2017-12-11 · City Council · Transcript · City Council Meeting

--- title: December 11 2017 City Council Meeting date: 2017-12-11 source: 2017-12-11_December_11_2017_City_Council_Meeting.wav --- [0:00:01, 0:00:21]: If I could uh possibly have your attention please real quickly. As twenty seventeen comes to a close, we at the City of Stockbridge want to say a super thank you to all of you because of your partnership with us. The City of Stockbridge was able to present to itself [0:00:21, 0:00:41]: citizens with many many successful excuse me events this year because of the partners in the community that we are so grateful to have. We appreciate your loyalty and your commitment to the city of Stockbridge and we are truly thankful for those many [0:00:41, 0:01:01]: Partnerships. We thank you for everything you've done. We are wishing you a wonderful 2018 and we hope that we can maintain those warm partnerships that we formed with you throughout the year. Tonight we are stopping to talk about. [0:01:01, 0:01:21]: Two particular groups of volunteers we've had. These are certainly not the only volunteers that have helped us, but they are the ones that have volunteered through their businesses something to support us or they have volunteered their time to come and work at our events. [0:01:21, 0:01:41]: Thing we're gonna do is recognize some that have participated through the special events team, and the special events team in Stockbridge is tasked with many special events, so we're gonna call off all the wonderful business folks. [0:01:41, 0:01:43]: that helped. We're going to start with [0:01:44, 0:02:04]: And we're going to ask you if you will just stay seated for the moment. But once we go through all of this, we're going to regroup and then we're going to take some photographs individually with each of you with our special events team and some of our city people as they arrive. And for our 2017 events team partner. [0:02:04, 0:02:24]: Partnerships that helped the special events team. They were Mrs. Winter's Carwas Italian Grill, Golden Crust, the Italian Oven, Olympia Pizza House, Outback State House, Alan Vigil Ford, Georgia National Hispanic Heritage Association. [0:02:24, 0:02:28]: Association, Bimbo Bakeries, USA. [0:02:28, 0:02:33]: Holly Sweet Donuts, Georgia Power Company, L [0:02:36, 0:02:56]: Granero. I knew I was going to stumble on that one. El Granero's Restaurant, Piedmont Henry Hospital, K Piana. This is it, Barbecue and Seafood, iHeart Radio, Radio 1 Atlanta, Walmart Stores, number 745 and 3402, Waste Industry. [0:02:56, 0:03:11]: Henry County Times and the Henry Neighbor newspapers. So if any of the people from that list are in the room, I would like for you as collectively just stand for the moment and let the others recognize you. [0:03:21, 0:03:41]: Okay, thank you. We're gonna now ask you to sit for a moment. Let us read. Um we had many volunteers that also volunteered um with our Main Street program. And I'm gonna ask um that you stay seated until I've called all these names, and then we're gonna ask you to stand. Some of you may be standing twice. [0:03:41, 0:04:01]: I do not know. Barn Beautiful, Bridgeville Country Cooking. That is also the same owner as Olympia Pizza. Chick-fil-A at Eagles Landing, Cochrane Public Library, Food Depot, Stockbridge, Henry County Library System. [0:04:01, 0:04:19]: Group Publics at Stockbridge Lakes, Stockbridge Florest, and the Stockbridge Jonesboro Alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha 5 Fraternity Inc. And so at this time, if any of those are in the audience, would you please stand? [0:04:26, 0:04:46]: Thank you, thank you. And we had a few volunteers and I want to say immediately that if your name was left off of this list, it's probably gonna pop up on another list. But all of our volunteers uh who have worked these events, um, we just couldn't do the events without you. And there's several that [0:04:46, 0:05:06]: are around a lot and we want to call their names at this time. One is Mary Jo Blount, Betty Bryant, Linda Jones, and Valerie Sims. We see their faces uh quite often and I'd like for any of them to stand. I know I see at least one in our group, Linda back here. [0:05:10, 0:05:10]: Thank you. [0:05:11, 0:05:31]: Linda also serves on our Main Street board, but uh she goes beyond Main Street and volunteers for other city events. So we especially thank you and so do the uh owners of Barn Beautiful and we thank you for that also and probably many others. Um at this time we're gonna call you up one at a time and if anyone [0:05:31, 0:05:51]: from the businesses here. We're going to start by calling them up first. And I'm going to call them quick. So if you're here, stand up and let me know. And then if you would come forward and we'll get right here. Where do y'all want to do the photos? All right out front? Okay. All right. We're going to call Mrs. Winter. [0:05:51, 0:05:51]: Yeah. [0:05:53, 0:06:03]: Okay? If they're not here, we'll take care of them and make sure we get their um awards to them later. So we're starting with Mrs. Winters. Then Carava's Italian Grill. [0:06:05, 0:06:06]: Golden Quest? [0:06:08, 0:06:09]: The Italian oven. [0:06:10, 0:06:13]: A lengthy pizza. [0:06:13, 0:06:19]: Uh Outback Steakhouse. I know that Outback's here. Yay for Outback. [0:06:27, 0:06:30]: All our special events, people, jump in real quick. [0:06:37, 0:06:38]: Thank you. [0:06:39, 0:06:42]: Okay, now then um Alan Vigil Ford. [0:06:53, 0:06:54]: First. [0:06:57, 0:06:58]: Not this here. [0:07:04, 0:07:16]: So much for all y'all do to help. Thank you. My pleasure. Thank thank you so much. Now, Georgia National Hispanic Heritage Association. [0:07:17, 0:07:22]: Okay. Uh Bimbo Bakeries. I know they're here. Bimbo Break Bakeries? [0:07:23, 0:07:26]: Oh, herity? Okay. Hold on just a minute. [0:07:52, 0:07:57]: Okay, now we'll take bimbo bakeries. That's a tongue twister, you know what? [0:07:57, 0:07:57]: Yeah. [0:08:03, 0:08:14]: In case you don't know where their parent headquarters are located, it's directly across from the GBI. So if you're up there in trouble just when you get out, just go across the street to Bimbo Bakeries. Right. [0:08:16, 0:08:17]: Yeah. [0:08:21, 0:08:23]: It was so nice to meet you. [0:08:25, 0:08:28]: Okay, Holly Sweet Donuts. [0:08:30, 0:08:31]: Mm-hmm. [0:08:32, 0:08:32]: Holly. [0:08:33, 0:08:37]: Holy, holy. Like the hole in the donut. I got it. [0:08:38, 0:08:44]: Well I I must admit I may not be able to pronounce it right, but I have eaten one and they're very good. Very good. [0:08:56, 0:08:58]: Georgia Power Company. [0:08:58, 0:09:00]: Oh right, we got Georgia Power. [0:09:05, 0:09:25]: I I'm going to give uh Georgia Power Company a little plug from the past. Many years ago I ran a state agency and we were hosting a regional meeting and we were doing it with zero-dollar balance. We had no money to entertain a lot of people from about 15 different southern states. [0:09:25, 0:09:45]: States. And so we had to get very creative, very fast. And one of the things I happened to think about was that Georgia Power was pushing their electric vehicles. So we called Georgia Power and they sent us a driver and a great big bus and took our people all over Atlanta and made them look so [0:09:45, 0:09:52]: I mean made us look good, but it really made Georgia Power look good. So I just want to put that extra plug in. Thank you very much. [0:09:57, 0:09:58]: Appreciate you. [0:10:04, 0:10:07]: Okay, now then we're back to L [0:10:10, 0:10:12]: El banero's restaurant. [0:10:15, 0:10:19]: Well you would think I could get it right up a second ago, wouldn't you? [0:10:47, 0:10:51]: Okay. Henry Hospital. I saw their rep here. [0:11:08, 0:11:20]: We appreciate our local hospital. That's why we stay in this community. They're about two to five minutes away from all of us and we love knowing they're there. Uh now we are calling up K Piano. [0:11:26, 0:11:40]: If those of you in the audience have not seen K Piano students perform, you have missed it. And we appreciate what they do to bring music to our local community and train our children in the field of music. [0:11:53, 0:11:54]: Yeah, yeah. [0:11:59, 0:12:00]: Getting a call. [0:12:02, 0:12:05]: Uh this is it, barbecue and seafood. [0:12:13, 0:12:20]: I I understand that um we are opening up a new location in the city of Stockbridge. [0:12:20, 0:12:36]: All right. Would you like to tell us what that address is gonna be and when you're opening? Uh fifty-five seventy North Henry Boulevard, uh right in front of Walmart, next to T Mobile, and we're looking to open up by the first of February. [0:12:36, 0:12:37]: Okay. [0:12:49, 0:12:55]: Uh next we're going to ask if anyone from IHART Radio is in the Yes. [0:13:11, 0:13:12]: Here we go. [0:13:19, 0:13:39]: We appreciate what you do for us. Thank you. Thank you. Thank I'd like to thank my family, my wife, for coming to every single event that every radio station that I have had at the for Power 961, Elpatron, her and all of her family have been at every single event, and that's like twenty-two people. So thank you. [0:13:39, 0:13:40]: But [0:13:43, 0:13:49]: It takes a good woman behind every good man, so we appreciate you a lot. [0:13:50, 0:14:04]: This is like um elected officials. I don't really consider myself one. I worked in government for a long time, so I'm used to government. But when you see an elected official, I would encourage you to thank their spouse. [0:14:04, 0:14:24]: Because their spouses have to give up a tremendous amount for people to serve in public office. And um I just can't tell you the people that I have such high regard for. It's more the wives, they they give everything. And so uh William, thank you for bringing your wife tonight. We appreciate that. [0:14:25, 0:14:28]: Okay, Radio 1, Atlanta. [0:14:30, 0:14:35]: Nobody? Okay. Uh next Walmart store number seven forty five. [0:14:36, 0:14:40]: Or Walmart Store 3402. [0:14:41, 0:14:50]: I can imagine that it's Christmas time. They're probably a little busy tonight. Didn't get to come. Um our friend from Waste Industries is here. We're gonna call him up. [0:14:58, 0:14:58]: Yeah. [0:15:14, 0:15:25]: And next we're gonna ask for the Henry County Times. We have anybody here from the Times. If not, how about the Henry Neighbor newspaper I know we have, Maureen? [0:15:30, 0:15:35]: Be good tonight or Noreen might write about you, so [0:15:36, 0:15:45]: We appreciate all the good publicity she gives our city. Thank you. We're glad to have um our city council member, Elton Alexander, joining us. [0:15:51, 0:15:54]: Thank you. [0:15:59, 0:16:15]: Okay, at this time we're gonna start now with our group. Let's stop, I tell you what let's do, let's stop and do our volunteers and I believe unless somebody else has come in um that we're gonna ask um Linda to come up. I know she's here. [0:16:17, 0:16:19]: I know Charlie come too since she's hungry. [0:16:20, 0:16:27]: We're gonna ask our main street directors to come up since Linda's on their board. Why don't we put you in the middle? [0:16:30, 0:16:31]: Here we go. [0:16:31, 0:16:35]: Call us people on the end. You guys. Come on. [0:16:43, 0:16:44]: One more. [0:16:54, 0:17:14]: Okay, now we're gonna start on our Main Street program partnership list and we're gonna start with one of our new stores in town. Oh sorry. Okay, they tell me that I overlooked one uh volunteer is this volunteer? Okay. We had another volunteer but she we didn't call her name Cecilia Green and we're [0:17:14, 0:17:15]: gonna have her come out. [0:17:24, 0:17:30]: How about somebody down here with me? [0:17:30, 0:17:31]: Yeah okay. [0:17:32, 0:17:34]: Let's get it. [0:17:35, 0:17:38]: Hallelujah. One more. [0:17:40, 0:17:41]: Okay. [0:17:45, 0:17:46]: Yeah. [0:17:46, 0:17:50]: Sorry, my bad. But you're good. Okay. [0:17:51, 0:18:11]: Okay, now then we're going to start with all of our businesses that have contributed so much to us. Um and this is from the Main Street program list uh partnerships and we're going to start with one of our favorite businesses. Not that they all aren't favorite, but one of our new businesses that's just kind of blown away the whole town. If you have [0:18:11, 0:18:31]: haven't been to Barn Beautiful, I'm not gonna ask you to raise your hand and admit it. I'm just gonna tell you that if we can get Roger to come up from Barn Beautiful, there is a fabulous new store directly under the bridge in Stockbridge, and you've got to stop off its next door to Rod Oaklesby's um really [0:18:31, 0:18:41]: estate office and his name is on the side of his building so just go to Rod's building and you'll be next door. Come on up Roger. Thank you for all you've done for the community. [0:18:45, 0:18:47]: [1131.9, 1132.8]: One more. [0:18:57, 0:18:59]: Thank you very much. [0:19:01, 0:19:05]: Now the next one is Bridgeville Country Cooking. [0:19:06, 0:19:10]: I don't think I see anybody out there. Uh Chick-fil-A at Eagles Landing. [0:19:13, 0:19:16]: Um Cochrane Public Library. We have two [0:19:17, 0:19:20]: You wanna come up, our chief librarian, come too? [0:19:22, 0:19:28]: We'll make one with just our director at the library and then we'll make one of y'all together. How about that? [0:19:33, 0:19:37]: Move towards the center. If y'all can move towards the center, yeah. [0:19:38, 0:19:39]: Uh huh. [0:19:40, 0:19:42]: [1184.7, 1186.3]: One, two, three. [0:19:47, 0:19:48]: One more. [0:19:51, 0:19:59]: take Carolyn out just for a minute and make one with just Jacqueline, our chief librarian, and then we're going to do one with Carolyn. [0:20:01, 0:20:03]: More. [0:20:03, 0:20:05]: Okay. [0:20:06, 0:20:16]: Jackie's out and Carolyn's in. Carolyn is our county librarian and Jacqueline runs the Stockbridge Library. [0:20:18, 0:20:19]: Obviously work together. [0:20:20, 0:20:22]: One, two, three. [0:20:23, 0:20:24]: One more. [0:20:26, 0:20:27]: Thank you so much. [0:20:31, 0:20:34]: Mm-hmm. Now then, how about Food Depot Stockbridge? [0:20:36, 0:20:41]: Councilman Ford, would you like to pop in and get in some of these photos? [0:20:42, 0:20:42]: Mm-hmm. [0:20:45, 0:20:55]: Food Depot. Anybody from Food Depot. Okay. Uh Henry County, we did the library system with Carolyn. Uh intercom group. [0:20:55, 0:20:57]: Anyone from intercom group? [0:20:58, 0:21:01]: Okay, publics at Stockbridge Lakes. [0:21:03, 0:21:04]: Eh? [0:21:04, 0:21:07]: Stockbridge Forest. There in the back. [0:21:08, 0:21:09]: Regina Meeks. [0:21:25, 0:21:28]: Now I'm gonna brag on her just a little bit. [0:21:29, 0:21:29]: Yeah. [0:21:30, 0:21:43]: If if if you haven't been by Regina's shop, go see it and she can decorate the best Christmas tree you have ever seen in your life. So if you ever need to be tweaked, she can do that for you. [0:21:45, 0:21:49]: One, two, three. One more. One, two, three. [0:21:51, 0:21:53]: [1314.5, 1315.3]: Yeah, yeah. [0:22:00, 0:22:08]: The next is the Stockbridge Jonesboro alumni chapter of the Kappa Alphas. Any of the Cap Kappa Alphas in the room. [0:22:09, 0:22:22]: They are not here, but they helped us with the little library group, um, a little library, um, the new little library. Would you like to tell the audience about the new little library? Sure. It's brand new this week. [0:22:22, 0:22:42]: Good evening everyone. Um I'd love to announce to all of you that we do have a second Little Free Library, which is a part of the Main Street Little Free Library project that we've started here in Stockbridge. That library is located in Clark Community Park by the new inclusive playground equipment. So we invite all [0:22:42, 0:23:02]: of you to go and take a peep at that and if you have young children or um middle schoolers we do have um children's books in that particular location we're going to dedicate that particular location only to children's books and um I would like to give a shout out to Cochrane Public Library in the [0:23:02, 0:23:12]: Henry County Library System because they also donated books to this particular project as well. So please stop by and visit. Thank you. [0:23:16, 0:23:20]: That concludes the um awards. Let's see, we have one more. [0:23:21, 0:23:23]: Oh did I not call them? [0:23:23, 0:23:32]: Oh, they just got here. Okay, so Golden Crust, Caribbean Bakery and Grill. So if anyone from there is here. [0:23:40, 0:23:41]: Oh we could wait. [0:23:43, 0:23:50]: All right. Perfect. Thank you. Come in a little bit. [0:23:57, 0:23:59]: Two, three. [0:23:59, 0:24:00]: One more? [0:24:06, 0:24:20]: It is so nice to meet you. We are delighted. Where's your grill? What's the address? I don't know what happened. [0:24:22, 0:24:42]: Okay. The grill we're told is at 2047 Mount Sin Road. So anyone that wants some Caribbean food, just uh check it out. Thank you. We cannot say thank you enough to all of you, whether you come and volunteer for an event or whether you provide a service or a food product or whatever. [0:24:42, 0:24:47]: Whatever it might be, all we can say is thank you on behalf of the city. Thank you. [0:25:07, 0:25:15]: [1515.2, 1528.0]: No, but I think that's what we're looking for. [0:25:30, 0:25:40]: Okay, uh maybe we should have [0:25:45, 0:25:55]: I was gonna get someone to actually take the output. [0:26:05, 0:26:25]: Is that your uh is that your place for the page? Nope. No? Nope. Is it Randy's? No. I don't think so. I was gonna c uh see, does he still want that one? Well I got them both up. I think they're gonna withdraw that one. [0:26:25, 0:26:40]: I think one of them's gonna withdraw. Yeah, such an email. [0:26:50, 0:27:00]: Oh the uh street. [0:27:00, 0:27:05]: Yeah, very changing. [0:27:16, 0:27:24]: It's eight to three in a moment. Or eight of eight to three. Yes, yes. [0:27:26, 0:27:46]: Oh, um I will tell you I've got the first one I'll uh if you if you want me to add a small model here, I'll do this turn. Okay. All you gotta do is turn [0:27:45, 0:28:01]: We've done this so many times. What I may do is just go over the major features of this. Yeah. What they're requesting. [0:28:03, 0:28:05]: Rezoning from M1 to Yeah. [0:28:07, 0:28:27]: Okay. Oh you moved at the single. You well there's that one. I I haven't [0:28:27, 0:28:36]: In the red, are you sure? She's a minister. And the other one is too, right? In the other back church. I know. I know. [0:28:37, 0:28:49]: That's why we shouldn't have to do that. It's a video of your phone. [0:28:49, 0:29:09]: It's not pretty good. [0:29:09, 0:29:29]: Insurance or that's how you know I didn't know this. I just landed I was out of uh town. I was out of state, so I went really quick to just put something on and come in here and say hi to everybody. [0:29:29, 0:29:49]: So you've been okay. You ready to go down? Sure. This is a good thing. I need to let things down. Yeah, that's great. Let me give my friend a hug. [0:29:49, 0:29:50]: Yeah. [0:30:06, 0:30:26]: I gotta be in there my. [0:30:26, 0:30:40]: Good to see you. Same time. [0:30:41, 0:30:45]: I feel it was a little bit more. [0:30:48, 0:30:49]: [1855.0, 1871.1]: Good to see you, man. [0:31:15, 0:31:25]: [1898.2, 1900.0]: [0:31:42, 0:31:43]: Yeah. [0:32:06, 0:32:26]: Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to get started. We're starting about six minutes after six o'clock, and uh we're going to start with our call to order and begin with our invocation and our city manager Randy Knighton is going to bring our invitation. [0:32:25, 0:32:31]: to us this evening and afterwards if you would all stand for the pledge to the American flag. [0:32:35, 0:32:55]: Let us pray. Most gracious and all wise God, we are so thankful for your blessings and to be in your presence this evening. We thank you for the blessings of living in this great nation where we can enjoy freedoms and liberties granted unto us from you. We thank you for the mayor and council. [0:32:55, 0:33:15]: Council, we pray that you would endow them with wisdom as they consider the very important matters of city governance. We pray your blessings upon the City of Stockbridge, the staff, and all citizens. And during this time of year, we're also thankful for the most precious gift that has ever been given to humanity. [0:33:15, 0:33:18]: which is your Son Christ Jesus. [0:33:18, 0:33:20]: In his name we pray. [0:33:20, 0:33:22]: Amen. [0:33:24, 0:33:26]: Pretty diligence in play. [0:33:28, 0:33:37]: America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under dog, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. [0:33:41, 0:33:46]: At this time we'll ask our clerk, uh Vanessa Holliday, if she would please to call the roll. [0:33:46, 0:33:49]: Councilman Alexander. Councilman Blount. [0:33:51, 0:34:06]: Let the record reflect Councilman Blount is not in attendance. Mayor Neal. Present. Mayor Pro Tem Ford. Present. Councilwoman Gantt. Present. Councilwoman Robinson? Present. Mayor Neal, you have a quorum. Thank you. At this time I need a motion to adopt the agenda. [0:34:07, 0:34:18]: Mayor Neal, I'll make a motion to adopt the agenda. Thank you, Ms. Robinson. Do I hear a second? Second. We have a motion and a second for the agenda. I'll in or is there any discussion? [0:34:18, 0:34:20]: If not, all in favor? [0:34:22, 0:34:40]: Thank you for your vote. At this time we'll have adoption of minutes for the following meetings, October 9th, 2017, a special call meeting, October 24th, 2017, and our work session meeting 1024, 2017. [0:34:40, 0:34:42]: Do I have a motion? [0:34:43, 0:34:44]: Don't move. [0:34:44, 0:34:47]: We have a motion for Mr. Ford. Do I hear a second? [0:34:47, 0:34:51]: Second. We have a second. Is there discussion? [0:34:52, 0:34:54]: If not, all in favor. [0:34:55, 0:34:57]: Thank each of you for your vote. [0:34:58, 0:35:00]: At this time um [0:35:02, 0:35:22]: Okay, this item for ceremonial review was first on the agenda and moved um per our clerk to 530 this afternoon and that has already taken place. At this time, uh Madam Clerk, do we have any public comments? There are no public comments. [0:35:22, 0:35:36]: No public comments tonight. Okay. We have a presentation that is going to be presented. It's Keep America Beautiful program and it will be presented by Councilmember Alexander and Gordon Burkett. [0:35:39, 0:35:43]: Come on up, Mr Merker, to the um to the podium. [0:35:46, 0:35:50]: First of all he comes and we make arrangements, if I could, Mayor. [0:35:51, 0:36:11]: Thanks, I want to thank you. I'm presenting Gordon Merquette of Kate DeCab Beautiful. And um I like to uh I invited uh Gordon down to be able to speak on the program, the Kate Beautiful program, uh so that we could have a coordinated program or we could hear some ideas behind [0:36:11, 0:36:31]: I internationally coordinated program with um uh Keep America Beautiful. I have the distinction of serving on the Arabia Mountain Heritage Board uh with Mr. Burkett and he serves with distinction. So I appreciate him coming down here tonight uh to be able to provide this information for us uh because we want [0:36:31, 0:36:35]: Mr Gordon Burkett. [0:36:36, 0:36:52]: All right, good evening everyone. And I appreciate the opportunity to be here this evening. I'm going to be very brief, but I'm going to tell you right now, my father is an ordained minister. And so if I go long, just wave me off and I'm happy to end up there. [0:36:53, 0:37:13]: I I always have um great interest in coming out and talking about uh the Keep America Beautiful program. I I believe it's all about mom, apple pie, and the American dream all wrapped into one very nice package. And it does not, it's not a one-size-fits-all situation. It all depends on your [0:37:13, 0:37:25]: situation. So what I'm going to do tonight is go very briefly over what we do in our organization today and then talk about some of the opportunities that are there and then next steps. [0:37:26, 0:37:26]: Okay. [0:37:27, 0:37:47]: So our mission statement is pretty straightforward. Our mission is to promote clean, attractive, sustainable communities. We accomplish this through empowerment, community partnerships, regular maintenance, and educational opportunities. I saw your uh your mission statement earlier, and uh I thought that ours fits very closely to yours as [0:37:47, 0:38:05]: as well. So I think this might be a good fit for you. And this picture here, I have uh, you know, I always like to present big checks. I don't know about you all. But as a part of our process, we're able to give away funds uh to worthy groups. Uh this one is for, I'm sorry. [0:38:06, 0:38:09]: Yes. Don't want to hand out these two? Can you hand these out for me? [0:38:10, 0:38:11]: I'm sorry. [0:38:12, 0:38:13]: Okay. [0:38:13, 0:38:21]: On the screen there we have our presentation, but uh this is us presenting a check to uh the city of Brookhaven uh in October. [0:38:21, 0:38:31]: uh to celebrate uh a linear park that they're doing on the North Fork Peachtree Creek. And we're gonna continue to help them uh develop that along the way here. [0:38:35, 0:38:37]: Um why consider starting an affiliate? [0:38:38, 0:38:53]: Um it provides great access to a network of professionals throughout the country that have best practices. So anything that you have a concern about, they haven't uh somebody else has the same concern or issue that you can go and talk to. [0:38:54, 0:38:57]: uh and find out how they've addressed it and apply it here. [0:38:57, 0:39:07]: Um I find that to be very helpful. It's also a platform to coordinate, educate, and mobilize and empower community members. So it's people coming together. [0:39:08, 0:39:11]: Um I like to think of it like a farm team. One of the things [0:39:12, 0:39:13]: Kind of that water by chance there. [0:39:14, 0:39:14]: Thank you. [0:39:21, 0:39:22]: Okay. [0:39:24, 0:39:26]: I like to think of it like a farm team. [0:39:26, 0:39:32]: So it's an opportunity to bring people out that may not be engaged civically already. [0:39:32, 0:39:47]: We bring them in on a cleanup event or something that's in their community that they're concerned about, and then we get an opportunity to get to know them. Then through the organization, we're able to train them, bring them up to speed, give them additional tool sets. [0:39:47, 0:40:05]: And then those are the folks that become your new leaders in your organizations, your homeowners associations, your neighborhood watches, even city council members. But it's an opportunity to get started and learn how the process works right in your neighborhood right today. [0:40:06, 0:40:26]: Um we do a lot of branding. That's a critical piece as well. A consistent message that focuses and educates people about specific topics of interest to our people is a critical thing that we do. Obviously, ours is beautification. And it's also a very low-cost, high return process. [0:40:27, 0:40:47]: Um there are a different number of different structures that you can do. Ours is what you call a hybrid, so we have a uh a 501 nonprofit as well as we're uh a department within the CAB County government. Um that provides a lot of flexibility for us and up also the opportunity to go after uh different policies. [0:40:47, 0:40:53]: pots of money that we would not necessarily be available to if we had one or the other. [0:40:54, 0:40:56]: and also additional resources. [0:40:56, 0:40:58]: Um what we do [0:40:58, 0:41:13]: a lot of is going out and evaluate um the conditions of roads and streets and things. So we take out community people on a regular basis and then we go out and evaluate things. So we look at litter, we look at graffiti. [0:41:14, 0:41:20]: uh how the curb cuts are looking, uh any debris that's out there, um illegal. [0:41:20, 0:41:40]: dumpings and things like that, we look for that kind of material as well over a period of time. And then based upon that information we use that to provide additional treatments in those areas. So if we see that there's an issue with litter in a particular area and we have our own crews to do some work and I'll talk a little bit about that too. [0:41:40, 0:42:00]: We may supplement that with volunteers or we may have a little crackdown in that area. It all depends on what the conditions are. But again, our goal over time is to improve the overall conditions, the look and feel of every neighborhood. [0:42:00, 0:42:04]: every street in our community that we serve over time. [0:42:06, 0:42:07]: Okay, here [0:42:08, 0:42:28]: We have our internal crews, so I have a staff of very blessed. I'm going to say that right now, because I have a very large staff of about 80 people. And we're out every day. We're the ones who do all the stuff that nobody else wants to do. So all the things that fall into the categories that are not a category. So for instance, [0:42:28, 0:42:48]: if you saw on TV last week uh that we had 10,000 tires dumped in a neighborhood. That was us that took care of that project. We do stuff like that every day. So on average we probably pull out about 12 to 15,000 tires a year that are dumped throughout the the county. So it's a pretty big job. [0:42:49, 0:43:00]: Um this is really where I wanted you to focus though. This is what we get from our volunteers. We average about 5,000 volunteer hours every single month. [0:43:00, 0:43:20]: every single month. If you you know do a quick math on that,$10 an hour,$5,000 hours that I'm not paying for to make our areas look and feel better than they did before we got out there is an incredible feat. So just in October, those folks removed over 24,000 pounds of material. [0:43:20, 0:43:31]: from our streams, public spaces, and any places that are in the public realm. I think that's a that's a really good thing for us and a great story to tell taxpayers. [0:43:33, 0:43:44]: Again, if you see the the branding on there. But we're all in in different times, types of other activities as well. So this is our breast cancer event. We do that every year as well. We do all the background information on that. [0:43:46, 0:43:47]: Um [0:43:47, 0:44:07]: We work with other groups. This is where we really add value here. So we kind of uh partner actually every project that we do is in partnership. So we never do anything on our own. So this is a group that's new to Atlanta, Envision Atlanta, and they brought 150 volunteers out to a park. And in one [0:44:07, 0:44:23]: day we you know went and cleaned up a number of things the community gardens and some areas that we uh were simply underuse until we had this group come in. This is a lot of power. This group comes out multiple times a year. [0:44:23, 0:44:29]: So we work with a lot of different groups like this and they say, hey Gordon, what do you need done? [0:44:29, 0:44:30]: I say, what do you want to do? [0:44:31, 0:44:51]: Simple as that, how many people you have, uh, what do you want to do? How much time do you have? And then we fit them into a project because we also have partners that are looking for volunteers. So our most important value that we bring, we're the intermediary. We connect the groups together. [0:44:51, 0:44:53]: um and make it happen. [0:44:54, 0:44:57]: Um again a g a a critical piece of what we do is educate [0:44:58, 0:45:03]: Um and as a part of that, you know, we found ourselves um [0:45:03, 0:45:13]: doing a lot of other things. So this is one of the uh rainbow workshops that we did at Arabian Mountain uh in October. [0:45:14, 0:45:18]: We did uh actually we've done seven. We did seven this year. [0:45:18, 0:45:38]: So about 80, about 80 people we made rain barrels for. And we ended up getting a sponsorship for this thing. So everything's paid for. Barrels come from Coca-Cola. And what we were able to do is then give this money, any of the tuition that we collect, away to a nonprofit that's our partner on there. [0:45:38, 0:45:58]: So in that first picture you saw on the first slide, we were able to give away$600, you know, to a group. Now that's not a whole lot of money, but that's$600 more dollars than they had before we got started. And this thing takes two hours. So it's a great thing. It also educates people. If you've noticed, we [0:45:58, 0:46:18]: We are continuing in a drought in Georgia. We'll continue to be in droughts going forward here. So water conservation is a critical item. This is an event that came from our neighborhoods that they said they were interested in participating in, so we did it. [0:46:19, 0:46:20]: The other thing that came out of this [0:46:21, 0:46:25]: is we found a niche group that we never tapped before. So [0:46:28, 0:46:28]: That group. [0:46:29, 0:46:31]: were um young mothers. [0:46:32, 0:46:34]: So we actually did this workshop during the middle of the day. [0:46:35, 0:46:47]: And to find out that there's a huge group out there of mothers that are in a network that are looking for things to do between one, well I'd say actually probably about 10 to about 1.30 or 2 o'clock every single day. [0:46:48, 0:46:54]: That's something good to know, right? You got a few projects you could do during that time of the day with some people who may be interested. [0:46:54, 0:47:00]: This is the group, an untapped group. So again, uh [0:47:00, 0:47:02]: Great things come out of great things. [0:47:04, 0:47:24]: Um one of my favorites here, and if you come up through to Cav County, you might have seen this project here. This is our Barriers to Beauty program. So it's really an outreach and education piece for young people. We try to teach them at any age you have the ability to contribute back to your community in a meaningful way. So these barriers go out in areas where we receive [0:47:24, 0:47:44]: illegal dumping activities. So people dump construction debris or tires or whatever. And when we put them out there, the whole thing is to turn that thing around. We want to put something nice and attractive in an area where people have been using it for blight, essentially. And then educate the young people about it as well. [0:47:44, 0:47:57]: So we actually have some of these barriers on 138 when you come into the Cad County there on uh as it turns into Snapfinger Road. So if you you know when you're coming up that way, look to your right and you'll see our barriers over there. [0:47:57, 0:48:09]: Um people are always like, where did you know who did this? You know, how did you get that done? That was us. That was an idea that came out of the neighborhoods that we implemented. And uh it's a great uh [0:48:10, 0:48:20]: program for uh community events, we do festivals with it, and it's very inexpensive at the same time. So we're always cost conscious about these things. [0:48:21, 0:48:23]: And that's pretty much it. [0:48:23, 0:48:43]: Um one of the things I was very impressed with and I'm glad that I got an opportunity to see it is is your corporate engagement here. Mayor, when you were given out the awards there, it is the perfect combination for a program like this. Usually these affiliates in Georgia and nationwide are [0:48:43, 0:49:03]: either one or the other. So they're usually grassroots or they're almost all exclusively corporate. Okay? Ours is kind of a hybrid, although we're really more on the uh you know on the on the individual piece, not we don't have as many corporate citizens in the process. But to marry the two together is an awful [0:49:03, 0:49:23]: Awesome event. And it would be very easy to make something very meaningful out of what you already have here today. And I know how hard it is to get volunteers out to things a lot of times, but this right here brings out all those people. You get an opportunity to meet them, them to meet you, and all of a sudden they become [0:49:23, 0:49:26]: become part of your regular groups of volunteers. [0:49:27, 0:49:28]: So [0:49:28, 0:49:30]: With that, I'll take any questions you may have. [0:49:31, 0:49:33]: Council members, do you have any questions of Mr. Burkett? [0:49:36, 0:49:56]: Mr. Ford. Thank you. Appreciate the presentation, Ms. Burnett. Burn Burquette. Excuse me, Burquette. Um in reference to your volunteers picking up all these bags of trash and tires, I'm assuming that do they go to in the Cab County, do they go to wherever the Cab County dumps their trash or or to go to landfill or something like that? [0:49:56, 0:50:15]: with that all that? That's a great question. So again I'm very blessed. We have we have staffing as well. So what we typically do is uh when these folks we we provide all their materials, sticks, the bags, the gloves, the safety vests and everything to go out. And then they do a cleanup report. [0:50:16, 0:50:23]: When they send that in electronically, that then goes to one of our staff people and we pick the bags up within one business day. [0:50:24, 0:50:44]: Okay. Um follow up question. In reference to say the Cab County now, obviously, um, once you've done all this, do you alert them that hey th we had a situation here where we picked all this stuff up and they can maybe have the regular cause you're doing you're doing this is it's like an assi you're assisting in a sense. I'm I'm pretty sure that whatever territor whether there's jersey [0:50:44, 0:50:54]: jurisdiction you're in there's some type of uh local government that's supposed to handle that I'm assuming. I mean so w you you would let them know so they can maybe tighten up the loose ends on on this type of thing? [0:50:54, 0:51:14]: Yeah, well we work with all the municipalities in DeCab County. And when we find things, you know, and Rhodes don't know boundaries for the most part. You know, they they go through in and out of the city of Atlanta and other places. So uh it's it's really a team effort anyway. So uh it's important for us to have regular communications. [0:51:14, 0:51:30]: So I have partners at each one of the cities and Georgia Department of Transportation that we communicate with on a regular basis to solve problems, simple as that. And we just make it happen. All right, thank you. Thank you, Mayor. [0:51:32, 0:51:52]: Uh okay. We have a question by Mr. Alexander. Mm Mr. Burke, I just want you to uh touch on a little bit on the partnerships you were talking about. Now you all partner with the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area, which is in your area, and Panola Mountains State Park. Uh of course I guess only the the entrance of Panola Mountain State Park. [0:51:52, 0:51:59]: So talk about that relationship and how and and fostering those types of relationships. [0:52:00, 0:52:19]: Uh yes, well I again I can't begin to say again that we were very blessed with some very nice resources. So part of the hotel motel tax we were able to use to fund some of the signage for the Arabia uh Mountain Heritage Area. If if you've seen some of that nice stuff, have you shared those with them yet? It's quite amazing. [0:52:20, 0:52:28]: So um in addition to that though we do fund other projects. I don't know you all have uh CIDs, I'm assuming as well? [0:52:28, 0:52:48]: We we're not currently we're work here county is working on one and we're hoping to have one on Highway one hundred eight at some point. Okay. So we also act as the first point of contact with the CIDs on uh particularly on beautification things and then you know help them through the process um you know our permitting and and those sorts of things. But then also we [0:52:48, 0:53:08]: bring other resources to the table as well. One of our biggest partners is the UGA Extension Program. They are the most awesome people you will ever meet in your life. I'm actually jealous of what they do. They are the quintessential organization for neighborhoods and people. [0:53:08, 0:53:28]: And they also bring technical expertise to help do plants and also resources, vendors, et cetera. So a lot of the projects that we bring, we'll bring them in as well to make the numbers work. I'll give you one brief example. We had Columbia High School as one of our partners in the spring here. [0:53:28, 0:53:48]: actually did a planting we planted uh 200 plants on their campus all right they had a great idea no money um and did not have the technical expertise to support the the the plants so we partnered with them we found resources and also helped assist them write a grant [0:53:47, 0:54:07]: to get that money that we then used with one of the UGA extension uh vendors who actually got us the best wholesale prices I've ever seen. So uh made the project work um and now Columbia High School went after another beautification project but [0:54:07, 0:54:20]: This time they wrote their own grant because they had the confidence to do that themselves. And that's really what it's all about. It's about us bringing up groups and then working with other groups to bring them up as well. [0:54:21, 0:54:24]: Thank you. Any other questions of Mr. Burkett? [0:54:26, 0:54:38]: We want to thank you for coming and sharing and inspiring us. So thank you very much. Well if there's anything I can do to help you all to make this happen, please let me know. I'm happy to help you. Thank you. Have a good evening. Thank you. [0:54:38, 0:54:57]: At this time we're going to go directly into our old business and we're going to call our public works director up, uh Dashus Aaron. Is he in the room? Yes, okay, I lost you. You're you're usually over in the other corner. Um we're gonna first talk about sit the City Hall um HVAC update. [0:54:58, 0:55:18]: Yes, good evening, Madam Mayor and Council. On December 6th, Greg Ferguson, the HVAC engineer, was out doing a site visit at City Hall and the Murrymanders, and he's in the process of design developing a scope of work to address the issues that we're not only having at City Hall, but the Merrill Manders as well. [0:55:17, 0:55:27]: So hopefully by the end of this month we should have a scope of work that we can put out for B to repair and or replace both of these systems. [0:55:27, 0:55:47]: All right, thank you. Now we'll move on to item number three, municipal court renovations update. Yes. Um also on December 6th we had Mr. Stephen Kim Kimball come out who's an industrial hygienist to do a walkthrough of City Hall and the Municipal Court building and he's developing a scope of [0:55:47, 0:56:07]: work he sent me an email today that in two weeks he should have us a scope of work where we can bid out the remediation of the municipal court building. And one of the things we found when we was over there that contributes to the mold is the uh HVAC system downstairs with the humidity. So that's one of the things we got to look at. [0:56:07, 0:56:27]: And while Mr. Ferguson was here, staff did have him take a look at the HVAC system over at the municipal court building to give us some recommendations. So we already have a task order. We might have to come back and ask for additional approval for the H-BAC system over at the Municipal Court Building. And like I said, we're [0:56:27, 0:56:47]: We're developing that scope of work in two weeks. We should have that. But one of the positives is that the mold is confined to downstairs. There's nothing upstairs. Upstairs is fine. We walked through that. So everything up there is okay. So what we're going to be doing is concentrating and focusing on downstairs. [0:56:48, 0:56:58]: Okay, thank you for that update. Now then we're going to have um an update on the wells, the water wells report from you. [0:56:59, 0:57:19]: Yes, ma'am. In one of the spots it was identified that the cities were going to look for additional sources of water. And one of the things we did is uh I contacted uh Dan Harmon who works with Groundwater Services Inc. I had worked with him previously at another municipality to locate some [0:57:19, 0:57:39]: We had been talking with Fayette County about some wells that were drilled. We could never get access to them. But one of the things is he's located two sites. One of the sites, he said, probably would be like 100 gallons a minute. The other would be like 50 gallons a minute. And in your packets, I put some information together. [0:57:38, 0:57:49]: for every hundred gallons a minute we get, if we run it for twenty-four hours a day, we save eighty five hundred dollars a month in water purchase from [0:57:49, 0:58:09]: Henry County Water Authority, we probably will never get to the point where we're self-sufficient, but if we can make a dent in the amount of money that we're spending, we're averaging about$71,000 a month. We pay the Henry County for the purchase of water. So if we got$150 gallons a minute for 24 hours a day, that's$17,000. [0:58:09, 0:58:29]: thousand dollars a month we save. So the thing is the two wells he's recommending uh a depth of 600 feet and the going rate right now is about$15 a foot to drill the test well. So with two wells you're talking about$20,000. I think it's a good investment if we can find additional [0:58:29, 0:58:49]: sources to kind of stem the amount of money that we're paying the Herring County Water Authority for water. And we'll come back to you at a future date for permission to proceed with drilling the test wells at those two sites. And if things work out, like I said, another place I was at, he located two wheels. [0:58:49, 0:59:03]: for me that similar geography as geology I mean as stockbridge and they were like two hundred gallons a minute each so he has a established track record not on him with [0:59:04, 0:59:17]: location up here in North Georgia but throughout the state of Georgia so we'll be coming back to you with that. It's it's showing some promise and we want to do everything we can like say to reduce our expenditure on water from Heron County Water Authority. [0:59:18, 0:59:20]: All right, thank you for that good report. [0:59:21, 0:59:41]: At this time we're going to enter into a public hearing to address item number five, the water and sewer improvements. And um Mr. Aaron is also going to lead us through this. All right, let's uh put that on pause and go back to item four, a question about the wells. [0:59:40, 1:00:00]: missed it. Maybe you said this and I just went over my head. The two sites that you're talking about, where are they located now? They're located at the Reeds Creek Walking Trail on property within the Reeds Creek Trail. Well that's property in which we honestly we own? Yes sir. Okay. And you and if I understand right, the water tap is about six hundred feet deep, is that what you say? [1:00:00, 1:00:05]: Recommendation for the depth of the whale is 600 feet for each whale. [1:00:06, 1:00:13]: And like I say, it's cost about fifteen dollars a foot, so you're talking about nine thousand dollars per wheel. [1:00:13, 1:00:22]: So is is it possible to to to reach the water prior to six hundred feet? Or is is that possible you think or what? Well you [1:00:22, 1:00:37]: You reach different amounts of water at different levels. I think maybe like three hundred, four hundred feet it's about fifty or sixty gallons a minute, but if you go down to six hundred feet he says be about a hundred gallons a minute. Okay. And uh [1:00:38, 1:00:58]: Can we guarantee that we'll find something at this level or or is this something we just need to try to make sure we tap in to find it? Well is it definite You know, th there's never any guarantee but we don't know unless we try like I say I've used them before and the information and the technology used is very sound. Technology, like I say. [1:00:58, 1:01:08]: Similar geology to this, he found two well sites that were 200 gallons a minute for me in locations in rock like this is in Stockbridge. [1:01:08, 1:01:09]: All right. Thank you. [1:01:12, 1:01:18]: Okay, any further questions on item four before we moved into our public hearing? [1:01:19, 1:01:31]: If not, we are now in our public hearing and we're going to hear water and sewer improvements regarding wind bottom sanitary sewer system and we're going to have that presented to us by Mr. Deshius Aaron. [1:01:31, 1:01:51]: Yes, Madam Mayor. It's actually the Smith Barnes Sanitary Sewer Basin. And this is one of the older collection systems in the city of Stockbridge. It's over 50 years old. It's made out of the terracotta clay pipe. And this is an area where the cities had had some issues in the past with sewer spills. [1:01:51, 1:02:11]: and things of that sort. So we want to be proactive and do our due diligence to find the sources of these issues over in the Smith Barnes basins because one of the things with terra cotta is it it cracks over time and it also allows roots and other intrusions to get into [1:02:11, 1:02:31]: the collection system so this is an area that qualifies for a CDBG grant low to moderate income and as I say is one of our older sections of the sewer collection system and we just want to be proactive we want to do it before somebody requires us to do it such as EPD or EPA and we just want to be proactive and make [1:02:31, 1:02:34]: make sure we're maintaining our infrastructure. [1:02:35, 1:02:45]: Okay, at this time can you uh tell me do you need a vote on this tonight or we're just in public hearing alerting the public to see if there's any opposition or [1:02:46, 1:03:06]: Yes, ma'am, we meet the recommendation to move forward. Uh we've talked spoken with Shannon and they have allocated us a hundred thousand dollars to begin the initial phase of this of this project and the next thing we'll do is go out and do income surveys in the area and we'll proceed from there with developing a game plan to [1:03:06, 1:03:11]: repair and or replace damaged pipes in the in that collection system. [1:03:11, 1:03:22]: Okay, so I want to make sure that I'm clear. Um this uh funding, is this funding in place or will this be the funding that we are anticipating getting soon? [1:03:22, 1:03:42]: Uh Shannon has informed us that they did allocate$100,000 for this project, the initial phases of this project, and it probably be multi multi-phases, up to maybe four or five different phases as funding become available, we'll be able to qualify for funding to continue to make the necessary repairs. [1:03:42, 1:04:01]: Okay. And for the benefit of the public or those watching um this um meeting, Shannon is the uh person, the staff person at the county that oversees this that we work closely with. Is that correct? Yes ma'am. Okay. All right. So do we need a vote to move forward on this? [1:04:05, 1:04:10]: Oh, we are in public hearing. So any objection to this from anyone in the room? [1:04:13, 1:04:15]: Okay. Are we okay? [1:04:20, 1:04:24]: Uh see anyone in the room that would like to comment for or against this. [1:04:27, 1:04:30]: No comments? We're okay? That's all we have to do tonight. [1:04:31, 1:04:32]: Yeah and there. [1:04:33, 1:04:36]: Yes, I'd like to go ahead and make a comment from Mr. Alexander. [1:04:37, 1:04:46]: I'm going to go ahead and make a motion to approve the Smith Barn basis improvements as recommended by Public Works Director Mr. [1:04:47, 1:04:54]: All right, we have a motion. We have a second at this time. Is there any uh discussion or further questions before we vote? [1:04:55, 1:04:57]: If not, all in favor? [1:04:58, 1:04:59]: Thank you. [1:04:59, 1:05:04]: Thank you so much. And we thank Shannon for working with us on this project. [1:05:04, 1:05:21]: All right, another um public hearing issue tonight is uh the proposal of our twenty eighteen budget. This is the third presentation and it will be presented by Rashonda Favors and Mr. Knighton, our city manager. [1:05:25, 1:05:28]: Take this out. Take this out. [1:05:30, 1:05:30]: That one. [1:05:35, 1:05:38]: Gosh. Oh my god. [1:05:58, 1:06:01]: They didn't give us that. [1:06:10, 1:06:11]: Good evening. [1:06:12, 1:06:15]: This is the um third [1:06:15, 1:06:26]: public hearing of the proposed um FY 2018 budget and we haven't made any changes to the budget. Everything remains the same. So [1:06:27, 1:06:35]: So everything we heard in the previous meeting it remains the same. Yes, ma'am. Uh Mr. Knight, do you have any comments? Um [1:06:36, 1:06:56]: Not really other than the fact that uh in the previous two public hearings uh what you uh was before you this evening before the public this evening uh is the same proposed budget. Um obviously um there will be a budget adoption hearing on the nineteenth uh for final adoption, consideration and adoption by the council. Of course, if there are any items that [1:06:56, 1:07:08]: um we need to have any discussions about from the council please provide those to me um uh in the next few days and uh sure that those are uh considered with any ultimate adoption. [1:07:09, 1:07:21]: All right, thank you. And since we are in a public hearing, we'll ask go out to our audience to ask if anyone here has a comment that they would like to make on our proposed budget for 2018. [1:07:22, 1:07:24]: If so, please come to the podium. [1:07:26, 1:07:26]: Mm. [1:07:27, 1:07:47]: There seem to be no comments from the audience. Do we have any comments or questions? One from Mr. Thank you, Mayor. Appreciate it. Um since this is this public hearing, I'm assuming this was on the website for the public to look at. Absolutely. And so have outside of one individual that we know of, has there been any other public comments on that come to the website at all? No, sir. [1:07:47, 1:08:02]: none that have come to me. It has been uh on the website. It has been uh here located, the budget has been here located at City Hall, and certainly we as staff are available to field any questions from the public. But uh save that one uh gentleman there have not been any further questions. So be it. Thank you very much. [1:08:02, 1:08:10]: Any other comments or questions? If not, we will anticipate seeing you all back on the nineteenth for the final vote. [1:08:10, 1:08:12]: Thank you so much. [1:08:14, 1:08:15]: At this time [1:08:16, 1:08:18]: We are still in public hearing. [1:08:19, 1:08:25]: Excuse me. And we are addressing item number seven. [1:08:25, 1:08:36]: That is about a mixed-use neighborhood development and Melinda is coming to us from the Community Development Department along with Mr. Knighton to present this item for us. [1:08:43, 1:08:46]: This is actually for rezoning. [1:08:47, 1:08:53]: For Camp Brown Road extension and highway forty two. I'm just gonna talk through. [1:08:55, 1:09:15]: Yes, Mayor and Council, this item before you is item number RZ-17-25-S, which is a proposed uh rezoning. Um the applicant is STKR Investments LLC. Um it's located at Campground Road Extension and Highway 42 North. The request [1:09:15, 1:09:28]: is to rezone from M1, which is light manufacturing, to Mund, which is mixed use mixed-use neighborhood development. The property consists of just under 65 acres. [1:09:30, 1:09:31]: The um [1:09:32, 1:09:33]: Um [1:09:33, 1:09:53]: Property was recommended for approval with conditions by the Planning and Zoning Department and is presented to you with recommendations for approval with a number of conditions. You see a number of conditions listed there, many of which have to do with access and [1:09:53, 1:10:13]: um uh roadway matters, median and access openings, excel and decel lanes. Um the um applicant is here. There have been a number of conversations throughout the course of the day with staff and the applicant seeking some clarification, excuse me, clarification on certain items. And [1:10:13, 1:10:33]: Given those conversations, and I'll let the applicant obviously speak to this, but it may be prudent for us to uh or for the mayor and council for you all to consider tabling this item until clarity can be be provided on those several conditions. But of course it is a public hearing, uh subject to public input, and of course I'll allow [1:10:33, 1:10:36]: the applicant to speak to any requests they may have. [1:10:37, 1:10:37]: Mayor. [1:10:39, 1:10:45]: At this time we will bring our applicant up to present and then we'll allow for questions. [1:10:46, 1:10:51]: You would please introduce yourself and your company name for the benefit of the clerk. [1:10:53, 1:11:10]: Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Wanda Moore. My company is Falcon Design Consultants. We're located here in Stockbridge, Georgia, and I'm here to represent my client on this application for mixed-use neighborhood development. [1:11:10, 1:11:30]: Um as the um city manager uh alluded to during the course of the day I've had conversations with Henry County DOT who uh included some conditions as part of the zoning as part of clarity on my part because of the wording I wasn't clear on [1:11:30, 1:11:36]: what the expectation from the county um was going to be on the improvements. [1:11:36, 1:11:49]: My client has no objections to any of the conditions that have been recommended by City of Stockbridge staff, with the exception of one, and that was number eight. [1:11:50, 1:11:58]: that specifically restricts access from the campground road extension. [1:11:59, 1:12:01]: Uh the clarity came [1:12:01, 1:12:21]: For me today when I was speaking to Mr. David Simmons of Henry County DOT and he actually emailed me the language that he had sent to Henry County staff before they um included it in their staff report. The language that he used was [1:12:21, 1:12:41]: clearer and it wasn't exclusive of access but his concern was can if there was not going to be access that there should at least be minimum emergency access. But his preference was that there was going to be access whether it's a ride in, ride out, from campus [1:12:41, 1:12:47]: Campground Road because we wa we have a little parcel that's to the north. [1:12:47, 1:12:58]: Um so there was just a mix up on the language and as such when we were going through it with uh Miss Moore, uh the um planning director here at the city. [1:12:59, 1:13:11]: She said on such short notice it might be challenging to present something new to the council and get that absorbed or changed in the condition. [1:13:12, 1:13:20]: So I'm here to answer any questions regarding the development and um at this point my client is [1:13:21, 1:13:21]: Um [1:13:22, 1:13:23]: Oh. [1:13:23, 1:13:28]: would like to get the property rezoned with that one com one condition change. [1:13:29, 1:13:35]: But if that's not something that uh we're able to do tonight, we're certainly um [1:13:36, 1:13:41]: ready to come back and discuss it at your next hearing. [1:13:41, 1:13:41]: Um [1:13:42, 1:13:44]: And get any clarification between now and then. [1:13:46, 1:14:06]: Okay. Um I believe you've heard what the rep for the applicant has said that um it's okay if we put this one on hold until the nineteenth when we have our next meeting. Is that the consensus of our of our folks? But let's go out to the audience to see if there's anybody else that wants to speak for or against. [1:14:06, 1:14:07]: This project. [1:14:09, 1:14:27]: No one from the audience so we'll take questions. Okay, I'm so sorry. Please come up. Yeah. Please come to the microphone and if you would give your um name and your address. And if it has a subdivision name, include that, please. [1:14:27, 1:14:28]: Yes, ma'am. [1:14:28, 1:14:39]: Um Troy Harris, 1335 Vine Circle in McDonough, the Vineyards. So we want to know where we could get a copy of everything this entails. [1:14:40, 1:14:48]: Can we could certainly provide uh you with a staff report which contains all of the appropriate maps and aerials in staff report. [1:14:49, 1:14:58]: Do you want to get his name and address and provide that tomorrow as an attachment to an email? Would that work, Mr. Knighton? Okay. [1:15:04, 1:15:13]: We'll give um the speaker time to leave his email address with the clerk and then we're gonna take a question from Mr Um Ford. [1:15:15, 1:15:20]: Okay. Well in my neighborhood. [1:15:29, 1:15:49]: Thank you so much. Thank you. Now we'll go to Mr. Ford. This question is actually for our representative from Falcon Design. Uh you mentioned what I just need to know and I sh probably shouldn't know, but what is a minimum emergency um spacing that you talked about? What I got considered be considered. What's that what's that minimum spacing? How much is that? [1:15:49, 1:16:03]: Do you know? What is that considered? I think that of the way that the concept plan, the way it's shown right now, the minimum width would be, I would imagine, a 20-foot access for fire and safety. [1:16:03, 1:16:05]: for emergency only. [1:16:05, 1:16:25]: As we've gone through the process, the site plan that's in your package now is for mixed-use neighborhood, and that's the same zoning, but as stated in the Planning Commission, the zoning is what we're seeking and we're still evaluating the mix of the residential. Right now we're also looking at [1:16:25, 1:16:44]: single family detached um whether it's a mix um we're still going back and forth with my client although the area of residential will stay the same but the commercial um and the commercial component will stay the same as far as the location but um [1:16:45, 1:16:56]: I think what was prudent with the city uh up to this point with the zoning is that the mixed-use neighborhood development allows a mix of residential and um [1:16:56, 1:17:08]: With that, we're trying to work towards obviously what works for the client and what he is trying to um market but also meet the um [1:17:10, 1:17:14]: meet the code, meet the essence of what the code is about. [1:17:15, 1:17:25]: So we've been working with Camilla on those things and right now we do have a single family detached layout that we've been working on as well. [1:17:25, 1:17:45]: All right. Thank you. Appreciate it. Okay, and for uh for the benefit of the public, Miss Moore is um not she's on vacation today and she is not here to uh go into more detail on this, so we appreciate your willingness to allow us to move this forward to the nineteenth. Do we have other questions? Yes. [1:17:45, 1:17:53]: One from our attorney. Just a statement for the record that the hearing uh isn't closed, but it's continued to the next meeting on the nineteenth. [1:17:54, 1:18:09]: Okay. You've heard that that this hearing will be extended into the next meeting on the nineteenth. Do I have any other questions from our council? Okay, I've got one down here first and I'm coming down. Yes, so Mr. Alexander. [1:18:11, 1:18:11]: Well then [1:18:12, 1:18:16]: Okay. [1:18:17, 1:18:18]: Um [1:18:18, 1:18:38]: information. My neighborhood is the one uh directly down at the bottom of the screen. If you can picture what you're seeing, that is Winslow at Eagles Landing and uh I live in this neighborhood uh for all transparency so everyone will know uh what is going on. I live in that neighborhood. [1:18:38, 1:18:58]: Um it it seems to make perfect sense that you would want some emergency access if this particular uh development was granted uh off of campground because seconds mean lives. So if it's about the safety, I would think that that was something that uh we would definitely want to [1:18:58, 1:19:18]: uh move forward with. What I would like is I'd like for the city manager uh to since Miss Moore's not here, Miss Davies to speak to the difference between M1 and mixed use development because uh honestly there may be some advantages to going mixed use but [1:19:18, 1:19:38]: versus having some type of uh unwanted use um locating there. Uh at this point I think the applicant has generally stated that it was going to be uh residential, but uh under the current zoning which is M one, something more negative uh could possibly go [1:19:38, 1:19:58]: In this particular location. And sometimes you have to protect against that. And as a neighbor, I want to hear more about that particular component because if you know it is a residential area. So if there's more residents going to go in there, and then even what the [1:19:58, 1:20:18]: mixed use component uh there's some retail attached to this uh it's it's uh under the mixed use definition it uh describes a requirement for what is uh to go into the mixed use so I think residents uh including myself want to know you know what is the habit [1:20:18, 1:20:28]: hazards of that M one and I think that would be beneficial so people understand that something industrial might be able to go in there versus some residents which may be preferred. [1:20:30, 1:20:50]: Yes, Councilman Alexander, that is correct. The M1 zoning district, which is like manufacturing, generally has uh more intense uses than would be found in a mixed-use neighborhood development, which would have an assortment of primarily residential uses with some neighborhood supporting uh commercial uses. So I think that was [1:20:50, 1:21:01]: uh likely the impetus for the planning commission's recommendation for approval given the site location which is uh obviously uh adjacent to uh residential areas. [1:21:02, 1:21:08]: Okay, thank you, Mr. Knighton, for that clarification. Uh now we'll go down to Ms. Robinson. Thank you, Mayor. [1:21:09, 1:21:29]: I was just concerned about the access, so if we can look into that I know we're tabling it and also saw some concerns even with the um they already have heavy traffic and as well as um for the residential, for as the school system, um something that we need to look at as well because right now if you look at [1:21:29, 1:21:43]: at the criteria that the schools was implic imp implicating, we need to just, you know, look at that in depth as well, having all parties at the table to try to, you know, work together if we can do that. [1:21:44, 1:21:44]: Thank you. [1:21:45, 1:21:50]: Thank you, Ms. Robinson. Any other questions? Ms. Gantt did you have a question? Okay. [1:21:50, 1:22:07]: I just have one more follow up if that would be okay. So I I'm trying to understand the issue here tonight is the emergency access. Is that what the issue is? That we need to be able to digest the um emergency access. Is that [1:22:07, 1:22:10]: That's the condition, that's the objection. [1:22:10, 1:22:30]: That's one issue, but the uh the other issues were uh this afternoon we received some uh proposed revisions uh to some of the conditions and we wanted to have an opportunity to further digest that and certainly wanted you as mayor and counsel to have an opportunity to further address those issues and to work with the applicant to provide the necessary clarification. So the the thought [1:22:30, 1:22:47]: was that um given uh those circumstances in the last uh several hours that it would be prudent to um speak to uh your consideration of uh continuing this item so to ensure that uh a more proper um presentation could to you could be made. [1:22:48, 1:23:08]: Well I would say uh even just a little bit further to that is that I think I had raised the question earlier or uh to see whether or not um campground road extension was listed under the new highway corridor plan which has upgraded landscaping and ten foot pathway. [1:23:08, 1:23:28]: Requirements and additional other items. At that time, I think when we passed the highway overlay and the 138 overlay, campground, of course, is still under construction. So I think we should consider adding. This is a major highway that will be coming through the city limits, adding campgrounds. [1:23:28, 1:23:43]: road extension to the highway highway corridor overlay so that it has uh upgraded standards and that uh the the requirements these all of those requirements that will be required for our highways uh will be met by this development. [1:23:43, 1:24:03]: Thank you for your comment. I think all of us will be um relieved to have Ms. Moore come back to work and get to work on these um questions that we have. And um she will prepare us to come back um next um Tuesday night on the 19th uh with a finished product. [1:24:03, 1:24:13]: product that can be presented. So thank you all. We are now down to item number eight, if there are no more comments from the public. [1:24:15, 1:24:17]: We're still in public hearing. [1:24:32, 1:24:35]: Yeah. [1:24:43, 1:24:49]: The next thing we're bringing up is a variance for 107 Wexford Court. [1:24:51, 1:25:09]: Yes, Mayor and Council, this is item vr-17-20-COS, which is a proposed variance from the development regulations. The applicant is Deborah Ross. Property location is 107, Wexford Court, and the villages of Eagles Landing subdivision. [1:25:09, 1:25:29]: This request is to um vary the rear yard setbacks from the required 20 feet down to 14 feet to convert the back patio into an enclosed sunroom and also reduce the minimum side yard setback from six feet uh to five feet. [1:25:29, 1:25:32]: Planning Commission's recommendation. [1:25:33, 1:25:53]: um is uh approval uh with one condition as you can see um from the aerial photograph there um the uh site location is in uh a um eagles landing subdivision and the rear yard again the rear yard and side yard setbacks are in question and being requested [1:25:53, 1:26:02]: by the applicant for modification. Again, the application is recommended for approval with the one condition. [1:26:06, 1:26:08]: Okay. Do uh [1:26:10, 1:26:20]: Do we want to move forward with this tonight if there is no uh comment? Um I first want to ask if Ms. Ross is in attendance. [1:26:21, 1:26:24]: Applicant is not in attendance. [1:26:24, 1:26:31]: Okay. Any comments from anyone else in the audience? I believe this is in the villages at Eagles Landing. [1:26:32, 1:26:40]: Anyone has comment? None from the audience. Do we have any comments from our um council members? Yes. [1:26:41, 1:26:49]: All right, Mr. Alexander. Is there any been any communication with the HOA? Have they uh uh weighed in on it? [1:26:49, 1:27:08]: Uh we're gonna let Mr. Knighton answer that, but I believe whatever we do still does the HOA enters into this. Right. This is a variance request which is before you and obviously this would stand apart from any private covenant covenants or homeowners association requirements. [1:27:11, 1:27:12]: Any other questions? [1:27:13, 1:27:15]: No other questions? Um [1:27:17, 1:27:19]: No questions? [1:27:20, 1:27:22]: Do I hear a motion that we move forward? [1:27:23, 1:27:25]: Opening club? Do they open? [1:27:34, 1:27:54]: And then they can vote. Okay, at this time, since we have no more items in public hearing, we'll close the public hearing and we'll ask for a motion if you want anyone on the council wants to move this forward. Mayor Neil, I move that we approve VR dash seventeen dash twenty s um property located at one hundred seven Wexford Court and landlot fifteen. [1:27:54, 1:28:00]: of the sixth district with the condition that is um that Stockbridge has recommended. [1:28:00, 1:28:03]: Okay, we have a motion. Do I hear a second? [1:28:03, 1:28:04]: Second. [1:28:04, 1:28:09]: We have a motion and we have a second at this time. Are there any further uh comments? [1:28:10, 1:28:11]: No comments. All in favor? [1:28:13, 1:28:14]: Thank you. [1:28:14, 1:28:32]: Now then we'll move on to new business and we're going to call our public works director uh and our lead accountant uh Rashonda Favors back to the podium for item number nine, council consideration to appoot to approve the 2018 water and sewer rates issue. [1:28:41, 1:28:46]: Yes, uh Madam Mayor and Council. We come to you before you tonight. Uh [1:28:47, 1:29:07]: Uh Henry Henry County Water Authority has notified the city that they have increased, they're proposing a 2% rate increase on their water rates to the city, and we're requesting that we be allowed to add an additional 3% on that. And the reason why is in order to run a profitable business. [1:29:07, 1:29:08]: [5349.5, 5369.5]: Sale a product for what you buy it for. And the cities incur some additional costs. And one of the things is with the AMI metering system, there's some additional agreements that are in place that tremendously increase from what we previously were paying for our software and [1:29:29, 1:29:43]: maintenance and things of that nature. And we've also got some maintenance things that we need to do to be able to operate proficiently in the water and sewer system. And and also in this year's budget. [1:29:43, 1:29:44]: In order to [1:29:45, 1:30:05]: uh make our budget balance. We're taking money from fund balance so it lets me know that this the system as it is is not paying for itself as an enterprise fund should. So we're requesting permission to adapt add an additional three percent then pay for the incurred costs that [1:30:05, 1:30:10]: that we have chemicals are going up and other things for the water and wastewater treatments. [1:30:11, 1:30:19]: And from talking with staff, I guess previously, the last time when Henry County went up too, the city went up an additional three percent. So [1:30:19, 1:30:24]: It's nothing new. It won't set a precedence from what I've been told by staff. [1:30:26, 1:30:34]: You've heard the presentation uh from Mr. Aaron. Do um I hear a motion to move this forward? [1:30:37, 1:30:39]: Do I hear a motion to move this forward? [1:30:42, 1:30:51]: Mr. Ford. Mayor, I'll make a motion that uh we increase the router rates by three percent as to as uh outlined by our public works director. [1:30:51, 1:31:01]: Uh it actually is they're raising their rates two percent, so we're raising ours by which will be an additional three percent. Okay, so [1:31:02, 1:31:17]: Otherwise okay, total five percent increase. Yes. Okay. I'm obviously I was wrong. Okay, well I'll make a motion that we increase our water rates to five percent uh increase as outlined by uh and delivered by our public works director, Mr. Earn. [1:31:18, 1:31:20]: Do I hear a second to Mr Ford's motion? [1:31:24, 1:31:28]: Do I hear a second to Mr. Ford's motion? I second. [1:31:29, 1:31:32]: We have a motion. We have a second. Is there discussion? [1:31:33, 1:31:34]: I do. [1:31:35, 1:31:37]: Ms. Robinson. I um [1:31:37, 1:31:42]: I think we increased last year. Didn't we did we increase this last year? [1:31:44, 1:31:45]: Yeah. [1:31:46, 1:31:55]: But I I think what they did is they just passed the increase whatever Henry County passed, the city passed it on to their customers. [1:31:56, 1:32:05]: And my concern is like I say that if you're gonna be in business you can't afford to sell a product for what you buy it for and [1:32:05, 1:32:16]: Taking money out of fund balance shows that there's already a shortfall in meeting the needs of your utilities. And we're just trying to ensure because right now you're purchasing [1:32:17, 1:32:19]: Two-thirds of your water comes from Henry County. [1:32:20, 1:32:21]: So [1:32:22, 1:32:22]: Mm. [1:32:23, 1:32:24]: Yeah. [1:32:24, 1:32:26]: Um Mr. Alexander. [1:32:26, 1:32:46]: Uh uh yeah, I mean understand the position that we're in, which is we raised the water rates last year. Now I'm all for passing along the cost uh of what um Henry County passes on to us. But as far as adding something additional to that [1:32:46, 1:32:52]: So if we just did a straight pass through, what what what rate is that? It it'll go up two percent. [1:32:53, 1:33:04]: Okay, so the two percent would be a straight pass through, they raise two, we raise two. And that's basically we're passing along to them um what we have. Yes, sir. [1:33:05, 1:33:25]: Okay. Any other discussion? One more. Um if I recall right, Henry County did not have an increase last year, but their reasoning for not having it necessarily an increase last year, and it could have been the year before, um I I get confused on when they say, Oh, we're having we usually have an increase but we haven't this year. [1:33:26, 1:33:28]: Um we were [1:33:28, 1:33:33]: But still our rates were way under the average normal rate. [1:33:33, 1:33:46]: um m in cost wise and it's from my understanding. Now, if we're bringing it up to date, that's one thing. I I'm a little confused at where we are. Maybe we should [1:33:47, 1:34:07]: table it and discuss this a little bit further so I can get some numbers if that is the case. Um but you know I'm I'm not I'm I'm a little bit more concerned also about the issue and the the term profit in regards to a service that we're providing. So I think that if we can take [1:34:07, 1:34:26]: table and actually see some actual numbers of what's going on and bring it to the next meeting that might be a little bit better for us. Mayor Neal. Okay. We presently have a motion on the floor by Mr. Ford. Unless Mr. Ford wants to withdraw we need to move. [1:34:27, 1:34:28]: Move that through. [1:34:29, 1:34:35]: I'm not gonna withdraw at this point right now. Uh I think someone else has some other questions. Okay. Anyone have any more questions? [1:34:36, 1:34:43]: Mayor Neal, I just wanted to be s um to let the council know that if the um item is tabled, I must publish [1:34:44, 1:34:46]: the new rates prior to January one. [1:34:47, 1:34:50]: So we need to vote on it at the next meeting. [1:34:51, 1:34:54]: Okay, and you don't have time to do that before the nineteenth? [1:34:55, 1:35:15]: No, if it's done on the nineteenth, there would be time to publish it. I was just letting the council know that's the meeting that it would need to be decided on. All right, gotcha. Okay, Mr. Ford. Okay. If we take the two thank you, Mayor, appreciate it. If we take the two per two percent and pass it directly on to the citizens of Stockbridge, there's still going to be a deficit that [1:35:15, 1:35:18]: that you have to take out a fund balance to take care of the overall bill, is that correct? [1:35:19, 1:35:27]: Yes, sir. Uh the FY 2018 budget proposes to use, I think it's$300 and something thousand from fund balance. [1:35:28, 1:35:38]: I see. And early in a in a meeting we talked about a couple of wells and and and authorizing uh a drilling of a couple of wells to find water. [1:35:38, 1:35:48]: Well hung run roughly a hundred and fifty uh gallons per uh minute, I believe it was right. That's right. And then if we if we if that is successful, that'll help with this process. [1:35:48, 1:36:02]: Yes, because we'll produce more of our own water. All right. If that is but we but that's if that's successful we won't know anything on those results for what, six months out from now or something like that? At least a minimum six months. [1:36:04, 1:36:13]: Okay. Any other questions? Yes. One more. Yes. I I want to hear from our city manager on what your advice would be for this instance. [1:36:16, 1:36:19]: That's that's from the enterprise fund. That's the water fund balance. [1:36:22, 1:36:24]: I'm sorry, I'm your question. [1:36:25, 1:36:42]: Well, no, one, I'm glad you said it's the waterfront balance, but I also want to know what your take is of of w what we're looking at here in regards to the increase, five percent increase next year. Right. We we um uh Mr. Aaron and I had some conversations previously and [1:36:43, 1:37:03]: In fact, it was proposed to come at the last meeting and I wanted to get some additional information which is contained in your packet to further um try to answer some of the questions that I anticipated would arise from this five percent increase, proposed five percent increase versus two percent. Um and if you would like some additional [1:37:03, 1:37:23]: numbers or or or questions that we can answer. I think it would be prudent perhaps to table it or continue it to uh the nineteenth. But there is some additional information here about the associated costs of chemicals, of overhead, electricity, those things that are incurred is a matter of [1:37:23, 1:37:36]: of providing uh water to citizens that uh Mr. Aaron and his staff uh identified that uh warranted uh the increase or the proposed increase. [1:37:38, 1:37:39]: Garlic Sander. [1:37:39, 1:37:59]: Thank you. Mark Mark that that would uh you know raise a interesting question with uh at first when we talked about fund balance, I thought we were talking about from the general fund balance too. So what is the water fund balance for if it's not to supplement uh what we're doing?'Cause if we're not taking any money out [1:37:59, 1:38:12]: of the general fund balance so we're not really going into um the reserve funds for the city. This fund is set aside for these purposes, uh for purposes to mitigate costs. [1:38:13, 1:38:33]: But eventually you will deplete that fund balance. You know, if you take them from and you don't add to, eventually you'll deplete it. But one of the things about the water rate increase, it's not dealing with the base, the base charge, it's dealing with usage. And so in a way it acts as a conservation. [1:38:33, 1:38:49]: measure as well because each year the state is requiring us to reduce water usage and implement ways of using water. So it it deals more with the more you use the more it's gonna cost you and and is n does not [1:38:50, 1:38:54]: uh increase the base charge is just the usage charge. [1:38:55, 1:39:01]: So but if if I need to prepare additional information for the next meeting I can do that as well. Mayor. Do you get an answer? [1:39:02, 1:39:06]: To the w what's the fund for? I didn't get the answer to that question, yeah. [1:39:06, 1:39:26]: But I think it could be, Councilman Alexander, it could be to supplement things of this nature and the costs incurred. However, as Mr. Aaron did mention, at some point you do begin to deplete that water fund balance, and you may put your there may be a situation where fund balance is depleted and you don't have those reserves to [1:39:26, 1:39:32]: to help supplement the system. So that that would be an ultimate choice that the the council would need to make. [1:39:34, 1:39:44]: Any other discussion? Yes, ma'am. Okay, Ms. Robinson. Are we in um good shape to wait until we do the wells before we deplete? [1:39:44, 1:40:00]: all of the fun that fund balance. I mean we're already saying we're going out to try to see if, you know, with these whales, could we wait and see? I mean, is this a right now type thing that you need or can we follow through with the whales? [1:40:01, 1:40:09]: Well, that's gonna be probably a six month process. If if that's counsel's decision then we'll wait with it, but [1:40:10, 1:40:30]: If it was me, I would move forward and we could always go back if if it proves that there's sufficient sources, we can always go back because if it's not a sufficient source then s six months, y you know, you've lost six months worth of potential revenue. [1:40:32, 1:40:42]: But if you need additional information, I guess I could meet with Ms. Favors. We can see what the fund balance is for the water and sewer fund and get more information to you. [1:40:42, 1:40:43]: To review. [1:40:43, 1:41:03]: Okay, we've got another question, Mr. Ford. Actually, uh not really a question. I'm gonna go ahead and draw up a motion, help this process out. Get if you get you can get more information for us, that'd be great. We obviously we need that. Mr. Blount will be back with us at that time. And I'm assuming by the clerk's message [1:41:03, 1:41:11]: that this is something that will be beneficial to do now this year versus another six months or so. I'm I'm I don't I'm just asking. [1:41:12, 1:41:22]: Is that right, Clerk? That's correct. I would we would have to publish the rates whether it's the 2%, the 5%, whatever you all decide on. I just have to publish it before J. Wermore. [1:41:22, 1:41:41]: Okay. So I I'll withdraw my motion so we can get more information and do this and hopefully we'll be able to make a decision on the nineteenth to fill the fit fit everything in for two thousand eighteen. Thank you. Okay, you've heard Mr. Ford he's withdrawn his motion. So this item will move forward to come on the nineteenth. [1:41:42, 1:41:43]: uh agenda. [1:41:44, 1:41:58]: Sure, that'll be fine. Is that good? We don't need any kind of vote, just to withdraw. Okay, we'll move on to item number 10 that will be presented by our city attorney, Michael Williams. It's a council consideration to approve development projects policy. [1:41:59, 1:42:19]: Good evening, Madam Mayor. Um this uh and members of the council. This uh item was discussed a couple of meetings ago, and it essentially establishes a policy to avoid uh which is meant to avoid the inadvertent release of information or limit the potential for any undue uh influence. [1:42:19, 1:42:39]: on economic development uh projects. And what it simply does, and I can just read it and it's before you in your packet, it directs the city manager and any person acting in such capacity to adhere to the following policy that the city staff is requested to not release any information to any council member [1:42:39, 1:42:59]: numbers pertaining to pending development applications or economic development inquiries unless a vote on such matters is required of the mayor and council. In such cases all information shall be conveyed to the entire mayor and council concurrently. And again that policy is meant to avoid sort of any problems associated with [1:42:59, 1:43:06]: uh uh economic development initiatives. So it's ready and we uh recommend approval. [1:43:07, 1:43:13]: Okay, you've heard the presentation of the new development projects policy. Do I hear a motion? [1:43:14, 1:43:16]: [6196.9, 6200.0]: We are not into questions. I'm ho I'm asking for a motion. [1:43:21, 1:43:31]: Do I hear a motion? Okay. Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate it. Yeah, uh a motion that the resolution establishing an informational policy with respect to certain economic development matters be approved. [1:43:32, 1:43:33]: I'll hear a second. [1:43:35, 1:43:43]: Do I hear a second? A second. Okay, Ms. Gantt. Okay, Ms. Gantt. Now we're open to questions and discussion. [1:43:44, 1:43:47]: Yes, please. [1:43:47, 1:44:03]: I'm I'm gonna ask uh Mr. Mick Williams and um ask him a s series of questions if that would be okay. First of all, I I disagree with this policy because it hamstrings the rest future councils. [1:44:03, 1:44:08]: uh from getting information uh that they need in order to do their jobs. [1:44:09, 1:44:21]: Um personally myself, I have twelve months to six month um notice on pretty much any development project in Georgia. But [1:44:21, 1:44:26]: it's not gonna keep me from getting the information, but someone else who's holding this seat. [1:44:26, 1:44:46]: it may keep them from making it and from making the the decision uh what is coming forward before us because if you just like for instance uh with this campground road um a proposal that just came before, right? The Campground Road proposal came before me um personally. Uh that's not something [1:44:46, 1:45:06]: That I was monitoring, and we got the information a few days ahead of time, but I wanted to make sure that my neighbors did know about the project, uh, were able to be able to be aware of it and participate. I'm not necessarily against the project because there's some particular [1:45:06, 1:45:26]: Protections that are put in place. But the last thing I wanted them to do was to come to me and say, Why you didn't tell me? Uh we got this project coming in the neighborhood around us. Now, passing this policy, what it does is it delays the amount of time that you will have to respond to any development, and basically when the development is brought to [1:45:26, 1:45:46]: you it'll be almost ready to be uh approved uh at that point. Now my question uh for Mr. Williams is that there's some legal requirements that we're required to follow which are when a building permit is required is permit is uh applied for or when certain things uh [1:45:46, 1:46:06]: um applications are made, those are public records. So how does this deal with that in a legal aspect that um some in in some instances this would suggest that the public might actually know about the project before the before the rest of the council because if they [1:46:06, 1:46:12]: did an open records request, they would get the information potentially that the council has not already gotten. [1:46:14, 1:46:15]: That is correct. [1:46:18, 1:46:38]: Do we have uh other questions? Yes. Comments. Ms. uh Robinson. I guess before the night I sent the r uh request as well,'cause that kind of concerned me. Um when you got city council, to me that's just limiting us. Um I'm not the type of person to go out and say things, but it's limiting me to receive information. [1:46:37, 1:46:46]: that's going on in the city um that somebody else may bring to me um and I have I'm not aware of it. Um [1:46:48, 1:47:08]: I understand doing the resolution because of certain situations, but I don't think that that should hinder all council members. And as it's stating city council, it could someone from the public, you know, and I sent the email to you saying, okay, why can't we put that in here as well? Not only [1:47:08, 1:47:12]: just city council um but others as well. I'm just [1:47:13, 1:47:32]: I'm kind of torn with that because I um I guess it to me is l limiting me as a council elected official in receiving information that I should know before someone else brings it to me. So can you explain that if I'm am I looking at it and wrong or can you help me understand? [1:47:33, 1:47:34]: Well no. [1:47:34, 1:47:44]: you know, part of this is in the context of uh a lot of controversy surrounding, you know, certain development matters and and [1:47:44, 1:48:04]: You know, you you've seen it in other jurisdictions and it certainly has happened here where information gets out and people get confused and and you know there's a lot of potential drama associated with that that we're trying to avoid by making it clear that when information is ready to be released it's released sort of at the same time. [1:48:04, 1:48:08]: to everybody and you don't have um [1:48:09, 1:48:29]: Just you don't have any inadvertent problems associated with that. And so it's meant to make sure that everyone gets the information at the same time. Um but yes, if someone submits an open record request, yeah, it's possible that information uh could be out the public demand domain before it's [1:48:29, 1:48:49]: ready to be released to you all holistically. Just because someone submits an application doesn't mean that's the final stage. Um we get applications, we get economic development inquiries all the time. People will call and express an interest in a particular parcel. What's it zoned? Is it zone commercial? Is it zoned [1:48:49, 1:49:09]: industrial and if we were yet the staff level to release all that information all the time on a running basis it could just be a cause for potential problems. So the the go ahead can I okay just for instance uh currently we're working on the pine grove public that's [1:49:09, 1:49:29]: That's my subdivision. Um a lot has been going on and I represent those people, those citizens. So if I'm not aware and then something just hits me at the end, I'm not serving them properly. So to me, staff needs to be able to give me a heads up on what's going on. [1:49:29, 1:49:46]: Because if you put this in place, that's gonna limit me and I'm not gonna be able to serve the citizens as I've been elected to do. Um so again, you cannot bind the hands of everyone based off one person or two persons or three persons. So I [1:49:47, 1:49:50]: I'm just kind of torn with this because like you just said [1:49:50, 1:50:06]: Someone can pull open records, but that leaves me as an elected body of not of, you know, being able to be proactive until, you know, it's out. So I you know I I you know, I have to be honest with you. Sometimes [1:50:06, 1:50:07]: You know [1:50:08, 1:50:09]: problems. [1:50:10, 1:50:18]: you know, cause bad legislation. I'm not saying that this is the best, but it's an attempt to address a problem. [1:50:21, 1:50:24]: Okay, uh Ms. Robinson, anything else? [1:50:24, 1:50:28]: Miss Gantt? Yes. Um and and unfortunately and [1:50:29, 1:50:31]: It's sad. Um [1:50:31, 1:50:33]: I have to support the resolution. [1:50:34, 1:50:50]: for the best interest of Stockbridge when it comes to media and other outlets, uh getting a hold or wind of information or putting it out there, even if it's public record. A lot of times developers may come to us or talk to us about a project. [1:50:51, 1:50:53]: And even if they do, um [1:50:54, 1:51:14]: I don't believe it's our place to post it out there or put it out there, um, especially when nothing has been or come, you know, or or they have even applied or received anything at that time. And and they may say, Well, it's okay, I've I've given permission to do so. But are they really gonna say [1:51:14, 1:51:29]: how dare them do this when you're an elected official you have to work with those people, you know, you have to work with us. So they're not gonna say that they really disapprove when they really do. They really don't want us, you know, going out and talking about their projects ahead of time. [1:51:29, 1:51:32]: And whatever we have to do [1:51:32, 1:51:40]: to let businesses know that we're gonna protect them from this, then that's what I'm gonna be for. [1:51:40, 1:52:00]: Um and and if that's the sole purpose of this or or if there's another way around it. I believe we put together some type of media protocol at one point. We've had all kind of things cod from code of conducts to media protocols and now we're we're to this point where we're saying [1:52:00, 1:52:03]: City Council just can't know what's going on. [1:52:03, 1:52:17]: Um whether or not that's appropriate and how do we cure that matter, um b we just don't have a choice right now. Um so that's why I'm for it at this moment. Yeah. [1:52:19, 1:52:25]: Uh comment Mr. Alexander. [1:52:25, 1:52:29]: As a city council member or anybody setting up here, right? [1:52:29, 1:52:49]: I still have citizen rights, or any council member or the mayor would do. That same open records request that I said that a citizen could do, one of us can do it too. So doesn't that make this legislation just worthless? Because the information that the citizen [1:52:49, 1:52:53]: Citizen can request through open records requests. We can do it too. [1:52:54, 1:53:11]: That doesn't take away my citizen rights. I just want us to stop wasting time on worthless legislation. Now, as part of my time to talk, I'm going to say to you all, you know what, I requested that the supplier uh [1:53:11, 1:53:22]: uh diversity policy be put on this agenda. We couldn't do that. But we got time to talk about a worthless policy that's not gonna make a difference to not one citizen [1:53:23, 1:53:43]: Uh and this then. I feel for Mr. Williams right here because he's representing something that he knows is not legally sound, but he can't tell us that because this is his job to do this. This is bad policy. Councilmember Robinson just told you why it's bad policy, and I'm telling you that why it's bad policy. [1:53:43, 1:53:58]: policy now is because all the information that this uh uh prevent prohibits us from receiving, I could receive it, the mayor could receive it, or another councilwoman could receive it by doing an open records request. [1:54:01, 1:54:02]: Is that correct, sir? [1:54:03, 1:54:07]: Is that c then my question is, is that correct I can still make the open records request, right? Yes. [1:54:08, 1:54:09]: Thank you. [1:54:09, 1:54:13]: Okay. Uh any other comments from the council? [1:54:14, 1:54:17]: You have any comments, Mr. Forward? One second. Okay. [1:54:26, 1:54:30]: I have a comment while they're discussing. Okay, Mr. I just want the public to know. Um [1:54:31, 1:54:42]: I have a lot of things that I'm tackling at the moment and if I can't have transparency with staff to serve the citizens. [1:54:43, 1:54:50]: I can't be for this. If it's gonna hinder me. I feel that if we've got one or two that are doing something [1:54:51, 1:55:05]: out of order, we need to figure out a way to address that individually. Um because when we're like I mean you made the comment, the statement, you know, sometimes out of situation there's bad legislation that has to be put forth. [1:55:06, 1:55:09]: I don't want to stand in this seat. [1:55:10, 1:55:14]: having to approve something that's gonna hinder me later. [1:55:15, 1:55:23]: Because I'm here to serve the citizens. And whatever we need to do, if there's one bad apple, we need to deal with it. [1:55:23, 1:55:43]: Um so legally, however we need to deal with it, I think we need to, and I stand with that publicly to say, but I don't want to hinder myself or those that may follow after me not being able to fully serve the citizens because if you really look at this, certain people will still have access being [1:55:43, 1:56:03]: In all honesty, if you're here every day, um staff will have to communicate um with say the mayor who will be here. Um it's you know, and at the same time, I don't want to wear in the past certain information got to certain council members and not all [1:56:03, 1:56:08]: all and I'm not being fully justified on what I need to do for my citizens. [1:56:08, 1:56:18]: Uh just one last comment if I could Mayor. Let me let me protect let me right now protect the integrity of the staff. [1:56:19, 1:56:35]: I personally have not asked a staff member for any information on any development projects, nor has any staff member relayed to me any information that the rest of the council did not have. [1:56:35, 1:56:55]: Uh before I took this position, I do what I do every single day in my private life, uh working with developers and inform getting information out to the community uh independently. As you all see when you go to the municipal dinner, uh there's a certain official from McDonald that [1:56:55, 1:57:15]: delights in the fact that we talk about it, uh new developments coming, they enjoy it. Um, you know, and they announce them and they ask me, well, Elton, did you hear about that first? No. But let me tell you, every development that comes to this area, I know about it a long time before any of this ever reaches the council. [1:57:15, 1:57:15]: Yeah. [1:57:16, 1:57:36]: So for the integrity of the staff, the staff has not done anything inappropriate and they have not shared any information with me personally that they have not shared with anybody else. And no, I do not need the city staff in order to provide me with any information. So uh this is not something that [1:57:36, 1:57:55]: has been a problem. Can somebody show me an instance where uh a staff member actually relayed information to anybody setting up here? Can someone give me a specific example? No one is because I know personally myself, no one's given me any uh privy information uh that I know about. As we talking about [1:57:56, 1:58:16]: Uh the the the development uh that we've always talked about, the big development. I'm not gonna say the name'cause I don't get in that, but no, I knew about that development long before anybody at this city had even touched it. And that's kinda how that happens. But you know, for the integrity of the staff, the staff is not sharing information with me. I don't know if they're sharing [1:58:16, 1:58:17]: Yeah. [1:58:18, 1:58:38]: Thank you, Mr. Alexander. Uh Mr. Ford, I believe, has a comment. Thank you. Uh for you, Mike. Um, since I put the motion in effect here, uh if I want to table this motion, still needs a vote from the council to do that. Or you could or you could withdraw it. Totally withdraw it. What it is is I I kinda want I I I like to that but [1:58:38, 1:58:58]: That'd be good to do that, I guess, in a sense, hearing all the discussion. But I really wanted uh Councilman Blount to be part of this discussion as well. That's why I was thinking about tabling it uh in that aspect. So if I'd like to table this uh to at least the 19th to have at least uh Councilman Blount be involved in the conversation and at least uh give his opinion one way or the other. [1:58:58, 1:59:17]: on that before we make a final decision or even whether or not be you know go down and make a motion accept it or not accept it. Okay? That's fine. So I can do that. I like to take it. Okay. So the m motion is withdrawn and then we're asking I believe you're asking for it to be tabled. Correct is that correct? Correct. Okay. [1:59:17, 1:59:24]: Thank you. Okay, thank you so much. Uh that concludes our new business. At this time, do we have comments from our city manager? [1:59:28, 1:59:48]: Um yes Mayor Neal, I just wanted to uh remind the public about an information open house with the Georgia Department of Transportation this Thursday, December 24th, uh, 2017 at McDonough Christian Center. Uh this uh is an open house to discuss the proposed Western Parallel Connector uh [1:59:48, 1:59:55]: project again it's from 5 to 7 p.m this Thursday December 14th at McDonough Christian Center [1:59:56, 2:00:03]: Could do you give us the address of the McDonough Christian Center? Do you know that address? It's 2000 Jonesboro Road. [2:00:03, 2:00:06]: Two thousand Jonesboro Road. Thank you. [2:00:08, 2:00:11]: Any other comments, Mr. Knighton? [2:00:12, 2:00:28]: No, I just wanted to um um again thank the staff for and and volunteers for all of their hard work on several uh city events uh the past month and a half or so. Uh I think they've all been very successful and we look forward to having even more success next year. Thank you. [2:00:29, 2:00:34]: Right, thank you. Uh Madam Clerk, do we have any comments? Mayor Neil, I have no comments. No comments. [2:00:34, 2:00:39]: Um how about we'll start with Mr. Alexander if you have any additional comments. [2:00:40, 2:00:51]: just like to say thank you everyone for tuning in and um want to say I appreciate everybody participating. Uh the one great thing that I love about the city of Stockbridge is that [2:00:52, 2:00:53]: We g we gather. [2:00:54, 2:01:00]: we fellowship and all the city events that we have are well attended. [2:01:00, 2:01:16]: Uh I think back to when some of the events such as Sounds of Summer and others were were pro brought forward. There was concern at whether those events would be attended. We were told uh that that would not happen, that uh no one would come. [2:01:17, 2:01:37]: But to see how we fellowship during holiday fest, to see how we coalesce during the summer concert series and all of the city events, and to see that our citizens are such giving individuals for the love of this city is absolutely phenomenal. [2:01:37, 2:01:44]: And I just want to thank all you all and I appreciate everything that you do. Thank you. [2:01:45, 2:02:05]: Thank you. Mr. Fulward. Yes, thank you. I appreciate it, Mayor. Uh in reference to the theme of holiday events or events or city events, period, uh the Christmas gala last Thursday I think was outstanding. And uh I think all activities that we have have been outstanding. I say build them and they shall come. And that's what we'll continue to do. We're gonna build up the downtown area and they will come. [2:02:04, 2:02:24]: And we're gonna build up Jodico South and they will come. And they w when they come, they're gonna come from all over the Atlanta metro area and to see Stockbridge and see what's happening down the south side of Atlanta. Okay? So uh citizens keep engaged with us as we continue to move the city forward. And obviously we need to keep a listening ear to your desires and concerns that you have and we continue to move forward on [2:02:24, 2:02:37]: those things and have that open discussion and show transparency. Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and enjoy your family and relatives during this holiday season and of course 2018, Happy New Year would be an outstanding year. God bless you all. [2:02:38, 2:02:39]: Ms. Gantt. [2:02:40, 2:02:42]: Happy holidays and thank you for coming. [2:02:43, 2:02:44]: Ms. Robinson. [2:02:45, 2:03:05]: Yes, um hopefully everyone um is aware that there's a community give back on this Saturday in our downtown historic district. Um it's gonna be at 9 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church. So please come out if you have anything that you would like to give that is a day of giving for our community and it's gonna [2:03:04, 2:03:24]: to be from 9 to 11 and that's at Trinity United Methodist Church. Also Friday night there's an event that you can come to the Ted Strickland building and there's a Christmas event and to enter you need to bring a um unwrapped toy and hopefully everyone will be able to participate in that as well. [2:03:24, 2:03:44]: So we're looking um for everyone to come out for this initiative that I'm t um spearheading on that day. And also at the end, I know we were talking about things earlier, but again, um I just want to go back to serving the citizens. Um we can we can create some bad um [2:03:44, 2:04:04]: policies and different things where it will affect our citizens later just because we're trying to get a vote to change things for one bad apple and it will affect all of our citizens later. So I just want to let our citizens know that I stand here to [2:04:04, 2:04:20]: to let you all know that I'm voting for you, not just a person, a person. I'm voting on your bit for your best interest to make sure that I'm serving you well. Thank you all so much for coming out and have a great evening. [2:04:20, 2:04:26]: Thank you so much. At this time I'm asking our attorney if we are having an executive session. [2:04:29, 2:04:35]: Do I hear a motion to that effect? Mayor Nell, I move that we go into executive session for personnel, real estate, and litigation. [2:04:36, 2:04:41]: All right. We at this time need a motion to adjourn to executive session. Second that. [2:04:43, 2:04:47]: Um any discussion? If not, all in favor. [2:04:48, 2:04:49]: All right, thank you so much. [2:04:55, 2:04:56]: Oh yeah. [2:05:00, 2:05:00]: That happens. [2:05:02, 2:05:04]: Yeah, so [2:05:06, 2:05:07]: This is mine here. [2:05:23, 2:05:24]: But I mean. [2:05:35, 2:05:46]: And then five points with that. [2:05:47, 2:06:07]: Okay. No, this is 19, we don't have a basic one to take. Yeah, but that's supposed to come in that was that time. Yeah. We can so we went follow up. [2:06:07, 2:06:23]: So I have a little bit of a little bit more. [2:06:25, 2:06:29]: [7598.3, 7600.0]: Okay, so I'm [2:06:45, 2:06:46]: Yeah. [2:06:47, 2:06:57]: I think that's all I think that's all using an icon. [2:07:05, 2:07:06]: One of the [2:07:15, 2:07:17]: What did this possibly find? [2:07:20, 2:07:21]: Yeah, yeah. [2:07:33, 2:07:43]: The very ones besides uh good sauce, uh user can be. [3:01:10, 3:01:10]: Yeah. [3:20:51, 3:20:52]: Yeah. [3:20:59, 3:20:59]: Bat. [3:21:00, 3:21:01]: Yeah. [3:21:01, 3:21:07]: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [3:21:10, 3:21:12]: This is all about it. [3:21:17, 3:21:20]: But on the phone, all right should we go? [3:21:23, 3:21:25]: Yeah, but that's not. [3:21:40, 3:21:44]: [12106.8, 12110.5]: At this time we need a motion to end the executive session. [3:21:50, 3:21:54]: I want to make a motion to end executive session. [3:21:54, 3:22:01]: We have a motion to end the executive session. Do I hear a second? We have a second from Mr. Ford. Is there discussion? [3:22:01, 3:22:03]: No discussion. All in favor. [3:22:04, 3:22:08]: Now we need a motion to re-enter our council meeting. [3:22:08, 3:22:15]: Second. I have a motion and a second to return to the council meeting. Is there discussion? [3:22:16, 3:22:18]: No discussion. All in favor? [3:22:19, 3:22:20]: Thank you. [3:22:20, 3:22:31]: With nothing to vote on coming from the executive session, uh do I hear a motion to end the evening meeting? So moved. We have a motion to conclude the meeting. Do I hear a second? [3:22:31, 3:22:35]: Second. Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any discussion? [3:22:36, 3:22:39]: No discussion. All in favor? [3:22:40, 3:22:41]: Thank you for your attendance. [3:22:44, 3:22:46]: No, yeah.