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All right. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the November Watkins City Council meeting. We're pleased to have everyone here 00:00:05
tonight. We have a quorum. We have a great crowd and we're excited about what's ahead of this meeting. So with that, we will start 00:00:10
with the Pledge of Allegiance, former Police Chief Shannon Walker to see you. If you'll lead us in the police, please. 00:00:15
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God. 00:00:21
Thank you. We're glad to have here. This meeting is being broadcast simultaneously online. We use a software called Suite 1 00:00:35
webcasting public portals who can attend meeting may access the public portal via a link which is posted on the City of 00:00:41
Watkinsville website. The information packet associated the meeting also available to that site and can be viewed temporarily. 00:00:47
That's under the government tab on the website. Anybody who's Ken is available to listen along with that. 00:00:54
Have posted a agenda in advance one full week in. The materials are posted on Fridays allowing people provide on this advance. 00:01:00
With that I will ask for approval of the minutes from October the 18th. 00:01:06
Council, unless you have any suggestions or edits, I'll look for emotion please. 00:01:12
Is there a second, second. Any discussion? 00:01:17
None. All in favor say aye any opposed that motion carries. I vote move on to approving the agenda. We have a few items to add 00:01:21
under administration before item two. We have a presentation of city's ability designation. We appoint approach for the city 00:01:27
manager and then we have the announcement for the fall for Watkins. All decorating contest. All those which are under 00:01:32
administration for item two. If council's agreeable with those and all I'll accept a motion to amend agenda. 00:01:37
I make motion that we amend the agenda as just outlined and approve. Do we have a second, Second, any comment, any opposed? 00:01:43
We have an individual and so we will move to administration. 00:01:56
Just remind the public input members of the public looking to address Mayor Council may do so. The noted times on the agenda or 00:02:00
upon request of description of the City Council comments shall refrain for it will wait to the items and four minutes per person. 00:02:05
A debate argument, personal actual, relevant decision, address merits a matter under discussion. Please address council, not the 00:02:10
audience. Council will not speak to potential addition to the client or personnel matters. 00:02:15
So with that, we will turn to the presentation of the city's ability designation from the Georgia Municipal Association. 00:02:21
I'll step up here and we'll picture that and I'll speak up for you. 00:02:27
I'm going to talk for just a minute about why this is important. So these are what we don't use a lot of these days. Last Friday 00:03:02
actually, opportunity to go through the 1st. 00:03:06
Annual Johnny Isaacson Sympathy Monstability University of Georgia really made reflect on our journey as a city over the past five 00:03:10
years. And we've had we've had our challenges with ability some previous council members and other leaders here and maybe right on 00:03:17
how I am that we have council just that treats each other civilly but actually took steps last February to pass. 00:03:24
A. It's an ordinance. What was it? 00:03:32
Resolution around what? Conductee and that would agree. That and how we would treat each other and treat members of public 00:03:34
civilities seem to be a start in politics today. And that makes me sad. I don't think anybody wins when we. 00:03:39
Civility matter last year, All right. Next on the agenda is a point of privilege. 00:04:09
For our city manager, thank you Mayor, for allowing me so officially next Tuesday, the 21st will my fifth year with the city of 00:04:15
Watkinsville. It's really hard to believe. I mean, you guys, I'm going to read my stuff because I'm afraid I will. 00:04:22
Everybody sitting here knows how much we've accomplished and it wasn't done by me, but I do think it's we take a minute to 00:04:30
celebrate and look at what we accomplished in five years. But I think that what I'd like to share first though is something found 00:04:35
when I was going through files probably more a year ago now from former mayor in March of 8/19/86 when I was actually getting to 00:04:40
graduate high school. 00:04:44
He had asked for a moment to have some additional remarks with the council and said we're trying to think about budget for next 00:04:50
year and I'd like for you to start start having input. I have one suggestion. 00:04:55
And I think my suggestion is I wish to leave you is one party you need to sit that the town need is a future administrator or 00:05:00
manager. That was in 1986 and you guys hired me in 2018, so. 00:05:05
But when I arrived, I'm in 2010, there were a lot of things that were being done that should have been to be done, and a lot of 00:05:13
things were not being done that should have been done. I think it's important to point out that it wasn't an intent of anybody to 00:05:17
do the things wrong or not do the things. I think it's just you didn't know what you didn't know. 00:05:22
So this is not just my father anniversary, this is just the mayor of the council, all the employees and stuff. 00:05:28
And much smaller. We had learned how to walk, you know, and defeat under this. And I think we're there. We're starting to really 00:05:33
figure out how to make this machine work and I think we did this as a team. 00:05:38
I put together 5 slides that attempt about hours that actually just try to pick the heights because this is not a thing we've 00:05:43
done, this is just the highlights. So I want to go through this. I'll try to read every single one. I'll let y'all read some of 00:05:48
them. I'll hit some of the highlights on each one. 00:05:52
We have completed a community grant effort which is serving us very well in signage and I tree way well signs. We one of the first 00:06:32
things that I did when I got here and I always just say God had his humor. 00:06:38
I have a Master's degree in Hulk administration, but I. 00:06:45
Really, the Police Department or planning department, those are two issues that city had to address and survive Gate. We had to 00:06:48
reassess the Police Department and that was at the request of the public. I mean we had citizen do you want to have a Police 00:06:52
Department or do you not? And what did they did? They had to figure out how to make it happen. 00:06:56
We personalized Municipal Court, appoint our first our solicitor and public defender. We established process for the budget which 00:07:01
had not existed. We create capital imprint plans. We knew sort of the plan ahead what what capital items we needed. We worked our 00:07:06
finances got. 00:07:10
Pull together we've established some contractual relationships with third part Enders to help the building permits and 00:07:16
inspections. The four big developments, three of which are currently underway, one is completed Wisteria Ridge Water Park, Otters 00:07:21
Walk and Trove that's going to probably be 1000 people added to population and that was as a result of the sewer wastewater 00:07:26
capacity for the county. 00:07:31
We might open through the Cronus Corona Panama Coronavirus pandemic on one day. We'll close. 00:07:36
And help protect our police officers. 00:08:18
They make Madden, Athens Clarke, OK, regional transportation system. I think I began opening for the front bypass, which will 00:08:21
impact us greatly and we've done a lot of work around here at City Hall. 00:08:26
Which I've got a question spread tree lighting Police Department through. 00:08:33
Tournament interact and have more community participation between the officers and on enforcement situation we've we've signed 00:08:39
agreement on EQ license plate readers which you have to capture and register and uninsured vehicles that they all sell us with 00:08:44
blue alerts over alerts, Amber alerts and Kimberly's call which are all their important safety. 00:08:50
Initiatives we've completed Rd. Objects, some other projects surface number of roads in the city and I believe one more created 00:08:57
facilities authority which will give city a little more ability for financing opportunities. We activate the Watsonville Down 00:09:02
Development authority, created a board to find the district and part of. 00:09:08
Updated the official voting map of protecting minutes for breweries and for special event facilities. Approved of county, county, 00:09:14
school district plans for their instructional support center, which is currently under construction. 00:09:19
And collaborated the DA are on artists on our. 00:09:24
Cemetery. 00:09:28
So as I said earlier, now what I've shared is because me, I just wanted the members and it's because everybody's been focused and 00:09:29
and dedicated working together to sort of citizens of Watkins. 00:09:34
When I was five years ago, there were temploids filling 13 capital authorized positions. We now 20 authorized positions with 18 00:09:40
for employees. 00:09:43
Are those original 10 employees. Only three remain. Julie Klein Black Kyle Hitler, who's Police Department. 00:09:47
The original 6 Mayor Council members to remain Connie, sorry Councilman Massey, Mayor Ryan Broderick and Councilwoman Mayor 00:09:52
Pretend Christine Tucker. And obviously the Mayor has been from account number to mayor during the time frame in the last four 00:09:57
years. With that council members Garrett, Thomas and Campbell. 00:10:02
And with elections every year and there's right every other year over the past five years, the city's had three mayor's in the in 00:10:08
five years. 00:10:10
That a lot of turnover for a city of our size and I think it's a testament to the leadership of our council and the tenacity and 00:10:13
determination of our employees that we not only made it through all the changes, but we've also been successful in during those 00:10:17
services to our citizens. 00:10:20
The city's infinite responsibilities but finite resources. We also rely on contractors. As mentioned earlier, our auditors on our 00:10:24
first collection services, building permits and sections, our IT or our computer services, Music or Dutch solicitor, public 00:10:29
defender, the jail, the Oconee County Sheriff's Office, Water Sewer, Oconee County water resources, Main Street, Rocket field 00:10:34
maintenance with precision landscaping and the York Water Park. 00:10:39
Other services that are brought about contractors, legal and professional, specifically our city attorney and our city engineer. 00:10:45
Are then key to our success and we feel like full time employees are part of our family. 00:10:53
There's a sign you cannot team with an eye, absolutely eyes here, and what made this successful is our things, willingness to work 00:10:57
together toward our common goals. 00:11:01
If you give me one more minute, I would like to ask to recognize each of my core team members. This is not all the employees. We 00:11:04
have public works employees and police officers that are not here. These are my department heads and the leaders of your city 00:11:09
employees and I'd like to ask them if they would just stand. And then I'll get a draft Julie Klein, our city clerk and a charter 00:11:13
coordinator. 00:11:17
Lee Black, Our Financial Municipal Court. 00:11:22
Ted Cartlidge, who has three jobs, solicit planning, building inspections, code and public works. 00:11:25
Shannon Buck retired. But I was here that time. 00:11:31
Chief Mark Novak, who is our parks facility operator going to be or parks Facilities Director in in the. 00:11:35
And Kate Harrison, our downtown development director, and then attorney Joe Whiteman and Mark Campbell, our city engineer. 00:11:43
I just like to say honored to serve alongside you guys that I could do it without you. I certainly appreciate all your efforts 00:11:54
and. 00:11:57
I don't know what else to say it's really a privilege really appreciate it and the mayor and council you know five years ago they 00:12:01
took the hits on me he introduced me to several yell four he brought me on board enter that at a time that was done account the 00:12:06
mayor brought someone for the council approved it a year later you guys need to change this to the to the code for a city manager 00:12:12
and I became the city manager and and so now there's you know now the now the responsibility for having fires I'm on my shoulder 00:12:17
said. 00:12:22
It's made all difference. Able to have your leadership and your support and your council. During that time. We couldn't have done 00:12:28
it. I can't have done it without them. So I would like to picture get a picture of council. I'd get a picture with my staff 00:12:33
separately. So you all should have a little cookie. A little cookie. And each y'all had, I think, my head next I left you all so. 00:12:38
OK. 00:12:46
Let's do. 00:12:47
All right. Ready, 123. 00:13:30
Right. Best we are. Thank you very much, so much. 00:13:39
What agenda? The past five years. What a great list of accomplishments. Sharon, thank you for your leadership. 00:13:57
You're right, there's no I and T, but there always has to be team captain and without the team captain, a strong leadership team 00:14:02
still perform well and we are incredibly grateful for you for what you done to continue Legacy of Care financial management, but 00:14:08
also exceptional formats in Watkinsville. 00:14:13
Right person at the right down, at the right place. We're working for you. So thank you for everything. Yeah. And thank you the 00:14:19
opportunity to reflect on everything that was done. It was awesome. 00:14:22
OK. 00:14:27
We're gonna go on to the fall of Watkins. 00:14:28
Decorating contest winners this was we had citizens submit their photos to the city posters on Facebook and he had a popular vote 00:14:31
for for the winners So we had top for vote getter here then no results yet they not know the results so. 00:14:39
We're Fennison Wattsville for a close election. Jill and that tradition tradition continued with this. So I'm gonna step up and 00:14:47
then call up our call up our our folks here. 00:14:52
Yeah. 00:14:59
All right. So can you hear me? 00:15:11
OK, we have. 00:15:15
3rd place. 00:15:16
You put them in. 00:15:19
1st place meaning by exactly 1 vote. 00:15:22
Larvae. 00:15:26
Listen, always sociality of Wattsville Carol, congratulations. You can have your choice of a Kikis Gift Card, Traveling Hobo gift 00:15:29
card or Bird Blast, which is our new downtown retailer. 00:15:34
There you go. Congratulations. 00:15:42
Thank you all. 00:15:51
Second by. 00:15:58
By one light, I think. Is that right, Chair Becca? The second by. 00:16:01
I'm right. So. So you might have caught yourself. Cut yourself the. 00:16:06
It is the the awards. The awards are all the same. So come on up Echo. What do you want to come with you? That's awesome. 00:16:10
You're bringing the dog, but you brought the aircraft. 00:16:17
OK, all right. Kiki Travel about Britain Blast. 00:16:21
All right, all right. Y'all going up. 00:16:28
All right. 00:16:35
And wow. 00:16:47
I don't think this new how they had to happen. But next year, you know, maybe we can do that. So welcome on Up on the Road and 00:16:50
that's awesome. So. So congratulations, Bird laughs. Have you been there yet? I've heard great things. I've heard great things. So 00:16:56
you'll have been here just right in the middle on the future, Mayor. All right, here we go. 00:17:02
Read. 00:17:09
Good job, graduate job. If you double down come Ferry Rd. when it's holiday I guess you know if you have kids at all. But if you 00:17:10
don't it is awesome. I mean there's some kind of crazy one up and ship going on the holidays for houses of calling the road is 00:17:15
super fun to see. So thank you all for thank you all for that traffic. 00:17:20
Yeah. 00:17:31
Right now, the good news for all of you who just came. 00:17:35
Because Sharon asked to. Or did you reward? You don't have to hang around? I don't think so. So, so. 00:17:39
This need to turn to your picture, all right? Why buddy? Ladies when you get a picture. 00:17:48
All right. 00:17:56
All right. 00:18:26
This is the moment that. 00:18:30
This moment others of you are. 00:18:34
Hearings or the old business dread, which is a report of our order. But Mr. Pilgrim is noted for his quick dispatch about reports 00:18:36
and his efficiency and how he did that. So I will proceed in the direction right so welcome. 00:18:41
Welcome Clay. Glad you're here. Introduce yourself and what's rock'n'roll this thing? Yes Sir. Thank you Mayor, and thank you. 00:18:47
Council rushed back to the audit for 50 year 23. 00:18:52
Quick before I start on numbers, I just want to say it's it's it's always fine when I come to present these all, there's always 00:18:57
great things that happened before and everybody leaves for my reading presentation. It's not just Wattsville, Last week I 00:19:03
presented the county up in North Georgia. They had a rescue and I'm talking about the half room was signed and I get up here. 00:19:09
How do you follow that? It's always something great, so I'm thankful for that. I get to witness that, but at the same time. 00:19:15
Here I am, my my, bring me, you know, and it's just. But anyway, that's exactly. 00:19:20
Staff time now was a great job in putting. 00:19:57
All right. So a few numbers here and a few things just to report. So the the result of audit the main, the main part of our 00:20:01
auditor, I guess the the final result is our independent auditors report is found on pages 133 of the reports you all have in 00:20:05
front of you. 00:20:09
That report spells out the responsibilities of the City of cities. Management is responsible for your financial statements. We 00:20:14
are, as you're there, are responsible for hiding on an opinion as to whether the financial statements are tier misstated, whether 00:20:18
due to air fraud. 00:20:22
I'm pleased present that for 23 we have an unmodified or clean depending on financial statements. Nothing can wire tendering on it 00:20:27
that would prohibition that opinion. We do because it is a will cause your city. We follow them in all the standards and perform 00:20:32
that. 00:20:36
Position or equity of the city got a three-year Paris if we get their screen just looking there in 23 as you can see you had that 00:21:12
investment capital assets that's going to be your land building equipment equipment less any debt utilized acquired. As I said it 00:21:16
was all amount this year just you doing standard I'll mention your moment but you had an investment capital I said the five 00:21:20
million 204620. 00:21:25
Had restricted that position 1,000,005 three 761. 00:21:30
Understood. In that position three million 8914 still in that position 10 million four 37495 for the other you'll see there was a 00:21:34
use in that position of decrease 35603 and I should have been restricting that position. Just kind of further clarify that it's 00:21:40
going to be like an example would be splice funds that you're holding and not yet in Spanish funds that you're in. 00:21:46
All right. Looking next at your general fund, I mentioned course the property fund here. The general fund statements are found on 00:21:54
page 1517, but I've put a few to sign a comparative prior to your current your information and also mention a few things as well. 00:21:59
But you're ready for the year increased 54186 about 25%. 00:22:04
Contribute to that increase. You see you've got property taxes were up 75,000 your option sales tax which we're seeing this really 00:22:10
across the board. We're having a little slowing here lately, but your sales taxes were up 9879 five season 41756 ten large large 00:22:17
part of that the players that you mentioned earlier, you got interest up 1/12/86 with rising rates there. That's a good news in 00:22:23
that regard. On the expenditure side, there's also increased 83372 or about less than 40%. 00:22:30
Sometimes when I stand up, talk about revenue increase but defenders increase much more. It's important to note that you plan that 00:23:18
that's not not if that's always the case. It's not always negative and you don't want it, but in this case, you didn't utilize 00:23:21
some of your funds. 00:23:25
And we're doing so your time for an outstanding year increasing there from 2 million, 9404980 million, 945 or 33, the reason 00:23:28
they're being that the planned use. 00:23:33
With last year unassigned when you budget to utilize finances out of a sign for the next fiscal year. So. 00:23:38
And you take out your readings of two minutes 94 that was exactly the the decrease in fundamentally there are a few other below 00:24:21
the line item things that affect that. 00:24:25
All right, yours lost funds. Looking at your I mentioned earlier your special folks localized sales tax. There are significant 00:24:29
details on these expenditures, but you can see there still spending a couple different references there. You got the 2009 00:24:35
referendum 251-731-2050, referendum 562021, referendum 73582 for a total expendable million 58099. Additional details for our 00:24:40
specific projects, 9 items of all following are found on the page 53 of the report. 00:24:46
We also have this year on page 54, a brand new schedule and that. 00:24:54
Projects, Finance with transportation, special purpose local office, sales tax, T plus for short. That's found on page 54. I'll 00:24:57
just get started that year and you see there's a dollars into there from that new referendum. 00:25:02
All right. I in an hour's work, the other product isn't topic down this way. Our product did not necessarily yours is our report. 00:25:08
This is where we look at processes of the city, make recommendations for things, you know for improvement. And so we have no tier 00:25:17
witnesses, we have certificate deficiencies and we have one appliance this year. 00:25:24
We're going to actually deal with those fines and where those are due to and getting us paid out. I know you're probably familiar 00:25:32
with that. 00:25:34
That's good even though it's a, it's a finding such a good thing that resolved that move forward correct. So always some positives 00:25:37
come out of of of the audit process. I feel like in all of that seems negative. I think it's a good thing to get that resolved 00:25:43
before I always like to keep you. 00:25:48
Aware of what's happened and what is happening, I mentioned a moment ago we talked about that cities never really have a debt 00:25:54
significant. There was a but I wouldn't really call it necessarily that does fall in their long term liabilities and that's 00:26:00
Abita's if you're all, I'll probably talk to you about this last year this was coming talked about this is last year. 00:26:05
So it is recorded. 00:26:44
On the financial, so it defect these these kind of your financial statements you have here as far as future port? 00:26:46
This is one that's only significant. It's actually kind of a positive thing to change how we account for. 00:26:51
I said absences, not significant change, but it is going to lessen some of the they're looking Consistency here is going to let 00:26:56
some of their farmers. As far as some closure and such related to your composite absence is going to be vacation that's been 00:27:01
accrued, but not either you're in. 00:27:05
And I think that concludes my the numbers and that's what I do have more quick thing to remind you that you have there with you. 00:27:11
We also provide a copy of those management. 00:28:49
Mr. And thank you for such a thorough report. Council, do you have questions? 00:29:19
Do you need a? 00:29:25
Yeah. Any questions on, Questions on? 00:29:27
OK. All right. Thank you. By all means, if you have questions after the fact, we're looking through the year for going down deep 00:29:31
in this report. If you have questions, all means to reach out to, you have to be just necessary. All right. Thank you, Mr. 00:29:36
Pilgrim. And with that, we have some budget of minutes that we have to make, Mr. Romano, to explain council while we can make 00:29:41
this. Yes. So Paul? 00:29:45
Is typically part of the beginning of fiscal year and you have a budget process which you talked about necessarily you have a 00:29:52
budget process, budget you all approve obviously throughout the year. 00:29:56
Use vitals that we assist with as far as you know where all the results are, but management's having budgets that need to be made 00:30:29
and the reason for that the city Georgia Department accounts. 00:30:34
Looked at saying that 3% not $3,000,000 not $3000 on $300,000, it's 3% over budget. Any specific apartment general fund or any 00:30:39
special revenue fund as a whole or that's fun they deem it to be materially not plant. So in order state they comply with that you 00:30:44
are you know you have to amend those those five budgets. So that's what these budget members amendments are out and again it could 00:30:50
be a. 00:30:55
You could have 100 Buzz line item apartment before I'll be $100. You spent this $4.00. That's still imperial because it's more 00:31:01
than 3% of a budget. It's kind of a crazy number, but that's that has to happen. These are about. 00:31:08
OK. Thank you. Andrew Dickerson, anything you want to add to that? 00:31:14
Any questions on the budget minutes? 00:31:18
None retain a much to approve budget amendment for fiscal year 2023. 00:31:21
We have a second second. 00:31:26
Any discussion? 00:31:28
One and two this year and close those out which is good because one is from 2009 was from 2015 so. 00:32:06
A splash read to this project right now. Underwear She'll part improvements, some amenities that we're working on, some parking 00:32:12
and painting, Rocket Field, Thomas Farm, Drench, work on water St. Streetscaping, Downtown City Santos or some of the projects 00:32:16
that are currently underway. 00:32:21
We are about $800,000 in the bank for that account and we're averaging more a little bit. You make all this with 8.63%, which is 00:32:26
our 7.77%, so a little bit higher than we'll see on the next report. 00:32:33
And T's lost the only exhibition road and the Industrial Blvd. sidewalk. We are working towards trying to get some movement on the 00:32:42
South South side of the South Main Street sidewalk working to that design right now that will come out here as well. Those were 00:32:49
appropriated back earlier this year and there's something else on that one we had. 00:32:56
Something from that one. 00:33:07
I researching at the end of school St. affected St. around Rocket that was so many came up to that we did to help improve the area 00:33:10
that around Rocket Field. So and then that one like I said we're up 2% of what we average monthly last year we began so it's kind 00:33:17
of our last fiscal year and it was hard to tell and it'll trend overtime it will get higher but right now we're at about 70. 00:33:24
70,000 or so a month on average. 00:33:32
What did the end of June and then you guys can be back business I think about 90,000 roughly $92,000 that has not been 00:34:04
appropriated by you guys that could be used on some of your projects? 00:34:08
So any questions on? 00:34:12
OK. We'll move on economic development. 00:34:15
There we go. We've attended licenses when I'll call license for the month of October. 00:34:21
And you guys may recall, we don't see those numbers for over on taxes after they collect them. So we'll see October when we get to 00:34:27
next, we'll see. 00:34:31
Well, we'll see this for October. Some of the numbers are out still but a 14,000 total. So we're we're actually training pretty 00:34:35
well on that. I think we're going to budget. 00:34:39
On permits and other projects, we 9 permits or seven products. The 40 of the full of them are drove subdivision off the column 00:34:44
three Rd. 00:34:48
Any questions on any of those? 00:34:53
15 And I'll go to the next believe that is yours. 00:34:55
All right. Do I have? 00:35:00
I've never given this report with our downtown development director in room, so she did all the hard work on this. But I'm really 00:35:04
excited to announce that we have been designated a role zone. Only 10 cities a cycle get this designation kind of a big deal. 00:35:13
And it we're still finding out more information about what means you'll be going to train in a few weeks so we'll have more 00:35:24
details but essentially it is going to given businesses in our downtown development the math the roles are map different. 00:35:30
Tax credit incentives. So it's going to help with rehabilitation projects, investment projects. 00:35:37
And also just in promoting more jobs and positions. So that is a very short answer to it is of a big goal that we got at last for 00:35:44
five years. It starts January 1st. So more details will be come forth coming on this. Again big deal. Thank you Kate so much for 00:35:50
all of your hard work. I know it. 00:35:56
Was not, you know, think of your worst report in school ever. You to do this, probably let this alike. So it's great opportunities 00:36:02
for Waters. 00:36:06
OK, so we are in the process of creating a pocket park at the Heartache lot, which is right where Experiment Station hits Main 00:36:16
Street. If you may have noticed the five pieces of art that were created and our base main creative placing event Rockfield back 00:36:23
in October, those are up there temporarily there. They will eventually go to the businesses that sponsored them and we hope in the 00:36:30
next week or two to have the Adirondack Terrace table trash cans and things that. 00:36:37
To make a little pocket park and there is also a little path behind. 00:36:45
OK. It's going to be a great connection as we are trying to make use of all of downtown. We have Sunshine Cycles. We have the 00:36:51
record store, we have like Tiger, we have things further down Main Street. And so the pocket park is part of how it can heavily 00:36:59
connect our downtown. So this is all possible because a grant that we received and I'm going to get acronym wrong the Georgia. 00:37:07
What? Georgia Cultural Arts Foundation. So thank you. 00:37:15
OK. And also the EV chargers are in at the downtown comfort station, so this is no cost to the city, but it's convenient to our 00:37:22
citizens that electric vehicles, they can charge them there and that is down off of Water St. 00:37:29
All right and all right. I've started. 00:37:39
I've started. I'm going to make sure it's on, but I think it's. 00:37:43
That got it up. Give me one second. Let's make sure. 00:37:53
Alright, we're back. OK. All right. Thank you. Interim chief Tedderton, that was a great report. We will move on to the consent 00:37:59
agenda. 00:38:03
We've approved the agenda, so at this point I will just entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. 00:38:08
Looking for a motion? 00:38:18
To approve the consent agenda. Do we have a second, Second, All in favor, say aye. All right, we'll move on to public hearing the 00:38:20
rules that I outlined. 00:38:24
Before speakers come to the podium and state to address, the only thing that's different is we get 10 minutes per side for the 00:38:29
zoning procedures law. So we're going to move pretty quickly through these while making sure we do everything that we need to. 00:38:36
From a legal standpoint, to work through these requests #9, the first one that is up is Parcel Co, 3022. 00:38:43
And that's the annexation request, manager Dickerson, if you could give us. 00:38:53
Staff report on this, attorney Reitman Legal points. The short version of this is about 20 acres of the Thomas Farm property is in 00:38:58
Oconee County, not in the city. And we want to annex that. And so we're going to as quickly as possible do what we need to do 00:39:04
legally and then vote on that I don't anticipate. 00:39:09
Objections. But if members of the public choose to speak, they will have the opportunity. 00:39:15
Thank you, Mayor. So as the mayor pointed out, there's 20 acres, approximately 20 acres. The arrows are pointing on the either 00:39:20
side of that, 20 acres bound by the blue line on three sides and the yellow line on the South side. 00:39:25
I. 00:39:31
For the most part, the mayor's already told you we closed on the property in September and October. The attorney sent information 00:39:32
to the county requesting annexation and the resolution, which they'll probably consider, I guess, next month at their voting 00:39:37
meeting. 00:39:41
The property, as the Mayor mentioned, is on Simon Bridge Rd. There's let's see it will be there is a permanent deed restriction on 00:39:47
the for development, so it will in perpetuity be as it is now for the most part. 00:39:53
And I think that is pretty much it for the report and I failed to mention we're due, we've got to zone it and then annex it as 00:40:01
well, so. 00:40:05
Is our that we would be designating. This would be Parks, recreation and Conservation, which is in line with future use of the 00:40:41
property. 00:40:44
The member The public wants to speak to the. 00:40:47
Of this parcel that's to be annexed. Please do so. 00:40:52
Court client if we receive any comments in advance, Sir. 00:40:56
Seeing no one come forward and no comments in advance, I'll close the public hearing. 00:41:00
Our next public hearing be related to the annexation of said property. Again, if any member of the public would want to come 00:41:04
forward and speak to that, please do so now. 00:41:08
Court client, if we receive any commentary on that. 00:41:12
Seeing no members of the public will close, the public hearing will now move to the vote on the annexation. 00:41:16
You all have seen that ordinance that was in your packet. So I would request a motion to approve the annexation of the 20 acres of 00:41:22
Thomas Farm property presently outside the city limits. 00:41:27
And make a motion to approve the annex. 00:41:36
And. 00:41:40
Reason. 00:41:42
Annexation first. Annexation. All right. Do we have a second second? All right, this is the time to ask any questions. Council. I 00:41:43
know we went quickly. Any questions? 00:41:48
All right. Can Councilman Thomas vote on this, that city property at this point? So he can. OK, great. All right, so we have a 00:41:54
motion. We have a second. We have no further discussion. All in favor, say aye. Any opposed? 00:42:01
All right. And now for the zoning again to the Parks, Recreation and Conservation, I would entertain a motion. 00:42:08
To make that amendment to the zoning map. 00:42:13
I make that motion. We have the motion. Do we have a second? Second. We have a motion, We have a second. Y'all keep up with me. 00:42:18
I'm going to try to move us pretty quickly through the rest of this. We have a motion, We have a second. Any discussion. 00:42:24
Hearing none. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All right. Motion carries 5. 00:42:30
All right, now we are two appearances. 00:42:35
Can I ask to change? We have a guest here who wants to speak in public. Comment. We have one guest here. 00:42:46
Can I have her come forward or am I totally messing things up on the agenda? 00:42:51
Can we amend the agenda to move public comment? First, I make a motion that we amend the agenda to have public comments now. 00:42:57
Second, Second, all in favor, say aye, The reason I'm doing that is going to probably take us. 00:43:03
Maybe 30 minutes to work through the rest of this stuff. You've sat through a long meeting. Why don't you come forward and tell 00:43:10
us, give us your perspective on an issue that we're dealing with in the city right now. Thank you. Thank you. State your name and 00:43:16
address, please. I will. I appreciate making that, that time commitment, especially with my children at home. My name is Kedren 00:43:21
Nicholson and I am at 1845 S Barnett Shoals Rd. We are about a mile and 1/2 from downtown. 00:43:27
I am not only reside there, that's also the home of my farm. I'm a cut flower farmer, twin run flower farm. We are about to enter 00:43:33
at year four and I say that with pride, starting to have from a hay field, which many of you I'm sure know what that was before we 00:43:38
moved here. 00:43:43
I rise tonight to speak to something that I believe is on the agenda, but I see that I was mistaken. But again, thank you, Mayor, 00:43:49
for allowing me just a minute to speak. And that is making a provision for mobile businesses to operate legally within the city 00:43:53
limits. 00:43:58
I not only undercut fire farm but we have just recently added Buttercup the flower truck and thank you for smiling because you 00:44:04
cannot say Buttercup or see her without without a little bit of joy. And which is exactly the reason that we added that to our 00:44:10
farm lineup. Also for the economic benefit of that as well which is also one of the reasons that I'd like to speak to having 00:44:15
mobile businesses. Because the last pop up that we had, I'd like to share with you just a couple of the things that were said to 00:44:21
me as folks walked up to the truck. 00:44:27
The first person who came up said I drove from Snellville to see Buttercup and to buy flowers. 00:44:34
And as she finished buying flowers, she said. Now, what else should I do in Watkinsville? 00:44:40
The next person that came up, she said I've lived in Watkinsville for 32 years and she said you have just up the cuteness factor 00:44:44
by 1000%. And then I had two other folks who separately, honest, I swear they said the exact same thing and they came up and they 00:44:49
said. 00:44:54
This is why I love a small town, because you never know what you're going to. 00:45:00
But I also believe that that is really important in the joy factor, because from what else do we need? What more do we need in 00:45:39
life right now, especially with the state of our world? Then a little bit of happiness, a little bit of joy. So I rise to speak 00:45:45
and ask that you would, and whatever the legal ways, you need to do it for the city and for for all of your constituents, that you 00:45:51
would think about how to move forward. So excuse me that those of us who have mobile businesses can operate those in a legal 00:45:57
manner and not receive. 00:46:03
Criticism from other businesses or feel that we're threatening them because I have no desire to threaten anyone else's business, 00:46:10
but certainly a desire to to strengthen the city as well as my own business. And I think that there's a lot to be said for that. I 00:46:16
think that there's charm and I think that there's character that can be added by mobile businesses coming into town. But I think 00:46:22
more importantly, what you're doing is supporting a small business when you make allowances for that. 00:46:28
Thank you for your time. 00:46:35
Well, thank you, Mrs. Nicholson. That's that's great. 00:46:38
Council, we don't have to react to that. What I will say is we are, I think we have got a draft ordinance that we're working on. 00:46:42
We want to address this quickly so you have clarity. Other mobile businesses have clarity in our existing businesses. Understand 00:46:46
where we stand on that issue. 00:46:51
But I will have to agree that Buttercup the Flower Truck is one of the cutest little things I've seen in my. 00:46:56
Time on Main Street which is which has been a long time so so anyway so appreciate what you're doing and the fire form and we 00:47:03
might need your advice at the Thomas Farm Park to on some beautification. I walked the site the other day with. 00:47:10
Some of the southeastern grass folks who want to do native return native meadows out of hay fields and we don't have the resources 00:47:18
to do everything they want to, but there might be a way that. 00:47:23
We can be kind of a starter partner or a seed partner for them, which is kind of cool. 00:47:28
We're taking a look at how we can take something that's already beautiful and maybe just with a little bit of few light touches 00:47:33
make it even more beautiful. So if you have suggestions for us, we're all ears. So happy to partner with all in any way that we 00:47:39
can. We love being here. We chose Oconee, for what it's worth. We chose this from anywhere else. We could have lived in the 00:47:44
country and settled our family and this is where we chase and we want to be here. Say thank you. Awesome, right? 00:47:50
Thank you. Yeah. Thank you for being here. 00:47:56
Any other members of the public. 00:47:59
Doesn't look like they're here. Did we receive anything via e-mail? 00:48:01
No, Sir. All right. OK. We will move on now to appearances. Thank you for your patience, gentlemen. I know you both have exciting 00:48:05
projects and we're ready to hear from you. So up first we have 1080 Experiment Station Rd. commonly known as the library and we 00:48:11
heard last. 00:48:17
Last month from the team at A&B Hold Co, a little bit about what they were doing. It was a different face. It was Michael Aslan. 00:48:23
It looks like we have Andy Bars here this month to give us an overview of what they're doing. But first we'll have Manager 00:48:28
Dickerson or Engineer Campbell give us our staff report. Andy will have you come up after that and speak to the request, cover 00:48:33
anything that they don't do and then we'll look at a discussion or a motion there. So with that, we will turn it over to Engineer 00:48:38
Camp. Thank you, Mayor. 00:48:43
So yes, this 1080 experiment Station Road, you should be very familiar with not only this partial but this project because it was 00:48:49
on the agenda last month. So it is currently zoned downtown based on the the decision by the council to rezone it last month. It's 00:48:57
a little over 2 acres in size. So this site development plan includes the adaptive reuse of the existing building, which you heard 00:49:05
some more about in detail last month, as well as the new construction of attached residential. 00:49:12
On the northern portion of the property. So if you can kind of move through these slides, again you're familiar with where the 00:49:22
location is, some pictures of the existing location and then the next slide would be a a copy of the the proposed site plan. So 00:49:28
the existing building is relatively light there in that image that's a copy of the site plan. You can see some of the asphalt work 00:49:33
that's there on the southern side of the lower portion of that drawing if you're familiar with where the book drop is now as you 00:49:39
heard described by. 00:49:45
One of the members of the the team that's working with the applicant last month. 00:49:52
So there's an opportunity, I think there to slightly change that asphalt and what I would suppose would be a pharmacy drop off or 00:49:57
pick off, pick up area as opposed to a book drop off and pick up. And then you can see the, the darker hatched area that goes to 00:50:05
the rear of the northern side of the existing building. And what is shown would be 6 attached residential units with the 00:50:12
associated parking. One of the questions last month was about. 00:50:20
Stormwater runoff. 00:50:28
These submitted site development plans includes details related to that. That would be an underground storm water management 00:50:30
system for any of that proposed impervious area, so. 00:50:36
That detail was included in the documentation that was submitted the system to meet the the state requirements which are part of 00:50:43
the city requirements as well for water quality, channel protection and stormwater management through the 100 year storm events. 00:50:48
So we did have comments on that. 00:50:53
So there was a letter that was dated November 9th that included, you see the totality of the 10 comments there. The last two 00:50:59
should be very familiar because there is disturbance greater than one acre, which means you have to go to the Georgia Water 00:51:05
Conservation Commission. To my knowledge, those plans have been delivered, but that review on the state side takes a little bit 00:51:12
longer than it does on the City side. Likewise, Oconee County Water Resources would have a say on any details as it relates to the 00:51:18
water and sewer system for this. 00:51:24
The other comments there are really about some clarifications and a little bit more detail oriented as it relates to stormwater, 00:51:30
nothing that would be preventative for. 00:51:35
Approval of the site development plans, as you see, presented here before you tonight. And again, I'm happy to answer any 00:51:41
questions that you might have. 00:51:45
All right. We've heard from Mr. Campbell. Mr. Bars, if you want to come up, if you have anything you want to add, just introduce 00:51:51
yourself off your address and share anything you want to welcome. 00:51:56
Thank you. Appreciate it, Andy. Bars address 1607 Lea Haven way here, Athens address Oconee County. 00:52:01
Yeah. My partner and I, Michael Aslan, he and I have been in business 16 years in the healthcare side and. 00:52:11
Have been fortunate enough to grow and need additional space and. 00:52:17
Really. 00:52:21
Feel intrigued by the opportunity to purchase the library inside the city and be a part, you know, partner with Y'all and helping 00:52:23
develop. 00:52:26
Assets not only for our company but but hopefully resources that can further provide services to the city so. 00:52:30
Engineer Campbell shared. 00:52:39
Currently our plan is to open a small pharmacy relatively 1500 to 2000 square feet on the left hand side of the library using the 00:52:41
existing overhang. 00:52:46
As a drive through where the book drop off. 00:52:52
Middle portion of the building, building, 17,000 square feet in total. Middle portion of the building maybe 6000 feet or so. We're 00:52:56
hoping to find a medical tenant that could pair with our pharmacy there and then we would use the remainder 6 to 8000 feet on the 00:53:02
right hand side to serve as our corporate offices there. 00:53:07
Currently there's a little over 30 parking spaces, which is. 00:53:13
Per code 1 per 500 square feet or so. We need a little more parking. And so we, you know. 00:53:17
Resources of the engineers to see what we could do with the 3/4 of the acre that was behind that space. It kind of tucks up 00:53:24
against the Board of Education building there. It's about a 10 foot drop off roughly. 00:53:30
Our grade back there. 00:53:38
In order to put a. 00:53:40
Parking lot or something. There, we'd still have to put a retaining wall. 00:53:41
He said, well, why couldn't? 00:53:45
Make use of that infrastructure and put residential back there because our our goal is to try not to be a an end point as where 00:53:46
the library is now, but really be. 00:53:51
A continuation and so if we could. 00:53:57
Have activity. 00:54:00
You know, qualified activity behind us. It would help us be more of a community. 00:54:01
Resource I think as opposed to a drive by. So that could help us offset some expenses to get additional parking back there as well 00:54:05
as maybe connect to some of the adjacent parcels without being an isolated. 00:54:11
Three quarter acre. 00:54:18
Wasn't usable for the city, but be glad to answer any questions or comments, and if I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to to 00:54:20
get you feedback. 00:54:24
All right, Christine. 00:54:31
I have old eyes. 00:54:37
And obviously it's hard to tell from scale, but the back of the six units look awfully close to the property line on. 00:54:39
The other side is they all in the set back, the correct setbacks and everything, or is that a different? 00:54:46
Downtown, there's not any significant set, so there's not that's a residential. 00:54:53
Thank you. 00:55:00
All right. 00:55:04
Let's see, I was gonna, I had something in my head but I've lost it because it is getting like I will comment this may have been 00:55:06
said previous. 00:55:10
Currently there's only about a. 00:55:14
Width to travel around the backside of the. 00:55:16
I was fortunate to get the right gentleman on the phone. 00:55:20
That recently their company purchased the Post Office is a real estate investment trust out of New York. 00:55:23
I didn't know what I was going to get on the other end of that phone, but I got a very nice and welcoming. 00:55:29
Man said. You know you're welcome to extend that driveway. I'll call it the wraps around so it can be a. 00:55:34
Two cars can travel it simultaneous. 00:55:41
So he we're working on a memorandum of understanding that will support our agreement with them to build a retaining wall that will 00:55:45
give us another 10 to 12 feet that will provide enough. 00:55:50
Space for two cars to pass each other back there, that that. 00:55:57
Otherwise we wouldn't really have a lot of practical access to the rear. 00:56:01
This was my question. Is the tree protection plan incorporated by reference into all this markers that need any sort of separate 00:56:05
not protection plan with the tree plan urban forest plan? 00:56:09
Is that already done or does that come later? 00:56:14
So the the Urban forest plan, my recollection is that was included in the site plans that have been submitted. But I don't believe 00:56:19
the urban Forest Committee has met to discuss the details of that. I do know they have some other things that would likely be on 00:56:24
the next month's agenda. So that's likely to come back to us. OK, All right. Just wanted to understand because I did see the 00:56:30
materials that came to us. All right. Unless there's any further questions, I'll entertain a motion to approve the site 00:56:36
development plan for A&B Holtco. Sorry. 00:56:42
Subject to the yeah, subject to the conditions for the engineer. Christine, did you have another question? I did. I'm sorry. So. 00:56:48
So I don't know where it would go. I mean I've been driving by this, but I know we're wanting to extend sidewalks and such is. 00:56:56
A way to have a sidewalk at the front of the property there is, but it wouldn't connect anything because you have the health 00:57:04
department and the. 00:57:10
But we welcome the opportunity to have sidewalks because that would be an asset to our businesses that this. 00:57:17
That was what was shared with me. Yeah, that's what I would think that. I mean, obviously I would love. I mean, it's a goal of the 00:57:24
city to have a lot of pedestrian infrastructure. 00:57:29
Absolutely. So you would be open to, even though currently it's a sidewalk to nowhere, but you would that's not the end game. You 00:57:34
would be open. We would be very open to that, Yes, ma'am. 00:57:39
All right. I think what Andy, what she's asking, I think we need to go ahead and approve the site plan. But Andy, I think what 00:57:46
Christine's asking is, could you go ahead and would you be willing to install them on your property? 00:57:50
Understand that we may have them eventually as other properties transition and need to connect to you. 00:57:55
Or do you want to think about that? I'd like to think about that. I don't mind agreeing to connect once they're put in place, it 00:58:01
would just. I think it would be. 00:58:05
Awkward looking. 00:58:10
To be an existing sidewalk without anything connecting to it would definitely be awkward for a little. 00:58:12
I don't know that. 00:58:18
The timing on what there's and whether those other properties will transition in any kind of time period, but let's let's talk 00:58:21
about, let's approve the site development plan, but then maybe. 00:58:25
If your plan can be such that you could accommodate that and you agree to do that at a later date should there be an opportunity 00:58:29
that would be, that would be great. 00:58:33
Certainly, willing to consider that, absolutely. OK. Yeah. I just bring it up now with the site development plan because I would 00:58:37
think it would be relevant to the site development plan, right, because if you drop a bunch of trees there and then I mean it's 00:58:42
something that has to do, you all have an idea of time frame to to offer. 00:58:48
Yes. 00:58:55
Experiment. Station Road is upgraded. It'll probably be at that time. Well, it will be. It'll just be. 00:58:57
It'll probably be a long time. 00:59:04
I think things might happen, or at least places things might happen. 00:59:07
And even if it is not like a total through sidewalk, if your property has that sidewalk there, it might help with connectivity 00:59:11
even if people have to for the parcel beforehand, like make their own way so. 00:59:19
Umm. 00:59:27
I know we can't make it contingent on that, but just as you're, I imagine that as you're pouring concrete and doing changes, 00:59:27
there's probably times where it would be less expensive to do it than other times too so. 00:59:35
Well, and also with it being part of the downtown, now we want to be connected. Let's do this. 00:59:42
Let's go ahead and approve this Andy Noodle on that a little bit and then let's sort of talk offline about what may make sense 00:59:47
with your site plan or not make sense with your site plan on it. 00:59:52
Not comfortable putting a condition on related to that tonight given how much uncertainty there is in that quarter, if you're OK 00:59:56
with that. But Mr. Bars has certainly expressed his interest in doing that potentially if we can work it out and you've got a 01:00:01
bunch of sidewalks running around the other sides of the building too, I see rendering. So, yeah, we welcome the opportunity to 01:00:06
allow foot traffic to exist around the building. Yeah. 01:00:11
All right. 01:00:17
Thank you, Christine. All right, we'll be. I'll entertain a motion to approve the site development plan. 01:00:19
I'll make a motion. 01:00:28
I'll make a motion to approve the site development plan with the conditions from the engineer. Thank you, Mr. Thomas. Councilman 01:00:31
Thomas, we have a second. 01:00:35
All right. We have a second from the left side. Thank you, guys. All right, any conversation about this project? 01:00:41
Hearing none all in favor, say aye Aye. Any opposed. The motion carries 5. 01:00:48
Thank you. Appreciate it very much. Great. Next up we have some more investment in Watkinsville. We have. 01:00:53
Expansion of. 01:01:05
Industrial businesses, Taylor Iron and I think we have Justin Greer here representing them tonight. But As for the last one, we. 01:01:07
City staff, give us the staff report and then we'll have Mr. Greer come forward. 01:01:16
And we'll go from there. So, staff, thank you, Mayor. 01:01:20
So this is Taylor's iron. What you would probably know is Taylor's iron 1041 industrial drive the the total acreage of that parcel 01:01:24
is a little over 5 acres. This should be familiar for other reasons. It was not here last month, but this property has continued 01:01:30
to develop and expand over the last. 01:01:36
Five years or so. So this is an addition on the northern side of the property. So it's a proposed 18,000 square foot additions if 01:01:44
we go to the next slide. 01:01:50
If this is facing it from Industrial Drive again, Industrial Blvd. connects from Hwy. 15 to Barnett Shoals Rd. Industrial Drive 01:01:58
comes off of Industrial Blvd. but this is some of the existing facilities. There is existing storm water facility that's there on 01:02:04
the property that was constructed. 01:02:09
During a previous iteration of expansion of the Taylor's iron property and this gives you an idea of what that looks like today. 01:02:15
So. 01:02:19
What is highlighted in red, if you can see that is the proposed 18,000 square foot expansion again on the northern side and then 01:02:25
on what would be kind of the right hand portion of your page there. The eastern side that is the existing pond that you saw in the 01:02:31
picture that is being modified, reformatted in a way in order to be able to handle the additional storm water flows that are being 01:02:38
created as part of this. 01:02:44
So the the next slide kind of gives another brief overview. Similarly, there was a letter that was sent to the engineering group 01:02:53
of regarding comments on this. Some of the comments are the same. Again, you're disturbing more than one acre. You have to deal 01:02:59
with Oconee County water resources for water and sewer. There's a few details as it relates to clarification of those engineering 01:03:04
and stormwater plans. 01:03:09
If you will recall, sewer line A traverse through the northern portion of this property. As a result, there's no longer any need 01:03:16
for any septic facilities. 01:03:21
On this property. So I think that's part of what allows the opportunity for this additional expansion of a business within the 01:03:26
city of Watkinsville. There's. 01:03:31
The the detailed comments that were issued there again no things that would be preventative for approval of the site development 01:03:36
plan and we'll be happy to answer. 01:03:41
Any questions? 01:03:47
All right. Thank you, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Greer. 01:03:49
Good evening. Thank you. Mr. Mayor Council, my name is Justin Greer, Pittman and Greer Engineering. Mark pretty much covered 01:03:53
everything 18,000 square foot addition and the sewer line really did open up where we could do some additional development growth. 01:03:59
They're going to use it for additional space for equipment. We did receive the comments that Mark mentioned. We've been looking 01:04:05
through those and I think we can address everything there. The urban forest plan, it was approved back in 05 and we're not we're 01:04:12
not impacting that in any way the. 01:04:18
Our improvements don't touch anything that was approved before on that plan. So I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. 01:04:25
Thank you. We have an urban forest ordinance, an O5. 01:04:29
I think you've been five years ago, five years ago. 01:04:35
OK, so are they having any jobs because of this just? 01:04:41
I don't know the answer that I could find that out. You said it's gonna store equipment. Are they gonna do additional equipment? 01:04:47
Additional equipment, Sir, Are they gonna use it for manufacturing? And my understanding. All right. OK. 01:04:52
Right. Other questions. 01:04:57
I do want to point out here a lot of times we got, we got a lot of questions through the years about why we invested. 01:05:00
Sewer lines in the industrial area and Sharon mentioned. 01:05:06
We pay for those. Ultimately the county owns controls those gets most of the revenue. But this is exactly what we wanted to see, 01:05:09
right? It gives existing industry who are out of space. 01:05:14
The opportunity to use that space where they had septic tanks to. 01:05:19
Without that those sewer. 01:05:23
This wouldn't be happening. Wire Park wouldn't be happening. A lot of good stuff. 01:05:26
I know those were expensive, expensive and investments, but again we're starting to see that pay off and I think that'll be those 01:05:30
will continue to pay off overtime with additional jobs, business retention and in tax revenue. So we're excited about seeing this 01:05:36
project come through and and grateful. 01:05:42
If there's no other questions, Sharon, you have a I was just going to point out, so because this is in the industrial park, the 01:05:49
city is not involved with our wastewater capacity at all. It's handled by the county That was part of our amendment to the 01:05:54
agreement we had with the county in 1991. So any wastewater they need will go through the it'll come out of their bucket, not out 01:05:59
of ours today. 01:06:04
OK, All right. We've heard from the staff. We've heard. 01:06:10
The applicant with that, I'll entertain a motion to approve with the conditions specified by the engineer. 01:06:14
I'll make a motion to approve this project with the conditions specified by the engineer. 01:06:23
Do we have a second? Second. We have a motion. We have a second. Any further comment hearing? None. All in favor, say aye. 01:06:30
All right. We will move on to old business. And that old business involves continuing our efforts to improve Harris Shoals Park. 01:06:38
So Sharon, I think you have a report for us on that. Thank you, Mayor. 01:06:44
We're going to be asking you tonight to approve or award a contract to Garrett Paving Company. 01:06:52
For Mount Knot to see 200,000 for the parking and paving improvements to Harris Shoals Park. 01:06:59
We did release an RFP earlier this year. We only received 11 bid back that that RFP is a little bit different than this one that 01:07:06
was amended. That one actually called for pedestrian pathways and landscaping. We got one vendor to to bid on it or provide a 01:07:13
price proposal. It was way over what we had. So we sort of sat on it. We had also had an opportunity at the time to submit for the 01:07:20
Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program grant and also for the congressional directed spending for both Warnock and. 01:07:28
Ossoff and of course we heard back. We didn't get that. So we released in October, released another RFP. At the time we released 01:07:36
it just as we'd released the one in February, but then. 01:07:41
Took a step back and after talking to the mayor and and whatnot, we decided let's just do the paving. Would come back and decide 01:07:47
if we want to still do the pedestrian sidewalks or pathways and the landscaping. Some of that we might be able to value engineer 01:07:51
that on our own. 01:07:56
And so we on October 27th received 2 proposals. Garrett Paving came in significantly less. It would make sense Smith and company's 01:08:01
a contractor. Garrett's just straight up Paving. 01:08:06
So they were, you know, having to do a little bit more work on that. So we did post it on our website. That was a recommendation 01:08:11
from Councilman Garrett. We posted our website advertising Oconee Enterprise and provided direct mail request to five companies to 01:08:17
which like I said, did respond. 01:08:22
We have. 01:08:29
Pretty much advanced all the short term projects, low cost projects that we can't can and phase 1A master plan and this really is 01:08:31
going to help trigger some of the phase two mid, mid long term type projects once we get that settled. We do have 225,000. The 01:08:38
very last line on this very detailed spreadsheet is other Rd. maintenance projects. So we do have $225,000 can be appropriated. 01:08:45
I'm going to ask though in your in your motion if you motion to approve it that. 01:08:52
And I think I've got it. I gotta go backwards. 01:09:00
That you encourage staff to negotiate on the traffic management because we can shut down the park for a few days, we won't need to 01:09:03
pay 10 or $15,000 for them to deal with traffic management. 01:09:08
So I've already reached out to their contact and asked him. I haven't received response, but you know, my goal would be to try to 01:09:14
reduce it by, you know, by that amount, because we can just simply shut down the park for those days and let the public know. 01:09:20
Would we completely shut down the park or would we just shut down? 01:09:30
As it's getting colder and so I'm not sure what the time frame is, we haven't negotiated. I mean, we haven't set that out, but my 01:10:01
hope is we can do that before the weather gets. 01:10:05
You know, too cold for them to be able to pave it? Yeah, let's just be sure to coordinate with the ESP. And absolutely, the 01:10:09
playground up here does get crowded enough. People use it for parking, so on nice days. 01:10:14
OK. You've heard the report from Sharon from the manager. Any questions or comments? 01:10:20
All right here. None. Do we have a motion. 01:10:28
And make a motion to approve the to award. 01:10:31
It's a Garrett paving company and also to manage the. 01:10:35
Traffic ourselves to save money, all right. 01:10:41
So the managers authorized to negotiate on traffic control in that motion. Do we have a second? 01:10:45
Second. All right. We have a motion. We have a second from the right side. 01:10:50
Any comments? 01:10:54
Hearing none all in favor, say aye. Motion carries 5. 01:10:56
All right. G dot Transportation Alternatives Program. TAP. 01:11:01
Thank you, Mayor. Did everybody read their report on this? If you read the report then that'll save sharing some time in terms of 01:11:07
doing the deep history on this. Yeah. So the the brief piece of it is we. 01:11:14
Tried for this grant as a small community don't have as many resources as some of the other communities do as far as managing 01:11:22
federal money that's flowing through the state and so. 01:11:27
Quicker and this will help connect to Thomas Farm. 01:12:06
And that's in it. That's a huge project for y'all wanting to try to get everybody connected to downtown. So. So if you do decline 01:12:09
it, then we will simply fill out a piece of paper telling them that we're just not going to do this project, really is not with 01:12:16
them and and then we'll get to work on figuring out how we can pay for this a different way. 01:12:22
And I just, you know, you guys aren't up here as much as I am, but I want to give Sharon and staff a lot of credit. It's it's not 01:12:30
every day you have an opportunity to get a grant like this, but this is 1 where it was. 01:12:35
Um. 01:12:41
The amount of additional work that the staff was going to have to. 01:12:42
In exchange for, you know, a project that would. 01:12:46
You know, may have been a little bit fancier, but would have taken years longer and probably not saved as much money in the end. 01:12:50
So as tempting as it was to sort of take that grant and run with it, a lot of credit due to Sharon and staff for the research that 01:12:59
they did to understand is. 01:13:03
Not the most efficient process for us, so I just want to thank you because I knew that took a good bit of time and we certainly 01:13:08
don't. 01:13:11
You know, we're grateful that we won the grant, but at the end of the day it's just not the right fit for Watkinsville right now, 01:13:14
so thank you. 01:13:18
All right, so Sharon's looking for a. 01:13:23
A motion to decline the $240,000 G dot TAP TAP grant. 01:13:26
As much as it pains me to decline a grant, I make a motion that we decline this grant. We have a motion to decline. Do we have a 01:13:32
second? Second. 01:13:37
Discussion or. 01:13:42
Hearing none all in favor of declining the grant, say aye. 01:13:43
OK. 01:13:48
Thank you. 01:13:50
Looks like we have no new business. We've already done public comments. We're on to the mayor's report. Given the size of the 01:13:51
audience, I'll be brief. You guys know a lot about this stuff. Had a very successful fall festival that. 01:13:58
That seems pretty simple, but it's really not. I think several of you volunteered and supported that, Had huge crowds. Interim 01:14:05
Chief Tetherton mentioned it, I felt like. 01:14:11
Despite all of our concerns about what happened at Rocket Field and the vehicles on the field, I think it was a tremendous 01:14:17
success. 01:14:20
We have already met with the Chamber on a follow up on things that can be tweaked and improved and they're working on that. But a 01:14:23
real credit to the Chamber of Commerce, they quietly they don't look for credit, they don't ask for credit and they put this thing 01:14:29
together every year and it is jammed up. So we're grateful for them. 01:14:34
For leading the way on that and proud to be their partner and grateful to their team for doing that. Next year will be the 50th 01:14:39
Fall Festival. 01:14:43
So they will be there looking for creative ideas and ways to celebrate big. So wrap your brain around that a little bit. If you 01:14:47
have good ideas, feel free to let Courtney and the team at the chamber know, or Sharon or me, and we'll suggest those. So, great 01:14:51
event. 01:14:55
Downtown trick or treating was very successful, despite some crazy guy with a mullet sketching everybody out. 01:15:00
But we had a we had a great time. There were some great costumes down there and that that continues just to be. 01:15:08
A great event. It's not. It's really interesting. It's a different group of folks than you see at most events in Watkinsville, and 01:15:14
I think that's great. 01:15:18
It's it's not sort of the usual suspects that you see everywhere else. It's a really interesting crowd that has that as part of 01:15:22
their tradition and I'm always excited to see them downtown and to see our businesses participate. Sharon, thanks to you and staff 01:15:27
for putting all that together. 01:15:31
Our Oconee County cross country team, the boys, they are the first ever boys team at Oconee County to repeat in any sport our 01:15:36
cross country team. So there were several Watkinsville residents on that team. 01:15:42
My son was one of them along with. 01:15:50
Lost the boy's name but one of our new residents at Trove Jonah Ferguson, Ferguson's moved moved Oconee County for the schools but 01:15:54
also to be a part of that and they are enjoying life at Trove. They have a young his little brother walks to column fairies are 01:15:59
one of. 01:16:03
School walkers every day, which is kind of cool to see that happening over there from that neighborhood. I know we really wanted 01:16:09
that. 01:16:11
Really wanted that to happen, so we have several Watkinsville kids who are. 01:16:14
We're part of that, we're part of that team, so we're proud of those boys and their hard work. 01:16:18
Results are in. Congratulations. 01:16:23
Councilman Garrett and Councilwoman Massey, great job. We're glad to have you all with us, but. 01:16:27
I think it is important to note that everybody who chooses to offer for office deserves a lot of credit for their. 01:16:34
Hard work and courage. You know, there's a lot of people who choose to complain and never take any action, and there's others who 01:16:39
want to make their. 01:16:43
Want to make a mark? And kudos to Rebecca and Carolyn for both offering for office. They deserve credit for that, even if they 01:16:47
didn't win the race. But Connie and Chuck, welcome back and excited to have you with us for another two years. 01:16:53
Have several veterans on our team, Alan and Elena, Krish and Chief Tetterton. We're grateful for their service. I. 01:17:00
And Councilman Thomas, you as well, grateful for. 01:17:08
Your service. 01:17:11
Just to update on Thomas Farm Park, we are going to, this is going to be a little. 01:17:15
Looks like Sharon might have already updated that timeline a little bit, estimated timeline, we'll probably bring it hope to bring 01:17:20
a plan in here in January. It may push to February for you guys to approve. 01:17:25
Councilman Campbell and Mayor Pro Tem Tucker very involved with that committee. 01:17:31
Umm. 01:17:38
I am. I took my first walk out there the other day and I driven around it in vehicles primarily. It hits a little different on 01:17:39
foot, Jeff, I think you've walked it, haven't you? Did you walk it with the trail committee or did y'all drive? 01:17:45
We drove and got out and walked, yeah, so I'm going to try over the next next few weeks on nice days when I have a little bit of 01:17:51
warning, you know, maybe just to get out there and invite some citizens to walk it. You guys are welcome to do the same thing, but 01:17:56
it really is. It's well, well mowed right now. The grass isn't too high, the animals are pretty friendly, so, but it's really 01:18:02
lovely, so. 01:18:08
So we'll try to do that, but I'm excited about where the committees are taking this. 01:18:14
You know what they're planning and everything that they're doing. So thank you all for your leadership on that. Really excited to 01:18:19
see what we come back with. 01:18:22
This guy had a birthday. 01:18:27
So happy birthday, Jeff. 01:18:30
Did you get some free ice cream? 01:18:32
The joys of being a small business center. Yeah. Yeah. So happy birthday, Jeff. Yeah. 01:18:41
And with that I'm done, so we'll go to post. 01:18:46
Councilman here Nothing Post 2, Councilman Massey. All right, Post 3 Councilman Thomas. 01:18:49
All right, post for mayor Pro Tem. 01:18:56
So we y'all or we as a group put some money towards some interactive art that is kind of in the general area that the old 01:19:01
playground used to be. And so our first piece was installed, yes, and this is the artist who created it. 01:19:11
And it's the we have the the little, the drawing, the little stick man and the model. But here's the the real life thing and the I 01:19:22
actually have not seen it in person. It gets dark, 'cause it's freaking early, but maybe, I don't know if there are there flood 01:19:27
lights back. 01:19:31
That we can experience that so it just got installed. 01:19:36
And I'm excited. And then the the other two pieces that are like the ladybug. 01:19:41
At the bot gardens, but it obviously it's not a ladybug, it's a turtle and a snake lizard. Those should be in in the spring, I 01:19:48
think looking at the timeline. So the the ultimate goal is, you know with all the other projects we have going on is that the 01:19:56
sidewalk linking Harrah's Shoals up to the playground of possibilities. 01:20:03
Will. 01:20:11
Sculptures and and pieces of art. 01:20:12
Winding along and compelling people to walk back and forth. 01:20:16
What's? Do you remember the artist name? 01:20:21
Dietrich Dietrich, he speaks. He is probably a first generation. I mean, he's his. 01:20:24
He was not born in this country, most likely. 01:20:34
It's heavily accented, but is a delight. 01:20:38
Yeah, I can't remember his last time either I could look up the is that the location there or is that. Yes, it is. So. It is So if 01:20:42
you go, yes, so it's. 01:20:46
And we actually have Lawrence Duke, who was part of the subcommittee help figure out where to place it so that it is you can kind 01:20:52
of see it down below, but not because you're seeing the back of it, but it, it has the beauty of the park behind it. 01:21:00
But you can kind of see it coming up around and back, so the other ones will be closer to City Hall. 01:21:09
Kind of maybe in between the swing, the handicap swing that is out there. So that's most likely. 01:21:17
Where they'll be and then also just an update with the Thomas Fun Park, I will be going out with the architect. 01:21:24
Tomorrow with my subcommittee. Cool. So we will. 01:21:32
See where that leads? Yeah, our consultant Smith Planning Group or SPG now, they're doing a great job and they've. 01:21:36
Actually found an architect that fits into the scope that they gave us and so. 01:21:42
Young architect who grew up in Oconee and has moved home and he is super creative and energetic about how what we can do with 01:21:46
those structures out there and how we might be able to use and reuse them in some creative way. So it's kind of fun to have. 01:21:52
Architect that can put some great ideas into action with our team so. 01:21:58
Thank. 01:22:03
Councilman Campbell. 01:22:05
New report, All right. No report, All right. I don't think we have a need for executive session. 01:22:06
And unless there's anything else, then we will entertain a motion to adjourn. I make a motion to adjourn. Do we have a second? 01:22:12
All in favor, Say aye. 01:22:19
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All right. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the November Watkins City Council meeting. We're pleased to have everyone here 00:00:05
tonight. We have a quorum. We have a great crowd and we're excited about what's ahead of this meeting. So with that, we will start 00:00:10
with the Pledge of Allegiance, former Police Chief Shannon Walker to see you. If you'll lead us in the police, please. 00:00:15
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God. 00:00:21
Thank you. We're glad to have here. This meeting is being broadcast simultaneously online. We use a software called Suite 1 00:00:35
webcasting public portals who can attend meeting may access the public portal via a link which is posted on the City of 00:00:41
Watkinsville website. The information packet associated the meeting also available to that site and can be viewed temporarily. 00:00:47
That's under the government tab on the website. Anybody who's Ken is available to listen along with that. 00:00:54
Have posted a agenda in advance one full week in. The materials are posted on Fridays allowing people provide on this advance. 00:01:00
With that I will ask for approval of the minutes from October the 18th. 00:01:06
Council, unless you have any suggestions or edits, I'll look for emotion please. 00:01:12
Is there a second, second. Any discussion? 00:01:17
None. All in favor say aye any opposed that motion carries. I vote move on to approving the agenda. We have a few items to add 00:01:21
under administration before item two. We have a presentation of city's ability designation. We appoint approach for the city 00:01:27
manager and then we have the announcement for the fall for Watkins. All decorating contest. All those which are under 00:01:32
administration for item two. If council's agreeable with those and all I'll accept a motion to amend agenda. 00:01:37
I make motion that we amend the agenda as just outlined and approve. Do we have a second, Second, any comment, any opposed? 00:01:43
We have an individual and so we will move to administration. 00:01:56
Just remind the public input members of the public looking to address Mayor Council may do so. The noted times on the agenda or 00:02:00
upon request of description of the City Council comments shall refrain for it will wait to the items and four minutes per person. 00:02:05
A debate argument, personal actual, relevant decision, address merits a matter under discussion. Please address council, not the 00:02:10
audience. Council will not speak to potential addition to the client or personnel matters. 00:02:15
So with that, we will turn to the presentation of the city's ability designation from the Georgia Municipal Association. 00:02:21
I'll step up here and we'll picture that and I'll speak up for you. 00:02:27
I'm going to talk for just a minute about why this is important. So these are what we don't use a lot of these days. Last Friday 00:03:02
actually, opportunity to go through the 1st. 00:03:06
Annual Johnny Isaacson Sympathy Monstability University of Georgia really made reflect on our journey as a city over the past five 00:03:10
years. And we've had we've had our challenges with ability some previous council members and other leaders here and maybe right on 00:03:17
how I am that we have council just that treats each other civilly but actually took steps last February to pass. 00:03:24
A. It's an ordinance. What was it? 00:03:32
Resolution around what? Conductee and that would agree. That and how we would treat each other and treat members of public 00:03:34
civilities seem to be a start in politics today. And that makes me sad. I don't think anybody wins when we. 00:03:39
Civility matter last year, All right. Next on the agenda is a point of privilege. 00:04:09
For our city manager, thank you Mayor, for allowing me so officially next Tuesday, the 21st will my fifth year with the city of 00:04:15
Watkinsville. It's really hard to believe. I mean, you guys, I'm going to read my stuff because I'm afraid I will. 00:04:22
Everybody sitting here knows how much we've accomplished and it wasn't done by me, but I do think it's we take a minute to 00:04:30
celebrate and look at what we accomplished in five years. But I think that what I'd like to share first though is something found 00:04:35
when I was going through files probably more a year ago now from former mayor in March of 8/19/86 when I was actually getting to 00:04:40
graduate high school. 00:04:44
He had asked for a moment to have some additional remarks with the council and said we're trying to think about budget for next 00:04:50
year and I'd like for you to start start having input. I have one suggestion. 00:04:55
And I think my suggestion is I wish to leave you is one party you need to sit that the town need is a future administrator or 00:05:00
manager. That was in 1986 and you guys hired me in 2018, so. 00:05:05
But when I arrived, I'm in 2010, there were a lot of things that were being done that should have been to be done, and a lot of 00:05:13
things were not being done that should have been done. I think it's important to point out that it wasn't an intent of anybody to 00:05:17
do the things wrong or not do the things. I think it's just you didn't know what you didn't know. 00:05:22
So this is not just my father anniversary, this is just the mayor of the council, all the employees and stuff. 00:05:28
And much smaller. We had learned how to walk, you know, and defeat under this. And I think we're there. We're starting to really 00:05:33
figure out how to make this machine work and I think we did this as a team. 00:05:38
I put together 5 slides that attempt about hours that actually just try to pick the heights because this is not a thing we've 00:05:43
done, this is just the highlights. So I want to go through this. I'll try to read every single one. I'll let y'all read some of 00:05:48
them. I'll hit some of the highlights on each one. 00:05:52
We have completed a community grant effort which is serving us very well in signage and I tree way well signs. We one of the first 00:06:32
things that I did when I got here and I always just say God had his humor. 00:06:38
I have a Master's degree in Hulk administration, but I. 00:06:45
Really, the Police Department or planning department, those are two issues that city had to address and survive Gate. We had to 00:06:48
reassess the Police Department and that was at the request of the public. I mean we had citizen do you want to have a Police 00:06:52
Department or do you not? And what did they did? They had to figure out how to make it happen. 00:06:56
We personalized Municipal Court, appoint our first our solicitor and public defender. We established process for the budget which 00:07:01
had not existed. We create capital imprint plans. We knew sort of the plan ahead what what capital items we needed. We worked our 00:07:06
finances got. 00:07:10
Pull together we've established some contractual relationships with third part Enders to help the building permits and 00:07:16
inspections. The four big developments, three of which are currently underway, one is completed Wisteria Ridge Water Park, Otters 00:07:21
Walk and Trove that's going to probably be 1000 people added to population and that was as a result of the sewer wastewater 00:07:26
capacity for the county. 00:07:31
We might open through the Cronus Corona Panama Coronavirus pandemic on one day. We'll close. 00:07:36
And help protect our police officers. 00:08:18
They make Madden, Athens Clarke, OK, regional transportation system. I think I began opening for the front bypass, which will 00:08:21
impact us greatly and we've done a lot of work around here at City Hall. 00:08:26
Which I've got a question spread tree lighting Police Department through. 00:08:33
Tournament interact and have more community participation between the officers and on enforcement situation we've we've signed 00:08:39
agreement on EQ license plate readers which you have to capture and register and uninsured vehicles that they all sell us with 00:08:44
blue alerts over alerts, Amber alerts and Kimberly's call which are all their important safety. 00:08:50
Initiatives we've completed Rd. Objects, some other projects surface number of roads in the city and I believe one more created 00:08:57
facilities authority which will give city a little more ability for financing opportunities. We activate the Watsonville Down 00:09:02
Development authority, created a board to find the district and part of. 00:09:08
Updated the official voting map of protecting minutes for breweries and for special event facilities. Approved of county, county, 00:09:14
school district plans for their instructional support center, which is currently under construction. 00:09:19
And collaborated the DA are on artists on our. 00:09:24
Cemetery. 00:09:28
So as I said earlier, now what I've shared is because me, I just wanted the members and it's because everybody's been focused and 00:09:29
and dedicated working together to sort of citizens of Watkins. 00:09:34
When I was five years ago, there were temploids filling 13 capital authorized positions. We now 20 authorized positions with 18 00:09:40
for employees. 00:09:43
Are those original 10 employees. Only three remain. Julie Klein Black Kyle Hitler, who's Police Department. 00:09:47
The original 6 Mayor Council members to remain Connie, sorry Councilman Massey, Mayor Ryan Broderick and Councilwoman Mayor 00:09:52
Pretend Christine Tucker. And obviously the Mayor has been from account number to mayor during the time frame in the last four 00:09:57
years. With that council members Garrett, Thomas and Campbell. 00:10:02
And with elections every year and there's right every other year over the past five years, the city's had three mayor's in the in 00:10:08
five years. 00:10:10
That a lot of turnover for a city of our size and I think it's a testament to the leadership of our council and the tenacity and 00:10:13
determination of our employees that we not only made it through all the changes, but we've also been successful in during those 00:10:17
services to our citizens. 00:10:20
The city's infinite responsibilities but finite resources. We also rely on contractors. As mentioned earlier, our auditors on our 00:10:24
first collection services, building permits and sections, our IT or our computer services, Music or Dutch solicitor, public 00:10:29
defender, the jail, the Oconee County Sheriff's Office, Water Sewer, Oconee County water resources, Main Street, Rocket field 00:10:34
maintenance with precision landscaping and the York Water Park. 00:10:39
Other services that are brought about contractors, legal and professional, specifically our city attorney and our city engineer. 00:10:45
Are then key to our success and we feel like full time employees are part of our family. 00:10:53
There's a sign you cannot team with an eye, absolutely eyes here, and what made this successful is our things, willingness to work 00:10:57
together toward our common goals. 00:11:01
If you give me one more minute, I would like to ask to recognize each of my core team members. This is not all the employees. We 00:11:04
have public works employees and police officers that are not here. These are my department heads and the leaders of your city 00:11:09
employees and I'd like to ask them if they would just stand. And then I'll get a draft Julie Klein, our city clerk and a charter 00:11:13
coordinator. 00:11:17
Lee Black, Our Financial Municipal Court. 00:11:22
Ted Cartlidge, who has three jobs, solicit planning, building inspections, code and public works. 00:11:25
Shannon Buck retired. But I was here that time. 00:11:31
Chief Mark Novak, who is our parks facility operator going to be or parks Facilities Director in in the. 00:11:35
And Kate Harrison, our downtown development director, and then attorney Joe Whiteman and Mark Campbell, our city engineer. 00:11:43
I just like to say honored to serve alongside you guys that I could do it without you. I certainly appreciate all your efforts 00:11:54
and. 00:11:57
I don't know what else to say it's really a privilege really appreciate it and the mayor and council you know five years ago they 00:12:01
took the hits on me he introduced me to several yell four he brought me on board enter that at a time that was done account the 00:12:06
mayor brought someone for the council approved it a year later you guys need to change this to the to the code for a city manager 00:12:12
and I became the city manager and and so now there's you know now the now the responsibility for having fires I'm on my shoulder 00:12:17
said. 00:12:22
It's made all difference. Able to have your leadership and your support and your council. During that time. We couldn't have done 00:12:28
it. I can't have done it without them. So I would like to picture get a picture of council. I'd get a picture with my staff 00:12:33
separately. So you all should have a little cookie. A little cookie. And each y'all had, I think, my head next I left you all so. 00:12:38
OK. 00:12:46
Let's do. 00:12:47
All right. Ready, 123. 00:13:30
Right. Best we are. Thank you very much, so much. 00:13:39
What agenda? The past five years. What a great list of accomplishments. Sharon, thank you for your leadership. 00:13:57
You're right, there's no I and T, but there always has to be team captain and without the team captain, a strong leadership team 00:14:02
still perform well and we are incredibly grateful for you for what you done to continue Legacy of Care financial management, but 00:14:08
also exceptional formats in Watkinsville. 00:14:13
Right person at the right down, at the right place. We're working for you. So thank you for everything. Yeah. And thank you the 00:14:19
opportunity to reflect on everything that was done. It was awesome. 00:14:22
OK. 00:14:27
We're gonna go on to the fall of Watkins. 00:14:28
Decorating contest winners this was we had citizens submit their photos to the city posters on Facebook and he had a popular vote 00:14:31
for for the winners So we had top for vote getter here then no results yet they not know the results so. 00:14:39
We're Fennison Wattsville for a close election. Jill and that tradition tradition continued with this. So I'm gonna step up and 00:14:47
then call up our call up our our folks here. 00:14:52
Yeah. 00:14:59
All right. So can you hear me? 00:15:11
OK, we have. 00:15:15
3rd place. 00:15:16
You put them in. 00:15:19
1st place meaning by exactly 1 vote. 00:15:22
Larvae. 00:15:26
Listen, always sociality of Wattsville Carol, congratulations. You can have your choice of a Kikis Gift Card, Traveling Hobo gift 00:15:29
card or Bird Blast, which is our new downtown retailer. 00:15:34
There you go. Congratulations. 00:15:42
Thank you all. 00:15:51
Second by. 00:15:58
By one light, I think. Is that right, Chair Becca? The second by. 00:16:01
I'm right. So. So you might have caught yourself. Cut yourself the. 00:16:06
It is the the awards. The awards are all the same. So come on up Echo. What do you want to come with you? That's awesome. 00:16:10
You're bringing the dog, but you brought the aircraft. 00:16:17
OK, all right. Kiki Travel about Britain Blast. 00:16:21
All right, all right. Y'all going up. 00:16:28
All right. 00:16:35
And wow. 00:16:47
I don't think this new how they had to happen. But next year, you know, maybe we can do that. So welcome on Up on the Road and 00:16:50
that's awesome. So. So congratulations, Bird laughs. Have you been there yet? I've heard great things. I've heard great things. So 00:16:56
you'll have been here just right in the middle on the future, Mayor. All right, here we go. 00:17:02
Read. 00:17:09
Good job, graduate job. If you double down come Ferry Rd. when it's holiday I guess you know if you have kids at all. But if you 00:17:10
don't it is awesome. I mean there's some kind of crazy one up and ship going on the holidays for houses of calling the road is 00:17:15
super fun to see. So thank you all for thank you all for that traffic. 00:17:20
Yeah. 00:17:31
Right now, the good news for all of you who just came. 00:17:35
Because Sharon asked to. Or did you reward? You don't have to hang around? I don't think so. So, so. 00:17:39
This need to turn to your picture, all right? Why buddy? Ladies when you get a picture. 00:17:48
All right. 00:17:56
All right. 00:18:26
This is the moment that. 00:18:30
This moment others of you are. 00:18:34
Hearings or the old business dread, which is a report of our order. But Mr. Pilgrim is noted for his quick dispatch about reports 00:18:36
and his efficiency and how he did that. So I will proceed in the direction right so welcome. 00:18:41
Welcome Clay. Glad you're here. Introduce yourself and what's rock'n'roll this thing? Yes Sir. Thank you Mayor, and thank you. 00:18:47
Council rushed back to the audit for 50 year 23. 00:18:52
Quick before I start on numbers, I just want to say it's it's it's always fine when I come to present these all, there's always 00:18:57
great things that happened before and everybody leaves for my reading presentation. It's not just Wattsville, Last week I 00:19:03
presented the county up in North Georgia. They had a rescue and I'm talking about the half room was signed and I get up here. 00:19:09
How do you follow that? It's always something great, so I'm thankful for that. I get to witness that, but at the same time. 00:19:15
Here I am, my my, bring me, you know, and it's just. But anyway, that's exactly. 00:19:20
Staff time now was a great job in putting. 00:19:57
All right. So a few numbers here and a few things just to report. So the the result of audit the main, the main part of our 00:20:01
auditor, I guess the the final result is our independent auditors report is found on pages 133 of the reports you all have in 00:20:05
front of you. 00:20:09
That report spells out the responsibilities of the City of cities. Management is responsible for your financial statements. We 00:20:14
are, as you're there, are responsible for hiding on an opinion as to whether the financial statements are tier misstated, whether 00:20:18
due to air fraud. 00:20:22
I'm pleased present that for 23 we have an unmodified or clean depending on financial statements. Nothing can wire tendering on it 00:20:27
that would prohibition that opinion. We do because it is a will cause your city. We follow them in all the standards and perform 00:20:32
that. 00:20:36
Position or equity of the city got a three-year Paris if we get their screen just looking there in 23 as you can see you had that 00:21:12
investment capital assets that's going to be your land building equipment equipment less any debt utilized acquired. As I said it 00:21:16
was all amount this year just you doing standard I'll mention your moment but you had an investment capital I said the five 00:21:20
million 204620. 00:21:25
Had restricted that position 1,000,005 three 761. 00:21:30
Understood. In that position three million 8914 still in that position 10 million four 37495 for the other you'll see there was a 00:21:34
use in that position of decrease 35603 and I should have been restricting that position. Just kind of further clarify that it's 00:21:40
going to be like an example would be splice funds that you're holding and not yet in Spanish funds that you're in. 00:21:46
All right. Looking next at your general fund, I mentioned course the property fund here. The general fund statements are found on 00:21:54
page 1517, but I've put a few to sign a comparative prior to your current your information and also mention a few things as well. 00:21:59
But you're ready for the year increased 54186 about 25%. 00:22:04
Contribute to that increase. You see you've got property taxes were up 75,000 your option sales tax which we're seeing this really 00:22:10
across the board. We're having a little slowing here lately, but your sales taxes were up 9879 five season 41756 ten large large 00:22:17
part of that the players that you mentioned earlier, you got interest up 1/12/86 with rising rates there. That's a good news in 00:22:23
that regard. On the expenditure side, there's also increased 83372 or about less than 40%. 00:22:30
Sometimes when I stand up, talk about revenue increase but defenders increase much more. It's important to note that you plan that 00:23:18
that's not not if that's always the case. It's not always negative and you don't want it, but in this case, you didn't utilize 00:23:21
some of your funds. 00:23:25
And we're doing so your time for an outstanding year increasing there from 2 million, 9404980 million, 945 or 33, the reason 00:23:28
they're being that the planned use. 00:23:33
With last year unassigned when you budget to utilize finances out of a sign for the next fiscal year. So. 00:23:38
And you take out your readings of two minutes 94 that was exactly the the decrease in fundamentally there are a few other below 00:24:21
the line item things that affect that. 00:24:25
All right, yours lost funds. Looking at your I mentioned earlier your special folks localized sales tax. There are significant 00:24:29
details on these expenditures, but you can see there still spending a couple different references there. You got the 2009 00:24:35
referendum 251-731-2050, referendum 562021, referendum 73582 for a total expendable million 58099. Additional details for our 00:24:40
specific projects, 9 items of all following are found on the page 53 of the report. 00:24:46
We also have this year on page 54, a brand new schedule and that. 00:24:54
Projects, Finance with transportation, special purpose local office, sales tax, T plus for short. That's found on page 54. I'll 00:24:57
just get started that year and you see there's a dollars into there from that new referendum. 00:25:02
All right. I in an hour's work, the other product isn't topic down this way. Our product did not necessarily yours is our report. 00:25:08
This is where we look at processes of the city, make recommendations for things, you know for improvement. And so we have no tier 00:25:17
witnesses, we have certificate deficiencies and we have one appliance this year. 00:25:24
We're going to actually deal with those fines and where those are due to and getting us paid out. I know you're probably familiar 00:25:32
with that. 00:25:34
That's good even though it's a, it's a finding such a good thing that resolved that move forward correct. So always some positives 00:25:37
come out of of of the audit process. I feel like in all of that seems negative. I think it's a good thing to get that resolved 00:25:43
before I always like to keep you. 00:25:48
Aware of what's happened and what is happening, I mentioned a moment ago we talked about that cities never really have a debt 00:25:54
significant. There was a but I wouldn't really call it necessarily that does fall in their long term liabilities and that's 00:26:00
Abita's if you're all, I'll probably talk to you about this last year this was coming talked about this is last year. 00:26:05
So it is recorded. 00:26:44
On the financial, so it defect these these kind of your financial statements you have here as far as future port? 00:26:46
This is one that's only significant. It's actually kind of a positive thing to change how we account for. 00:26:51
I said absences, not significant change, but it is going to lessen some of the they're looking Consistency here is going to let 00:26:56
some of their farmers. As far as some closure and such related to your composite absence is going to be vacation that's been 00:27:01
accrued, but not either you're in. 00:27:05
And I think that concludes my the numbers and that's what I do have more quick thing to remind you that you have there with you. 00:27:11
We also provide a copy of those management. 00:28:49
Mr. And thank you for such a thorough report. Council, do you have questions? 00:29:19
Do you need a? 00:29:25
Yeah. Any questions on, Questions on? 00:29:27
OK. All right. Thank you. By all means, if you have questions after the fact, we're looking through the year for going down deep 00:29:31
in this report. If you have questions, all means to reach out to, you have to be just necessary. All right. Thank you, Mr. 00:29:36
Pilgrim. And with that, we have some budget of minutes that we have to make, Mr. Romano, to explain council while we can make 00:29:41
this. Yes. So Paul? 00:29:45
Is typically part of the beginning of fiscal year and you have a budget process which you talked about necessarily you have a 00:29:52
budget process, budget you all approve obviously throughout the year. 00:29:56
Use vitals that we assist with as far as you know where all the results are, but management's having budgets that need to be made 00:30:29
and the reason for that the city Georgia Department accounts. 00:30:34
Looked at saying that 3% not $3,000,000 not $3000 on $300,000, it's 3% over budget. Any specific apartment general fund or any 00:30:39
special revenue fund as a whole or that's fun they deem it to be materially not plant. So in order state they comply with that you 00:30:44
are you know you have to amend those those five budgets. So that's what these budget members amendments are out and again it could 00:30:50
be a. 00:30:55
You could have 100 Buzz line item apartment before I'll be $100. You spent this $4.00. That's still imperial because it's more 00:31:01
than 3% of a budget. It's kind of a crazy number, but that's that has to happen. These are about. 00:31:08
OK. Thank you. Andrew Dickerson, anything you want to add to that? 00:31:14
Any questions on the budget minutes? 00:31:18
None retain a much to approve budget amendment for fiscal year 2023. 00:31:21
We have a second second. 00:31:26
Any discussion? 00:31:28
One and two this year and close those out which is good because one is from 2009 was from 2015 so. 00:32:06
A splash read to this project right now. Underwear She'll part improvements, some amenities that we're working on, some parking 00:32:12
and painting, Rocket Field, Thomas Farm, Drench, work on water St. Streetscaping, Downtown City Santos or some of the projects 00:32:16
that are currently underway. 00:32:21
We are about $800,000 in the bank for that account and we're averaging more a little bit. You make all this with 8.63%, which is 00:32:26
our 7.77%, so a little bit higher than we'll see on the next report. 00:32:33
And T's lost the only exhibition road and the Industrial Blvd. sidewalk. We are working towards trying to get some movement on the 00:32:42
South South side of the South Main Street sidewalk working to that design right now that will come out here as well. Those were 00:32:49
appropriated back earlier this year and there's something else on that one we had. 00:32:56
Something from that one. 00:33:07
I researching at the end of school St. affected St. around Rocket that was so many came up to that we did to help improve the area 00:33:10
that around Rocket Field. So and then that one like I said we're up 2% of what we average monthly last year we began so it's kind 00:33:17
of our last fiscal year and it was hard to tell and it'll trend overtime it will get higher but right now we're at about 70. 00:33:24
70,000 or so a month on average. 00:33:32
What did the end of June and then you guys can be back business I think about 90,000 roughly $92,000 that has not been 00:34:04
appropriated by you guys that could be used on some of your projects? 00:34:08
So any questions on? 00:34:12
OK. We'll move on economic development. 00:34:15
There we go. We've attended licenses when I'll call license for the month of October. 00:34:21
And you guys may recall, we don't see those numbers for over on taxes after they collect them. So we'll see October when we get to 00:34:27
next, we'll see. 00:34:31
Well, we'll see this for October. Some of the numbers are out still but a 14,000 total. So we're we're actually training pretty 00:34:35
well on that. I think we're going to budget. 00:34:39
On permits and other projects, we 9 permits or seven products. The 40 of the full of them are drove subdivision off the column 00:34:44
three Rd. 00:34:48
Any questions on any of those? 00:34:53
15 And I'll go to the next believe that is yours. 00:34:55
All right. Do I have? 00:35:00
I've never given this report with our downtown development director in room, so she did all the hard work on this. But I'm really 00:35:04
excited to announce that we have been designated a role zone. Only 10 cities a cycle get this designation kind of a big deal. 00:35:13
And it we're still finding out more information about what means you'll be going to train in a few weeks so we'll have more 00:35:24
details but essentially it is going to given businesses in our downtown development the math the roles are map different. 00:35:30
Tax credit incentives. So it's going to help with rehabilitation projects, investment projects. 00:35:37
And also just in promoting more jobs and positions. So that is a very short answer to it is of a big goal that we got at last for 00:35:44
five years. It starts January 1st. So more details will be come forth coming on this. Again big deal. Thank you Kate so much for 00:35:50
all of your hard work. I know it. 00:35:56
Was not, you know, think of your worst report in school ever. You to do this, probably let this alike. So it's great opportunities 00:36:02
for Waters. 00:36:06
OK, so we are in the process of creating a pocket park at the Heartache lot, which is right where Experiment Station hits Main 00:36:16
Street. If you may have noticed the five pieces of art that were created and our base main creative placing event Rockfield back 00:36:23
in October, those are up there temporarily there. They will eventually go to the businesses that sponsored them and we hope in the 00:36:30
next week or two to have the Adirondack Terrace table trash cans and things that. 00:36:37
To make a little pocket park and there is also a little path behind. 00:36:45
OK. It's going to be a great connection as we are trying to make use of all of downtown. We have Sunshine Cycles. We have the 00:36:51
record store, we have like Tiger, we have things further down Main Street. And so the pocket park is part of how it can heavily 00:36:59
connect our downtown. So this is all possible because a grant that we received and I'm going to get acronym wrong the Georgia. 00:37:07
What? Georgia Cultural Arts Foundation. So thank you. 00:37:15
OK. And also the EV chargers are in at the downtown comfort station, so this is no cost to the city, but it's convenient to our 00:37:22
citizens that electric vehicles, they can charge them there and that is down off of Water St. 00:37:29
All right and all right. I've started. 00:37:39
I've started. I'm going to make sure it's on, but I think it's. 00:37:43
That got it up. Give me one second. Let's make sure. 00:37:53
Alright, we're back. OK. All right. Thank you. Interim chief Tedderton, that was a great report. We will move on to the consent 00:37:59
agenda. 00:38:03
We've approved the agenda, so at this point I will just entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. 00:38:08
Looking for a motion? 00:38:18
To approve the consent agenda. Do we have a second, Second, All in favor, say aye. All right, we'll move on to public hearing the 00:38:20
rules that I outlined. 00:38:24
Before speakers come to the podium and state to address, the only thing that's different is we get 10 minutes per side for the 00:38:29
zoning procedures law. So we're going to move pretty quickly through these while making sure we do everything that we need to. 00:38:36
From a legal standpoint, to work through these requests #9, the first one that is up is Parcel Co, 3022. 00:38:43
And that's the annexation request, manager Dickerson, if you could give us. 00:38:53
Staff report on this, attorney Reitman Legal points. The short version of this is about 20 acres of the Thomas Farm property is in 00:38:58
Oconee County, not in the city. And we want to annex that. And so we're going to as quickly as possible do what we need to do 00:39:04
legally and then vote on that I don't anticipate. 00:39:09
Objections. But if members of the public choose to speak, they will have the opportunity. 00:39:15
Thank you, Mayor. So as the mayor pointed out, there's 20 acres, approximately 20 acres. The arrows are pointing on the either 00:39:20
side of that, 20 acres bound by the blue line on three sides and the yellow line on the South side. 00:39:25
I. 00:39:31
For the most part, the mayor's already told you we closed on the property in September and October. The attorney sent information 00:39:32
to the county requesting annexation and the resolution, which they'll probably consider, I guess, next month at their voting 00:39:37
meeting. 00:39:41
The property, as the Mayor mentioned, is on Simon Bridge Rd. There's let's see it will be there is a permanent deed restriction on 00:39:47
the for development, so it will in perpetuity be as it is now for the most part. 00:39:53
And I think that is pretty much it for the report and I failed to mention we're due, we've got to zone it and then annex it as 00:40:01
well, so. 00:40:05
Is our that we would be designating. This would be Parks, recreation and Conservation, which is in line with future use of the 00:40:41
property. 00:40:44
The member The public wants to speak to the. 00:40:47
Of this parcel that's to be annexed. Please do so. 00:40:52
Court client if we receive any comments in advance, Sir. 00:40:56
Seeing no one come forward and no comments in advance, I'll close the public hearing. 00:41:00
Our next public hearing be related to the annexation of said property. Again, if any member of the public would want to come 00:41:04
forward and speak to that, please do so now. 00:41:08
Court client, if we receive any commentary on that. 00:41:12
Seeing no members of the public will close, the public hearing will now move to the vote on the annexation. 00:41:16
You all have seen that ordinance that was in your packet. So I would request a motion to approve the annexation of the 20 acres of 00:41:22
Thomas Farm property presently outside the city limits. 00:41:27
And make a motion to approve the annex. 00:41:36
And. 00:41:40
Reason. 00:41:42
Annexation first. Annexation. All right. Do we have a second second? All right, this is the time to ask any questions. Council. I 00:41:43
know we went quickly. Any questions? 00:41:48
All right. Can Councilman Thomas vote on this, that city property at this point? So he can. OK, great. All right, so we have a 00:41:54
motion. We have a second. We have no further discussion. All in favor, say aye. Any opposed? 00:42:01
All right. And now for the zoning again to the Parks, Recreation and Conservation, I would entertain a motion. 00:42:08
To make that amendment to the zoning map. 00:42:13
I make that motion. We have the motion. Do we have a second? Second. We have a motion, We have a second. Y'all keep up with me. 00:42:18
I'm going to try to move us pretty quickly through the rest of this. We have a motion, We have a second. Any discussion. 00:42:24
Hearing none. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All right. Motion carries 5. 00:42:30
All right, now we are two appearances. 00:42:35
Can I ask to change? We have a guest here who wants to speak in public. Comment. We have one guest here. 00:42:46
Can I have her come forward or am I totally messing things up on the agenda? 00:42:51
Can we amend the agenda to move public comment? First, I make a motion that we amend the agenda to have public comments now. 00:42:57
Second, Second, all in favor, say aye, The reason I'm doing that is going to probably take us. 00:43:03
Maybe 30 minutes to work through the rest of this stuff. You've sat through a long meeting. Why don't you come forward and tell 00:43:10
us, give us your perspective on an issue that we're dealing with in the city right now. Thank you. Thank you. State your name and 00:43:16
address, please. I will. I appreciate making that, that time commitment, especially with my children at home. My name is Kedren 00:43:21
Nicholson and I am at 1845 S Barnett Shoals Rd. We are about a mile and 1/2 from downtown. 00:43:27
I am not only reside there, that's also the home of my farm. I'm a cut flower farmer, twin run flower farm. We are about to enter 00:43:33
at year four and I say that with pride, starting to have from a hay field, which many of you I'm sure know what that was before we 00:43:38
moved here. 00:43:43
I rise tonight to speak to something that I believe is on the agenda, but I see that I was mistaken. But again, thank you, Mayor, 00:43:49
for allowing me just a minute to speak. And that is making a provision for mobile businesses to operate legally within the city 00:43:53
limits. 00:43:58
I not only undercut fire farm but we have just recently added Buttercup the flower truck and thank you for smiling because you 00:44:04
cannot say Buttercup or see her without without a little bit of joy. And which is exactly the reason that we added that to our 00:44:10
farm lineup. Also for the economic benefit of that as well which is also one of the reasons that I'd like to speak to having 00:44:15
mobile businesses. Because the last pop up that we had, I'd like to share with you just a couple of the things that were said to 00:44:21
me as folks walked up to the truck. 00:44:27
The first person who came up said I drove from Snellville to see Buttercup and to buy flowers. 00:44:34
And as she finished buying flowers, she said. Now, what else should I do in Watkinsville? 00:44:40
The next person that came up, she said I've lived in Watkinsville for 32 years and she said you have just up the cuteness factor 00:44:44
by 1000%. And then I had two other folks who separately, honest, I swear they said the exact same thing and they came up and they 00:44:49
said. 00:44:54
This is why I love a small town, because you never know what you're going to. 00:45:00
But I also believe that that is really important in the joy factor, because from what else do we need? What more do we need in 00:45:39
life right now, especially with the state of our world? Then a little bit of happiness, a little bit of joy. So I rise to speak 00:45:45
and ask that you would, and whatever the legal ways, you need to do it for the city and for for all of your constituents, that you 00:45:51
would think about how to move forward. So excuse me that those of us who have mobile businesses can operate those in a legal 00:45:57
manner and not receive. 00:46:03
Criticism from other businesses or feel that we're threatening them because I have no desire to threaten anyone else's business, 00:46:10
but certainly a desire to to strengthen the city as well as my own business. And I think that there's a lot to be said for that. I 00:46:16
think that there's charm and I think that there's character that can be added by mobile businesses coming into town. But I think 00:46:22
more importantly, what you're doing is supporting a small business when you make allowances for that. 00:46:28
Thank you for your time. 00:46:35
Well, thank you, Mrs. Nicholson. That's that's great. 00:46:38
Council, we don't have to react to that. What I will say is we are, I think we have got a draft ordinance that we're working on. 00:46:42
We want to address this quickly so you have clarity. Other mobile businesses have clarity in our existing businesses. Understand 00:46:46
where we stand on that issue. 00:46:51
But I will have to agree that Buttercup the Flower Truck is one of the cutest little things I've seen in my. 00:46:56
Time on Main Street which is which has been a long time so so anyway so appreciate what you're doing and the fire form and we 00:47:03
might need your advice at the Thomas Farm Park to on some beautification. I walked the site the other day with. 00:47:10
Some of the southeastern grass folks who want to do native return native meadows out of hay fields and we don't have the resources 00:47:18
to do everything they want to, but there might be a way that. 00:47:23
We can be kind of a starter partner or a seed partner for them, which is kind of cool. 00:47:28
We're taking a look at how we can take something that's already beautiful and maybe just with a little bit of few light touches 00:47:33
make it even more beautiful. So if you have suggestions for us, we're all ears. So happy to partner with all in any way that we 00:47:39
can. We love being here. We chose Oconee, for what it's worth. We chose this from anywhere else. We could have lived in the 00:47:44
country and settled our family and this is where we chase and we want to be here. Say thank you. Awesome, right? 00:47:50
Thank you. Yeah. Thank you for being here. 00:47:56
Any other members of the public. 00:47:59
Doesn't look like they're here. Did we receive anything via e-mail? 00:48:01
No, Sir. All right. OK. We will move on now to appearances. Thank you for your patience, gentlemen. I know you both have exciting 00:48:05
projects and we're ready to hear from you. So up first we have 1080 Experiment Station Rd. commonly known as the library and we 00:48:11
heard last. 00:48:17
Last month from the team at A&B Hold Co, a little bit about what they were doing. It was a different face. It was Michael Aslan. 00:48:23
It looks like we have Andy Bars here this month to give us an overview of what they're doing. But first we'll have Manager 00:48:28
Dickerson or Engineer Campbell give us our staff report. Andy will have you come up after that and speak to the request, cover 00:48:33
anything that they don't do and then we'll look at a discussion or a motion there. So with that, we will turn it over to Engineer 00:48:38
Camp. Thank you, Mayor. 00:48:43
So yes, this 1080 experiment Station Road, you should be very familiar with not only this partial but this project because it was 00:48:49
on the agenda last month. So it is currently zoned downtown based on the the decision by the council to rezone it last month. It's 00:48:57
a little over 2 acres in size. So this site development plan includes the adaptive reuse of the existing building, which you heard 00:49:05
some more about in detail last month, as well as the new construction of attached residential. 00:49:12
On the northern portion of the property. So if you can kind of move through these slides, again you're familiar with where the 00:49:22
location is, some pictures of the existing location and then the next slide would be a a copy of the the proposed site plan. So 00:49:28
the existing building is relatively light there in that image that's a copy of the site plan. You can see some of the asphalt work 00:49:33
that's there on the southern side of the lower portion of that drawing if you're familiar with where the book drop is now as you 00:49:39
heard described by. 00:49:45
One of the members of the the team that's working with the applicant last month. 00:49:52
So there's an opportunity, I think there to slightly change that asphalt and what I would suppose would be a pharmacy drop off or 00:49:57
pick off, pick up area as opposed to a book drop off and pick up. And then you can see the, the darker hatched area that goes to 00:50:05
the rear of the northern side of the existing building. And what is shown would be 6 attached residential units with the 00:50:12
associated parking. One of the questions last month was about. 00:50:20
Stormwater runoff. 00:50:28
These submitted site development plans includes details related to that. That would be an underground storm water management 00:50:30
system for any of that proposed impervious area, so. 00:50:36
That detail was included in the documentation that was submitted the system to meet the the state requirements which are part of 00:50:43
the city requirements as well for water quality, channel protection and stormwater management through the 100 year storm events. 00:50:48
So we did have comments on that. 00:50:53
So there was a letter that was dated November 9th that included, you see the totality of the 10 comments there. The last two 00:50:59
should be very familiar because there is disturbance greater than one acre, which means you have to go to the Georgia Water 00:51:05
Conservation Commission. To my knowledge, those plans have been delivered, but that review on the state side takes a little bit 00:51:12
longer than it does on the City side. Likewise, Oconee County Water Resources would have a say on any details as it relates to the 00:51:18
water and sewer system for this. 00:51:24
The other comments there are really about some clarifications and a little bit more detail oriented as it relates to stormwater, 00:51:30
nothing that would be preventative for. 00:51:35
Approval of the site development plans, as you see, presented here before you tonight. And again, I'm happy to answer any 00:51:41
questions that you might have. 00:51:45
All right. We've heard from Mr. Campbell. Mr. Bars, if you want to come up, if you have anything you want to add, just introduce 00:51:51
yourself off your address and share anything you want to welcome. 00:51:56
Thank you. Appreciate it, Andy. Bars address 1607 Lea Haven way here, Athens address Oconee County. 00:52:01
Yeah. My partner and I, Michael Aslan, he and I have been in business 16 years in the healthcare side and. 00:52:11
Have been fortunate enough to grow and need additional space and. 00:52:17
Really. 00:52:21
Feel intrigued by the opportunity to purchase the library inside the city and be a part, you know, partner with Y'all and helping 00:52:23
develop. 00:52:26
Assets not only for our company but but hopefully resources that can further provide services to the city so. 00:52:30
Engineer Campbell shared. 00:52:39
Currently our plan is to open a small pharmacy relatively 1500 to 2000 square feet on the left hand side of the library using the 00:52:41
existing overhang. 00:52:46
As a drive through where the book drop off. 00:52:52
Middle portion of the building, building, 17,000 square feet in total. Middle portion of the building maybe 6000 feet or so. We're 00:52:56
hoping to find a medical tenant that could pair with our pharmacy there and then we would use the remainder 6 to 8000 feet on the 00:53:02
right hand side to serve as our corporate offices there. 00:53:07
Currently there's a little over 30 parking spaces, which is. 00:53:13
Per code 1 per 500 square feet or so. We need a little more parking. And so we, you know. 00:53:17
Resources of the engineers to see what we could do with the 3/4 of the acre that was behind that space. It kind of tucks up 00:53:24
against the Board of Education building there. It's about a 10 foot drop off roughly. 00:53:30
Our grade back there. 00:53:38
In order to put a. 00:53:40
Parking lot or something. There, we'd still have to put a retaining wall. 00:53:41
He said, well, why couldn't? 00:53:45
Make use of that infrastructure and put residential back there because our our goal is to try not to be a an end point as where 00:53:46
the library is now, but really be. 00:53:51
A continuation and so if we could. 00:53:57
Have activity. 00:54:00
You know, qualified activity behind us. It would help us be more of a community. 00:54:01
Resource I think as opposed to a drive by. So that could help us offset some expenses to get additional parking back there as well 00:54:05
as maybe connect to some of the adjacent parcels without being an isolated. 00:54:11
Three quarter acre. 00:54:18
Wasn't usable for the city, but be glad to answer any questions or comments, and if I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to to 00:54:20
get you feedback. 00:54:24
All right, Christine. 00:54:31
I have old eyes. 00:54:37
And obviously it's hard to tell from scale, but the back of the six units look awfully close to the property line on. 00:54:39
The other side is they all in the set back, the correct setbacks and everything, or is that a different? 00:54:46
Downtown, there's not any significant set, so there's not that's a residential. 00:54:53
Thank you. 00:55:00
All right. 00:55:04
Let's see, I was gonna, I had something in my head but I've lost it because it is getting like I will comment this may have been 00:55:06
said previous. 00:55:10
Currently there's only about a. 00:55:14
Width to travel around the backside of the. 00:55:16
I was fortunate to get the right gentleman on the phone. 00:55:20
That recently their company purchased the Post Office is a real estate investment trust out of New York. 00:55:23
I didn't know what I was going to get on the other end of that phone, but I got a very nice and welcoming. 00:55:29
Man said. You know you're welcome to extend that driveway. I'll call it the wraps around so it can be a. 00:55:34
Two cars can travel it simultaneous. 00:55:41
So he we're working on a memorandum of understanding that will support our agreement with them to build a retaining wall that will 00:55:45
give us another 10 to 12 feet that will provide enough. 00:55:50
Space for two cars to pass each other back there, that that. 00:55:57
Otherwise we wouldn't really have a lot of practical access to the rear. 00:56:01
This was my question. Is the tree protection plan incorporated by reference into all this markers that need any sort of separate 00:56:05
not protection plan with the tree plan urban forest plan? 00:56:09
Is that already done or does that come later? 00:56:14
So the the Urban forest plan, my recollection is that was included in the site plans that have been submitted. But I don't believe 00:56:19
the urban Forest Committee has met to discuss the details of that. I do know they have some other things that would likely be on 00:56:24
the next month's agenda. So that's likely to come back to us. OK, All right. Just wanted to understand because I did see the 00:56:30
materials that came to us. All right. Unless there's any further questions, I'll entertain a motion to approve the site 00:56:36
development plan for A&B Holtco. Sorry. 00:56:42
Subject to the yeah, subject to the conditions for the engineer. Christine, did you have another question? I did. I'm sorry. So. 00:56:48
So I don't know where it would go. I mean I've been driving by this, but I know we're wanting to extend sidewalks and such is. 00:56:56
A way to have a sidewalk at the front of the property there is, but it wouldn't connect anything because you have the health 00:57:04
department and the. 00:57:10
But we welcome the opportunity to have sidewalks because that would be an asset to our businesses that this. 00:57:17
That was what was shared with me. Yeah, that's what I would think that. I mean, obviously I would love. I mean, it's a goal of the 00:57:24
city to have a lot of pedestrian infrastructure. 00:57:29
Absolutely. So you would be open to, even though currently it's a sidewalk to nowhere, but you would that's not the end game. You 00:57:34
would be open. We would be very open to that, Yes, ma'am. 00:57:39
All right. I think what Andy, what she's asking, I think we need to go ahead and approve the site plan. But Andy, I think what 00:57:46
Christine's asking is, could you go ahead and would you be willing to install them on your property? 00:57:50
Understand that we may have them eventually as other properties transition and need to connect to you. 00:57:55
Or do you want to think about that? I'd like to think about that. I don't mind agreeing to connect once they're put in place, it 00:58:01
would just. I think it would be. 00:58:05
Awkward looking. 00:58:10
To be an existing sidewalk without anything connecting to it would definitely be awkward for a little. 00:58:12
I don't know that. 00:58:18
The timing on what there's and whether those other properties will transition in any kind of time period, but let's let's talk 00:58:21
about, let's approve the site development plan, but then maybe. 00:58:25
If your plan can be such that you could accommodate that and you agree to do that at a later date should there be an opportunity 00:58:29
that would be, that would be great. 00:58:33
Certainly, willing to consider that, absolutely. OK. Yeah. I just bring it up now with the site development plan because I would 00:58:37
think it would be relevant to the site development plan, right, because if you drop a bunch of trees there and then I mean it's 00:58:42
something that has to do, you all have an idea of time frame to to offer. 00:58:48
Yes. 00:58:55
Experiment. Station Road is upgraded. It'll probably be at that time. Well, it will be. It'll just be. 00:58:57
It'll probably be a long time. 00:59:04
I think things might happen, or at least places things might happen. 00:59:07
And even if it is not like a total through sidewalk, if your property has that sidewalk there, it might help with connectivity 00:59:11
even if people have to for the parcel beforehand, like make their own way so. 00:59:19
Umm. 00:59:27
I know we can't make it contingent on that, but just as you're, I imagine that as you're pouring concrete and doing changes, 00:59:27
there's probably times where it would be less expensive to do it than other times too so. 00:59:35
Well, and also with it being part of the downtown, now we want to be connected. Let's do this. 00:59:42
Let's go ahead and approve this Andy Noodle on that a little bit and then let's sort of talk offline about what may make sense 00:59:47
with your site plan or not make sense with your site plan on it. 00:59:52
Not comfortable putting a condition on related to that tonight given how much uncertainty there is in that quarter, if you're OK 00:59:56
with that. But Mr. Bars has certainly expressed his interest in doing that potentially if we can work it out and you've got a 01:00:01
bunch of sidewalks running around the other sides of the building too, I see rendering. So, yeah, we welcome the opportunity to 01:00:06
allow foot traffic to exist around the building. Yeah. 01:00:11
All right. 01:00:17
Thank you, Christine. All right, we'll be. I'll entertain a motion to approve the site development plan. 01:00:19
I'll make a motion. 01:00:28
I'll make a motion to approve the site development plan with the conditions from the engineer. Thank you, Mr. Thomas. Councilman 01:00:31
Thomas, we have a second. 01:00:35
All right. We have a second from the left side. Thank you, guys. All right, any conversation about this project? 01:00:41
Hearing none all in favor, say aye Aye. Any opposed. The motion carries 5. 01:00:48
Thank you. Appreciate it very much. Great. Next up we have some more investment in Watkinsville. We have. 01:00:53
Expansion of. 01:01:05
Industrial businesses, Taylor Iron and I think we have Justin Greer here representing them tonight. But As for the last one, we. 01:01:07
City staff, give us the staff report and then we'll have Mr. Greer come forward. 01:01:16
And we'll go from there. So, staff, thank you, Mayor. 01:01:20
So this is Taylor's iron. What you would probably know is Taylor's iron 1041 industrial drive the the total acreage of that parcel 01:01:24
is a little over 5 acres. This should be familiar for other reasons. It was not here last month, but this property has continued 01:01:30
to develop and expand over the last. 01:01:36
Five years or so. So this is an addition on the northern side of the property. So it's a proposed 18,000 square foot additions if 01:01:44
we go to the next slide. 01:01:50
If this is facing it from Industrial Drive again, Industrial Blvd. connects from Hwy. 15 to Barnett Shoals Rd. Industrial Drive 01:01:58
comes off of Industrial Blvd. but this is some of the existing facilities. There is existing storm water facility that's there on 01:02:04
the property that was constructed. 01:02:09
During a previous iteration of expansion of the Taylor's iron property and this gives you an idea of what that looks like today. 01:02:15
So. 01:02:19
What is highlighted in red, if you can see that is the proposed 18,000 square foot expansion again on the northern side and then 01:02:25
on what would be kind of the right hand portion of your page there. The eastern side that is the existing pond that you saw in the 01:02:31
picture that is being modified, reformatted in a way in order to be able to handle the additional storm water flows that are being 01:02:38
created as part of this. 01:02:44
So the the next slide kind of gives another brief overview. Similarly, there was a letter that was sent to the engineering group 01:02:53
of regarding comments on this. Some of the comments are the same. Again, you're disturbing more than one acre. You have to deal 01:02:59
with Oconee County water resources for water and sewer. There's a few details as it relates to clarification of those engineering 01:03:04
and stormwater plans. 01:03:09
If you will recall, sewer line A traverse through the northern portion of this property. As a result, there's no longer any need 01:03:16
for any septic facilities. 01:03:21
On this property. So I think that's part of what allows the opportunity for this additional expansion of a business within the 01:03:26
city of Watkinsville. There's. 01:03:31
The the detailed comments that were issued there again no things that would be preventative for approval of the site development 01:03:36
plan and we'll be happy to answer. 01:03:41
Any questions? 01:03:47
All right. Thank you, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Greer. 01:03:49
Good evening. Thank you. Mr. Mayor Council, my name is Justin Greer, Pittman and Greer Engineering. Mark pretty much covered 01:03:53
everything 18,000 square foot addition and the sewer line really did open up where we could do some additional development growth. 01:03:59
They're going to use it for additional space for equipment. We did receive the comments that Mark mentioned. We've been looking 01:04:05
through those and I think we can address everything there. The urban forest plan, it was approved back in 05 and we're not we're 01:04:12
not impacting that in any way the. 01:04:18
Our improvements don't touch anything that was approved before on that plan. So I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. 01:04:25
Thank you. We have an urban forest ordinance, an O5. 01:04:29
I think you've been five years ago, five years ago. 01:04:35
OK, so are they having any jobs because of this just? 01:04:41
I don't know the answer that I could find that out. You said it's gonna store equipment. Are they gonna do additional equipment? 01:04:47
Additional equipment, Sir, Are they gonna use it for manufacturing? And my understanding. All right. OK. 01:04:52
Right. Other questions. 01:04:57
I do want to point out here a lot of times we got, we got a lot of questions through the years about why we invested. 01:05:00
Sewer lines in the industrial area and Sharon mentioned. 01:05:06
We pay for those. Ultimately the county owns controls those gets most of the revenue. But this is exactly what we wanted to see, 01:05:09
right? It gives existing industry who are out of space. 01:05:14
The opportunity to use that space where they had septic tanks to. 01:05:19
Without that those sewer. 01:05:23
This wouldn't be happening. Wire Park wouldn't be happening. A lot of good stuff. 01:05:26
I know those were expensive, expensive and investments, but again we're starting to see that pay off and I think that'll be those 01:05:30
will continue to pay off overtime with additional jobs, business retention and in tax revenue. So we're excited about seeing this 01:05:36
project come through and and grateful. 01:05:42
If there's no other questions, Sharon, you have a I was just going to point out, so because this is in the industrial park, the 01:05:49
city is not involved with our wastewater capacity at all. It's handled by the county That was part of our amendment to the 01:05:54
agreement we had with the county in 1991. So any wastewater they need will go through the it'll come out of their bucket, not out 01:05:59
of ours today. 01:06:04
OK, All right. We've heard from the staff. We've heard. 01:06:10
The applicant with that, I'll entertain a motion to approve with the conditions specified by the engineer. 01:06:14
I'll make a motion to approve this project with the conditions specified by the engineer. 01:06:23
Do we have a second? Second. We have a motion. We have a second. Any further comment hearing? None. All in favor, say aye. 01:06:30
All right. We will move on to old business. And that old business involves continuing our efforts to improve Harris Shoals Park. 01:06:38
So Sharon, I think you have a report for us on that. Thank you, Mayor. 01:06:44
We're going to be asking you tonight to approve or award a contract to Garrett Paving Company. 01:06:52
For Mount Knot to see 200,000 for the parking and paving improvements to Harris Shoals Park. 01:06:59
We did release an RFP earlier this year. We only received 11 bid back that that RFP is a little bit different than this one that 01:07:06
was amended. That one actually called for pedestrian pathways and landscaping. We got one vendor to to bid on it or provide a 01:07:13
price proposal. It was way over what we had. So we sort of sat on it. We had also had an opportunity at the time to submit for the 01:07:20
Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program grant and also for the congressional directed spending for both Warnock and. 01:07:28
Ossoff and of course we heard back. We didn't get that. So we released in October, released another RFP. At the time we released 01:07:36
it just as we'd released the one in February, but then. 01:07:41
Took a step back and after talking to the mayor and and whatnot, we decided let's just do the paving. Would come back and decide 01:07:47
if we want to still do the pedestrian sidewalks or pathways and the landscaping. Some of that we might be able to value engineer 01:07:51
that on our own. 01:07:56
And so we on October 27th received 2 proposals. Garrett Paving came in significantly less. It would make sense Smith and company's 01:08:01
a contractor. Garrett's just straight up Paving. 01:08:06
So they were, you know, having to do a little bit more work on that. So we did post it on our website. That was a recommendation 01:08:11
from Councilman Garrett. We posted our website advertising Oconee Enterprise and provided direct mail request to five companies to 01:08:17
which like I said, did respond. 01:08:22
We have. 01:08:29
Pretty much advanced all the short term projects, low cost projects that we can't can and phase 1A master plan and this really is 01:08:31
going to help trigger some of the phase two mid, mid long term type projects once we get that settled. We do have 225,000. The 01:08:38
very last line on this very detailed spreadsheet is other Rd. maintenance projects. So we do have $225,000 can be appropriated. 01:08:45
I'm going to ask though in your in your motion if you motion to approve it that. 01:08:52
And I think I've got it. I gotta go backwards. 01:09:00
That you encourage staff to negotiate on the traffic management because we can shut down the park for a few days, we won't need to 01:09:03
pay 10 or $15,000 for them to deal with traffic management. 01:09:08
So I've already reached out to their contact and asked him. I haven't received response, but you know, my goal would be to try to 01:09:14
reduce it by, you know, by that amount, because we can just simply shut down the park for those days and let the public know. 01:09:20
Would we completely shut down the park or would we just shut down? 01:09:30
As it's getting colder and so I'm not sure what the time frame is, we haven't negotiated. I mean, we haven't set that out, but my 01:10:01
hope is we can do that before the weather gets. 01:10:05
You know, too cold for them to be able to pave it? Yeah, let's just be sure to coordinate with the ESP. And absolutely, the 01:10:09
playground up here does get crowded enough. People use it for parking, so on nice days. 01:10:14
OK. You've heard the report from Sharon from the manager. Any questions or comments? 01:10:20
All right here. None. Do we have a motion. 01:10:28
And make a motion to approve the to award. 01:10:31
It's a Garrett paving company and also to manage the. 01:10:35
Traffic ourselves to save money, all right. 01:10:41
So the managers authorized to negotiate on traffic control in that motion. Do we have a second? 01:10:45
Second. All right. We have a motion. We have a second from the right side. 01:10:50
Any comments? 01:10:54
Hearing none all in favor, say aye. Motion carries 5. 01:10:56
All right. G dot Transportation Alternatives Program. TAP. 01:11:01
Thank you, Mayor. Did everybody read their report on this? If you read the report then that'll save sharing some time in terms of 01:11:07
doing the deep history on this. Yeah. So the the brief piece of it is we. 01:11:14
Tried for this grant as a small community don't have as many resources as some of the other communities do as far as managing 01:11:22
federal money that's flowing through the state and so. 01:11:27
Quicker and this will help connect to Thomas Farm. 01:12:06
And that's in it. That's a huge project for y'all wanting to try to get everybody connected to downtown. So. So if you do decline 01:12:09
it, then we will simply fill out a piece of paper telling them that we're just not going to do this project, really is not with 01:12:16
them and and then we'll get to work on figuring out how we can pay for this a different way. 01:12:22
And I just, you know, you guys aren't up here as much as I am, but I want to give Sharon and staff a lot of credit. It's it's not 01:12:30
every day you have an opportunity to get a grant like this, but this is 1 where it was. 01:12:35
Um. 01:12:41
The amount of additional work that the staff was going to have to. 01:12:42
In exchange for, you know, a project that would. 01:12:46
You know, may have been a little bit fancier, but would have taken years longer and probably not saved as much money in the end. 01:12:50
So as tempting as it was to sort of take that grant and run with it, a lot of credit due to Sharon and staff for the research that 01:12:59
they did to understand is. 01:13:03
Not the most efficient process for us, so I just want to thank you because I knew that took a good bit of time and we certainly 01:13:08
don't. 01:13:11
You know, we're grateful that we won the grant, but at the end of the day it's just not the right fit for Watkinsville right now, 01:13:14
so thank you. 01:13:18
All right, so Sharon's looking for a. 01:13:23
A motion to decline the $240,000 G dot TAP TAP grant. 01:13:26
As much as it pains me to decline a grant, I make a motion that we decline this grant. We have a motion to decline. Do we have a 01:13:32
second? Second. 01:13:37
Discussion or. 01:13:42
Hearing none all in favor of declining the grant, say aye. 01:13:43
OK. 01:13:48
Thank you. 01:13:50
Looks like we have no new business. We've already done public comments. We're on to the mayor's report. Given the size of the 01:13:51
audience, I'll be brief. You guys know a lot about this stuff. Had a very successful fall festival that. 01:13:58
That seems pretty simple, but it's really not. I think several of you volunteered and supported that, Had huge crowds. Interim 01:14:05
Chief Tetherton mentioned it, I felt like. 01:14:11
Despite all of our concerns about what happened at Rocket Field and the vehicles on the field, I think it was a tremendous 01:14:17
success. 01:14:20
We have already met with the Chamber on a follow up on things that can be tweaked and improved and they're working on that. But a 01:14:23
real credit to the Chamber of Commerce, they quietly they don't look for credit, they don't ask for credit and they put this thing 01:14:29
together every year and it is jammed up. So we're grateful for them. 01:14:34
For leading the way on that and proud to be their partner and grateful to their team for doing that. Next year will be the 50th 01:14:39
Fall Festival. 01:14:43
So they will be there looking for creative ideas and ways to celebrate big. So wrap your brain around that a little bit. If you 01:14:47
have good ideas, feel free to let Courtney and the team at the chamber know, or Sharon or me, and we'll suggest those. So, great 01:14:51
event. 01:14:55
Downtown trick or treating was very successful, despite some crazy guy with a mullet sketching everybody out. 01:15:00
But we had a we had a great time. There were some great costumes down there and that that continues just to be. 01:15:08
A great event. It's not. It's really interesting. It's a different group of folks than you see at most events in Watkinsville, and 01:15:14
I think that's great. 01:15:18
It's it's not sort of the usual suspects that you see everywhere else. It's a really interesting crowd that has that as part of 01:15:22
their tradition and I'm always excited to see them downtown and to see our businesses participate. Sharon, thanks to you and staff 01:15:27
for putting all that together. 01:15:31
Our Oconee County cross country team, the boys, they are the first ever boys team at Oconee County to repeat in any sport our 01:15:36
cross country team. So there were several Watkinsville residents on that team. 01:15:42
My son was one of them along with. 01:15:50
Lost the boy's name but one of our new residents at Trove Jonah Ferguson, Ferguson's moved moved Oconee County for the schools but 01:15:54
also to be a part of that and they are enjoying life at Trove. They have a young his little brother walks to column fairies are 01:15:59
one of. 01:16:03
School walkers every day, which is kind of cool to see that happening over there from that neighborhood. I know we really wanted 01:16:09
that. 01:16:11
Really wanted that to happen, so we have several Watkinsville kids who are. 01:16:14
We're part of that, we're part of that team, so we're proud of those boys and their hard work. 01:16:18
Results are in. Congratulations. 01:16:23
Councilman Garrett and Councilwoman Massey, great job. We're glad to have you all with us, but. 01:16:27
I think it is important to note that everybody who chooses to offer for office deserves a lot of credit for their. 01:16:34
Hard work and courage. You know, there's a lot of people who choose to complain and never take any action, and there's others who 01:16:39