---
date: 2010-04-26
title: April 26, 2010 Minutes
source: 2010-04/2010-04-26_April 26, 2010_Minutes.pdf
pages: 1
---

April 26, 2010

STOCKBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
HENRY COUNTY, GEORGIA April 26, 2010

The Special Meeting of the Stockbridge City Council was held on April 26, 2010 at 5:00 P.M. Mayor Lee
Stuart presided and members present were Mark Alarcon, Harold Cochran, Shirley Dabney, Fred Evans
and Kathryn Gilbert. Ray Gibson, Assistant City Manager was also present.

The Special Meeting convened at 5:00 P.M.

Invocation was given by Kathy Gilbert, and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mayor Stuart welcomed everyone and congratulated Kathy and Gordon on the imminent birth of their new
grandbaby.

Mayor Stuart: This special meeting, we have three things on there that we need to turn around and
discuss. The first is an ordinance – To Amend the Ordinance for Checking Account signatures for
the City of Stockbridge

Mayor Stuart: We basically have three versions of the ordinance that we have, presently only has three
people on it. So we’ve got three different versions here that we need to look at. If I can, I will preface it
with the way it was done previously. I have copies here Nancy had given me earlier, backdated back in
October 2 of ’87. We had, not the names so much as the positions on it. There’s never a resolution, per
se, adopted, if I’m correct meant to as a resolution to the City. It’s just in the minutes. And it said, ‘The
Finance Chair, the Mayor, City Clerk, Deputy Clerk, and City Manager.’ Five names. But the Charter
only authorizes ‘the City Clerk, the City Treasurer’ … No, I’m sorry…’the Mayor, the City Clerk, and a
designated Council member’ is what it presently reads. So, with that, what we’ve come up with is that we
need to amend the ordinance and the three versions that we have here is…

· The first version is basically, if you read down there where it says ‘Bank Accounts and Checking
Procedures’ under Paragraph a, it’s the Mayor, City Council member designated by Resolution of
the City Council and City Clerk.
· Version 2 would be Mayor, City Council member designated by Resolution of the City Council,
City Clerk, and Treasurer.
· Version 3 is the Mayor, City Council member designated by Resolution of the City Council, the
City Clerk, the Treasurer and the City Manager.

So, basically, we’ve got from, we’ve got three, four, and five. My only suggestion on this is that, instead
of, if we stay with what we’ve historically done, instead of putting in there the ‘City Council member
designated by Resolution of the City Council’, if you just name that as ‘the Finance Chair’, as it was Mr.
Gardner, I think it was on this one. That’s what it’s historically been, Nancy, if I’m correct, that we had
positions designated by positions. With that, I open it up for discussions to Council Members. Which
version would you like to entertain?

Kathy Gilbert: Mr. Mayor?

Mayor Stuart: Ms. Gilbert.
Kathy Gilbert: My concern with Version 3 is that we are including the City Manager position, which at this
point, is still somewhat unclear as to how that is going to…We don’t have a designated position in the
Charter for a City Manager.

Mayor Stuart: Correct.

Kathryn Gilbert: And we need to clarify that. I’m not saying we don’t need a City Manager, I’m just
saying we need to clarify that discrepancy.

Mayor Stuart: Good point. Anyone else? Ms. Dabney? Is your concern with Version 3.6? Fred?

Fred Evans: I want the third version. Version 3.1, Mayor and City Council member, City Clerk, and
designated City Manager because these positions are going to be filled.

Mayor Stuart: I’m sorry?

Fred Evans: Version 3, the one showing the Mayor, City Council member, City Clerk, Treasurer and City
Manager.

Mayor Stuart: Okay.

Fred Evans: These positions will be filled. We’ve got to have a City Clerk.

Kathryn Gilbert: Yeah. City Clerk, I think, is mentioned on all of them.

Mayor Stuart: Once we address the City Manager’s position to be filled, my opinion is that City Council
member designated by Resolution. If it’s always been Finance Chair, we don’t even have to have a
Resolution that we have to go through each time that we change it out with the version of the Finance
Chair. They’re the person.

Lindsay Hodgson: Mayor, just one comment on that. If you make that non-specific…

Mayor Stuart: If you will say who you are.

Lindsay Hodgson: Certainly. Lindsay Hodgson. And Mr. Welch will be here in just a few moments.
We left it generic as a City Council member if for some reason Mr. Alarcon ever succeeded you as mayor
or had to step down to qualify for another role or if there was ever a void in that position, we might have to
come back. So that’s why we left it in the Ordinance. We can do whatever you all choose. That was the
logic behind not specifying Finance Chair in the Ordinance. And if for some other reason that position
was left open it wouldn’t necessarily tie to the Finance Chair.

Kathryn Gilbert: Mr. Mayor?

Mayor Stuart: Yes, Ms. Gilbert.

Kathryn Gilbert: Would it be possible to more clearly delineate that by stating ‘the Chairman of the
Finance Committee, or in the event of a vacancy, a Council member appointed by Resolution of the
Council’ just to …

Lindsay Hodgson: I just wanted to explain…

Mayor Stuart: Okay, Mr. Alarcon.
Mark Alarcon: My input is, I understand that thought process, in case anyone happens to succeed the
Mayor, but still in that case, you know, the Mayor cannot be the head of a committee. So there would
have to be a newly delegated or elected guy that works the committee chair, the Finance Committee, so I
don’t see where that would play into, you know, vacating the position. I think if we could somehow tonight
resolve the positions that are needed as we, you know, four years from now, three years from now,
whenever we come and go in the future, there won’t be any need for them re-address this proper
positions in order, it’s not the proper people.

Mayor Stuart: Good point. Mr. Harold?

Harold Cochran: No.

Kathryn Gilbert: I make a motion to adopt Version 2 of the Ordinance as presented, which is the Mayor,
City Council member designated, City Clerk and Treasurer. And, if at some point we need to amend
further for the City Manager when we get that discrepancy handled, we can move forward with it.

Mayor Stuart: We have a motion. Is there a second?

Mark Alarcon: I wanted to ask a question about this.

Kathryn Gilbert: We need a second.

Mayor Stuart: There’s no second. Okay, Mr. Alarcon, you had a question.

Mark Alarcon: Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor, we have the version Ordinance and Resolution version and in the
Resolution we have the Finance Chair actually named at the top in the line-item signatures in place. I
guess I wanted to ask if I could make an amendment to that motion to have it in the main body of the
language at 3.04023. … Version Two…just to say she had something designated in the location of the
body of this document where it actually mentions the Finance Committee Chair, because, like you said,
it’s not always going to be me. It’s going to be somebody else. We don’t need to have this conversation
every time somebody gets elected to that position.

Kathryn Gilbert: I will amend my motion.

Mayor Stuart: Okay, so Ms. Gilbert is amending her motion to add the Mayor, City…

Kathryn Gilbert: Finance Committee Chair.

Mayor Stuart: City Clerk, and Treasurer.

Mark Alarcon: I second.

Mayor Stuart: Second. All in favor? Any discussion? Shirley? All in favor? Version Two. Two. All
opposed? (The motion failed 2-3)

Mayor Stuart: If you will, come up here and speak, Nancy?

Nancy Brown: I would just like to speak to the importance of getting this passed tonight. We have got to
get something passed. Won’t y’all please come to an agreement? It’s been going on since January. I’ve
got to get the checks signer changed. We have until Friday to get that done. We’ve got to get this
passed, please.
Mayor Stuart: We really have being doing it since ’87.

Nancy Brown: Yeah, I agree. My thing is, whatever y’all decide, and I’m just pleading for something.

Mayor Stuart: Thank you. Okay.

Fred Evans: Mayor, I make a motion to approve Version Three. That includes the City Manager, and if
you want to amend the term at the top of it where it says City Council member to Finance Committee
Chair, then so be it.

Mayor Stuart: Put the Finance Chair in there. Mr. Evans made a motion. Do I have a second?

Harold Cochran: Second.

Mayor Stuart: Mr. Cochran second. Any discussion?

Mark Alarcon: I just want to agree. I agree with Ray that we are going to have to have something,
performing City Manager or something has to be, and I appreciate your accepting the amendment. I
really wanted to reiterate here to these ladies here, to Mr. Welch, ‘til we as a City come up with a role of
the City Manager, it’s kind of hard to say yes to a position where we still have a bunch of questions. And,
Nancy, correct me if I’m wrong, but according to what Mr. Welch has instructed me and you and Lee,
we’ve been doing it incorrectly or “illegally” all this time, so I’m just a little bit, my tendency is whoever gets
that position in the future or however that position is developed, he doesn’t need to be a part of it. He
absolute that position or he may have already signed checks I don’t really know to what extent. I’m just a
little uncomfortable with naming him at this time or her. I almost could go with it. Honestly, I have no
problem with that. It’s just that we don’t have clear legal direction for that position yet, even though we’ve
been doing it for years. And that’s the old problem. I could vote for that easily. If I knew that was an
already-voted on theory, I would be set … Mr. Welch, the City Attorney, has said, ‘Hey, these are the
absolute duties and positions and whatever, of the City Manager, which I think would clearly be, you
know, his duties would be to be able to write a check. But we don’t have that information clearly before
us yet, because I agree with you, Fred, it is coming; clarification will be coming, but it’s not clearly in front
of us yet. That’s the only concern I would like to reiterate. Other than that, I appreciate your willingness
to …

Nancy Brown: Mr. Mayor?

Mayor Stuart: Yes, Nancy.

Nancy Brown: We have always had the City Manager to sign checks and I just feel like it’s a help to
have an extra person when I’ve had to wire money like that for the City Manager is generally here and it
does help. Even though in addition we’re going to have a City Manager and that will be part of his job. I
appreciate that.

Mayor Stuart: If I may, Council, I would suggest that you go with Version Two for the time being so we
don’t stop the check-signing capabilities. We can come back the next month, whenever Mr. Welch sorts it
out. But we’re going to have, hopefully, a City Manager, once he sorts it out, he’ll be coming back with a
decree.

Fred Evans: Did my motion die for lack of a vote?

Kathy Gilbert: No, it did not.
Mayor Stuart: We’re discussing it. We’re just having discussion. Any more discussion? (no response)
Okay, call for a vote.

Shirley Dabney: Mr. Mayor, I do have one question. So you’re saying that you would like for us to go
with Two, for say 30 days, until it can be worked out.

Mayor Stuart: Once the City Manager’s position and duties are clarified with them. The main thing I’m
concurring with Mr. Alarcon in saying is that we’re authorizing something that’s not legally authorized yet.
It’s got to be a recognized legal position in order to let them, we could put a mechanic from Third Street
can also sign for it. We don’t have the position that’s authorized for that mechanic on Third Street. We’re
not really legally doing it correct. We have those four positions are legally correct--The Mayor, a separate
Finance Chair, City Clerk and Treasurer. Those are four guaranteed ones that can write now. Four
signatures, even if we had the third version with the City Manager, you’re still only going to get four
signatures for the next 30-or-60-or how many days it takes to get the plates and stuff right, so when the
City Manager’s position comes up, then you could add that to it. Right now you need some signatures.

Nancy Brown: I just ask, four will work now in that time.

Mayor Stuart: Four signatures. You can work with four signatures for right now. Til we can get it
resolved.

Nancy Brown: And that will resolve it for the immediate time. I’m just asking that something get resolved
tonight so we can work. Otherwise, the City’s going to be in a mess, actually.

Mayor Stuart: Exactly. Any other discussion? (no response) So, vote for Number Three version. All in
favor?

Fred Evans: Number Three.

Mayor Stuart: Number Three Version.

Shirley Dabney: He said number Two?

Mayor Stuart: Vote on Number Three with the City. Three. All opposed? Two, okay. (Motion passed 3-

Mark Alarcon: Mr. Mayor, I want to verify that the amendment for the body of the document to say
Finance Chair.

Mayor Stuart: Correct. You agree that the Finance Chair is in there. Nancy, you’re happy? You have
four.

Nancy Brown: Yes, if y’all are going to go with this.

Mayor Stuart: Correction, there’s five, but only four people allowed right now. You have the Mayor, City
Clerk, City Treasurer, and Finance Chair.

Nancy Brown: I can go with this now for tomorrow? I can get the bank to do everything at a time. Okay.

Mayor Stuart: It passed.

Nancy Brown: Okay.
Mayor Stuart: Now, we have to approve a Resolution. To Approve a Resolution for Checking
Account Signatures

Kathy Gilbert: We don’t seem to have the Resolution.

Mayor Stuart: I was just about to say that.

Nancy Brown: It’s attached to the Ordinance.

Mayor Stuart: Correction. I have it.

Lindsay Hodgson: Mr. Mayor, Lindsay Hodgson. In the discussion and you all put off the resolution that
lists whatever resolved about the City Manager position resolution. You can now give yourself the power,
if you want, to have the City Manager sign for this purpose. The resolution doesn’t have unless you have
a completed document.

Mark Alarcon: The resolution doesn’t have to address the City Manager. The Ordinance includes it, but
the documentation …

Mayor Stuart: This allows five, but we can do less. We could do four.

Lindsay Hodgson: Yes, sir. Then, depending on what you do with the City Manager position, you can
even change your resolution much easier than trying to change the Ordinance.

Mark Alarcon: (inaudible)

Mayor Stuart: Okay, so the resolution, the proposal two and three…

Kathryn Gilbert: Mr. Mayor, I will go ahead and make a motion to approve Resolution #2, which names
the four and leaves out the City Manager so that at some point in the future we can adopt another
resolution when we get the City Manager position clarified.

Mayor Stuart: Okay. Second for Version Two?

Mark Alarcon: I make a second on that.

Mayor Stuart: Second. Discussion? No discussion. All in favor of Version Two Resolution? Two.

Mark Alarcon: We’ve already adopted the ordinance that allows the City Manager, but because there is
no one named City Manager for Nancy to go to the bank with the City Resolution, she was suggesting
that we go ahead with the four names that are already there and because we’ve already passed the
ordinance to can push the resolution ahead.

Mayor Stuart: All in favor? Ms. Dabney, it’s fine? It’s Version Two resolution. (Version two passed
unanimously)

Mayor Stuart: That’s the first two points of business. The third one is City Council discussion of City
Clerk position. I think we need to entertain a motion to go into Executive Session. Correct? Mr. Welch,
is that correct? To discuss fully the City Clerk position at this time.
Buddy Welch: For what purpose?

Mayor Stuart: To discuss the City Clerk’s position.

Buddy Welch: You want to go into Executive Session for personnel reasons?

Mayor Stuart: Correct.

Buddy Welch: Then you can do that.

Mark Alarcon: I make a motion, Mr. Mayor, to go into Executive Session to discuss personnel items.

Mayor: Okay. Motion accepted.

Kathryn Gilbert: Mr. Welch, according to where, do we need to adjourn this session or do we
simply…Okay. I will second that.

Mayor: Okay, we will go to Executive Session. All in favor? Vote is unanimous.

(Council members went into Executive Session to discuss personnel items)

Mark Alarcon: Mr. Mayor, I would like to make a motion to reconvene.

Kathryn Gilbert: Second.

Mayor Stuart: All in favor?

(The City Council Special Meeting reconvened at 6:15 P.M.)

Kathryn Gilbert: Mr. Mayor, I would also like to make a motion authorizing that you to sign the resolution
that we discussed nothing other than personnel matters in Executive Session.

Mayor Stuart: Motion. I need a second.

Shirley Dabney: Second

(Motion passed unanimously.)

Shirley Dabney: I make a motion to appoint Vanessa Holiday be our new City Clerk as of today, which is
May 26, 2010.

Buddy Welch: As of May 1st.

Shirley Dabney: Excuse me, as of May 1, 2010.

Mayor Stuart: Alright. We have a motion. Second?

Fred Evans: Second.
Mayor Stuart: Any discussion? We need the salary, don’t we?

Shirley Dabney: As of May 1, Vanessa’s salary will be $52,000.

Mayor Stuart: All in favor? All opposed? 5-0

Buddy Welch: Did you get a second?

(motion passed unanimously).

Mayor Stuart: All in favor? 5-0 Ms. Vanessa, congratulations. And with that being said, do I have a
motion to adjourn?

Kathryn Gilbert: I make a motion to adjourn the special meeting.

Mayor Stuart: Do I have a second? Ms. Dabney. All in favor?

Motion to adjourn passed unanimously.

Meeting adjourned at 6:16 P.M.

Respectfully submitted by:

Vanessa Holiday, City Clerk Lee Stuart, Mayor
