:44
Independent agencies and two of them that we like to help out and the budget process for the Oconee County Fire Department and the 00:22:49
Oconee Cultural Affairs Foundation. 00:22:54
Ladies first, I'll invite Miss Wendy Cooper to step forward and off share what her budget request may be, and then after that 00:22:59
we'll have Chief Thaxton. 00:23:04
I was like Cultural Arts Foundation. 00:23:15
He says cultural affairs. Did I say affairs? Yeah, yeah. County Cultural Arts Foundation. There we go. That sounds better. 00:23:20
Yeah, no problem. Good evening, Mayor and Council. I have submitted a request for $5000. Last year we replaced six of the art 00:23:28
panels we'd like to replace. 6 markers are looking pretty. 00:23:35
Worse for wear. And so that would include the actual stipend to the artist, which I'm going to hand pick. There won't be any. 00:23:44
Controversial pieces and it will also cover some maintenance that needs to be done on some of them as far as sharing up the 00:23:53
foundations, because we have several that are leaning like this. 00:23:59
And so that will help me reimburse the city for that assistance if hopefully Toby has time. 00:24:05
And that was the same amount that was requested two years ago when we replaced the six. So I just went by that same budget. 00:24:12
And it worked out well. 00:24:19
Any quest? 00:24:22
Questions. 00:24:24
And I know we're getting an update on public art. 00:24:26
In the meeting, correct. 00:24:30
Good. When do you gonna hang around for that conversation? Can you? I think we'll. I don't think it'll take us too long to get 00:24:33
there, so alright. 00:24:35
All right. If there's no questions, we'll turn it over to Chief Saxon. 00:24:39
Good evening Mayor, City Council, appreciate the opportunity to be here again tonight. So thank you for letting us put in a 00:24:50
proposal budget tonight and. 00:24:55
It's the same amount as last year. I'm asking for 1500 for meal travel, 11,750 for equipment. 00:25:00
754 meals. 00:25:10
And this this money is designated for Station 1 here in Watkinsville. 00:25:12
All right. Any questions? 00:25:19
Thank you for what y'all do. Thank you. We appreciate it. 00:25:24
Yep. 00:25:27
I was just, I'm going to riff a little bit, but, Chairman Daniel at the State of the County meeting yesterday, shared. 00:25:30
Big numbers on everything that y'all all. 00:25:36
How many calls you get and all the responses you do and then I really enjoyed seeing on I don't know if it was on your social 00:25:40
media, but about the work y'all do on is it every Thursday or is it once a month? We all get every piece of equipment out and make 00:25:44
sure everything's. 00:25:49
Training is every Thursday night, right? 00:25:54
Yeah, make sure everything works. That's that's really awesome. And the average response time, John, do you remember off the top 00:26:00
of your head or one of y'all remember? 00:26:04
Say that again. 00:26:11
7 minutes. 00:26:13
7 minutes 17 seconds with a. 00:26:15
Fire department in our community really great response time. So thank you all John. Thanks for what y'all do to. 00:26:19
Keep everything running there and those great looking news stations and everything so. 00:26:26
All right. 00:26:30
Item 7 is off the agenda, so we don't have to worry about that. Item eight, we have the cost Creek water. 00:26:32
Reclamation Facility Site plans, Oconee County Board of Commissioners Engineer Campbell, if you want to give us a report on that. 00:26:39
Thank you, Mayor. Yes, so this is the, the wastewater reclamation facility that has an address there of Durham's Mill way, but 00:26:45
it's on the northern side of College Creek. It is within the Watkinsville city limits, although it's not within that beautiful 00:26:53
mile circle radius. It kind of jogs up there. It's on the on the edges much like Station one. It's not far from there, but so this 00:27:01
would be an upgrade to that facility. This is kind of the land disturbance site portion of that. So the upgrade is going from 1.5. 00:27:08
Million to three million. So there you see on the map where that reclamation facility is located. If you haven't happened to had a 00:27:16
reason to drive down there before, so there's some pictures from you can see there's a lot of already existing buildings. Phase 00:27:24
one of this upgrade was actually completed or plans were turned in and approved in around 2017. So it's it's been about six years 00:27:31
since that phase was begun and so this is the beginning of the subsequent phase. 00:27:38
Most of the. 00:27:46
So some of the improvements that this includes would be what's called an aerobic digester. 00:28:28
Again, we're not really reviewing the details from a engineering level of exactly that water treatment that happens at a much 00:28:37
higher level than the City of Watkinsville. We're really looking at the the land disturbance portion of this. But there will be a 00:28:45
new pump station which are those are some of the more significant things that will be happening within this phase. 00:28:52
I've talked to Adam Layfield with Oconee County Water Resources. 00:29:00
As the director there, and I've also talked to the engineers. 00:29:07
That they have corresponded with to create these plans. There was a little bit of a question about wetlands and how those wetlands 00:29:10
are called out. There's no wetlands disturbance this proposed, but there as is actually wetlands within the property because it 00:29:15
goes to the Creek and and so the area where the Creek is doesn't contain wetlands, but there's no wetlands proposed. They don't 00:29:21
have to get Army Corps permit. There'll be a clarification on the plans on that, but they do require state approval for erosion 00:29:26
control. 00:29:31
I'll be happy to answer any other questions to the best of my ability as well. I have some additional information provided me by 00:29:37
Adam Layfield and and can read through that, but hopefully that's helpful information. 00:29:42
All right. Chairman, you have anything you want to add? 00:29:51
OK. All right. 00:29:56
Council, Any questions on the project? 00:29:58
Mark, what are we looking for tonight? Just an approval of, is this a site plan? Is it a building permit? So it's not, yeah, it's 00:30:01
not a building permit, but I think it's site plan approval with conditions would be acceptable. The conditions could just be that 00:30:06
comments are addressed. 00:30:10
I think that would be sufficient. 00:30:16
So that would be one of the comments is that that we do the plans have been submitted for Georgia Solar Water Conservation 00:30:18
Commission. They've already got their NOI approved, but we haven't heard back from the tool mark Conservation Commission. So if 00:30:24
they have any conditions as part of their approval, we would need to make that a condition of our approval. 00:30:29
OK, So what are the when someone makes a motion? I wanted to be able to say so move, so will you state what you want and what the 00:30:34
condition? So again, I was trying to keep it simple. There's really only a couple conditions but I think with with, with. 00:30:39
Approval with conditions of the two staff comments would be sufficient. 00:30:45
We have a motion. We have a second. Any further discussion? 00:30:53
All right, All in favor. Say aye. 00:30:58
Motion carries unanimously. 00:31:02
Old business will move into a historic preservation update. 00:31:07
Councilman Campbell and Councilman Garrett have been. 00:31:13
Spearheading, spearheading this for us. I think this was kind of pulled some of this from last week's last month's meeting. I 00:31:15
think though that Councilman Garrett and Campbell have done some more homework and may have a little update for us and some 00:31:21
thoughts on what our process might be moving forward. 00:31:26
Yeah, we met with Chuck and I both. Oh, sorry. Yeah. 00:31:33
Chuck and I met with Doctor Scott Nesbitt with the University of Georgia. 00:31:38
He does work in historic preservation. He worked with the city of Winterville. 00:31:43
As one example, he did a class project to kind of document and define the historic areas of Winterville. 00:31:48
And so we discussed with him the possibility of another class project. 00:31:57
For the city of Watkinsville, and he's interested in doing that, that would be in the fall. He's going to get back to. 00:32:01
Once he knows for sure, he's also got. 00:32:11
He mentioned Jennifer Lewis as someone who's run charrettes, public charrettes in regards to historic preservation. 00:32:15
So he was going to reach out with her to find out if she's available to. 00:32:24
Facilitate one, and he also mentioned the Watson Brown Foundation. 00:32:29
Which would you could apply? 00:32:35
For a grant to help pay for, you know, putting this historic preservation ordinance together as it's a lot of work documenting all 00:32:39
that, all the houses and such. 00:32:44
So all that would be in the. 00:32:50
Timeline if we wanted to go that route. 00:32:52
Was there anything else? 00:32:58
So council, you know what we talked about before was potentially beginning the public input process in April and kind of moving 00:33:03
down the road. These were some dates that we had. 00:33:07
Arrived at it, sounds like we may be able to have. 00:33:12
Some expert assistance rather than us kind. 00:33:18
Moving quickly and. 00:33:21
You know, hearing from citizens but not having a lot of answers, so. 00:33:23
You know, I think that's an interesting option from the Councilman here. What do y'all think do you feel like? 00:33:27
This is, it's viable to wait until fall to move this forward. I know staff also has a lot on their plate for the next few months. 00:33:34
We have an expert in Mr. Nesbitt or Doctor Nesbitt I would say is Health Winterville. And I know that Winterville's approach, 00:33:41
which is not it's very practical, not super heavy-handed, but also recognizes that architecture. 00:33:47
So would love to hear from council as to whether we'd like to. 00:33:54
Maybe at least take a month and see what we can workout with Mr. Nesbitt before we commit to these dates and move on down the 00:33:57
road. This is a fast this would be a very fast process where we'd be getting input and we wouldn't have a lot for citizens to 00:34:02
react to on these days. 00:34:07
The longer I. 00:34:17
Sit here and see changes and see decisions being made. It makes sense to have experts come in beside us to help. 00:34:18
So I'm leaning towards as much as I wish this was done four years ago. 00:34:27
I think waiting just a little bit longer to really do it well and right makes sense to me. 00:34:33
Connie Brett. 00:34:41
Thought. 00:34:43
Nope, that's fine with me. 00:34:45
Brett, you have any thoughts, are you good if we you might be back by them too? 00:34:48
Yeah, yeah, I I'm, I'm absolutely OK with holding off a little bit. Let's let's figure it out. 00:34:56
Well then, Council Councilman, if Y'all can work with Mr. Nesbitt, it could put some meat, more meat on the bone in terms of 00:35:05
timing, potential budget resources, what exactly we would get from this partnership. 00:35:10
And you know, we may also want to hop on the phone with Doctor Ellen Winterville and talk it through from an elected official 00:35:17
perspective. Happy to do that too, if we want to. 00:35:21
What's her timing? When's best to do that? 00:35:56
Yeah, whatever the best process is, I think makes a lot of sense. So OK. 00:36:00
All right. So I don't think we need any action on historic preservation tonight. Thank you both for your work on that. 00:36:05
We appreciate it. 00:36:12
Moving on to new business item. 00:36:14
Capital budget requests for fiscal year 24 Manager Dickerson. Thank you, Mayor. So I just want to point out a couple things before 00:36:18
we start looking at these. 00:36:23
So last year we changed how we were budgeting for capital prior to that and for the few years that I was here prior to that time, 00:36:27
we would set aside a certain amount in each independent individual department's budget to cover capital that might be coming 00:36:34
forward that. 00:36:40
You know, didn't start making a lot of sense because we're just putting money in the bank when we weren't needing it. So then last 00:36:47
year we shifted gears and we're continuing that process this year. 00:36:51
Where we look at what our needs are, we look at how much money we have in the bank and we say OK. 00:36:55
We've got X amount of money in the bank. We want to keep a certain amount in the bank. We're going to add a little bit just to 00:37:00
keep it floating because we're going to have some. If you looked at your packet, you'll see. 00:37:04
You know, there's like next year, next fiscal year, we don't have any capital that's planned, but then the next year we have quite 00:37:09
a bit. So I think each year what we'll do is we'll evaluate sort of where things are. I think even if you looked at the and I 00:37:13
could put it up here because it would have been impossible for y'all to follow for anybody to be able to see, but on the 00:37:17
spreadsheet. 00:37:21
There are also some options and the chief is going to be looking into. I found out through the Georgia Georgia City County Manager 00:37:56
Association that. 00:37:59
The 2009 Crown Victoria. The 2011 Crown Victoria. I'm just reminding you guys about the 2011 Crown Victoria. Last fall, Chief came 00:38:36
forward with a request to buy a used 2018 for 15-8 that should have replaced this car. But you guys may recall that we asked you 00:38:44
to table that decision because we weren't sure where we were going to be with our staff or whatnot, so we're actually asking that. 00:38:52
Going ahead and replacing this one with a new one, which means we've basically upped it by 1 vehicle. So I think we'll have 10 00:39:01
vehicles. 00:39:05
And one. 00:39:09
So we'll have you guys may recall so that we have part time employees that need a vehicle and then we have a vehicle for each 00:39:11
officer. 00:39:14
And at any given time we could have a piece of equipment down for some reason. We certainly don't want to have to try to you know. 00:39:19
Shuffle cars around to try to get a car for an officer. So the intent is to is to replace this one. So basically what that means 00:39:27
is last year in November you added a vehicle for 15/8. 00:39:32
There is an 8 year life on that vehicle as well. 00:39:37
We are again asking that we move up the code truck with. We ran into some problems this year. 00:39:41
With and I don't sorry about those little I see there's like a question mark that's not supposed to be a question mark. I think 00:39:47
that was a signal that's something that did not. 00:39:50
Because the coach not always needed. So it's sort of like a spare. It can be, it can be flexed. Toby's not in it all the time, but 00:40:33
it gives us some flex with that, with that department and also with parks. 00:40:38
So we're asking these be surplus, we don't anticipate, I don't know where Chief went, but I don't think we anticipate more than 00:40:44
two or $3000 for this Crown VIX, but then again who knows right get a lot of money on those surplus. I think the truck we do 00:40:50
anticipate probably about 10 or 10 or 11,000 again. 00:40:56
We never know what we're going to get. They get into that auction situation, people get excited. 00:41:02
We are asking to delay several Massey Ferguson. We don't use it a lot. We've looked at the, you know the hours and time on it. We 00:41:07
think we can push that out quite a quite a distance. And then the zero turn mowers we actually got Toby got them onto a 00:41:13
maintenance schedule which we never had before. And so now that we're maintaining them properly, we feel like we can push those 00:41:18
out, keep it on those. Those are probably about $10,000 a piece. 00:41:24
So. 00:41:30
And then finally, we're asking that you add the purchase of a 2023 John Deere Gator for the parks. As we start, we're going to 00:41:32
start pulling Mark. 00:41:37
Novak away from public utility public works and moving him more towards the parks as the as both Rocket Field, Watkinsville Woods 00:41:43
and Harris Hills Park or parts that we're supposed to maintain. He hasn't had a lot of opportunity to to do what he needs to do in 00:41:48
those areas. As we're starting to move into phase one and hopefully the phase two on Hare Shoals Park, he'll need to be able to 00:41:53
get into some spots we can't get with a pickup truck. 00:41:58
A Gator would be a great way to do it. If he needs to get to walk into the woods, we'll trailer it up and get him up through 00:42:04
there. So we're asking for that as well. 00:42:07
And then this isn't really and tonight you're not going to be voting on anything anyway. This is all just a primer for the budget 00:42:10
when you see it come forward. 00:42:15
But we are it would be worthwhile for us to go ahead and talk about designating the money that is set aside in public safety for 00:42:21
the vehicles that we see coming forward mainly because you know typically. 00:42:27
Some of the strategy, some of it is you want to spend the money before you get to your next Bloss because you people don't go 00:42:34
where you got all this money in the bank you're not going to. This money is set aside for that purpose. It keeps it from coming 00:42:39
out of the general fund capital, it comes out of SPLOST and and so. 00:42:43
It'd be worthwhile to do that. So on your spreadsheet, you may have seen where I put in red, it's not for fiscal year 24, but for 00:42:48
26/27/28. I put those amounts in and it's a pretty complicated spreadsheet. But it like I said, the whole intent is to is to spend 00:42:55
the money out of the splash project, which is it does end. At some point you do have to use those funds to reduce the burden on 00:43:02
the general fund and then figure out what the difference is that we need to keep in that. 00:43:09
Operating operating budget contribution and that I put a TVD because I'm not quite sure what I'm going to recommend yet. I want to 00:43:17
play with that a little bit and see once we get the numbers in what we really need. I don't. 00:43:22
If you look, you know the intent is not ever end up in a in a deficit situation on your spreadsheet. So if you look at the 00:43:28
spreadsheet, you'll see as long as we contribute, we're actually good based on how it's currently all these projects are budgeted, 00:43:32
we're good and we don't fall into the. 00:43:37
Until FY 37. 00:43:42
And that's if we did everything that's on here now, which I'm telling you, some of the stuff may change. We may get grants. I 00:43:45
mean, there's just all sorts of variables that we can't predict. 00:43:49
So I think it's a good way to budget. So you know we're still kind of new at it. So I think it just requires a little flexibility 00:43:53
and and understanding and how we're maneuvering. 00:43:57
Based on our current needs. 00:44:03
I think every year it may change. You know, we may say we need this this year, next year, I may say we can push that out a year. 00:44:04
We need to move something up just like we're doing this year, so. 00:44:08
That's the general general idea. Any questions about what we're asking for? 00:44:12
Any. 00:44:17
How about? 00:44:21
The capital allocation, I know you said you're just trying to manage it to a number, but for things that are relatively new like 00:44:23
the playground equipment, that kind of stuff, we're still. 00:44:27
Planning ahead enough to have those funds set. 00:44:31
For years down the road when we have to begin making repairs and replacements there, right, Yeah, so the playground equip. So 00:44:34
that's the other thing too. So we're in, this is still brand new too since they we just got it open. So we have warranties, 00:44:38
there's limited warranties. 00:44:42
It has a full one year warranty and I think there's some other pieces to it and there's some things we're doing now to try to 00:45:19
address during the warranty period what we can do to make sure that that stays in place. 00:45:24
In the budget process, so but but I did set aside some because I figure there's going to be some cost involved. 00:46:01
Yeah, I think it's getting getting more use than anybody anticipated. Oh, yeah, it's been crazy. Yeah. 00:46:07
Watching those, watching those little legs run by. All right, Any questions on capital budgeting? 00:46:15
OK. Thank you, Sharon, for your diligence on that number 11 alcohol ordinance amendments. Sharon and Joe, this is your item. 00:46:22
You want to start? Yeah, sure. So. 00:46:32
This this sort of came up in staff meeting we. 00:46:35
As we were you know go about enjoying going to lunches and dinners and things, we noticed that some of the bars were doing some 00:46:39
things that technically were were not allowed by the ordinance, but I'm sorry restaurant sorry restaurants are doing things that 00:46:45
were not allowed in ordinance and so. 00:46:50
We were kind of among ourselves saying well you know, should even still be in there. And I'm sure this is just a leftover from 00:46:56
when everything switched over and and sort of everybody trying to take baby steps into allowing for having alcohol in the in the 00:47:01
in the city and the county. So the ones that are struck through are the ones we feel like probably could be removed. So the 00:47:05
recommendation is to remove those and allow that to happen. But it's just a staff recommendation. We're certainly looking for 00:47:10
input. 00:47:14
Mr. Reitman, you have anything else you want to offer before council discuss this? 00:47:23
Fairly standard boilerplate language that was adopted back in 2006 when you all went to beer and wine at restaurants and then 00:47:27
ultimately mixed drinks to support the local restaurants. So I think this is a discretionary you can keep the boilerplate 00:47:34
language. If you'd rather dispense with that, you have that option in your legislative discretion. 00:47:41
Council thoughts? 00:47:50
Whether or. 00:47:57
Someone chooses to drink or not to drink, I think. 00:47:58
Happy hours are great. I mean because they often have food specials that go with them as well and but. 00:48:02
Because this is saying basically you can't. 00:48:08
Anyway, I won't go into the details. 00:48:12
Anybody goes to a restaurant. 00:48:15
It's a little sticker shock looking at prices, so if this can help people save a little money during certain times of the day, I'm 00:48:18
all for making these changes. Especially if. 00:48:22
Some of it's. 00:48:27
A little bit, anyway. And if some places are trying to really follow the rules and then others aren't, and we don't want to become 00:48:30
a police state having to figure all that out, it just makes sense to adopt it with. 00:48:36
New language. 00:48:42
OK. Any other comments? 00:48:46
Are. 00:48:51
All. 00:48:54
I'll entertain a motion. 00:48:56
So I make a motion to amend our alcohol ordinance as outlined above. 00:48:57
We have a second. 00:49:05
We have a second second from Councilman Campbell. Any discussion. 00:49:06
All in favor, Say aye, Aye. 00:49:10
All opposed. 00:49:13
Motion carries father. 00:49:16
All right. John Kirkpatrick. 00:49:19
Welcome back to the Watkinsville City Council. I understand you're going to provide an update on one of our most exciting 00:49:21
projects, Watkinsville branch of the Oconee County Library. 00:49:25
Getting the mayor and council, thank you. 00:49:30
Inviting me before begin. It's really cool to see kids playing on the playground after dinner for the time change. 00:49:32
When I thought of what I was going to say tonight, and other than just the update, I went back and looked at text messages I. 00:49:40
Exchange between Councilmember Tucker and. 00:49:47
Mayor Bob. 00:49:51
And just to kind of jog my memory on what the timeline is on this project, it started in August of 2020 during the middle of the 00:49:53
pandemic. That was when this idea to move the library wire part first took place. 00:50:00
So if you think about over the last 2 1/2 years, we've made it through a pandemic, We've made it through serious inflationary 00:50:08
pressures. 00:50:12
We've gone back to our state legislature for more money to compensate for that. 00:50:17
And we've already broken ground on this library, so. 00:50:23
It seems like a long time, 2 1/2 years, but quite frankly, we've done a lot and. 00:50:27
We're now over those hurdles and now now we're building. 00:50:33
Before I get a brief update, I just want to thank you Mayor. Thank you council for being steadfast throughout all of this you've 00:50:38
you've supported this project from the get go. 00:50:44
Since Chairman Daniel's here tonight, I would like to thank him as well, because without him this would never have come to a vote 00:50:50
before the library board and you didn't have to do that. 00:50:56
I certainly appreciate that. 00:51:03
As for the update. 00:51:06
The construction is. 00:51:07
There will be a ceremonial groundbreaking on April 14th at 10:00 in the morning. It's obviously after the ground has been broken. 00:51:10
But this is so that the the legislators can come because they. 00:51:19
Representatives Weed, Our in Games and Senator Cousin have also played a big role. 00:51:24
And funding this for us. Without them, you know, we would probably be shipping old shelves and stuff over to the new library. 00:51:29
So with that said. 00:51:38
The plan is to complete construction by the end of this year, so we're hopeful that we'll stay on track and have a new library by 00:51:39
the end of this calendar year. 00:51:44
Additionally, I know there. 00:51:51
When Ponder and ponder came here and presented to. 00:51:53
A list of add-ons that were desired that we did not have funding for at that time. They have all been approved. 00:51:57
Council member Tucker, especially the bathroom in the children's area. 00:52:04
So all of the add-ons have been approved. 00:52:10
All the furniture and equipment and everything that's going to be going into the library is going to be here. So we're going to 00:52:15
have something really special. That's where we are. 00:52:18
Any questions that? 00:52:23
Thank you. 00:52:25
Questions, John, I do have, just want to call out. And I mentioned this to Missus Bell when I was emailing with her. 00:52:27
And that's I would just ask y'all to be very thoughtful about. 00:52:33
The Ivy room and the history space in the current library, which I think is really unique that this called the Ivy room. Isn't it 00:52:37
the? 00:52:40
Where the yeah, where there's all the local history and those. 00:52:44
And. 00:52:48
We've had so many people in recent weeks and months talk to us about the need to. 00:52:50
Better capture and highlight our history in Oconee County and that's really a precious resource and. 00:52:55
I'm not sure how Ponder and Ponder is thinking about that area and those resources and how to be maintained and taken care of and. 00:53:00
But, you know, I told Valerie, and I'd love it if we could talk a little bit more about what that's what that's going to look like 00:53:09
and how that information will be curated and shared and made available to the public. 00:53:14
You know, there's there's just a tremendous amount of interest that I'm seeing. It's something that I think we'll be talking more 00:53:21
about as a council in terms of. 00:53:23
What we can do to capture and highlight and share local history and those those books. 00:53:26
It's funny on Facebook how much interest these you know the historic of county pictures get but if you go to that if you go to Ivy 00:53:31
Room you just sit there for hours and and you you can just OD on local history which is really cool. But I don't think a lot of 00:53:37
people know or appreciate that. You know with I think it's a new opportunity for people to re engage at the libraries. They think 00:53:43
that's a great point Mayor and I'll certainly bring that up. We have our quarterly meeting next month and I'll bring that to. 00:53:49
OK. Awesome. Thank you. 00:53:57
All right. I think we're going to talk a little bit about the Public Arts Committee and Creative Place making updates, so I know 00:54:04
that. 00:54:08
Some people in the room had. 00:54:12
Had an intriguing trip to Thomasville and have taken some action since. 00:54:14
Mayor Pro Tem, I'll let you give us an update and if anybody else wants to chime in, that'd be great. OK, so we received a grant 00:54:18
and it was actually competitive. I found out more as we went down there. Only 12 communities were selected. 00:54:25
And all of us that went are in the room right now. It was Wendy Cooper representing Okaf and arts organization. I went 00:54:35
representing the DDA and then Jeff city government. 00:54:41
And. 00:54:48
It was. 00:54:50
Really an incredible experience, one just being in Thomasville and seeing all that they have accomplished. 00:54:51
With their arts organization and their just. 00:54:59
When you have arts organizations, economic develop. 00:55:04
Functioning and then government being very much supportive of all of that. It is amazing what can happen. And so we have all of 00:55:09
those pieces. I feel like we have a community that supports all of those things and so we learned from. 00:55:16
Umm. 00:55:25
People from all over the state, from big cities like Atlanta and Savannah to smaller communities like Swanee. 00:55:26
That are using public art to increase community and also economic development and I'll share one story that was really compelling 00:55:35
I think to all of us. 00:55:41
So in Newnan GA, there was. 00:55:47
A derelict kind of alleyway that. 00:55:52
Teens were going and just kind of hanging out there and weren't up to a lot of good and so the community got together and or a few 00:55:55
people did because it really only takes a couple people to get. These things sparked and going and they started by just taking. 00:56:03
Paint hands from Home Depot and spray painting them and putting them in the alley. And then they kind of observed what happened 00:56:11
with them and they looked at where people were. 00:56:15
Using them to sit, one was used to collect water that was kind of leaking and they ended up going in and putting. 00:56:20
More permanent furniture in those places, cleaning up the alley and all. They only spent $14,000, including in kind donations, and 00:56:28
it ended up. 00:56:33
Having an impact of over $1,000,000 in economic development because it ended up revitalizing that entire area with the businesses 00:56:39
and so. 00:56:44
You think about a few people you know sweat equity time ideas. 00:56:49
But not much financially invested and then what it did for the community as a whole, so we have incredible opportunities here. 00:56:56
I don't know if we have any derelict alleys. 00:57:04
But I'm I'm sure that we have spaces that could be become those third spaces that you hear about that not work, not home, but 00:57:08
those community spaces that people can gather. 00:57:14
And that's one of the core values of us as a city, is that? 00:57:22
That we want those. 00:57:28
We want to be a community that really connects. So at the end of this incredible workshop where we saw things in person and heard 00:57:30
incredible information. Also because it was small, it was very. 00:57:37
We had contact and could have just, you know, spontaneous conversations with all of the speakers, with all of the people in 00:57:46
Thomasville. And so there was great opportunity to ask questions and learn and they had a whole session where we were making 00:57:51
plans. 00:57:56
So coming out of this. 00:58:01
We are and. 00:58:04
DDA. 00:58:07
Committee. 00:58:09
We, the Downtown Development Authority, is has approved the start of a. 00:58:12
New committee called Creative Placemaking and because we have received an $8000 grant. 00:58:20
To use on this and so. 00:58:30
Up on the board are or the screen are the the members of this committee. It's a nice cross section of people in our community. We 00:58:33
have Best Carter, the art teacher at Oconee County High School, Ashley Johnson, Kaylin Ashford and Caitlin. 00:58:42
Message are all community members that have a lot of different things that they can bring to the table. Bobby Johnson is a local 00:58:52
artist. We have conversations with a few potential student artists to be involved. And then Wendy Cooper, our Oakaf Director, Jeff 00:59:00
Campbell Council member, myself as ADDA Board Chairperson and then Kate Patterson is our DDA director, so. 00:59:08
We hope to have our final project has to be done in order to get the grant, has to be done by the end of the year. 00:59:18
We are ambitious. 00:59:23
Not even having met this committee yet, hoping to have ours at the end of September, beginning of October, prior to Fall Festival. 00:59:25
So that is our ambitious goal and. 00:59:31
I'm very excited that we have had the opportunity to learn and again, just always impressed by our community. 00:59:38
The resource, the people, resources we have, we are so, so fortunate. 00:59:47
To live and be where we are. 00:59:51
That was a lot. I don't know if they want to add. 00:59:56
What 08000, I thought I said that but yes, we got an 8000, so we had gotten $500 grant to help with just the expenses of going 01:00:00
down there and then at the end they announced that we got an $8000 grant to put towards this project which has to just. 01:00:08
Community have some kind of art aspect which can be visual art, performance art and be a partnership with the city. 01:00:16
Art organization and then hopefully help spark some economic development with that as well. 01:00:26
That's great, Jeff. Anything? 01:00:34
She covered a lot of it. Do you, the previous couple slides there, were you going to talk about those? How to solve those? 01:00:37
I just put them up, but I was not prepared. She just pulled them. Yeah, go to the next. 01:00:46
Yeah, that was one. That's a bit yes. Savannah, GA they did a mural on. 01:00:51
The road it's going Di. 01:00:57
From the Senators across, from left to right left corner to the bottom right corner, that street is now the longest mural. No, no, 01:01:01
in the middle of the slide. That kind of goes diagonally from top left to bottom right. 01:01:08
That mural looks like a street that's been painted, yeah. 01:01:14
It's the the longest mural in Georgia on a street, I believe, she said. 574 feet. 01:01:18
And it was an area of town that was just rundown and neglected. And there's the old Waterworks building. You can see at the top 01:01:26
there that they're in the process of renovating. And one idea they had was that kind of hard to see, but there's. 01:01:33
Tall windows that are arched at the top on that brick building, towards the top you can see four of them and so they're going 01:01:41
around that building. 01:01:45
What they did, they found historic pictures of people who lived in that area 100 years ago roughly. And they put those pictures of 01:01:49
those people that represent this was our neighborhood. 01:01:55
And so that that was a very interesting project of revitalizing that area of Savannah. 01:02:02
Then the next one I think was 21 swings in Montreal, Canada. 01:02:09
So those swings. 01:02:13
21 of them. And as they swing there's a, it's a like a solid pad you sit on and there's like a light bar underneath it. So at 01:02:15
night it kind of lights up as you go back and forth, but the really cool thing is. 01:02:21
As you move, it's a harp is the instrument to use and it's in do re MI faculatida, so it's going back and forth so you try to 01:02:29
swing in unison, so so it's even louder. So it makes music so neat, so just if you Google 21 swings Montreal, you'll see it 01:02:37
anyway. It's just a neat thing and it gets children and adults playing together because everybody likes to swing. 01:02:45
Beltway. Oh, they did they. This one probably doesn't apply to us too much, but it's pretty cool. 01:02:55
Chairman Daniels, you can maybe. You know, 441 maybe, but. 01:03:01
Yeah, all the new, yeah, that's maybe that's our Main Street solution. When we put in the L that goes through, it was a rundown 01:03:08
area underneath an overpass that they converted to a park. So you know space you already had that just. 01:03:16
Now it's being used by everybody to bike and jog, so that was anyone. 01:03:24
Anyway, it got you thinking about and I I personally did not think of art as economic development. I just thought. 01:03:29
Nice. I like art but never thought about it attracting business. And you know, Christine, talking about that example that started 01:03:37
with, you know, buckets from Lowe's brought in you know, over $1,000,000 to the city of Newnan is very impressive. 01:03:43
You know, starting off with, you know, $5 and. 01:03:50
You know, led to it. 01:03:54
The bikes, OK, Thomasville. 01:03:56
Their first project was they want to do a temporary art exhibit. 01:03:59
And it was. 01:04:05
In a section of town that was kind of neglected, it was the poor side of town and. 01:04:07
There were no businesses in the buildings. One of the buildings had actually fallen in, so it created this alleyway in between 01:04:14
2:00. 01:04:17
Old buildings and in the back was a mud. 01:04:20
Well, the mud pit, they converted to an amphitheater. This now alleyway, they decided they got Darlene, which. 01:04:24
Our new favorite person. She's a person that just gets things done. She doesn't say we need to do this. She's the one with a saw, 01:04:33
you know, and doing things. Anyway, She decided her project was going to be to do a temporary art exhibit on the walls of this now 01:04:40
alleyway. And it'd be temporary. It'd be up for 30 days, and they do it about every other year. 01:04:47
And the first one was that she went to the junkyard herself and her pickup truck and rounded up every bicycle that was in the 01:04:55
junkyard. Brought them back, spray painted them all with caution. Paint yellow, just ugly. I mean, tires, wheels, it looks like 01:05:01
the whole paint. The bicycle was dipped in a, you know, a VAT of paint. 01:05:07
Then she decides to get sponsors and you so your business could buy a bicycle and be in front of your store for it's like 30 to 60 01:05:14
days. 01:05:19
Yeah. So it's $500 per bicycle. She got 48 businesses. 01:05:25
To spend $500 on a hideous yellow bicycle, you know, but it on there, said who sponsored that bicycle and that was the event was 01:05:30
called Flaunt. 01:05:35
And I think it must have said something about, you know. 01:05:41
Go here in whatever the date is when there are going to be, all these bikes will eventually be moved. So anyway, all the bikes, 01:05:45
you got 48 bikes around downtown. So it gets everyone talking, what in the world are these yellow bikes? What's going on? So you 01:05:52
know it builds momentum, it builds anticipation, builds interest and and then three days before. 01:05:59
The unveiling. They went around, picked up all the bikes in the town, disassembled every single bike, took the wheels off chains 01:06:06
off handlebars off whatever, and they bolted them onto the two sides of the buildings next door and just created this. 01:06:14
Art out of bicycles that you know cost. 01:06:22
And they left it up for 30 days and everyone just. 01:06:26
So, and this led to, OK, now we're going to do it, you know, next year. So they say it's about every two years to do. And it's 01:06:29
just everyone loves it. It's like, oh, why'd you take it down? It's like, well, you know, it's not permanent. It's 30 days. 01:06:36
Anyway, that was a great concept that's kind of been some inspiration for our initial thoughts on what we want to do. And it also 01:06:43
that project ended up revitalizing a whole section of their town. So it's the main thoroughfare from Tallahassee up through that 01:06:50
section of town and people would actually bypass it, go out of their way because it was so rundown and then revitalizing this one 01:06:57
non building building now. 01:07:04
Has completely sparked It's their Creative Arts district now. 01:07:12
And I don't even know how they didn't give numbers, but I'm sure it has sparked a lot of economic development. I mean, 30-40 01:07:15
million, Yeah, at least there's a brewery of restaurants and yarn shop. So I mean. 01:07:22
It's it's it's one of the coolest stretches of St. Down there. I've never been to Thomasville before. 01:07:31
And Christine and I were both falling in love with it, with the city. So yeah, it was a great trip, Wendy. Anything you want to 01:07:36
have? 01:07:40
Yeah, I was just reiterating how incredible that experience was and I was very grateful to be able to go. 01:07:45
Unbelievable educational about how and they call it activating the spaces when they go into you know space and county fairly and 01:07:52
we're going to activate the space. 01:07:57
Temporary exhibition People come, and then it ends up just in like, you're right, Thomasville, their whole arts district. 01:08:04
Is developed around this space. It was building. It was turned down between two older buildings of Justice. 01:08:10
Space with two brick walls and they have rotating and positions there now. It is amazing. 01:08:16
And I love the connection piece and how connected so many people in our. 01:08:22
One project, 50 bucks. 01:08:27
Uh. 01:08:29
So they did the bicycles then. Then this past year it was they did the Monopoly game. 01:08:31
So they had these life. Well, you know, these houses that were about 6 feet tall like cutouts of a house for the pieces, the mayor 01:08:36
dressed up as the monopoly guy with the monocle and the tucks and everything. So it was just really great to see the whole 01:08:42
community involved in in such a fun project. 01:08:49
Awesome. Well, thank you all for your leadership. They're really excited to see. 01:08:57
You know the art side of the community being reactivated, Wendy. Thank you for your leadership and stewardship at Oak F. 01:09:03
And Jeff and Christine thanks for all your. 01:09:09
And I'm excited to see what the committee comes up with. Let's. 01:09:13
Move quickly. That's great. All right, now is the time for public comments while we wait for anyone who wants to come forward. 01:09:17
Julie, did we receive any online? 01:09:22
All right. We had done online. Anybody have anything they wish to share? 01:09:28
All right. Hearing none, we'll move along to the mayor's. 01:09:33
A couple items I. 01:09:37
Highlight I'll be quick, February 25th. I know a lot of us were out there. The Community Field Festival at Wire Park was a big 01:09:39
success. 01:09:43
Great, great attendance, great music We had. You know, a good BBQ. Unfortunately, the wrong choice was made. 01:09:48
In the in in the for the winter, Jeff, here's yours was the best that I had. 01:09:57
And so anyway, but it was a but it was a really great night for Watkinsville. It's great to see that community spirit continuing 01:10:05
to happen at Wire Park. I think they're having something on Saint Patrick's Day if anyone wants to Don their green and head out 01:10:09
there. 01:10:14
I would anticipate a nice crowd and some good music. So so anyway another great event out there. Continue to make progress at 01:10:19
Rocket Field. Sometimes it's hard to tell when there's a lot of dirt work going, but they are working out there. 01:10:26
We have we're in good shape on our inspections. 01:10:33
Dugouts will be foundations will be poured next week. 01:10:37
Windows are going up in the in the building we have. 01:10:40
Have a lot happening, so anyway we continue to track. Lights are anticipated arriving there around April 15th. 01:10:48
We've got a few having some good discussions with our partner on some of the finished materials. 01:10:56
What some of the best choices are. So I'll update you guys as we get a little further down the road on that, but continue to make 01:11:03
great progress there. 01:11:05
Sewer line A we are under Hwy. 15 and I don't think we are under. We've got one more Jack and bore right underneath that dock at 01:11:12
the Bishop building. Have they started that yet Mark or they getting close, do you know? 01:11:18
They hadn't OK yeah, they hadn't. As of I think it rained and they didn't look like got much got done on Monday when I went. 01:11:25
But they are off Jerry Smith, which is great because that was a mess for a while, but overall I don't think it was quite as bad as 01:11:32
we had feared. I know they hit some rock mark, but it didn't seem like it brought him to a complete stop or anything. They were 01:11:36
able to keep moving. 01:11:40
So now they have one more board to do and hopefully that'll go smoothly. That's a little bit of it's a tricky bend in the line 01:11:44
where they're going under a existing building with a loading dock, so. 01:11:50
But that is on the agenda and happening moving quickly John and his team. Thank you John for leading the way on the comprehensive 01:11:56
plan update And Guy Herring's office, I do want to call out the comp plan does impact us. The county has been great about it, 01:12:01
keeping us engaged through that process. 01:12:06
There is an open house March 29th, three to seven. PMI will drop in there at some point. I would encourage any of you to also drop 01:12:12
in and share your thoughts. Chairman Daniel made a great point yesterday talking about the first comprehensive plan was done when 01:12:17
you're how old, John too, two years old. 01:12:23
And he said it hadn't changed much. And I think we all appreciate that. But the reason it doesn't change much and I give John and 01:12:29
his colleagues a lot of credit is they're very disciplined in terms of listening to that comp plan and making their decisions 01:12:34
based on what the citizens have said they want. 01:12:39
Well, you know how they know what the citizens want. You got to go and come to these things. So we've been pretty clear on that, 01:12:44
but take some time and I'd encourage our citizens to go and get engaged in that process. 01:12:49
We also have on the county level. This is also really important. 01:12:54
The Parks and Rec team has done a really nice master plan. 01:13:00
For recs it includes some also includes things that are near and dear to our heart including future plans for on their master plan 01:13:05
involving should it become available, the rail line a trail called the Hog Mountain trail blue ways on county rivers which is 01:13:12
something a lot of people have talked about some really cool ideas John credit to you and Lisa and your team. 01:13:20
Advancing this and T spots that gives our friends at the county. John, you just shake your head if I get this wrong because I'm 01:13:28
speaking for you. But this is, you know, as John said it yesterday. The T spot gives us the ability to go ahead and advance and 01:13:33
get some of these things moving that have been planned for a while. 01:13:37
So this is really exciting. So I'd encourage if any of y'all can make it and support that plan. This is a big priority for our 01:13:42
citizens, these kind of paths and connections. We're going to want to get connected into what the county's infrastructure is doing 01:13:47
and connect that to what we're doing. 01:13:52
So let's show up and support, support this if if we can. So that's next Tuesday night, right, John? 01:13:57
Yep. 01:14:03
The wooden playground is no more, I know. 01:14:07
A lot of us have watched our children play on that or might have played on that ourselves and we'll miss it, but obviously we know 01:14:11
the other playground nearby is getting a ton of use. 01:14:15
And credit to Christine and her committee, as you said last week, we just couldn't find. 01:14:19
Particularly practical use for that equipment, but I think we are going to try to reuse a little bit of that. 01:14:23
In our art project at Hair Shoals. 01:14:28
Which Wendy, thank you for issuing that RFP and excited to see where that comes in. 01:14:32
There's actually one thing I wanted to add at hair Shoals on phase one. We're working on the bathrooms right now and we had an 01:14:38
issue yesterday where they got into replacing the roof and we had Carpenter ants up in the roof and. 01:14:44
In the insulation, they got in the insulation. So it's going to require that we buy insulation. Well, I happen to know that 01:14:52
certainty will give it to you free if you ask them. So we asked them and we'll be picking it up tomorrow morning. So we'll be 01:14:56
taking pictures and we'll highlight that next month because they get back to the community that way. We're going to be getting 4 01:15:00
big. 01:15:04
You know, rolls, I think it's like 300 feet plus of insulation to put in the in the top of the of the park bathrooms. 01:15:08
Thank you, Certainte. 01:15:16
Yes, ma'am. 01:15:19
Good. 01:15:21
Would they brought it over to Captain Lawrence Duke? Thoughts. An artist to use it, and an artist picked it up. 01:15:23
As being repurposed for a children's educational. 01:15:29
Thing at Little Rose. Yeah, that's great. 01:15:33
And there's any left for potential art projects for the? 01:15:39
OK. 01:15:44
All right. We're all we're all for. 01:15:45
Yeah, we're all we're all for free cycling. That's great. 01:15:50
A couple months ago, Matthew Miller completed his Eagle Scout project in Watkinsville Woods. This lovely, lovely bridge that those 01:15:54
of you who travel the woods have probably used. 01:15:58
It is. It's really awesome. Rock solid. He had a couple scouts help. 01:16:05
And did a great job on that project. So thank you Matthew. I think he's officially going to be. 01:16:09
Get his pen this weekend. So excited for Matthew and his family. 01:16:15
And with that, I'm done. I'll turn it over at post One. Councilman Garrett, you got any updates? 01:16:20
All right. 01:16:26
Post to Miss Massey. 01:16:27
Post 3 Colonel Thomas. 01:16:30
None of this stuff. 01:16:33
Post for Miss Tucker. I already gave mine. 01:16:36
Post 5 Mr. Campbell. 01:16:39
Just one thing, the stop sign on Morrison St. you know, I initially got some negative feedback that was from business owners on 01:16:42
Morrison St. 01:16:46
But I've been driving the street, you know, to my warehouse regularly every day, and everyone stopping at the stop sign or at 01:16:51
least doing a. 01:16:55
You know, a slow around the bend at least, Yeah. And so anyway, it's it's, it's working well and it's making it a much safer. 01:17:00
Area on Morrison St. so that was. It's been nice to see because it is. Some people just cut that corner with a stop sign. They're 01:17:09
not cutting the corner. 01:17:13
I know the neighbors are pleased. 01:17:17
As I remind people who complain about the speed limits and other things, I said I I really start listening when the neighbors talk 01:17:19
to me, not the people who are just driving through. 01:17:23
So, so anyway and I know that they're they're pleased with that, so and that's important. 01:17:27
I did visit Speaking of things in that neighborhood I visited Trove the other day and they said that they have two or three either 01:17:33
lots under contract where people want to build their own homes or pick their own finishes for homes that are to come. So so anyway 01:17:39
and they're optimistic that they. 01:17:45
Some of the others may go under contract soon, so anyway, interesting visit over. 01:17:51
They had people coming in and out on a Sunday, cold and rainy Sunday, which was good. 01:17:56
All right. Unless there's anything else, we will. 01:18:01
Entertain a motion to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel, real estate, and threatened and pending 01:18:04
litigation. 01:18:08
To go to executive session for those things, do we have a second? 01:18:13
All in favor? Say aye. All right, Councilman Thomas. Feel. Remain with us. 01:18:17
I make a motion to adjourn. 01:18:43
I'll. 01:18:45
We have a second second. 01:18:47
Motion is second All in favor of journey, Say aye. 01:18:49