2019-05-28 · City Council · Transcript · Work Session Meeting

--- title: May 28 2019 Work Session Meeting date: 2019-05-28 source: 2019-05-28_May_28_2019_Work_Session_Meeting.wav --- [0:02:22, 0:02:30]: I'm sorry, let me turn the mic on. I guess in a sense uh n not not that [0:02:51, 0:03:06]: So on that note, Madam Clerk, I believe we're ready to go. I roughly have six o'clock. This clock's a little slow. Okay, so I'd like to call this uh work session to session. And if you can stand for invocation, Mr. Portillos, could you please sir, come forward. [0:03:13, 0:03:31]: Dear God, thank you for this day that you have blessed us with. Thank you for the gift of life. So that we can do business of this great city. We ask that you continue to bless us. We ask that you continue. [0:03:32, 0:03:36]: our academic, our police force, our schools, yes. [0:03:38, 0:03:58]: Watch over us as we travel back to our families on this evening. Pray. Amen. Amen. To the Republic. But what did you say? One nation. Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice. [0:03:58, 0:04:02]: Clark, uh roll call, please. Right. What's the name? [0:04:06, 0:04:07]: Councilman Thomas. [0:04:08, 0:04:10]: Mayor Pro Tem Blount. [0:04:11, 0:04:22]: Present. Mayor Ford. Present. Councilwoman Gantt? Present. Councilman Alexander. Present. Councilwoman Robinson. Present. Mayor Ford, you have a call. Thank you. Appreciate that. [0:04:22, 0:04:25]: Uh Council, I need a motion to adopt the agenda, please. Mayor. Yes, sir. [0:04:26, 0:04:28]: I'd like to motion to [0:04:28, 0:04:30]: Remove item number four of the agenda. [0:04:30, 0:04:32]: Council consideration approved over the code development. [0:04:33, 0:04:46]: Is there is there a second? Second. Okay. Discussion? Yes, sir. Go right in. Okay, I wasn't aware of that and I think we should kinda put s let the public know what's going on in case that um that is the case. [0:04:48, 0:04:49]: Bora, bora. [0:04:50, 0:05:05]: Yes, sir. And there's a removal of an item, that item's not up for discussion. Well, what it amounts to is I mean there is discussion. It could be with this, is that correct? Thank you. Um did you want to uh I mean I can answer that, but I mean did you want to answer that, sir? [0:05:06, 0:05:25]: Sure. The the um Jodico item at the request of the developers, they wanted more time to review the development standards and they have requested that the item uh be removed from this agenda and moved to the next agenda on uh June the tenth because they wanted further opportunity to review it. So we're awaiting their comments. [0:05:25, 0:05:26]: Okay, thank you. [0:05:26, 0:05:37]: All right, so on this aspect, uh so if the council approves that to take it off it'd be on our next agenda, which is roughly two weeks from now, to have further discussion about this. Is that what we're looking at doing? Okay, so be it. Any other further discussion? [0:05:37, 0:05:51]: Yeah, I just wanna make sure that we this is just some routine material. It's not not anything that's different than a normal process would be. Uh we just try to make sure that everybody's on the same page, correct? [0:05:52, 0:06:12]: All right, thank you. Any further discussion? If not, all in favor of the motion, please indicate. Okay, it's unanimous. Great stuff. All right. So on that note, um review the minutes for the following meetings, uh, the April eighth uh council meeting and the April 30th work session. Please take a look at that. We'll be able to prove those at [0:06:12, 0:06:14]: [374.9, 375.6]: Okay. [0:06:15, 0:06:18]: And on that note, any public comments, Clerk. [0:06:21, 0:06:25]: Mayor, we do have public comments from Mr. Darren Gearing. [0:06:25, 0:06:29]: Hearing. Okay, come forward, sir. Right up here. Your name and address, please. [0:06:34, 0:06:38]: Hello, my name is Darren Gehring. I live at one zero six Willow Trace, Stockbridge. [0:06:38, 0:06:39]: Okay. [0:06:41, 0:06:41]: Go ahead. [0:06:41, 0:07:01]: Okay. Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, Council members. Uh, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak with you this evening. I want to talk with you about short term rentals and specifically in my case, Airbnb rentals and the city neighborhoods. My wife and I have lived in Stockbridge for almost eighteen years in Winsong Plantation Subdivision. We live on a very quiet cul-de-sac and have had little turnover on our street in [0:07:01, 0:07:21]: Until recently. One of our neighbors who has been there for twenty years had to leave quickly. She sold her home to a management company, from our understanding, as she didn't put the home up for sale. Within a week or two of him staying at the house, we knew that we had a new house. [0:07:21, 0:07:25]: We noticed a police cruiser in front of our home and the officers were walking up the street. [0:07:26, 0:07:46]: As they were walking up in front of our home, the new resident started driving back down the street. They stopped the vehicle and started to question the man. He became angry, slammed his door, and took off nearly running over one of the officers. The police officers ran back to their car, turned on lights and sirens, and went after the now suspect. With my wife and I watching the situation in disbelief, we became concerned. [0:07:46, 0:08:06]: About our new neighbor. We called to ask if we should be concerned, and I left a message for one of the officers on the call. We are not used to having police activity in our neighborhood, much less on our street. Uh Officer Donaldson did call me back. They were unable to identify the man or find him when after he left, um drove off, and they were there to question him on a domestic abuse of case. [0:08:06, 0:08:12]: a domestic abuse case, but the woman involved was also unable to identify him, um and he never returned. [0:08:14, 0:08:34]: A little uh a couple weeks after that, um there was a party at that residence and we assumed we had a new neighbor. Uh and then finally this past Saturday, May 25th, around 9 p.m. cars started coming up our street, which is rare. More and more cars came. Pretty soon they were on both sides of the street, uh um all the way up and down, at least 25 or 30 cars. [0:08:34, 0:08:54]: not to mention Uber drop offs, which again is just very uncommon for our neighborhood. We got on the phone with our neighbors who live right next to the house and they were furious. They called the police and from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. the police slowly disbanded the party. As we watched people litter as they walked down the street very loudly and one person even urinating in our front yard. [0:08:55, 0:09:15]: The police find out that the rent they rented the house off of Airbnb for the night. We find the listing that says open space and perfect for events. There isn't any furniture in the house. It says free parking for sixteen plus guests. We emailed our Winsong Plantation Board that evening before we anxiously went to bed. Another Winsong resident who is with me this evening, Mr. Manny Apine. [0:09:14, 0:09:34]: Um he posted on our next door site the next morning and the post immediately got a lot of attention, including a post from Councilman Alexander about an ordinance that hopefully prohibits short-term rentals in Airbnbs in city neighborhoods. We are here to inquire about the ordinance and implore the city to be strong in the ordinance and enforce it. We want to protect our community. [0:09:34, 0:09:43]: Our property values and keep our families safe. As we sat in our upstairs room looking out in disgust what was happening this past weekend, we felt completely hopeless as to [0:09:44, 0:10:03]: Okay, that's the motion to give them more time. Hold on, hold on, hold on. I got this, sir. I got this. Uh you had the three minute limit. Okay. Yes, sir. What I have to do is ask the council whether or not they want to allow you additional time. Yes, sir. Now, counsel, do you need addition do you want to give the shell an additional time? Yes, yes. Okay. So you give some additional time, sir. Reset it for another three minutes, please. [0:10:04, 0:10:06]: Sorry. That that's all right, you're fine. [0:10:08, 0:10:28]: Go right ahead. Some things that we're very grateful for throughout this weekend, this process. One Henry County police responded quickly and handled the situation very well. Officer Donaldson also patrolled our street the following afternoon, and we were able to thank him for their efforts and to chat about the situation. They've been very under I know there's big things going on in Stockbridge, but they've been very under [0:10:28, 0:10:48]: understanding of what we're going through as it's a huge deal for us and our neighbors um and they've treated it treated us like it was a big deal to them as well. We're thankful for that. Within 24 hours of this event, Councilmember Alexander and Mayor Pro Tem Blount both responded on on the media and [0:10:48, 0:11:08]: We're in communication, uh, which we're very grateful for. Thank you for your concern and for your diligence. Also, um we emailed Mrs. Camilla Moore this morning um and she's already working on this. Our Winsong board has also responded as well. What we hope to accomplish with your help is number one, to make sure we find the ordinance that prohibits short term rentals and [0:11:08, 0:11:28]: Airbnbs. Two, to make sure in fact that it does prohibit Airbnbs or gets modified to specifically address them. Number three, we can make our Winsong board aware of this ordinance and handle it appropriately. Number four, we notify Airbnb of the ordinance and get this listing removed ASAP. And number five, Henry County Police Department is aware of the ordinance and [0:11:28, 0:11:48]: can immediately shut down any future events. Thank you, Mayor, Council, for your time and help. We appreciate your service to our community. Stand by for a second, please. I will tell you that obviously this is something that's outside of the HOA or residential compliance and regulatory guidance with our HOAs. It's along the lines of commercial. So that is that's something obviously we have to address. On that [0:11:48, 0:12:00]: note I will allow uh our attorney, Mr. Mike Williams, and our city manager to address it even further to help uh explain some things further to you and anybody else so you have an idea of what the city will be able to do in this aspect. Okay? Thank you. Gentlemen. [0:12:01, 0:12:21]: So, Mr. Mayor, based on what has been described to us, the activity already appears to violate um our code of ordinances. Um, because these appear to be operating it like an event space or something in a residential uh area. So we already have some teeth, but staff has already got [0:12:21, 0:12:23]: together on looking at what more we can do. [0:12:24, 0:12:35]: to prevent these uh prospectively so they don't pop up all over the city. So we'll be working on that and bringing an ordinance um for you all to consider at some point in in the coming weeks. [0:12:35, 0:12:41]: Okay, so when you say ordinance, I'm I I'm w uh is this within two weeks or within a month? How soon do you think you might be able to do this, Mike? [0:12:43, 0:12:46]: Be reasonable, just reasonable. [0:12:47, 0:12:52]: Okay. All right. Stand by. Mr. Knight, anything to add, sir? [0:12:53, 0:13:13]: Right. We, you know, obviously with with the advent of Airbnbs and the like, um there there are uh cities and counties who have had to deal with this issue, even short-term rentals, vacation rentals, things of that nature, where you can put certain parameters um uh around these types of uses to help govern them, even requiring business licenses or a [0:13:13, 0:13:33]: minimum stay like 30 or 60 days as a minimum that would prevent things like this from happening on a frequent or um a regular basis. And so if it is your direction to to have us to take a look at um developing some type of regulations that may be specific to short-term rentals, uh I'll use the term [0:13:33, 0:13:45]: term short-term rental to short-term rentals, then we certainly can do that and will seek to bring back to you uh bring something back to you fairly quickly. At the very least, we will provide you with an update at the next meeting. [0:13:45, 0:14:04]: Okay, good. On that note, typically what happens, sir, is that when when someone brings uh this attention, really and all honestly you're addressing the mayor and the council. And so typically we don't have these responses going back and forth. And I know you probably have something else on your mind in reference to that based on what these two gentlemen said. So I'm I'll get you one one more shot at that. Okay, what else is on your mind? [0:14:04, 0:14:17]: Well I guess I was just curious if there is ordinance in place. It does have some we do have additional rentals that are coming up June sixth, seventh. So uh we just didn't know how we can address it or if the police can shut these down. [0:14:18, 0:14:33]: All right, can you gentlemen answer can you gentlemen answer that? Uh uh stop. Uh you out of point order, I'm I'm addressing them. You're not gonna get a chance to speak at this time. Go ahead please. Well we already plan to discuss what we can do to shut it down and get code enforcement out there. Um [0:14:33, 0:14:53]: You know, a lot of this is new information that we've just received today, but we will be working on that. Okay. Thank you very much. Appreciate you coming. Point point of order. Listen now, Xander, I've controlled the meeting. Normally we the change I just mentioned, so normally the exchange we have with the individual here is is uh we don't normally have an exchange. First of all, I'll let that go. And all actually when people address it, they're really addressing the merit. [0:14:53, 0:15:08]: not really the council. Even though I say mayor or council really addressing the mayor, we're gonna move on with the meeting. You can talk to gentlemen. I call for a point of order. Well okay. All right, so a point of order such as that you want something to say. Is that right? And I'm denying you that at this point. Okay? I want to move on. [0:15:08, 0:15:14]: I I call for a point of order. Sir, you seem below. [0:15:14, 0:15:15]: What what's up, sir? [0:15:17, 0:15:37]: All right, all right, thank you. I made my ruling. We're gonna move on. Point we've we made a we pass on number four. Number four is a judical uh development. We're gonna deal with that at the next meeting. The next thing is youth council presentation and update presented by Mr. Mayor. Yes. Number three is I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've jumped at the bottom of the page. I'm sorry, Mr. Mr. Portillo. [0:15:37, 0:15:40]: I'm sorry, do you have a presentation? Thank you very much. [0:15:44, 0:15:55]: I'm sorry about that, sir. Go right in. It's okay. Good good evening, Mr. Mayor. Okay. Council. Good evening. Uh first thing, um, I just wanna say thank you for having me. You wanna I really appreciate the opportunity to come address this body. [0:15:58, 0:15:59]: Go ahead, sir. Go ahead. [0:15:59, 0:16:00]: Um [0:16:01, 0:16:21]: So first I just want to just talk about, just give a general overview of what we do at the DA's office and and what our responsibilities are, and just talk about some things that's going on in your DA's office. And I say your DA's office because you are my constituents as well as all of your constituents, as I am a countywide elected official. Um so what I have basically [0:16:21, 0:16:22]: [983.3, 1003.3]: First, let's talk about what we do. We prosecute all felony crimes in the county. So felonies are any crimes that where a person can get more than one year in jail or more than a$1,000 fine. That's to be distinguished from a misdemeanor where can't get more than a year in jail or you can't get fined more than$1,000. So we have a solicitor general who is kind [0:16:43, 0:16:50]: Kind of like the DA that handles all the misdemeanor cases, we handle all the the felony cases. Um and [0:16:51, 0:17:11]: Sometimes the DA's office will handle misdemeanor cases, however, if it's attached to a felony. So if somebody gets arrested and they have um some, let's say methamphetamine in the car, which is a felony, but they also have a misdemeanor amount of marijuana, the DA's office is authorized at that point to prosecute the misdemeanor as well because it's attached to a felony. And that that's the case across the board. So that's [0:17:11, 0:17:16]: That's what we generally do. So every case that the police make, every arrest comes through our office. Um [0:17:16, 0:17:36]: At some point or another for our review, so we can determine whether or not there's enough evidence to prove that case beyond the reasonable doubt. That's important because that's a higher standard in court. When the police make an arrest, they make an arrest based on a standard called probable cause. Um that's enough for an arrest, but to prove it in court, we have to prove it beyond the reasonable doubt. You've heard that term before, so that's a higher standard. [0:17:36, 0:17:56]: So we review all the cases to make sure that we can prove that case in court at that higher standard. That's important because when the police make arrests, they're not lawyers, so they don't know exactly all the time what can be proven in court. And there's more investigation to be done usually. So our mission in the DA's office is to make sure that we're doing three things. One is to make sure that we are [0:17:56, 0:18:03]: Are aggressively prosecuting violent offenders. We also try to make sure that we are trying to. [0:18:04, 0:18:24]: uh redeem people who are redeemable, that we can get people back on the right path who may have had a missed up, um first time nonviolent, um, first time offenders. Um so we want to rehabilitate people who are redeemable. We also want to make sure that we're doing whatever we can do to prevent crime and that's why we've initiated a n a lot of initiatives where we're in the community at school. [0:18:24, 0:18:44]: Community events, churches, trying to make sure that people are educated on what the law is, and also trying to make sure that people don't find themselves in the criminal justice system. A couple of things that we've instituted in the DA's office since my tenure there, which is about two and a half years now, is that we started a Crimes Against Children Unit, which is a unit that [0:18:44, 0:19:04]: is as a specialized unit where the people in that unit all they do is prosecute crimes against children. Um those are people who commit child molestations, aggravated child molestation, child pornography, anything involving a child that's of a sexual nature and also domestic violence and rape cases. That's important because I was dissatisfied with how [0:19:04, 0:19:24]: The cases had been prosecuted in RDA's office prior to me taking office, those types of cases. It was customary that I saw that they were not being aggressively prosecuted. Sometimes they were given pro probation defendants who were accused of doing those things, or they weren't being prosecuted at all. It's important because those those cases are highly [0:19:24, 0:19:44]: specialized because they usually involve ki the k children, child witnesses. And with a child witness, sometimes they have uh memory lapses, sometimes the outcries are delayed, sometimes you're dealing with scientific evidence like DNA, et cetera. So you want somebody who is specifically trained and skilled to handle those cases in court. [0:19:44, 0:20:04]: We also started a pretrial diversion program where we allow youthful nonviolent first-time offenders to have a second chance at life. So when they're held accountable by having to still pay community service, I mean do community service, pay their fines, pay restitution, report to a supervisor, and if they successfully complete that program. [0:20:03, 0:20:10]: program, then they will not have to live with the felony for the rest of their lives and they can go out and get jobs and take care of themselves as well as their families. [0:20:11, 0:20:31]: We also started a school program called Power Moves. It's a middle school program where we go into schools and talk about choices and decisions and try to keep kids out of gangs, away from drugs, away from violence and other crime. Right now we're in two middle schools. We started a pilot program last year. We're in Henry County Middle School as well as Stockbridge Middle School. We're looking to expand. [0:20:31, 0:20:51]: That in the upcoming school year to add a couple of other schools in this community next year. So we're excited about what we have going on there. We've started other initiatives. We've expanded our victim services program. We have a host of things happening down there. I welcome you to come down and have a conver a larger conversation with me. [0:20:51, 0:20:52]: Whenever you're available to do that. [0:20:53, 0:21:13]: And I thank you for your service, what you're doing here in the city of Stockbridge. I want to make sure that your constituents know and that you know that you have a DA's office that is available and accessible to you. And anytime you want to have a conversation or talk about what's going on in the criminal justice system, um, I welcome you to call me. I think all of you have my cell phone number. And if you don't, please make sure to get it. [0:21:12, 0:21:32]: From me. We have a great community in in in the county, in the city. And you know, what we have to make sure that we're doing is that we're making sure we need to make sure that our citizens, um the residents here, are being vigilant. We can't just rely on the courts and the police to make sure that we have a safe community. We got to make sure that. [0:21:32, 0:21:52]: If we see a crime, we report a crime. We gotta make sure that we're taking good notes and we're taking pictures and videos if we see you know suspicious activity. And so I just wanna say that I I thank you for what you're trying to do in the city uh to make it better. It's a great city. Everywhere can be better. There's no such thing as a perfect place. But I want to [0:21:52, 0:22:12]: Make sure that we also take back the narrative that people are trying to say that because we're growing, because we're having this population increase, this population surge, that Henry County is now somehow majorly different than it used to be, that it's more is there's more crime, it's more dangerous. Um, and that's just simply not the case. Our homicide [0:22:12, 0:22:32]: rate is one of the lowest in Metro Atlanta, especially when you compare it to city um counties that are uh of equal size. So we're bordered by the Cab County, Clayton County, and our homicide rate is much lower than theirs. The Cab right now, I think last year, right now they have about 54 homicides. [0:22:32, 0:22:45]: Um right now we have three. Um we're in single digits. I mean they're have they're averaging about a hundred homicides a year. Um in Clayton County, same thing. They they had about forty-five last year. [0:22:45, 0:23:05]: We had about 11, so they have four times as many, though we have almost the same amount of population. So when you hear these narratives, and I know you've heard them because I've heard them, that what's going on, we're in the news more. Um keep in mind with population increase, a lot of things increase. Um, but we have to make sure that we are getting the facts out there, and in the DA's office, that's what we deal with, facts. [0:23:05, 0:23:15]: every case based on facts, evidence, and the law. And that's it. [0:23:15, 0:23:35]: If you got any questions for me, I'd be glad to answer them as I stand here right now. Um, I welcome any questions that you have. And like I said, I'm always accessible to you. Thank you for your presentation. And because it's a presentation, we can't ask questions. Anybody have any yes, sir? Go right ahead, please. Well, it's not a question, Ms. Patillov, but I just want to thank you for coming here this afternoon and sharing that information with us. And I am pleased. [0:23:35, 0:23:51]: Please with the innovative initiative that you have brought to the DA office since you've been in office. And I'm just excited about the future with you in office. And we just look forward for those uh other uh initiatives that you will undertake. And we just want to thank you. Thank you, Councilman. [0:23:52, 0:23:53]: Sir. Any questions? [0:23:55, 0:24:15]: Sir Sir First of all I want to thank you for accepting my invitation to come to address the council. It um we appreciate everything that you're doing uh here in the community. And I wanted to just say that uh you know since since uh the day that you took office uh [0:24:15, 0:24:35]: uh confidence in the DA's office uh overall and the initiatives that you're working on. Uh I I see it in the community, especially the Crimes Against Children unit that you have pioneered and that you've made a center point uh to make sure that we send a strong message that our children are not gonna be victims of [0:24:34, 0:24:54]: crime uh on uh without a a strengt a stiffer sentence and it being held uh the perpetrator being held to account. Uh could you talk about that unit uh a little bit more uh in detail to us? Yeah well first I I just always tell people I have a I believe in a balanced approach when it comes to criminal justice [0:24:54, 0:25:14]: I believe that we should give second chances to first-time nonviolent offenders, but I believe you put your hands on the trial that you should be taken off the streets. Um we have a way of dealing with that. Um I started the unit with one attorney and one investigator, and that's all they do is prosecute those types of cases. So we can put as much investigation and research into those, and we're expanding. [0:25:14, 0:25:30]: that unit come July this year. We're gonna add another lawyer, another investigator, and another paralegal. And basically that that unit is very aggressive to make sure that we are reviewing all the cases thoroughly and making sure that we are prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law. [0:25:31, 0:25:50]: You got one more question? Yes. In terms of I've seen a lot of larger departments and counties do some expungement work with the DA department with the DA. Uh well would you be offering any of that anytime soon? Might we be able to do something like that here in Stockbridge for uh expungement? [0:25:50, 0:26:10]: I'm open to the idea, however, I tell people all the time that expungements happen all the time. You don't have to have a big event to to to make those types of things happen. Um every month we get a certain number of people who come in who had a case, the case got dismissed and they want to expunge it off their record. And that's something that we do internally from time to time where it's warranted. [0:26:10, 0:26:15]: Um we don't have to have a huge event and sometimes you can't have a huge event because [0:26:16, 0:26:27]: What we deal with is felonies. So they're the most serious cases that you have. A lot of times you see those events that d done by Solicitor General's office in some of the bigger counties um where they're only handling misdemeanors. Um [0:26:27, 0:26:29]: And so you gotta make sure that you have [0:26:29, 0:26:49]: the the population to be able to have a big event like that. But the an t the short answer to your question is I'm open-minded to it, but it has to be done the right way. And I want to make sure that we are not casting too wide of a net um just because of the nature of the cases that we have. But we do look at every case on a case by case basis. We've done some expungements. We will continue [0:26:49, 0:26:58]: Continue to do them where they're warranted. However, whether having a big community event, I can't say for sure, but I'm open-minded to the idea. Absolutely. Ms. Robinson, go ahead, please. [0:26:59, 0:27:14]: Thank you, Mayor. Um, thank you so much. You know, when you came in you hit the ground running. Um, you were did a wonderful job with the Austin Road middle school students. Um, we were having a time there and when you came and you did your speech, um they're now in high school. [0:27:14, 0:27:34]: um and doing great things. So I just want to thank you and also thank you for coming to Stock Ridge Middle School. The principal has stated that, you know, is it's a phenomenal speech that you provide for the students. And you mentioned um Henry County Middle. It's actually going to be McDonough middle now. But the principal there, um, their new grad coach, [0:27:34, 0:27:47]: Who's coming from Oscar Road Middle, she'll be there. Um so I look forward to even working um further with you all um in the future. So thank you so much for your service on what you do with our young people. Tim Blount, go ahead, please. [0:27:47, 0:27:56]: Yeah, Miss Patilla, appreciate you coming in. Uh it was a pleasure always to see you. Uh you and I talk on occasions. I've called you and just to say, Hey, I know what you're going through and [0:27:57, 0:28:16]: You know, until you I'm praying for you and and we've run into s each other at schools. Like yeah. Many schools. Many of you. We've Yeah. So uh, you know, my prayers still continue to be with you and uh I wish you the best. Well I appreciate that. And uh um w what we do our n there's nothing more important than our children. Um so as a parent, as a resident of this county, as a taxpayer, [0:28:17, 0:28:37]: As an elected official, I ran on that platform that I was going to be aggressive in terms of protecting our community and our children in particular. Um, I I've done my best to live up to that, and I'm going to continue to do that. And I look forward to continuing to work with all of you in the community. I know I see all of you. In fact, we were all doing this type of work before we were even in elected. [0:28:37, 0:28:45]: I've been to many schools where you all there and present. Some sometimes you invited me, and I appreciate that. But [0:28:45, 0:29:05]: I want everybody to know that I'm serious about that. It's not just something that we say, it's something that we live, we walk that walk. So I appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions for Mr. Partillos? The district attorney, thank you very much, sir, for being here. Okay. Thank you. Um we'll move on. Uh Miss Moore, the the the Miss Moore, the council decided to postpone until we're going to be able to do [0:29:05, 0:29:20]: until next meeting the uh consideration for the Joe Code standards and site plan. Mr. Knight addressed that to us. Okay. So we'll move on. And by the way, Madam Clerk, thank you for keeping me straight. Really appreciate that. And we'll go on to a youth council presentation update presented by Miss Erica Harvey, committee chair. [0:29:21, 0:29:27]: And uh Miss Alexander, I guess committee you're by yourself, Miss Alexander's not here to okay, all right. So be it. [0:29:28, 0:29:29]: Ms. Harvey, go right ahead, please. [0:29:30, 0:29:32]: Good evening, Mayor and Council. Evening to you. [0:29:32, 0:29:52]: Um well today if uh you guys give us a little more time. As you see, Miss Um Carter is not here today, so we do need a little more time. Uh we have a few more questions about um some of the financial pieces. We were able to um balance uh GMA with the help of uh Mr. Um Randy Knight, so we appreciate that. But we do have a few other things. My [0:29:52, 0:29:53]: My focus have been [0:29:54, 0:30:14]: on you know, rebuilding and getting the applications in. So that kind of slip slipped my mind a little bit. But when she is available to present those financial pieces, we'll have that ready for you in about you said about two weeks. You guys Yeah the next meeting will it be in a couple weeks here. Yeah. Is that June tenth? June 10th. So I'll get with her with her schedule and make sure that she [0:30:14, 0:30:31]: She's in attendance next time. All right. But I will like to update you guys. Um we do have um the youth. Stand by a second, please, new business. What you're talking about is council consideration to fill vacancies to appoint the youth council advisory committee members. All right, go right ahead, please. Okay, so that that's been my focus um because we are short. So [0:30:32, 0:30:52]: it puts a lot of, you know, the responsibility on a handful of people. So we do have that uh application process open. So if you guys know anyone that's interested, I've been, you know, sharing with some teachers and um other parents around around the community. So we really need to get those positions filled so that I can have a little more extra assistance on the board. [0:30:52, 0:31:07]: Council has uh a couple applications in front of us at this point, but typically what happens when we have applications, we typically take these applications to executive session, discuss them, then come back later to make a decision. Okay. And I am I to assume council that's what we want to do in this particular case? [0:31:08, 0:31:25]: There there are two vacancies or two applications in front of you. Mayor. Yeah, go right here please. Uh that's what I was gonna ask Ms. Harvey. Were you thinking that we were gonna do some appointments tonight? No. No. Okay. Okay. No. And I just also the other question, I know you had a discussion um briefly. [0:31:26, 0:31:28]: And I would like for council to consider. [0:31:28, 0:31:41]: On the application, it states that the youth advisory board member must live in the city limits of Stockbridge. Um not the city not the youth board, but the youth advisory board. [0:31:41, 0:31:45]: And I believe Miss Harvey um received some applicants. [0:31:45, 0:31:46]: Hom [0:31:46, 0:31:56]: are live within the vicinity of Stockbridge who have some really great qualities as advisors and would like to amend that ordinance to read [0:31:56, 0:32:06]: just youth council advisory board so that we could get potential um some of those potential um adults that would be able to help with the youth. [0:32:07, 0:32:27]: Okay. So if I understand this correctly, the individuals that are identified in our books right now, information for us, not ready to make a decision thus far on the individuals and you have what two vacancies right now? Is that all? Three vacancies. And also if I understand right from uh councilwoman Gantt that uh potentially look at for us to as a council look at changing it. [0:32:27, 0:32:47]: The structure a little bit, whereas that there are individuals that may have interest in the students on the youth council, but may not actually live within the city limits of the city itself. The majority I probably have gotten about six teachers who are interested. They live in Stockbridge, but we just recently found out that they were not in the city limits. So I guess that's [0:32:48, 0:33:03]: been one of my um Okay. So I I would imagine uh I I would like to look the uh the attorney and the clerk in reference to the process for that. I I would imagine we can just make the change anyway, but I mean, uh in this aspect, but I don't think we've ever done that before that I've got that I recall. But anyway [0:33:04, 0:33:04]: Go ahead, sir. [0:33:05, 0:33:12]: The ordinance provides for that. It would just be a a simple amendment that you could either d direct us to draft it and bring it back. [0:33:12, 0:33:21]: at the next meeting or you can make it tonight. It just says, you know, that the the text changes, you know, removing the requirement that they be a resident. So it's simple. [0:33:22, 0:33:28]: Okay. No. Okay, thank you. Go ahead, ms Ms Gantt. [0:33:28, 0:33:38]: Um mayor I'd like to make a motion that we amend the um youth advisory board requirements as a resident of Henry County. [0:33:38, 0:33:41]: Second. Okay, is there further discussion? [0:33:42, 0:33:44]: Mr Mayor. Yes sir. Um [0:33:45, 0:34:04]: I wanted to ask the question before the motion was made, um, but it's okay after the motion. I just wanted to make sure uh with the information that's before us in our book, um is Mrs. Harvey familiar with these two um applicants? The two applicant, yes. One of them is um [0:34:04, 0:34:07]: She's a administrator at Stockbridge Middle School. [0:34:07, 0:34:09]: And another [0:34:09, 0:34:29]: is a youth pastor. And I I just wanted just wanted to be clear because it it it was not indicated that you were familiar with these two applicants. I am I am. Uh since we were sort of bypassing, not voting on them um this afternoon. Well when familiar meaning I don't know them personally. It's just that I've been doing the recruitment process. So I I'm aware of those two. [0:34:29, 0:34:34]: Yeah, I understand. And that's that's the answer to the question. Yes, thank you. All right, any further questions on the motion? [0:34:35, 0:34:37]: If not, all in favor of the motion please indicate. [0:34:38, 0:34:41]: Okay, you now have a decision. So obviously we'll change that and then show [0:34:42, 0:34:49]: Now you we have two here, so we have a couple more that will come before us in two weeks, or we're talking about a month. We're talking about two weeks from now. [0:34:49, 0:35:07]: Most like two weeks. Uh once I let them know that, you know, that changes and made I'll put the applications in and you guys can go over. Would that work with you, Clerk, as well? And how about you, Mr. Turney? That's good? All right. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Okay. Uh I believe that's all for you unless you have something else I forgot about. There is. Um [0:35:07, 0:35:20]: There was one. Oh, in uh the bylaws it states that there has to be a member of the city council on the youth council board. Correct. So [0:35:20, 0:35:27]: We at this point we don't have that. Okay. And so that definitely needs to be addressed in what we're gonna do moving forward. [0:35:27, 0:35:31]: All right, so this will be for two thousand nineteen twenty, I suppose or [0:35:32, 0:35:37]: Okay, good point. Is it is is the appointment a yearly appointment or bi by yearly appointment? [0:35:37, 0:35:42]: Council. Okay. Council okay, thank you. Council, anybody got a motion to accept [0:35:42, 0:35:44]: Yeah, cool. Yes, I'm sorry. [0:35:45, 0:35:56]: I getting ready to make a motion. No, I'm gonna wanna I wanna talk about the amendment. Yeah, yeah, so so do I. But I l I uh you have a question, sir. Um I I would like for this council to also when we do the amendment [0:35:56, 0:36:02]: If there's going to be an appointment of a counsel as an elected official that that person is not a voting member. [0:36:03, 0:36:05]: I would like that amendment to go into [0:36:05, 0:36:07]: Place also on there. [0:36:08, 0:36:22]: The person not a voting member on the board. That on the board require an additional motion to that, but that's that's what I'm getting ready to motion. I I I would like to make that motion if it's d with due respect to the council that [0:36:22, 0:36:26]: Any elected official appointed to the board is not a voting member. [0:36:27, 0:36:28]: Mayor. [0:36:29, 0:36:30]: Is there a second to that? [0:36:32, 0:36:37]: Okay, let me ask a question. The voting member, I'm the only one that doesn't vote less it's tithes. That's me you mean me specifically? I don't understand. [0:36:38, 0:36:40]: On the youth advisory board. [0:36:41, 0:36:46]: those boards should be totally and in separately ran by [0:36:46, 0:37:00]: The community. I got it now. Not by any elected official to be a voting member on those boards. Because it changes the dynamics on those boards. It becomes to me a conflict of interest when you're voting for something and then you're sitting here to approve it. [0:37:02, 0:37:06]: Okay, I got it. Uh Miss Scant has a question. Well the question is I thought that [0:37:07, 0:37:15]: We were going to i doesn't the youth advisory board amend their own bylaws like a DDA would or a Main Street would? [0:37:15, 0:37:30]: She misspoke. It's actually in the ordinance. It's an ordinance. So if it's a part of the ordinance, can we wait and revise that? And I thought that we were going to take counsel out of it altogether, um, and allow [0:37:31, 0:37:33]: The kind of like we did with SBA. [0:37:33, 0:37:48]: um allow for the youth council board to move forward, youth council advisory board to move forward as as their own and maybe have someone, a liaison within the city. But I thought we were gonna take counsel out of it altogether. [0:37:50, 0:38:05]: So of obviously this means more discussion, more than than a vote tonight, I would imagine, in this aspect. But anyway, Mr uh Mr. Thomas. Yes,'cause uh I've been waiting for a minute here. It it is my recommendation and and this this total approach here, I think it's a little [0:38:06, 0:38:11]: slingshottish. Um my recommendation would be for us [0:38:11, 0:38:31]: to come back and really take a closer look of everything that you're proposing. I I don't think this is a process here, you know, picking and choosing, dipping and dodging. I think we need to look at that based on some of the recommendation. And we all sort of interjecting this, we thought that, we think this. [0:38:31, 0:38:36]: I I just don't think this is the right approach to um [0:38:37, 0:38:57]: Solidify the youth council program and we're talking about changes. I just think we need to look at this in a comprehensive manner and look at the total program and look at all of the changes if there need to be other changes. But I just don't agree with this process right here. That's what I'm asking for it to be reviewed and then you guys get back to me with an answer. [0:38:57, 0:39:01]: So [0:39:02, 0:39:14]: Mr. Mayor, my recommendation is us not to act now. Okay. On anything pertaining to the Stock Review Council. All right, let me let me go to the other side here and make sure you have any comments on this side over here. Any comments from this side? [0:39:15, 0:39:35]: I agree. May thank you, Mayor. Um, I you know, I I'm still near and dear to my heart with this program because I did a lot of hard work, me and the attorney to initiate it. Um, and again the political back and forth. I just wish that everyone will allow our volunteers, our citizens, to be able to as [0:39:35, 0:39:55]: Councilman Thomas stated to sit down and give them the direction um and then put put it in motion. Um because it's once we're dealing with our youth, um it it has to be in line. So I just, you know, again thank our volunteers for continuing with the program. But I do think [0:39:55, 0:40:15]: um Mr. Mayor that our council need to sit down and and do the right approach for this. All right. Anybody else on this side? Any comments? I think we already made them we did make a motion and vote already. No, it wasn't second. I don't I didn't hear a second. Well no for the for the first item. That's been okay. We did. That's true. All right. Yes. Yes sir go ahead. I'm in total agreement. [0:40:15, 0:40:33]: with with what was said about you all ra writing those recommendations up and bringing it to us. I just don't want to see um anything get so convoluted and become this conundrum that we can avoid by by doing it the right way. I think we have to identify [0:40:33, 0:40:36]: uh through the city manager what staff is gonna be [0:40:36, 0:40:45]: Uh that person and a lot of stuff we need to identify. I just wanna make sure whatever we do, we take the politics out of and let the com and let the youth council run smoothly. That's all. [0:40:45, 0:41:02]: And we uh it's j pretty much June and we will be accepting the students in in August. So I just really want to get this part of it together so that we can move forward with making sure the programs are intact for the youth council. Forward, please. All right. So uh obviously we gotta make a decision quickly and get these recommendations into you. Yes, sir, go ahead, please. [0:41:02, 0:41:10]: Will you have those recommendations that you that you all uh want would like for us to do? You sent those to us? Okay. [0:41:10, 0:41:16]: All right. Seems like there are no more questions. Thank you for your time. Obviously we've got more work to do. Appreciate it. Okay. [0:41:16, 0:41:28]: Um what I have next is council consideration to approve two thousand nineteen two motions. No, the first motion passed, the second motion never got a second. I had a motion [0:41:30, 0:41:32]: The council members [0:41:33, 0:41:34]: I'm sorry, wait a minute. [0:41:35, 0:41:48]: Mr Blount made a motion that the members not be able to vote. Yeah, but I don't think that was I didn't I don't remember hearing the second. The second motion was that Mr Thomas says that you don't do anything, don't act now. [0:41:49, 0:41:59]: Well I is that is that what she meant for that to be a motion? I don't think I think you said a recommendation I I did say recommendation, but I will put it in a motion and just let me reemphasize that [0:42:00, 0:42:20]: I just don't think this is the right way to um try to work with the youth council because it's it's it's chaotic. It's not organized. The approach is not organized. And I think as we recommended, share with us the recommendations that you're coming forward with, let's look at it in a [0:42:20, 0:42:37]: comprehensive matter and let's fix it, whatever needs to be fixed, let's just fix it. But I don't think because I heard one council person say, excuse me, that she thought that we were not going to have a uh staff person uh liaison. So I'm just saying [0:42:38, 0:42:58]: I don't know if that's a full discussion with this whole council. So j just the things like that I just think that we need to be sure on as a council and let's make sure that this is is really what the whole council wants. It just seems just to be just just not organized. On that note, he I think recommendation I don't think that means emotion. I think we're we directed Miss Harding to come back. [0:42:58, 0:43:18]: Blount withdrew his, I think that's kind of where you are with not doing anything right now. Right and waiting for recommendations. I think when Smith Harvey left she said she'll send us recommendations on the thought process from the from the advisory committee and we will work with that in that aspect. That's what I understand. Okay, she's nodding head yes. So I think I think that's somewhat an agreement on that aspect. So it's no motion. Okay. Um [0:43:18, 0:43:31]: Now, council consideration to approve 2019-2020 benefits renewal package for the city. Mr. Knight and then Renee Wheeler, please. Oh, and also I have here human resource manager John Leggett, MSI benefits. [0:43:31, 0:43:32]: Okay. [0:43:32, 0:43:52]: Yes, Mr. Mayor, uh Mr. Leggett uh can't be here this evening uh due to a death in his family. Uh but another uh gentleman from uh his uh group is here to provide information to you. You should have in your packet a proposal uh for the twenty nineteen uh twenty twenty benefits renewal. And um [0:43:52, 0:44:12]: We'll go ahead and uh allow this now uh um our broker here, Mr. Hayes, to go ahead and walk through uh with you um the packet that you have in terms of our proposed benefits renewal. Obviously, the challenge that we have is most jurisdictions. [0:44:12, 0:44:30]: are facing is increased health care uh costs and how to uh address those costs uh for um all of our uh dependents on those uh various uh health care plans. And so I'll allow him to go ahead and walk through it and and hopefully be able to answer any questions that you have. [0:44:32, 0:44:52]: Mayor and council, thank you. Thank you. And I apologize, uh John wasn't able to make it. He had a death in the family. I understand. I'm I'm very familiar with that. Recently. Go ahead. Okay. So uh what we're looking at, does everyone have their packet there? I was looking at page two essentially. Okay. Um so this is for the uh insurance benefits renewals for uh the July first renewal. [0:44:52, 0:45:04]: So while looking at this, you'll see on the left side there is what you're currently paying and then in the uh teal there is the renewal cost as well as what uh we're recommending at this point. [0:45:05, 0:45:05]: Um [0:45:06, 0:45:26]: So from March of twenty eighteen through February of this year, uh Cygna had paid one million one hundred sixty one thousand dollars in claims. And uh so like the the loss ratio for this is a hundred twenty-nine percent. Um insurers are generally trying to go around eighty percent loss ratio. [0:45:26, 0:45:46]: So what that means is that the claims are running uh a lot higher than what is being paid in premiums. And so they're uh putting an increase in the uh in the renewal. Um so on the renewal, if you kept keeping the the the plan exactly the same how it is, um the situation. [0:45:46, 0:45:51]: [2753.2, 2773.2]: Uh on the other page here that's recommended is what we were looking at as a possible recommendation to to lower the cost and still have a good plan for the employees as well. Um this plan, uh you guys are with uh City of Stockbridge is with Cygna as well right now, but we are also looking at bundling it in order [0:46:13, 0:46:28]: to uh have a lower cost for the medical and everything else. Um so on the recommended page you'll see that the uh it's in red is what is not as uh I guess not as good a as a benefit as it was this year. [0:46:28, 0:46:41]: Um it'd be raising that deductible, the calendar year deductible from twenty five hundred up to five thousand dollars, and it'd be raising your max out of pocket from five thousand dollars up to seventy nine hundred. [0:46:41, 0:46:42]: Um [0:46:43, 0:47:03]: Put doing this it put your percentage for your uh renewal increase to about twenty nine percent or twenty nine point one percent. Um another thing to note is the the city's uh fiscal year runs is January to December thirty-first. And right now we're we have uh [0:47:03, 0:47:23]: renewal being July 1st, so it's not in line with the budget. What was recommended is that we could move that, have a shorter renewal where we could renew this for six months and be able to reevaluate it in the fourth quarter and have a second enrollment for a January 1st renewal and [0:47:23, 0:47:23]: Instead. [0:47:24, 0:47:25]: Okay. [0:47:26, 0:47:34]: Um one important thing to note uh on this page as well is currently um the employee monthly cost is in orange there near the bottom. [0:47:35, 0:47:55]: Um employees are if you're an employee only, uh the city's covering the full cost of this. And then for employee and spouse or employee plus children or family coverage, right now the city's paying or the employee is paying$70.84 each month, uh regardless if they're covering just their spouse or if they're covering their whole [0:47:55, 0:48:15]: Whole family. One recommendation there would be to pay the same percentage, but each rate or each tier that your uh employee picks costs a different amount. Um so this could encourage people. There could be people on the plan right now who maybe have family coverage, although their spouse has coverage. [0:48:14, 0:48:34]: Somewhere else, it's costing them the same amount regardless. So they just might as well pay the family, they get the family coverage, although it's costing the city more money. Even if so, this would kind of give them more of a reason to, you know, just do employee plus children if their spouse already has coverage or anything like that. Um so you could see the deductions would. [0:48:34, 0:48:46]: would be z uh zero for an employee, uh employee plus spouse would be like fifty six dollars. So it'd be cheaper for, you know, people who just have their spouse on the coverage. And it'd be a little bit more for people who have the family coverage as well. [0:48:47, 0:48:53]: Okay, before you go on to another page, has anybody got any questions for this gentleman on this page? You do, sir? Go write it, please. [0:48:53, 0:49:01]: Um I went over this um plan with our city manager and uh uh HR director and my concern [0:49:02, 0:49:03]: Um was [0:49:04, 0:49:06]: How do we define the tier four? [0:49:07, 0:49:11]: And when we look at the uh twenty five percent on prescription plan. [0:49:12, 0:49:26]: Up to three hundred fifty dollars, what happens after that? Because I don't know each and every p employee's financial status when it comes to prescription plans, but when you talk about tiers on the prescription plan, uh that's not clear. [0:49:27, 0:49:29]: We just want to make sure that, you know. [0:49:29, 0:49:49]: Of course. Yeah. So for your tiers, just to kind of break the them down a little bit, the tier one is gonna be more of your basic generic drugs that you that are cheaper. Your tier two are gonna be more like non-preferred um generic drugs or some possibly some brand name. Tier three, and again this is kind of general because [0:49:49, 0:50:09]: Because every carrier is a little different of what their formulary is. Tier three are gonna be more all like brand name or non preferred. And the specialty that you're referring to, um, those are usually uh pretty expensive drugs for cancer or MS or or pretty uh um significant illnesses. And yeah, so uh on the on this page here that spreadsheet shows that twenty [0:50:09, 0:50:29]: twenty five percent. So that would be an employee would be paying uh or or a member here would be paying twenty-five percent of that cost of that script up to a max, and that's not listed on here for a max of three hundred dollars. So Okay, follow up then. Is the max three hundred dollars? What happens at the three hundred dollars? It's it's covered in full after the three hundred per script though. [0:50:29, 0:50:49]: So if they have a you know, so if the if the uh prescription's a thousand dollars and it's a twenty five percent co insurance, uh that insurance is gonna be paying two hundred fifty dollars. If the you know, if say the the prescription was two thousand dollars, that twenty five percent would be over that three hundred dollar limit. So the most they would pay is three. [0:50:49, 0:50:55]: three hundred dollars per script, you know, uh for each month. So yes. [0:50:56, 0:51:16]: Any other questions on the first page? Go right ahead, please. I just want to make sure that I understand one thing. And uh there's a lot of data here. I want to know what that number is to keep the employees, the total dollar amount to keep the employees where they are right now. Now we went through an extensive amount of work to raise. [0:51:16, 0:51:36]: Their pay and to bring up their salary commiserate with what Metro Atlanta is. In this town, we're gonna turn around and then take it back from them because the the repay that we gave them in an increase, we're gonna take some of that away or a lot of it away. Uh in [0:51:35, 0:51:55]: Terms of these benefits right here. These employees have done an outstanding job uh for us as a city uh in general, and they have been described as working miracles with the size of staff. Each year we turn a two million dollar surplus in our budget almost every single year. I personally [0:51:55, 0:52:12]: favor giving the employee sucking that up because giving them the money and a raise and then going right behind that reducing increasing their cost of insurance, you just taking it from one column and putting it in the other. So I favor [0:52:13, 0:52:20]: Suck it it up.'Cause I want to know that number so we can approve it to keep the employees right where they are now. [0:52:20, 0:52:33]: Well what you're looking at, um, Councilman Alexander, is that under the recommendation, even for the employee monthly cost, it is going down for everybody except for family. [0:52:33, 0:52:45]: So you're really were the employee is really receiving those who insure their spouse and those who insure their children, they're receiving a reduction in the monthly cost of the insurance. [0:52:46, 0:52:49]: They propose we are in trying to [0:52:50, 0:52:57]: get this to a level of where budgetarily from the city standpoint the city doesn't [0:52:58, 0:53:02]: Except such a huge increase and also making it fair for the employee. [0:53:02, 0:53:13]: We are trying to just achieve a twenty nine percent increase versus a fifty one point nine percent increase and giving the employees something back. [0:53:13, 0:53:20]: So we're not taking anything away from them except for those that ensure their whole family. And you're talking about possibly thirty dollars a month. [0:53:21, 0:53:41]: Yeah, we're looking at Henry County just went through the exact same thing. They bit the bullet and they took care of their employees. And um I'm asking my colleagues and the mayor to do the same thing for our employees, to suck the suck it up, make the difference here, uh to keep the employees where they are. [0:53:41, 0:54:01]: As we continue to try to get their wages to where they need to be, uh to be uh commiserate with what what the rest of the market will dictate and to also um make sure that as you just indicated, you know, the deductible goes from five thousand to seventy nine hundred. It's almost ten that's that's uh [0:54:01, 0:54:04]: So m you know three quarters of way to ten thousand dollars. [0:54:05, 0:54:18]: Uh for this employee. Um you're raising their deductible on prescriptions uh as well to three hundred dollars. Uh if it's and then the last thing we want to do if somebody's suffering from cancer. [0:54:18, 0:54:28]: or some serious uh impairment is to have them be impacted by, you know, not being able to afford their cancer medication because [0:54:29, 0:54:32]: They have three hundred dollar expense that they can't afford. [0:54:33, 0:54:34]: Mira pro plan. [0:54:34, 0:54:35]: Yes, um [0:54:36, 0:54:54]: What one of the reasons I came into office today is to go over this and get a clear understanding of what was actually going on with the with with uh with the proposal. Um and my concerns were valid concerns. Um when we have a we have a um [0:54:55, 0:55:01]: uh a retreat coming up in August, uh budget retreat. And we're gonna be moving this to January. [0:55:02, 0:55:05]: uh for renewals. Um [0:55:05, 0:55:12]: We we need to everyone needs to look at these numbers and everybody needs to understand what these numbers are. [0:55:13, 0:55:19]: Because when we make allegations, we wanna make sure they're valid allegations, but because I [0:55:20, 0:55:24]: When we look at it and really understand what's going on, we want to give validity to what we're saying. [0:55:25, 0:55:44]: Um, I understand that s in some cases it it it it will be lowered. I think about seventeen families, uh something like that, that was doing the bulk of it that we discussed earlier today. So when we're given these packets, one of the things we want to do is look'em over, ask questions, and we'll have a clear understanding. So when we [0:55:44, 0:55:46]: have presentations that come to us [0:55:47, 0:56:07]: We can ask questions with our allegations and make sure there's a clear understanding, not only for us with us, but add to an understanding by w asking the questions. And so I'm I'm clear about what's going on with this because I did come by. And one of the things I do recommend is that we go to our budget retreat and we form a [0:56:07, 0:56:11]: formulate what we need to formulate and we start our program in January. [0:56:11, 0:56:18]: with the insurance company on what they've already guaranteed us through what thing uh twenty twenty twenty twenty one twenty twenty twenty one. [0:56:18, 0:56:21]: Look at those negotiated rates and we move forward from there. [0:56:22, 0:56:42]: If I may, Mr. Mayor. Go right ahead. If I could. I just wanted to make sure I addressed uh one or two items that had been mentioned. The proposals that you have here, the one the recommended and the one that is the current proposal, um both try to alleviate the impact to uh those who are on uh the plans, uh, even with a recommended rate of a twenty-nine or so percent. [0:56:42, 0:57:02]: Percent increase, that is not passed on uh to um uh the staff or or employees. Um, because if it if it were, it would be a zero percent increase based on the amount that would be potentially absorbed, and that would be a significant hit. And so what you are seeing here in the recommended version is a hundred and about a hundred. [0:57:02, 0:57:03]: twenty five thousand. [0:57:04, 0:57:05]: Over a six month period. [0:57:05, 0:57:09]: And then on the current, if everything stayed the same. [0:57:09, 0:57:29]: The current scenario would be about two hundred and twenty-four thousand dollars. And again, that's over the next six months. As Mr. Hayes mentioned before, because we've been operating kind of this half year situation, we wanted to make sure that the benefits plan coincided with our budget year. And so we'll be moving toward that. [0:57:29, 0:57:33]: in January of next year to coincide with our January twenty twenty budget. [0:57:34, 0:57:53]: And so to that end, what we're asking you for is for some determination on which scenario you want to br want to approve for the next six month period. Um and that's again a hundred and twenty five thousand or two hundred and twenty-four thousand if everything were to remain the same. Ms. Camp, please. [0:57:54, 0:57:54]: Well [0:57:55, 0:58:09]: So to be clear, we need to make a di are you asking us to make a decision tonight on this particular line item budget for the next six months? For the next six months, yes we are asking. [0:58:09, 0:58:29]: In order to because have something uh routine basically in January. I need a new upcoming. Because our benefits plan our our benefits year currently starts on July the first. And in order to get everything out for open enrollment in June, uh to the employees to determine which plan or plans they want to go with, we want to go ahead and move that forward. [0:58:29, 0:58:32]: forward uh to start in July, July one. [0:58:32, 0:58:45]: And then you would we're asking you to approve this for six months, and then we would line up with our calendar year, which coincides with our budget, uh, for um January of twenty twenty. [0:58:45, 0:59:05]: So the amount that's allocated right now ha was it planned for for the two hundred and twenty-four thousand and six hundred and fifty seven dollars? Because although the employees are not getting a I I see the reducing cost if we go at this rate, but the the deductibles are doubled and those affect the employees. [0:59:05, 0:59:25]: Just as as well. I mean, it they're doubled. Right. And so that's a problem. There is something else I I that had not gotten to that I'd like to mention as well. Okay. This is this is so otherwise later on in the presentation, we didn't get to that. We didn't quite get there. Okay. Okay. Okay, so before we leave this page. [0:59:25, 0:59:29]: Any other questions on this particular page? And if not, please continue on page three, sir. [0:59:30, 0:59:42]: And to address Mr. Alexander and his concern, you know, about the deductible raising up, uh obviously going from a twenty five hundred dollar deductible up to five thousand is uh is a large increase to that to the employees. Um [0:59:43, 1:00:03]: Something that is in place currently with the the city is there's a HRA or a health reimbursement arrangement, uh which is this is a a fund that the city has to reimburse uh currently um the last two thousand dollars of their deductible. So really employees are only liable for uh five hundred dollars of the first part of their deductible. [1:00:03, 1:00:07]: The recommendation would be to raise that HRA fund. [1:00:07, 1:00:23]: uh to reimburse the last four thousand dollars of that five thousand dollar deductible. So the employees liability per year would be a thousand dollars. So it'd be like raising your at least the deductible, your your liable part of the deductible from five hundred to a thousand. [1:00:24, 1:00:32]: And that would that would address that that large deductible by keeping the premiums, um, you know, trying to keep that lower with such a high increase this year. [1:00:33, 1:00:37]: Okay. Sir. So okay, you have a question about this particular person. Okay, go right here, please. [1:00:38, 1:00:58]: Uh because in in this event, again, that means in this scenario, the employees gotta come up with four thousand dollars out of their pocket to be in reimbursed for. They might not have the money. These are serious issues that we're dealing with right now in people's lives because of employers. [1:00:58, 1:01:05]: It has to come out of pocket to be reimbursed. That process takes some time all in itself. [1:01:06, 1:01:14]: If you have them covered in the first place, then they don't have to worry about that in the middle of deciding why their loved one is on the operating table. [1:01:15, 1:01:15]: This the [1:01:17, 1:01:20]: Well they have to pay the twenty five hundred dollars up front now. [1:01:21, 1:01:41]: And they have to send in the documentation or to get reimbursed to two thousand dollars. So they have to come up with the money now, up front. We don't pay it until after they've met the deductible. Right. They've f we're talking about twenty five hundred, but now we're talking about raising that to four thousand dollars. That's a raise of money. [1:01:41, 1:01:58]: That's a difference between you gotta come up with twenty twenty five hundred is too much to me right now. So it's unconscionable to think of you gotta raise it to four thousand dollars. Now they gotta come up with twenty five hundred, which is too much, but then they gotta come up with four thousand now. [1:01:58, 1:02:18]: We only have a certain number of employees that even utilize the plant, which it it uh doesn't at the doesn't outweigh the at the bottom of that page you'll see uh through April twenty third of this year, only two members have have ha been reimbursed the full uh two thousand dollars for this last year. Okay. [1:02:18, 1:02:25]: Um looking over the plan, because w [1:02:25, 1:02:28]: We can probably spend all night on this. My recommendation if [1:02:29, 1:02:43]: if you will, and I've talked to you about this, is that we have a retreat in August. We leave the plan as is, we have the retreat in August and maybe you all can come and give us a presentation for the renewal in January that we're gonna do anyway. [1:02:44, 1:03:01]: And we go from there because we're gonna sit back here and go pro go to pros and cons. We can do this all night without without you know, because that you know, some th there's so many moving parts to this and unless each council member has really gone through all of this, we're gonna do this all night. [1:03:02, 1:03:22]: May Mr. Stand by please. Mr. Knight, you had something you need to add? Just one uh just one comment. Um the broker did go out to several different uh benefit sources and benefit plans to try to get uh the best scenarios uh for us and looked at a number of different options. And so this was brought back to you as a current uh obviously the current plan that [1:03:22, 1:03:28]: that we currently have and then a recommendation for you all to consider uh that other option as well. So [1:03:29, 1:03:46]: Mayor. Thank you, Mayor. Um, I agree. Um, if we just move forward with our six months that you're indicating right now to be in place July one, and then we'll have our retreat and then you can come back and d do the presentation. Um so that way a lot of [1:03:47, 1:04:07]: Defined questions can be answered at that time. Um, and I agree we need to move on. So, Mayor, can I make a motion that we do the six months of what we currently have? Or do we need a motion? Yes, you can make a motion. Okay. I make a motion that we move with the fifth the current what we currently have for the six months, and then we come back at our retreat and have [1:04:07, 1:04:21]: I think motion is good. If it's motion is good, motion's good. All right, so any further discussion is no if is there any further discussion before we go to vote? [1:04:21, 1:04:41]: I uh I'm s I'm sorry. I I just wanted to say one more one other thing. So if the retreats in August, um this may be something John would need to look at, but I don't know if Cygnet will have'cause this is all claims driven for that January renewal numbers, if they would have'em out by August or not. Um that's just something something I'm not too sure. [1:04:41, 1:04:59]: Okay. So that's just one piece of information that would be important. I think the larger issue is having a really robust and and detailed discussion about benefits and how how the city handles them going forward. I think that's the larger issue from what I'm hearing from the sentiments of the council. Okay. Yeah. No further question. All in favor of the motion, please indicate. [1:05:00, 1:05:11]: Fantastic. There you have it. All right. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir. We uh Okay. Uh let's see here. Council consideration to feel [1:05:11, 1:05:17]: To fill vacancy and appoint an intern for Stockbridge municipal court solicitor, Mr. Williams, please. [1:05:22, 1:05:35]: Good evening, Mary and Council. Um uh about two weeks ago at the last session of the municipal court, um our city solicitor uh indicated that she would be stepping down to take a permanent role. [1:05:35, 1:05:55]: uh with the county as as uh one of their assistant uh solicitors. Um and so we have a vacancy and I have previously forwarded the the resume um that you have in your packet um um with a recommendation that Miss Julie Kurt be appointed on an interim basis [1:05:55, 1:06:12]: as your solicitor. Um as you can see she has a significant amount of experience uh working in the solicitor's office for the city of Atlanta and is currently one of the solicitors for the city of Fayetteville in addition to maintaining a a regular criminal law practice. [1:06:12, 1:06:24]: Um if you make that appointment that she would be available for the next session and and we could certainly have a conversation with how you would wanna fill this position on on a permanent basis, whether you would wanna [1:06:24, 1:06:44]: appoint her for say six months and have the next person be appointed in January when you make your regular appointments or if you want us to do something uh uh more in terms of uh an opening for vacancy now that will take your uh pleasure. I'm thinking it might with everything going on this summer you it [1:06:44, 1:06:51]: may be wise to have the permanent appointment made in January, but that's that's just my thought. [1:06:51, 1:07:09]: All right, thank you, sir. Any questions for uh our attorney? Anybody? All right, do I hear a motion? Any motion to accept his request or yes ma'am. Yes, sir. I like the motion that we uh we take to consideration to fill the vacancy appointment interim of a Stockbridge municipal court as described by uh city attorney. [1:07:09, 1:07:12]: My second. All right, further discussion. [1:07:12, 1:07:21]: I do. That's six months, correct? That's your recommendation? That would be a yeah, initial recommendation, but just wanna be clear. Okay. Whatever y'all would like is fine. [1:07:21, 1:07:25]: All right. All in favor of the motion please indicate? All right, fantastic. [1:07:27, 1:07:33]: Uh I'm corrected by the the uh the city clerk. It's actually seven months till the end of the year. I apologize. [1:07:34, 1:07:41]: Do we need to re restate that? Uh I didn't put any we can correct it for the appreciate it. [1:07:42, 1:08:02]: Mayor, I just want for clarification purposes that Mayor Pro Tem did not put a timeline. So whether it's six months or if we swap out in the middle of the now, so be it. Just so everyone knows, it's just a recommendation that we appoint an interim solicitor, correct? That's correct. All of your attorneys, sir. [1:08:02, 1:08:21]: Okay. Thank you. So question, Mayor. So he had two suggestions. We did not indicate. So I just want us to be clear in the motion. Because you made two suggestions. That's why I came back and said this, you know, the six months. So I just want us to be clear, because the motion didn't indicate. So that's why. [1:08:22, 1:08:22]: Well. [1:08:22, 1:08:34]: For for clarity, my recommendation was until the beginning of the year and I'm fine with that. But if if y'all wanna make it an indefinite appointment, that's fine as well. You would just need to restate the motion. [1:08:35, 1:08:48]: Mayor the the the motion at hand hasn't doesn't have a date on it because we could find somebody even within those months. Or we can have to or we may have to hire somebody even after that. [1:08:48, 1:09:03]: That's at our discretion anyway, so there's no need for a new motion. If that's the intent of your motion, I I stand corrected. He made it in second is passed. Okay. So we move on. Discussion, council discussion, healthy food overlay ordinance presented by Councilman Alexander. Go ahead, sir. [1:09:04, 1:09:24]: Uh thank you sir. Uh I was uh looking at what it is that we need to do uh to protect the city and uh in each one of you all's binders, uh there was a article or there was an ordinance uh introduced by the city of Birmingham, Alabama, uh to deal with food deserts. [1:09:24, 1:09:44]: And uh the proliferation of dollar stores or discounters. Those discounters really come into the community. They encourage snacks and all kinds of unhealthy foods to be consumed into the community. And they took a real approach. [1:09:44, 1:10:04]: where they could kind of where Birmingham could kind of look at some distance requirements uh between these particular units and then uh addressing food deserts in general where uh there is a mile or more distance between uh consumers and the nearest grocery store. Uh these dollar store [1:10:04, 1:10:24]: Have found themselves filling that niche in communities, which causes and contributes to our rate of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the community. I had spoken with our community development director and asked her to look at some different components. [1:10:24, 1:10:41]: behind uh establishing a healthy food ordinance and she uh indicated uh her thoughts on that. Uh is it possible for you to come to the podium, Ms. Moore, and give your thoughts on uh the proliferation of the dollar stores, the food deserts, uh, and establishing this ordinance. [1:10:44, 1:11:04]: Good evening, Mayor and Council. Uh, what I share with Councilman Alexander is that I don't know necessarily if the food uh issue that they were dealing is the best approach for us. I think communities that have an oversaturation of dollar stores, there are other ways that you can approach it other than necessarily from the food. And what I suggest is that the food is a good thing [1:11:04, 1:11:24]: Is that we handle it from a zoning perspective. In other words, when you have these types of uses that are purporting to be a grocery store, then treat them as that, which means that as a big box, you can deal with the minimum amount of acreage, you can deal with loading docks and other zoning conditions that make it [1:11:23, 1:11:43]: Less desirable for these type of uses to come into your community. And that's what other districts have done. So therefore, you know, typically they try to find acreage that's less than one. But a lot of jurisdictions have said, well, you want to be a grocery store, then you got to come in on four or five acres. And so therefore they don't come because they're so used to getting a half or eight. [1:11:43, 1:12:00]: acre or something smaller to do it. So my suggestion is that to deal with the oversaturation or proliferation of these type of uses, that we look at bringing back to Mayor Council zoning conditions that would preclude them from coming into our community in terms of being oversaturated. [1:12:00, 1:12:20]: Well that sounds like a um a very good idea. It was very intriguing. The whole thing was to be able to look at it and to making sure that we were making the best quality of life uh decisions uh for the community. Because what truly happens in a lot of the instances is that when you have a over proliferation of [1:12:20, 1:12:40]: Of the discount stores, what generally happens is it puts a lot of pressure on the existing grocery stores because the high margin items are being taken away. And in some cases, where you see food deserts develop, the attack strategy is you proliferate with the discounters, putting pressure. [1:12:40, 1:13:00]: On the major grocery store, and in a lot of cases, especially in communities like ours, diverse communities, the major chain grocery store ends up folding, closing down. After they close down, there is a vacuum in the community, and then you get even more. [1:13:00, 1:13:20]: Discount retailers serving foods that are not necessarily the best for the community. I think I like Ms. Moore's approach in terms of the building, but I think we still need to speak to some component of the food as well to allow to folks understand that. [1:13:20, 1:13:40]: that uh this is a overall strategy uh for quality of life and health as we uh evolve into our health and wellness community because we have a large presence now with Pete Mount Henry growing and expanding um and um Roth Rossi Ortho orthopedic and spine located here. [1:13:40, 1:14:00]: Uh Emory is located here. Uh Northside Hospital is expanding. So as we do that, and I went to Piedmont Henry Hospital recently, and they said Henry County was ground zero for uh obesity and heart disease. They were ground zero for heart disease and [1:14:00, 1:14:20]: And the main contributor to that was uh obesity caused by the lack of quality produce, vegetables, and healthy uh foods available in in communities, because these discounters sell the same products at a lower discount rate, but [1:14:19, 1:14:39]: There is a difference in the quality of that product and then the long-term effects on the population at large. I would like to task the staff with coming back to us with some recommendations for allowing these discounters. [1:14:39, 1:14:59]: To be treated as grow with as grocery stores, as Ms. Moore mentioned, because they get in, they buy on a half-acre lot, the grocery store has to buy on a five or six, their overhead is so much lower than the grocery store. So the grocery store finds themselves at a competitive disadvantage, not able to compete. [1:14:59, 1:15:19]: Because when you go in the dollar store, they only got one employee in there. That one employee is trying to do everything behind the staff that leads to more crime, where there's shoplifting in there and then there's ready cash uh always available at these particular locations. [1:15:19, 1:15:22]: So I'd like to hear what the [1:15:23, 1:15:32]: The council thought thinks about uh the proliferation of these particular stores and this particular approach that staff has recommended. [1:15:33, 1:15:53]: Well let me let me start this off here and ask Miss Moore what what sounds reasonable for to come back with ordinance back to the the council and not knowing uh whether it's two weeks, four months, who two a month, whatever. What what what's reasonable here? Uh recommendations. We're in the process of actually updating our zoning ordinance. What we can do is I can get with legal and we we [1:15:53, 1:16:11]: We're always adding to our moratorium as we say something. Right. I think that we can come up with a classification that kind of addresses this so that no more can come in until we actually get to the writing of the ordinances where we can address these particular uses specifically. All right. Mr. Williams, please. [1:16:14, 1:16:19]: an abundance of caution you should probably adopt the moratorium now. [1:16:19, 1:16:27]: Um the the definition that b Birmingham is using in the article and and they got they copied their ordinance from Tulsa. [1:16:28, 1:16:37]: Is a small disc small box discount store. And they define that as a store that is less than twelve thousand square feet. [1:16:38, 1:16:43]: wherein the majority of the goods are marketed for ten dollars or less. [1:16:43, 1:17:03]: And that's about as close of a definition as you can come up with for a dollar store, if you will. Um so if you wanted to to adopt a moratorium, a motion would be in order to impose a moratorium on small box discount stores defined as stores with 12,000 square feet of [1:17:03, 1:17:04]: Or less [1:17:05, 1:17:09]: Who market the majority of their goods for less than ten dollars? [1:17:09, 1:17:15]: All right. Uh thank you for that, sir. Um is there a motion of such from the council? [1:17:15, 1:17:35]: Uh so moved. And I would uh note in my motion that there are currently four Dollar Generals um coming to this area, one on Highway 18081 and McDonough, one on Highway 155, which is at the McDonough and Stockbridge City, um outside the city limits. There's one in Old Jackson. [1:17:35, 1:17:49]: uh down in locust grove and there's another one that I can't think of the address. So four of them are currently under construction. So I would like to that to be noted uh in this motion and as as stated by the city attorney. [1:17:50, 1:17:52]: This is also moratorium there, second to that. [1:17:53, 1:17:55]: Is there a second to that particular motion? [1:17:57, 1:18:04]: So this is the recommendation. Oh or I mean we can have discussion. Uh there's no so far, no second, but go ahead. Discussion. Go ahead, ma'am. So a second. [1:18:05, 1:18:13]: Okay, you do second it, okay. Based off second it based off your recommendation, um and also legal's uh recommendation, um I do second. [1:18:13, 1:18:33]: Okay. Any further discussion? Any further discussion for Miss Moore? Yes. Go right into the Well one question. So the small box stores, although it's less than twelve it doesn't include like a gas station or a small convenience store that is attached or anything of that nature, correct? No, because they're items I I think where [1:18:33, 1:18:43]: they specified how Birmingham and Tulsa was that in the gas store in a gas station your items are normally gonna be maybe exceed the dollar amount that a dollar store. [1:18:43, 1:18:44]: What's say all? [1:18:45, 1:19:05]: I'm sorry, what do you what do you mean? So the question one of the differences in the Texaco and the dollar store, the ranges of the items in your gas station would exceed that ten dollar typically in terms of what you would buy.'Cause they're not considered a dollar store. Then this is the problem we've always had with trying to regulate [1:19:05, 1:19:13]: these is that you know for instance you could have a store that had thirteen thousand [1:19:13, 1:19:22]: uh square feet and then that would not be in the definition. So wherever you draw the line, someone can always come and put it just above or just below as the case may be. [1:19:23, 1:19:23]: Um [1:19:25, 1:19:45]: What they did in Tulsa also they excluded grocery stores, but they had a specific definition. Once you got into it, the lists and the regulations got more and more just because you wanted to keep some in and rule some out and all that. So it it's it's it's not a very easy problem to address by just defining it. Um [1:19:45, 1:19:48]: The ten dollar limitation was meant to [1:19:48, 1:20:08]: take out places like C D S because that's less than twelve thousand square feet and some people would argue that some of what they market is discount as well, but that's another and then it's a problem right issue. And then if you're concerned about gas stations, uh in that uh motion you could put except for those that provide [1:20:08, 1:20:12]: Like gas or what you call it auxiliary use, right? [1:20:12, 1:20:32]: So that means that if you were a gas station, this doesn't apply to you because she service gas. So it's those type of little things that you can make a distinction. So there's a gas station, including, you know, except for those that sell gas, if there's some other use um that gets you to the point. Um, you know, these have been a problem everywhere. [1:20:32, 1:20:52]: I mean they they pop up in a lot of communities are fighting back, but you have to be careful to make sure that you're actually getting at what it is you're trying to prevent, not at those entities that you're not trying to prevent. And like legal was saying, it's how we coin it for the moratorium. And again, we're just [1:20:52, 1:21:12]: asking for the moratorium until we can hash out the specifics of what this should look like. So we're not saying to let us do this indefinitely. We're saying until we come back with the zoning ordinance, we can add that plus excluding those businesses that sell gas or whatever. [1:21:12, 1:21:32]: always has an exemption provision so that a uh if if there was a still question they could petition to mayor and council to be exempted from the moratorium and that y'all would just review it at that point. Okay. Um are you d uh you still have something up to and now that you say that I feel a little bit more comfortable. However [1:21:33, 1:21:34]: Please [1:21:34, 1:21:54]: Note that we've had some issues in the past recently where another hair salon might pop up and and there may be, oh, it's been on the books, but not really. I want to make sure that doesn't happen. Um, you know, our whole purpose is to make sure that we don't have the doll stores every single [1:21:54, 1:21:56]: Single mile basically. [1:21:56, 1:21:59]: And so whatever you guys have to do to get that done. [1:22:00, 1:22:01]: So be it, but [1:22:02, 1:22:22]: I don't wanna come back and it's like, oh, it was in the it was already in the pipe, already there and i it's just not gonna be acceptable. So I'm okay with the motion as so long as we we get something concrete down, um, and you saying not to if if I [1:22:22, 1:22:25]: Items are ten dollars and below. [1:22:25, 1:22:39]: And if you wanna put in there excluding those that ha serve gas, that would address the issue of service stations. Well, actually a a family dollar might have a twenty dollar item. So I'm trying to figure out how are we going to we have the square footage. [1:22:39, 1:22:50]: Yeah, the language that they use in Tulsa is the majority of the goods. And even that is problematic. The majority someone has to make an assessment of what you're selling, but it's a start. [1:22:51, 1:22:52]: Mr. Mayor. Mr. Blount, please. [1:22:53, 1:23:06]: Um once again, we're making a motion to start something we got a thousand questions that's gonna always be evolving, always gonna be evolving, and we're about to make a decision without all the facts. [1:23:07, 1:23:13]: We're making a motion without all the facts. Because in in this motion. [1:23:13, 1:23:16]: I'm I'm I believe in small businesses. [1:23:16, 1:23:27]: I believe in this city's this city s has stood on small businesses. And so what are we doing with the small businesses that want to come to see the Stockbridge? This eliminates them. It cuts them out. [1:23:28, 1:23:44]: in certain areas because we don't have all the facts. Why are we sitting up here making motions about to vote on something we don't have all the facts? That's what staff is here for, not to come to a council meeting and then we make a motion off of something of preliminaries. We want all the facts. [1:23:45, 1:23:46]: And I would [1:23:46, 1:23:54]: I can't make a decision without having all the facts. Cedar Churning, you just said there's so much to this. [1:23:54, 1:23:55]: That we don't even know yet. [1:23:57, 1:23:59]: But yet we have a motion on the table. [1:24:00, 1:24:02]: Mr. Thomas, go ahead, please. Um [1:24:02, 1:24:05]: I agree with that and and my concern is [1:24:06, 1:24:08]: When we talk about moratorium [1:24:09, 1:24:11]: We are prohibited. [1:24:12, 1:24:17]: And as Mr Pro Tem Blount indicated, small businesses. [1:24:18, 1:24:19]: This is what they [1:24:20, 1:24:25]: survive on these kind of items. So I just want to caution us [1:24:27, 1:24:28]: Without de facts. [1:24:29, 1:24:35]: Because one thing about human nature and obesity and and what we consume [1:24:35, 1:24:39]: Um, it is a personal choice. [1:24:40, 1:24:43]: of health consciousness. [1:24:44, 1:24:53]: Um, you could be all around snacks and candy and sugar, and some folks will not partake. [1:24:54, 1:24:57]: And some will. So I don't know if we can regulate [1:24:58, 1:25:07]: The conscience of humans as far as what they consume. I understand the nature of what we're trying to do. [1:25:08, 1:25:28]: But I'm I'm just I just think we just need to wait and give staff a little bit more opportunity to gather a little bit more facts and bring those things to us. I don't wanna rush into this kind of a decision where it's going to impact whether a small business can survive or not. [1:25:28, 1:25:48]: I do agree with all of us trying to be as healthy as possible. But I I just think it's it's an individual thing and it's it's a it's a conscious thing. And mayor mayor, that's why I I in my initial response, councilman, I said we're not dealing with the food. [1:25:48, 1:26:06]: thing is to approach any of this going forward is from a zoning perspective. It's just like you have a moratorium of a number of the number of alcohol stores, liquor stores that you have. Uh we just did a moratorium on how many thrift shops you have. All I'm saying is that at some point in time, if there is a concern [1:26:06, 1:26:13]: In terms of something that you think is a oversaturation, staff is willing to deal with it. What amount of time? [1:26:13, 1:26:19]: You dictate to us when you want us to do it. I just want to make sure that we don't get into [1:26:20, 1:26:21]: Something based on food. [1:26:21, 1:26:41]: But something based on zoning and codes that will withstand the test of time. So that's why I tried to move it away from the depot. But to deal with it from a zoning perspective, and that's pretty much what Tulsa and Birmingham did. They stayed with it, even though one of them got off into food, traditionally what you see is addressed as a zoning issue. [1:26:41, 1:26:58]: Not necessarily in terms of eating habits and foods. May I may I finish? Uh me down. May I finish? Yeah, go right in. Uh one reason because and and I don't know if the city manager and the attorney is gonna bring this to light. Um there's an issue with the moratorium uh right now. [1:26:59, 1:27:01]: with a very grey issue. [1:27:01, 1:27:17]: Um and I won't really speak it, I'll give y'all the opportunity to speak that. Um but this is a great example of the moratorium not being clear as to what is the intent. [1:27:17, 1:27:18]: Of counsel. [1:27:19, 1:27:30]: And I don't know if y'all want to speak to that now, but that's a great example of us being cautious of how we legislate and make sure they our intent [1:27:30, 1:27:31]: It's clear. [1:27:31, 1:27:48]: on what we're trying to do. And I I just don't think we should rush. And as you just mentioned, uh Mrs. Moore, uh from a zoning perspective, and if you need to bring that to us, I I think we need to allow that process to happen. But I'm gonna ask um [1:27:49, 1:28:09]: the city attorney and and the city manager if y'all just want to spound on the issue that we're having with the moratorium that we have right now. Yes sir. So y'all wanna call the question. We we we this this is kinda getting into another area. I wanna I would like to call the question. Point of order. Uh Mr Mayor did you recognize [1:28:09, 1:28:21]: No, I did not and and I want the the city attorney to go ahead and finish out his explanation, please. So the the issue uh that Councilman Thomas was referring to, as you know you have a moratorium in place. [1:28:21, 1:28:41]: Um, you know, that covers the the nail salons, the beauty parlors, the the vape shops, uh and number of other pawn shops, I believe, a number of other uses. Um that was adopted initially uh over a year ago and you've extended it twice. Um one of the items on there is assembly uses and and assembly uses. [1:28:41, 1:29:01]: Are basically uh large gatherings, uh primarily religious, um, but also movie theaters and and other you know entities like that, event centers. Um and I will be the first to admit I frankly forgot that assembly uses were on that list because it was adopted so long ago. I think it was mainly all the [1:29:01, 1:29:21]: these other items. So um you you if you pull the emails between me and the staff, I kept telling them, no, we haven't, there's no moratorium on assembly uses. And I actually told the councilman that we kept saying yes, there is. Yeah, so we we were just back and forth. And so once we went back and looked sure enough there is um do we have a particular applicant [1:29:21, 1:29:23]: Who wants to [1:29:23, 1:29:43]: have an event space which you know maybe that would be something that y'all would not want to be covered under the moratorium. But since it's an assembly use, it's you know, you gotta treat it just like you would treat any other. And so that right now they can't come in unless the council gives them an exemption as per the moratorium language. And the reason why [1:29:43, 1:30:00]: that particularly came into play was uh what was going in your commercial centers as it relates to possible restaurants. And so there was concern until we got a handle on the various uses the catch all was assemblies. There was um we were requested to go back and [1:30:00, 1:30:05]: One of the things that we're addressing is how many churches are in a strip mall. [1:30:05, 1:30:06]: Uh, that was a concern. [1:30:07, 1:30:10]: And so we were looking at that. The only way that we have time. [1:30:11, 1:30:14]: Т адреса фрама орнис перспективу со да. [1:30:14, 1:30:15]: If you have a strip center. [1:30:16, 1:30:19]: Де ванста камин від та ресторан, де вони хав алкоголь. [1:30:19, 1:30:39]: We were trying to put a handle on that. That was the information that we brought to you over a year ago. Is how do we handle these commercial areas where we're saying we want certain things near downtown, near the amphitheater? What we thought in particular was a shopping center, which is right over here where Sherman Williams, those centers that surround the amphitheater, or what is it over? [1:30:39, 1:30:59]: Oversaturation are particular uses within a strip mall. So that is why the assembly was the catch-all until we either do a distance requirement so that you don't have an entire strip mall in which no commercial uses are there, or what are the appropriate uses for the strip mall. Unfortunately, this [1:30:59, 1:31:01]: This is an assembly type use. [1:31:01, 1:31:10]: Mayor. Yes, yes, ma'am. Go ahead, please. My question is, that person that applied, if it was indeed an event center, what was the outcome of that? [1:31:11, 1:31:31]: Well right, based on that it is an assembly, not only that one what would we denied about ten. But why would it be denied if you know that that really wasn't our intent without speaking to counsel first? Oh, I didn't know that was your intent. I'm just giving you an example of why we brought assembly. We were very clear on our intent for assembly. [1:31:32, 1:31:34]: And that was not council's intent. [1:31:34, 1:31:40]: And to hear it for the first time that certain event centers and stuff are denied is a little bit disturbing. [1:31:41, 1:32:01]: Well, you're gonna have to separate the building codes. See, now you're talking about an official definition of a code that's that classifies what things are. If you want to amend the building codes and you wanna say, in assembly, based on the federal, the state, and the local law, you're gonna pull out event centers, you can do that. But we take the basic [1:32:01, 1:32:21]: Definition of what the code says. And the code by law says that these type of uses are considered assemblies. You can change that. We just try to follow the code, the state code, and the local codes. And the the problem with that is under the federal statute, you cannot treat religious in [1:32:21, 1:32:41]: institutions differently from any other type of use. And so an event s center is is underneath it it it's in the same category of uh type of use. So you have to treat them the same. So if you wanted to if they wanted to ask for an exception, th the the rule is, as you guys just so told us [1:32:42, 1:32:42]: I know [1:32:42, 1:32:57]: Oh, we c they can always ask for an exception, right? How many people have made an argument that they want this event center? How many times have they come to you guys and the council hasn't heard about it? That's my concern. [1:32:57, 1:33:02]: This is the first one that I'm personally aware of. Right. [1:33:03, 1:33:04]: That's my concern. [1:33:05, 1:33:25]: Well, I I found out about today. So we've been dealing with today. H here's the issue that I raise a legal issue. If you open up this for exceptions, you're gonna have to also open it up for all the churches that wanna come in. And just be mindful. What we can do, I would say, if there is a concern, just remove assemblies. If that is a concern, just remove [1:33:24, 1:33:44]: Remove it and then we will continue to address the churches and everybody else that comes in. We will continue to do that. I'm just saying that based on the law, we followed the law and the codes. If you're going to allow exceptions, just understand that you're also going to get the exceptions from the churches and from everybody else. So the safest way. [1:33:44, 1:33:49]: It's just move assemblies from the from your moratorium. [1:33:49, 1:33:57]: I don't know. No, so we still have a we have a motion on the floor and it's been second. So we've been talking having a lot of discussion. Could you actually repeat the motion? [1:33:57, 1:34:08]: There's a motion on the floor for the moratorium for small box stores less than twelve thousand feet selling items with an average of less than ten dollars. [1:34:09, 1:34:14]: Is that is correct that is correct. It's been seconded. Okay, sorry, you gentlemen okay. [1:34:15, 1:34:19]: Any any comments on that? It's been seconded. So all in favor of the motion, please indicate. [1:34:20, 1:34:22]: Anybody opposed the motion? [1:34:22, 1:34:32]: Say again. All all in favor of the motion, please indicate. All in favor of the motion, please indicate. All opposed. Based off their recommendation, right? All all opposed? [1:34:34, 1:34:39]: Okay, so we have a two two tie. You know you're not you're sustaining. Abs I sustain. [1:34:39, 1:34:40]: Excuse me? [1:34:40, 1:35:00]: Until we can get some kind of order where people are gonna come and tell us that there's an issue at hand or or a store or a new business wants to come here and speak to Mayor and Council, I can't just take the word that they can come and then they have a problem getting to us because it stopped at staff and it should have been brought to council. [1:35:00, 1:35:20]: So I subscribe. All right. So anyway, it's a two-two tie on the motion the way the motion stands. All right. I would deny the motion as as as as it stands. So it's it loses three two. Okay, now the question is, what do we need to do? If we what do we need to do right now, since the motion has failed and we want to deal with the situation, what is it that we need to do to solve this problem? [1:35:21, 1:35:41]: But I think you got two different issues. Okay. The stock. One dealt with your big box, the other one dealed with assembly. And just for the record, I found out about this issue today. So I mean, wherever it was dealt with, whatever staff level, Miss Skin, I just want you to know I found out about today, and I don't know what options were made available. I went and met with [1:35:41, 1:36:01]: A lady. When I found out I went down and sat down and talked with her. She told me that she had been dealing with other staff people. I told her that she wanted to meet tomorrow night at nine o'clock. I told her I no, because she gets off late. I told her I was willing to sit down and meet with her to see what else we can get in that building. That's what I did today. All I'm saying is that you have a set of codes. [1:36:01, 1:36:21]: All staff can do is follow the law. If you amend the law, you just open the door. But whatever you want to do, just let us know so we can be consistent. So the second question is if they want to remove assembly from the moratorium. And that takes us back to allowing the churches. [1:36:20, 1:36:37]: anybody of any groups to come in, then we can continue to do that. That way we won't have to try to selectively, you know, put you guys in a situation where people of churches and other groups are coming before you to ask for the exemption. Mayor let me share some mic on it. Go right in, sir. [1:36:37, 1:36:44]: I i if I may, and if it's okay with Mr. Williams and and Mr Knighton, if I just share this information with the council. [1:36:45, 1:36:50]: An objection. Okay. Um [1:36:51, 1:37:00]: A young lady made a purchase of a building that we knew as Believers Authority Church. [1:37:01, 1:37:04]: Um and she wanted to [1:37:05, 1:37:07]: create an event center. She came to the city [1:37:08, 1:37:10]: Um initially [1:37:10, 1:37:12]: Um she was told that she could. [1:37:13, 1:37:15]: So she made the purchase of the building. [1:37:16, 1:37:18]: She came to the city. [1:37:19, 1:37:20]: Uh to get her license. [1:37:21, 1:37:22]: Um [1:37:22, 1:37:24]: She was denied [1:37:24, 1:37:32]: Um she actually called me. I referred her to the city manager and the city attorney. And [1:37:32, 1:37:43]: And I'll let Mr. Williams sort of talk about this a little bit more, but he he said that he sort of overspoke. So we gave her the okay. [1:37:43, 1:37:49]: And then we came back and looked at it again and said, No, because [1:37:49, 1:37:53]: In my in my estimation, the word assembly [1:37:54, 1:38:01]: Was in that gray area. And I, and as uh Councilwoman Gantt said, I think our intent was about churches. [1:38:02, 1:38:06]: Видано в extent of the assembly. [1:38:06, 1:38:11]: Uh but I think our intent was to try to limit the churches [1:38:11, 1:38:16]: And not uh movie theaters, um [1:38:16, 1:38:26]: event center. So just think if if someone come to us today wanted to bring a movie theater here to the city of Stockbridge, we c we couldn't even allow it. [1:38:27, 1:38:45]: Because of this. So I'm just saying we just need to rethink this and this why going back to Mr. Alexander's uh initiative, we just need to rethink it. But um the lady was told that she could not, then she was told that she could, and now she's told again that she cannot. So [1:38:45, 1:38:49]: We just have to be clear because we cannot flip flop. [1:38:49, 1:39:09]: When potential businesses come to us and seeking a license and they come downstairs and they get misinformation. So we just have to be clear. And let me add, Mayor, I I think our position has always been the same. I went back and pulled the information from business services. We've always um upheld the code. I think the issue is [1:39:09, 1:39:10]: is is that [1:39:10, 1:39:22]: when they go beyond staff and they talk to other folks and that's when the confusion becomes. But we we've always adhered to the code. We we haven't changed. We've given the same answer from day one. [1:39:22, 1:39:22]: All right. [1:39:23, 1:39:24]: So be it. [1:39:25, 1:39:41]: Okay. You want to remove assembly? So now we f more discussion in reference to how we want to deal with assemblies and if and how we wanna accept that and deal with that. Now it's something that uh we can try to resolve tonight if we wanna keep going down this road. We'll come back and deal with this uh in a couple of weeks or so. Sir. Go right ahead. [1:39:42, 1:40:02]: Uh in order to attempt to alleviate this particular issue, um, I think uh if there's some concern about assembly, my first contention is is that we have a process. If those individuals who uh were caught into a gray area could have come to council. [1:40:02, 1:40:22]: For the green light, and we would have given them the green light because that was not the intent of what we want to do. But to alleviate this concern, uh, we could simply remove uh we the staff has recommended that this move forward. Now, I think our city attorney said that he recommended. [1:40:22, 1:40:23]: [6024.0, 6044.0]: Yeah, remove assembly. And moving a removing assembly. So based on the staff recommendation to remove assembly from the city attorney and the community development director, I will make a motion to accept the staff recommendation of the city attorney and the community development director. [1:40:44, 1:41:04]: Removing assembly from this particular mortgage or Mr. Mayor, I just want to clarify clarify the record. I'm not opposed to removing it, but I did not recommend we remove it. I know the um the uh community uh development director didn't. I'm not opposed, that's fine. I just wanted to clarify the record. [1:41:03, 1:41:23]: record. Is that you said if we if we were you you didn you said I don't think you recommended it. You said if we were going to do it we need to do it now versus later because it was signaled to those uh proprietors to uh [1:41:23, 1:41:36]: Go ahead and get it into the hopper right now versus later on. Yeah, thank you. [1:41:36, 1:41:37]: Less different. [1:41:38, 1:41:39]: It's different. [1:41:40, 1:41:41]: Are you done? Uh [1:41:44, 1:41:48]: No, I'll withdraw. Do you withdraw the motion? Okay. All right. Yes sir. Go right, please. [1:41:48, 1:42:04]: Um a and I I was in the process of seconding that, but uh well if you're gonna second I uh I I will I'll go ahead. One moment. One moment please. Go ahead. One moment. Um Mayor Pro Tem made a um a a point [1:42:05, 1:42:06]: Going back to [1:42:07, 1:42:11]: Um the intent of limiting the churches. [1:42:11, 1:42:15]: Uh but again if a movie theater want to come. [1:42:15, 1:42:17]: And then, you know, they have to be denied. So [1:42:18, 1:42:19]: Somewhere [1:42:20, 1:42:23]: Some homework need to be done and I guess by staff. [1:42:24, 1:42:27]: To make sure that we do allow [1:42:27, 1:42:30]: those entities that we do desire. [1:42:31, 1:42:33]: And to curtail those that we do not. [1:42:34, 1:42:54]: The code won't allow you to do that. That's what I'm saying. The code groups them all together based on a number of people that gather in a certain place. So it won't allow us to go in and say, event centers, we can permit you and a church we can't. We just have to either lift up the word assemblies. [1:42:54, 1:43:14]: And then, you know, deal with them case by case. Well, I would make the motion then, Mayor. Okay. It's it's the state and the federal codes. We don't set those codes. You can't change that. Okay, go ahead. I I would make the motion then to eliminate the word assembly uh from this process. Second. [1:43:15, 1:43:20]: Okay. Okay. Uh been pro uh motion was made, but seconded further discussion. Go ahead, Mr. Plot. [1:43:21, 1:43:23]: I I think we're going down a slippery slope. [1:43:24, 1:43:26]: When we remove the word assembly [1:43:27, 1:43:28]: Because if I come here [1:43:29, 1:43:47]: And you all the city council can determine on his own who can come in and who can leave. We're opening our doors for no litigation. I'm glad you're here, Ms. Petilla, because we'll be done, you know. We're opening up the doors. That's not the for some li to me, we're opening the door. This is John Blount talking. [1:43:47, 1:43:52]: When we s remove that word without the pro that's why we hire staff. [1:43:52, 1:44:07]: To bring us when we have this convoluted situation like this, we want you all to go get team in a huddle and then bring us out recommendations. So when we come to a situation, we are able to separate it, we're able to make it work, and we're still legal about it. [1:44:08, 1:44:18]: Get a cold question. Stand by. I got this please. Okay? Yes, Miss Gad, go ahead, please. Thank you. Um the reason why um [1:44:20, 1:44:22]: I don't think we should [1:44:22, 1:44:27]: backtrack and eliminate assembly. I think a resolution is that [1:44:28, 1:44:48]: Anytime someone wants to come in regards to assemblage, then it should be placed on the council's agenda, mayor and council's agenda for a decision. Um assemblage, if we allow a lot of the storefront churches, it would also eliminate other businesses for being so many feet away from them. [1:44:48, 1:45:01]: So if you put a church in every single shopping center, then just know that you can't have a particular restaurant or a particular thing feet away from them. And that's why we did what we did in the first place. [1:45:01, 1:45:15]: So it's something to consider and I I would hope I agree with Council Mayor ProtemBlount on that. I don't think we need to backtrack on that right now. I think the resolution we had discussed a few minutes ago was [1:45:15, 1:45:20]: Those type of issues need to come to Mayor Council. That's not a decision for staff to make. [1:45:21, 1:45:28]: That is a decision for Mayor and Council to make. Well let me just say this and and council may answer to that. My point was this. [1:45:28, 1:45:48]: Churches are protected institutions, as everybody know. Once you allow me to stand before you and you grant me an event center, and I as ABC Church come in and I want to go in this plaza and you deny me, you've got a constitutional challenge. Because why did you decide? I mean [1:45:48, 1:46:08]: Council can talk. Churches is one of those that'll get you every time. The reverse, if it was the reverse is a situation, you maybe could slide with it. But once you grant someone in assembly, and and we've had a lot of storefront churches that we've said based on the coach, you can't go. That's why, to me, rather than put us in the position of [1:46:08, 1:46:28]: Of having several churches come before you and say, we wanna go in the plaza, and you tell them no, and you've already allowed an event center. I'm just saying that the easier, cleaner route would be to just remove it, otherwise, you're gonna have the churches to come. [1:46:28, 1:46:45]: Because we we've turned down about ten to fifteen storefronts. But what about the zoning codes for that purpose? Well, but you you're doing How long how long we've been talking about this for over a year. Mm-hmm. How long are we gonna I'm we actually Dale Hall was supposed to do this a long time ago. [1:46:45, 1:46:51]: Right? We wouldn't be in this position that we're in right now and we we've been talking about it even now for over a year. [1:46:51, 1:46:53]: That is a resolution. [1:46:53, 1:46:55]: Um you know [1:46:55, 1:46:59]: So right now I feel like we are [1:46:59, 1:47:02]: Uh you know, we can go around and round and round in circles about this, but [1:47:03, 1:47:20]: The truth is, you know, we have our comprehensive improvement plan, we have our zoning code that we need to do correct. And once we get all those things in place, that is our reasoning. Our reasoning is you can't be but so many feet from a certain type of establishment. So [1:47:21, 1:47:41]: We I think the we need to get that ready to go. But that's what we're working on right now. You gave us a long that's gonna take? Well, right now what staff and I are going through, we're going through your existing ordinance right now. We're trying to get Jodeco out the way so that we can make those portions an official part of your ordinance. But we have begun to go through the old documents and to start. [1:47:41, 1:47:45]: strike and to say based on our new codes that was just adopted. [1:47:45, 1:48:05]: what would be suitable land uses and zoning classifications. That's what we're working on right now. You gave us our authority to do that, but first was trying to get Jodico out the way. And then we began about a month ago because we knew that the moratorium couldn't last forever. We're trying to get most of that work done so that the consultants can come in and finish it. So that's [1:48:05, 1:48:12]: kind of where we are on that. So these are just stopgap measures until we can get to that point. Thank you. Okay. [1:48:13, 1:48:22]: No, I don't. Okay. All right. Yes, sir. Go right in. I I'm willing to withdraw my motion, but I I need to ask this question. [1:48:23, 1:48:25]: scenario if [1:48:27, 1:48:39]: If the event center applicant come and we allow her and then a church come the very next week and we deny [1:48:40, 1:48:49]: Are we opening ourselves up for litigation? It it depends on the basis for allowing one in the one hand and denying the other. For instance [1:48:49, 1:49:04]: If our final zoning code changes have certain conditions that the one would have met but the other would not have, then then then we're following a consistent standard and applying it equally to everybody. [1:49:05, 1:49:25]: So what you know uh the number of my clients have done over the years for churches, for instance, is uh were actually places of assembly, and to be clear about that, is the you regulate them in part based on the size of the uh the group it's intended to serve. [1:49:25, 1:49:31]: So the number of seats, if it's less than fifty, for instance, you would w categorize it and regulate it one way. [1:49:31, 1:49:42]: If it's greater than fifty, then you would require frontage on a major thoroughfare or sprinklers. Uh you know, uh minimum two acre lot. All all these all these kind of objective criteria. [1:49:43, 1:50:03]: that would then be the basis for allowing one because they're likely to meet those requirements and denying the others. But w I just can't say because we don't have that other one in front of us to make the comparison. Well Mr Mayor, I I I um willfully withdraw my motion, but I'd like to indicate [1:50:03, 1:50:23]: When these applicants come to the business office, as uh councilwoman Gantt indicated that they need to come before council. And I think you know the employees downstairs need to direct them. Okay. As a matter of fact, we will actually change the entire uh application because what it says right now, we actually give them a copy of the resolution. And the resolution laid [1:50:23, 1:50:39]: it all out. So what we will change the application and say, here is your opportunity to appeal this resolution and just give it to churches and everybody that comes in so that everybody gets the same information. And then leave that up to them to decide whether or not they want to come before you to make that appeal. [1:50:39, 1:50:51]: Be it a church, be it a Vit Center, or be it anybody else, everybody will have the same information. And then once those appeals come in, then we will put'em on the agenda for them to come before you. All right. Or assemblage. [1:50:51, 1:51:02]: But yeah, but that includes churches, event centers. I mean all of those catch all phrases we're gonna have to give everybody the right to appeal. Ma'am. All right, good. Yes ma'am. Go right in. [1:51:03, 1:51:23]: Okay, this is our work session. Um, I just wish that staff and legal, you guys will come together when you're making these recommendations. Because I've just noticed that you go on this end, it's okay, I agree with that. You come on this end, I agree with that. And it causes the back and forth. [1:51:23, 1:51:25]: So if you're gonna make a recommendation [1:51:26, 1:51:29]: I feel that you guys need to be on the same page. [1:51:29, 1:51:49]: Um because I'm just sitting here watching this, just go back. And then when you make that recommendation and stick with it. Thank you. All right. Sir. Yes, sir. Go right in. Okay, so uh we've talked about this uh now. So when uh will it be coming back to with the [1:51:49, 1:51:53]: recommendations to solve these particular um [1:51:53, 1:52:13]: Issues that we talk about. What we're doing right now is that staff is going through your existing ordinance and we're looking at possible categories whether use permits, we're doing all of that right now. We started doing that last month to try to get this in a format where we could take all of these items that are on your moratorium and put them in [1:52:13, 1:52:33]: What we consider a classification that makes them usable as a use, right? The churches and strip malls will more than likely have distance requirements. That's what says that you can only have one church per shopping center per so many in terms of distance. But those are the type of things that we're working on right now. And when that's [1:52:33, 1:52:43]: ready uh mister Alexander we'll let you know because that is a process. [1:52:43, 1:52:50]: Well in the meantime you have a moratorium and you're we don't have a moratorium on the dollar stores. [1:52:50, 1:52:53]: I thought I took a vote or I believe we do. [1:52:53, 1:52:54]: Hmm? [1:52:55, 1:53:02]: You just voted against it. No, we didn't. We didn't fake a vote. That failed, that motion. Yes, it failed. You voted against it. Okay. [1:53:03, 1:53:15]: Well it wasn't down stores. It wasn't it wasn't deal with it wasn't the issue wasn't d different dollar stores. It wasn't dealing with that. So so what is it that we're willing to support then? If you are you willing to support the dollar stores? [1:53:16, 1:53:18]: What what was what was go back to the motion, please. [1:53:19, 1:53:23]: The there was a motion for a moratorium. [1:53:24, 1:53:32]: Against small box stores less than twelve thousand feet with an average selling item of ten dollars. But I can't agree with that. [1:53:33, 1:53:33]: Okay. [1:53:34, 1:53:35]: Their motion payoff. [1:53:36, 1:53:51]: All right. It failed. All right. So so what are you willing to support so we can move No I'm I'm staying with the motion on aspect. I'm w whatever what what I I voted on a motion to decline it, so I'm willing to support that. If that's i i that that is done. Mayor porn a word, please. Uh [1:53:52, 1:54:00]: Yes, go right ahead. You got some necessary seconds. Uh yeah, I I I think we we have an agenda and agenda items that we go on. If we're gonna add [1:54:00, 1:54:06]: Separate agenda item, those need to be pro approved prior to us sitting on this dais. [1:54:06, 1:54:26]: All right. So what it is is that uh I think you in reference to thank you for that in reference to uh this last discussion uh about the fixing up the ordinance and and uh and dealing with the actual aspect for assemblies, so obviously we'll we're gonna work that out and come with a uh recommendation and see how we wanna deal with that in the future. And [1:54:26, 1:54:34]: Sooner the better that we're able to do that. So on that note, uh I am going to go to comments. What what do you need to say, ma'am? [1:54:35, 1:54:50]: I had a question. What's the question? Um, it's basic it's for Miss Moore question. Just for my own clarification. Um, so the believers authorities was an assembly church. So had they gone in as a church [1:54:51, 1:54:54]: because they were going in going in as the same type of [1:54:55, 1:55:15]: facility it would have been okay, right? No. It's if a church was going in assemblies as a church, right, then they still fall under the moratorium because Mayor and Council told us they didn't want us swapping out spaces. Isn't that what you said? Right. They basically said like the beauty shop, just because she [1:55:14, 1:55:25]: So we're gonna use the same I guess standard. Okay. [1:55:26, 1:55:31]: All right. On that note, uh City Manager, do you have any comments, sir? We got three minutes. [1:55:35, 1:55:55]: All right, thank you, Mr. Mayor and Council. I I just wanted to uh mention one or two items. I obviously appreciate um everybody coming out for Memorial Day. I'm sure council members will address that uh yesterday um in honor of those who've given their the ultimate sacrifice um for Memorial Day in the March and everyone who was a part of that. Uh wanna thank [1:55:55, 1:56:06]: that um I've been working with staff and public work staff and we'll be talking to the county in the next several days about is our corridors, in particular State Road uh one thirty eight, which obviously meanders between [1:56:07, 1:56:27]: uh different jurisdictions and I'll actually be sitting down with the county manager here in the next couple of days about that and also beautification on certain uh gateways as well in terms of uh mowing schedules and trying to ensure that those are commensurate with um what we all expect, council expects in terms of the other. [1:56:27, 1:56:47]: of our corridors as well as um city hall here too in terms of the frequency uh that uh uh trees are trimmed, uh pine straw is laid, all of those different things that uh lead to um the uh maintained beautification of uh city hall and our gateways as well so we'll be working hard [1:56:47, 1:57:07]: in that direction. And um obviously I've I've spoken to a couple of uh council members and drove some corridors as well. If there's anything or any any street that causes an issue or or a concern, please obviously let us know in terms of trash or anything like that. We'll try to get out as soon as we can. And then when I meet with the county in the next [1:57:07, 1:57:27]: Couple of days we'll talk be talking about some of these shared roadways that we have. I say shared roadways because they meander between city and county rock corridors, flipping, Walt Stephen, all of these different types corridors and trying to determine how best we can work collaborative collaboratively with them to make sure that those corridors are kept in the [1:57:26, 1:57:46]: the order that um uh the citizens expect that you all expect as well. Thank you. All right. Madam Clerk? Um yes mayor, I wanted to extend condolences first to you. Oh thank you. For the loss of your father. And on a happy note I wanted to um wish all the 2019 [1:57:46, 1:57:47]: [7067.7, 7080.0]: Graduates, all the best. I have some of those personally that um I want uh to congratulate. So I really am um happy for those graduates for two thousand nineteen. Thank you. Reset the clock, please. [1:58:01, 1:58:02]: I got to do that. [1:58:06, 1:58:08]: Not it's easy, is it a little okay. [1:58:09, 1:58:10]: Captain Thomas. [1:58:10, 1:58:15]: Thank you, Mayor. Uh like to take this opportunity to thank the [1:58:15, 1:58:20]: Main Street program the city council and all of the citizens. [1:58:21, 1:58:41]: um for attending and the main street program for coordinating the historic marker unveiling honoring the Greenfront Cafe and all those um who attended the annual celebration of Caraman Hambrick. Um it was it was a great [1:58:41, 1:58:46]: Great day, it was a hot day. Uh just wanna thank all uh for that. [1:58:46, 1:58:48]: Um celebration. [1:58:48, 1:58:51]: Also, as Mr Nighting alluded to, wanted to thank um [1:58:52, 1:58:56]: The city and all those that partner with the city. [1:58:56, 1:59:15]: uh to recognize and honor and the remembrance and honor the men and women of our armed services who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the lives for our country. Uh again, it was hot. It was great. [1:59:15, 1:59:17]: And I just really just want to thank the city. [1:59:18, 1:59:20]: For ten years [1:59:20, 1:59:40]: uh being able to come together to make sure that we do honor those. And I know Mayor Ford, since you've been on council, uh we have made sure that we continue to do that. Um I've been involved with this um honoring for all 10 years. [1:59:40, 1:59:52]: And um and we will we will continue to do so. Thank you. Go ahead, go ahead, reset it please. [1:59:53, 1:59:59]: Yeah, I just wanna um just say uh Mike uh my thanks for everyone that was involved and um [2:00:00, 2:00:04]: Making uh Memorial Day happen. It was an awesome event, uh very well attended. [2:00:04, 2:00:05]: Um [2:00:05, 2:00:10]: And also, Mayor, as I've stated before, my condolences with you at your loss. [2:00:10, 2:00:15]: Um also I'd like to invite everyone out uh that's listening uh to um [2:00:15, 2:00:19]: Um this maze bingo bash, which is tomorrow. [2:00:19, 2:00:39]: For some reason it seemed like it's been a long time since the last big up ask for some reason. But uh it's it'll be tomorrow. Uh we plan on having a lot of fun. It's a well attended event. Uh and I just wanna thank staff for the for the job that you all uh that you all do. You all work uh very, very hard and you're very professional in in your [2:00:39, 2:00:41]: Um [2:00:42, 2:01:02]: My tenure here with the city I've learnt a lot and I learnt a lot not only by going to training, but I learnt a lot just by the professional staff that we have here and able to just learn from you all. And I think we all have uh can grow. Uh and I thank God that I've grown over the years in many areas and in uh I just think uh [2:01:02, 2:01:22]: Uh thank you all for what your contr contributions to my growth. Um I also want to say uh thank you to all my colleagues that uh we've had times where we we disagree, but I believe that we've all had the mindset to move the city forward and uh I'm really um really uh happy and ecstatic about uh the direction we're going in. [2:01:26, 2:01:27]: Ms. Camp, please. [2:01:27, 2:01:47]: Thank you. On June 11th, um at the Food Truck Tasty Twossies, the City of Stockbridge events team and the Georgia Farmers Market Association has teamed up for fresh produce. Um and it's really exciting. Um the first fresh produce that has taken place. [2:01:47, 2:02:07]: Was actually, I believe, in Midtown. This will be the second one. Um, and it's actually for this year of 2019, and it's being hosted here in the city of Stockbridge. Um, I would like to uh personally thank Diane Miller for bringing that to the city of Stockbridge. Um, the price range will vary. It will [2:02:07, 2:02:27]: Will be from$6 to$40, but the produce amount will be the same. It is based on an honor system of income level. So it's a really exciting time. We'll have food trucks and we'll have our pop-up and we'll have two of them this year to see how. [2:02:27, 2:02:47]: How things are gonna go and how the community takes organic fresh produce. So I hope everyone here you can sign up ahead of time for it. They actually recommend that you sign up. And I'm hoping that we all volunteer to at least get some fresh produce the first going. [2:02:47, 2:02:48]: Yeah. [2:02:48, 2:02:57]: Also, um, so we signed up ahead of time, and that should be out on the City of Stockbridge website shortly. Um [2:02:58, 2:03:18]: Uh I just wanna thank everyone for their continued uh prayers and support and the participation and I wanna thank staff. Miss Moore, thank you for the clarifications that you uh brought up here. It can be tough sometimes to be in that hot seat. It is not directed directly to you, but it is the intent. [2:03:18, 2:03:28]: of you know, we want to make sure we're doing the right thing. So I just want to thank everyone for being here. Um and good afternoon. Good night. [2:03:31, 2:03:32]: Ms. Alexander, go ahead, please. [2:03:32, 2:03:52]: Yes, ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for tuning in. And those of you who were able to participate today, you who are watching the video and who are in attendance, you saw this meeting tonight. You were here. You saw us have an opportunity to move forward with good legislation, and you saw people. [2:03:52, 2:04:12]: personality infiltrate the proceedings. It wasn't about the legislation. It was about personality. It was about who's up and who's down. I serve here every single day with the best interest of the public in mind, every single day. That's what I do. [2:04:12, 2:04:32]: I don't vote for or against anybody up here based on whether I like them or not. Because if you come with a good idea, I might not like you, but I'm going to support that idea because it's all about the benefit of this particular community. Uh we have an oversaturation of dollar stores here. [2:04:32, 2:04:52]: Uh I would like to see a timetable set on when um we're gonna have those recommendations in place to limit these businesses. Uh we established this moratorium, which is a good thing because we have unwanted businesses saturating our community. [2:04:52, 2:05:12]: Has prevented more of those businesses from coming, opening up spaces, and it actually has included improved the perception of our community at large. This public supports these moratoriums. There was a process put in place for us if someone at every opportunity [2:05:12, 2:05:12]: Yeah. [2:05:13, 2:05:23]: If someone were caught in the moratorium, all they had to do was request to come to council and the council could have given them the green light. [2:05:23, 2:05:26]: I I don't understand that. [2:05:26, 2:05:46]: I hear this all the time about uh we want public input. All you need to do is go out and gather public input. They're out there. They tell you every single day, if you're listening, if you're out there amongst the community, that they like the moratorium, that they like the idea that the community that they live in can control. [2:05:46, 2:06:06]: Control the businesses which are allowed in the community. They don't want to look like an unattractive inner city urban area. They want to look like the quality community that they represent. We have to understand that it's very important that we do it. [2:06:06, 2:06:26]: We do in the best interests of the citizens, put personality aside, and make sure that we accomplish that goal every single day. Because the people are watching everything that we do. And this tape, regrettably, was not the best reflection of how this council can operate. [2:06:26, 2:06:30]: when votes are cast and there was uncertainty on what we were actually voting for. [2:06:32, 2:06:34]: Okay, reset it please. [2:06:34, 2:06:54]: Ms. Robinson, please. Thank you, Mayor. Um, I just want to again give you my condolences um as well from the passing of your father. And also um we celebrated the um homegoing of Henry County's former Chief Deputy Sheriff, uh Mr. Bobby James Lemon, who is the father um brother, oldest brother of our [2:06:54, 2:07:14]: our GDOT representative Dana Lemon. So we definitely want to keep both of you guys and your families in our prayers. I do have a concern when we're talking about beautification that I want to make sure that we when we're putting monuments out with our Main Street program that we keep the upkeep of them. And I do [2:07:14, 2:07:34]: know um when we did our ride along um the one definitely with Floyd Chapel Baptist Church, we want to make sure we just don't put them and leave them. Um so that is something I want to touch base on because there was some concerns um in reference to that as well. Um we have our teen ambassadors that will be introduced um at our next meeting. [2:07:34, 2:07:54]: Hopefully Mayor and Council will be able to be there at 530 when we get ready to present them. And also the sponsors that assisted with the youth council, some of the students in the um the one that the term just ended, we'll be um honoring our sponsors for [2:07:54, 2:08:14]: For their sponsorship and sending them to National League of Cities in Los Angeles, California. So hopefully you all will be able to be in attendance for that because we're gonna recognize them and those students that traveled um as well. But other than that, to staff, just wanna thank each and every one of you, um, our public works department who does a tremendous job. [2:08:14, 2:08:34]: And Deshaus again just tell the guys we thank them for their service because we just had public service um public works event. Um so we just want to again say thank you to them and all of staff. Just want to just thank everyone, um, our executive assistant. I know you have your hands full, um, and we definitely appreciate it. [2:08:34, 2:08:54]: Appreciate you because there's a lot of initiatives out there. So we definitely want to appreciate you with that and our clerk as well. So thank you to everyone. And I will say it again to our staff and to our legal. If you guys are here, please get together because I just sat here and just watched it. And it and a lot of stuff could be [2:08:54, 2:09:14]: eliminate it. Um, if you all just, you know, stand strong on what your recommendations are and just bring it to us because I mean we could eliminate a lot of this. So but I do appreciate each and every one of you. But I just don't want to see a match to where, okay, we want to pease this side and pease this side and just give us what you have and then let us move with it. [2:09:14, 2:09:15]: Thank you. [2:09:18, 2:09:38]: All right, thank you. Appreciate it. Well, thank everybody for all your condolences, cars, flowers, plants, recognizing the past in my uh my father from the city staff to the to the the city council itself, uh other uh elected officials in the Atlanta metro area and here here in Henry County, uh friends in the area, citizens that have uh reaching the [2:09:38, 2:09:58]: Reached out and talked to me, sent me messages. Rosim and Lambda, chapter Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. Thank you very much. My brothers, Psi Alpha Omega, chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Swording Incorporated. Really appreciate that. My sisters, uh the my congregation at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, without a doubt, thank you very much. Um, and my father. [2:09:58, 2:10:18]: He's ninety-five, uh so uh ninety-five years young, and he is a World War II and Korean War veteran. So, in a sense, from Morrow Day just happening as well. Um hats off to all the folks that have uh served the country and have passed, uh whether in combat or conflict or at [2:10:18, 2:10:33]: just pass with n through the normal living of their lives and and that aspect as well. Um I will tell you that um uh that I hope for God that uh I'm blessed, I have been blessed, and I hope that I'm blessed to live a long, fruitful life as well as my father. [2:10:34, 2:10:39]: And if that's the case, God willing, I have at least thirty three more thir thirty three more years to live on this earth. [2:10:40, 2:11:00]: So watch out. I'm gonna be around for a while if that is the case. So um on that note, uh I would say that uh we're moving forward. Things are going to be happening for the for the betterment of the citizens stop rich uh this year, and as well as we swing around to 2020. And I know that uh we're gonna work things out for the betterment of our community. [2:10:59, 2:11:12]: community and succeed and uh and be the envy of all the other cities in the Atlanta Metro as things go on because I said the model for success is going to be the city star bridge. Amen. [2:11:12, 2:11:15]: All right. God bless you all. Keep the faith. Thank you. [2:11:15, 2:11:16]: Now on that note [2:11:17, 2:11:37]: I'll read the announcements here. City Council meeting will be uh Monday, June 10th, 6 p.m. here in the chamber. Stockbridge Youth Council meeting, Wednesday, June 12th, 5:30 in the Levi uh room. Uh let's see here. Youth Council Advisory Committee meetings June 19th, 6:30 in the Levi Room, downtown Novelmo. [2:11:37, 2:11:39]: authority meeting Monday, june seventeenth. [2:11:39, 2:11:41]: Six PM leave our room. [2:11:41, 2:11:57]: Planning commission meeting uh is Thursday, June twenty seventh, seven p.m. in the council chambers. Works uh next work session is Wednesday, June 26th. It's right here in City Hall, six p.m. Of course that's right after we come back from the uh Jordan Municipal Association annual conference in Savannah. [2:11:57, 2:12:01]: Food truck tasty Tuesdays of June fourth, five thirty nine, Clark Park. [2:12:02, 2:12:17]: Main Street movie is Saturday, June eighth, eight PM in City Hall lawn. Bring your chairs and blankets. And uh Councilwoman Gans mentioned food truck tasty Tuesday on June eleventh in reference to fresh produce uh and that aspect. So I look forward to that as well. [2:12:17, 2:12:37]: Welcoming Stockbridge Roundtable, scheduled for Tuesday, June eleventh, six thirty PM in the Levi Meeting Room, spirit headed by Councilwoman Gantt. Economic Summit. My very first one, June 13th, 5 to 7. Meryl Manner's Conference Center, spirit headed by well, by myself there in that aspect. Don't trust Stockbridge, not a little campaign, Saturday, June fifteenth, spirit headed by Council Woman Councilmen. [2:12:37, 2:12:57]: Thomas on that. Free Sounds of Summer Concert. Our concert series, June 15th, 8 p.m. City Hall Lawn. Bring your chairs and blankets. And next year when we do this, we'll be in a brand new amphitheater. And that'd be fantastic to do that, right? Food Truck Tasty Tuesday once again on June 18th, 539, Clark Park. Once again on the 25th of June as well. [2:12:57, 2:13:16]: Uh Monday, Bingo Bash on June 26th, right if we come back from uh our uh GMA conference. It's going to be at Test Strickland Center, spearhead by Mayor Pro Tem Blount. Uh let's see here. Ongoing initiatives, meet the mayor Mondays. We all talk about don't trash. Let's see here. [2:13:16, 2:13:33]: Uh quarterly town hall meeting ongoing with Councilman Alexander, keep Starburris Beautiful with Councilman Alexander, clergy round table. Actually I think that's come up on June fourth. Matter of fact, uh Councilman Robinson and myself are the jointly on that one. And let's see here. [2:13:35, 2:13:48]: All right, and uh quarterly homecomers, homeowners and neighborhoods association round table is peerho peerheaded by Mirapro Tem Blount at some time in the future. On that note, uh Mr. Turney, uh we do we need to go to the second session. [2:13:49, 2:13:55]: Okay, if we're not going to cycle session then if the if the council doesn't have anything, then I need a motion to adjourn. [2:13:56, 2:14:02]: And is there a second? Second. Okay. Um on that note, all in favor of the motion, please indicate. [2:14:03, 2:14:04]: We are now adjourned. [2:14:24, 2:14:26]: Yes ma'am, I'll re got mine, yeah. [2:14:29, 2:14:30]: Oh yeah. [2:14:35, 2:14:37]: Oh you gave me mine already. [2:14:47, 2:14:49]: No problem. Appreciate it, sir. [2:14:50, 2:14:50]: Yeah, I gotcha. [2:15:00, 2:15:05]: Just make a shape.