---
date: 2012-12-18
title: December 18, 2012 Minutes
source: 2012-12/2012-12-18_December 18, 2012_Minutes.pdf
pages: 1
---

December 18, 2012

SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES
Stockbridge City Council
Tuesday, December 18, 2012 7:00PM

City Council
Mark Alarcon, Mayor
Richard Steinberg, Mayor Pro Tem
Robin Buschman, Councilwoman
Harold Cochran, Councilman
Shirley Dabney, Councilman (Absent)
Alphonso Thomas, Councilman

Rhonda Blackmon, City Clerk

Call to Order; Mayor Alarcon called the meeting to order and read the purpose of the
meeting.

Invocation done by Mayor Alarcon.

Pledge of Allegiance

Adopt Agenda; Mayor asked for a motion to adopt the agenda for item one (1) only
and asked that a council member remove the Executive Session item. A motion to
adopt the agenda as stated minus the Executive Session made by Richard Steinberg; a
second was made by Harold Cochran; the motion passed 4-0.

Mayor Alarcon noted that Council Member Dabney is absent due to a working conflict.
Mayor stated that as the audience will notice this evening, the Council will be
conducting the business of the City and that Council will be conducting multiple special
called meetings to get the business of the City done.

Mayor acknowledged our seated Judge Ted Echols.

A Special Called Meeting of the City Council of the City of Stockbridge, Georgia will be
held at 7:00PM on Tuesday, December 18, 2012 in the Council Chambers at City Hall,
4640 North Henry Blvd., Stockbridge, GA 30281

FOR THE PURPOSE OF:

1. To conduct a budget hearing pursuant to State Code of Georgia section 36-81-5
(d, e and f); Mayor Alarcon opened the Public Hearing asking for any comments
concerning the budget. He asked that anyone coming forward please state their
name and they will have three (3) minutes to speak.

Mildred Reed spoke about getting a copy of the budget to look at. She stated she was
at a disadvantage as she had not been able to attend any of the Financial Committee
meetings. She asked when the citizens would have the opportunity to address any
questions on the budget and have input. Mayor Alarcon said he would defer to the City
Treasurer but that we are in the middle of that at this time with these hearings. He then
deferred to Mr. Milliron. David Milliron said that per Georgia law, the budget is required
to have two public hearings and that is the public input hearings which give the Council
the opportunity to receive input into the budget. Then there is an adoption process
where the Council must actually adopt the budget. He stated that one could have more
hearings but the state mandate is two plus the adoption hearing. The budget required
by law is also posted on our City website and it is posted by law at City Hall. Therefore,
there is a copy at the front desk available for public inspection. Anyone else in the
public that actually wants a copy of the budget would file an Open Records Request or
they can go to the website to the finance area and they can download an Acrobat
Adobe PDF version of the budget. Also, as far as the public input, the Finance
Committee meets on a regular basis and that is an opportunity for folks to have input
and this is where the financials of the City are discussed.

Ted Echols spoke about the number of cases this year compared to last year as well as
the revenues in the Court this year compared to last year. Mr. Echols said that there
was one issue to be brought up about the Court’s budget. He stated that he did not play
a large role in the Court’s budget, but he did want to explain the one issue which is the
number of cases for this year compared to last year and the revenue number for this
year compared to last year and the explanation according to what he has uncovered in
the documents. The revenue in 2011 was about $1,050,000.00 and the number of
cases in 2011 was about 5,869 cases. In 2012, the net revenue was about
$990,000.00 and the number of cases was about 5,382. So there were about 500
cases less this year than last year and in diving into those records further, it appears
that in four (4) months of this year, those being March, April, May and June, about half
of the cases that normally happen, happened in those months. The encouraging thing
from the court standpoint is from a consistency standpoint, the average case was
$179.00 in 2011 and the average case was $184.00 in 2012. Mr. Echols stated that we
are pretty consistent with the year before and the revenue difference seems to be just
the number of cases. He stated that he felt it was also encouraging that in the last few
months of this year, we have had more cases than we did in 2011 for the same time
period. From the standpoint of the Court and what we have done in the past and for
you guys when trying to develop the budget for 2013, it appears that more cases are
happening in the last four (4) months of this year than last year so that may be helpful in
thinking about the budget for 2013.

Mayor Alarcon asked the audience for any additional comments or anyone else that
wanted to speak to come forward please.

Jane Askew Rutledge spoke about money being in the budget for the cleaning up of the
cemeteries and also to look into grants for a senior’s center. Mrs. Rutledge said she
was working towards a senior’s center for about thirty (30) years now and she saw
where the old operations center for First State was purchased for an event center. She
stated she had three (3) suggestions that she would like for Council to consider; putting
money in the budget for a historical committee to do work on the cemeteries and to do
work to procure marking different sites in Stockbridge for founding families; also
consider to see what grants are available right now for a senior’s center only; let the
operations center be the event center; let the Ted Strickland building be the Boys and
Girls Club totally and exclusively and the Merle Manders Center, since it is already paid
for, become the senior’s center if there is no grant money there. She stated that she did
not feel that the seniors should be involved with sharing a building with anybody. Since
we already have the Merle Manders Center, let the same people that are operating that
be in control of operating the senior’s center, the event center behind First State, now
Hamilton, and also schedule things for the Boys and Girls Club. That way the City could
address all three (3) issues at one time plus seeing what grant money or SPLOST
money there is. She stated that she had just been to the Board of Commissioners of
Henry County to ask them if they would, in the year 2013, work with the City of
Stockbridge in helping wherever they could with a Boys and Girls Club and wherever
they could help on a senior’s center. She does not consider Fairview as Fairview is not
Stockbridge. She wants to see a senior’s center totally and exclusively for nothing but a
senior’s center. There is good parking at the Ted Strickland Center for the Boys and
Girls Club; there is excellent parking for an event at the newly acquired building; and the
design is already there for a senior’s center. She wanted to know if Council was in favor
of that and stated that she would help any way she could to help get funds for the
senior’s center and the Boys and Girls Club. She asked if there was money in the
budget for the Historical Committee and Mayor Alarcon stated that there is no
interaction of conversation here today as it is a public hearing but that he was taking
notes. Mrs. Rutledge said okay and thanked them and then asked about getting a copy
of the budget. Mayor Alarcon told her to see the clerk for that.

Mayor said we have had our first call and our second call and we heard from Ms.
Mildred Reed, Mr. Echols and Mrs. Jane Rutledge so this is our final call for comments.
He then acknowledged Mr. Houston Nelson and reiterated that this is a one way
conversation and that Mr. Houston had three (3) minutes to speak on budgetary items.

Houston Nelson spoke on having a pre-check list for businesses when newly occupying
a building. He also mentioned communication with the City pertaining to starting trash
pick-up for businesses.

2. EXECUTIVE SESSION (Exceptions revised by law April 2012) Item removed.

 A. Meeting to discuss or vote to authorize the settlement of a matter
covered by the attorney-client privilege as provided in Georgia Code
section 50-14-2(1) and 50-14-3(b)(1)(A). The subject discussed was
[identify the case or claim discussed but not the substance of the
attorney-client discussion].

 B. Meeting to discuss or vote to authorize negotiations to purchase,
dispose of or lease property as provided in Georgia Code section 50-
14-3(b)(1)(B).

 C. Meeting to discuss or vote to authorize the ordering of an appraisal
related to the acquisition or disposal of real estate as provided in
Georgia Code section 50-14-3(b)(1)(C).

 D. Meeting to discuss or vote to enter into a contract to purchase,
dispose of, or lease property subject to approval in a subsequent
public vote as provided in Georgia Code section 50-14-3(b)(1)(D).

 E. Meeting to discuss or vote to enter into an option to purchase,
dispose of, or lease real estate subject to approval in a subsequent
public vote as provided in Georgia Code section 50-14-3(b)(1)(E).

 F. Meeting to discuss or deliberate upon the appointment,
employment, compensation, hiring, disciplinary action or dismissal, or
periodic evaluation or rating of a public officer or employee as provided
in Georgia Code section 50-14-3(b)(2).

 G. Meeting to interview one or more applicants for the position of the
executive head of an agency as provided in Georgia Code section 50-
14-3(b)(2).

 H. Pursuant to the attorney-client privilege and as provided by Georgia
Code section 50-14-2(1), a meeting otherwise required to be open was
closed to the public in order to consult and meet with legal counsel
pertaining to pending or potential litigation, settlement, claims,
administrative proceedings, or other judicial actions brought or to be
brought by or against the agency or any officer or employee or in which
the agency or any officer or employee may be directly involved and
the matter discussed was [identify the matter but not the substance of
the discussion].

 I. Staff meeting held for investigative purposes under duties or
responsibilities imposed by law as provided by Georgia Code section
50-14-3(a)(1).

3. Adoption of 2013 Budget; no action was taken.

Adjourn; motion to adjourn made by Richard Steinberg; a second was made by Harold
Cochran; the motion passed 4-0.

Respectfully submitted by:

Rhonda A. Blackmon, City Clerk Mark A. Alarcon, Mayor
