HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-02-2012 regular meeting
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City Council of Peachtree City
Meeting Minutes
August 2,2012
7:00 p.m.
The Mayor and City Council of th~ City of Peachtree City met in regular session on Thursday,
August 2, 2012. Mayor Haddix called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Other Council Members
in attendance: George Dienhart, Vanessa Fleisch, Eric Imker, and Kim Learnard.
Announcements. Awards. SDecial Recoanition
Mayor Haddix proclaimed September 3 - 7.2012, as National Payroll Week in Peachtree City.
Wilma Parker and Irena Mill from the Atlanta Chapter of the American Payroll Association
accepted the proclamation. Police Chief H.C. "Skip" Clark and Corp. Chris Hyatt presented
Chelsea Turner with a "Saved by the Belt"award. Turner was wearing her seOtbelt when she
was in an accident on March 9, which kept her from being thrown from her car. The
commanders of American Legion Posts 50 and 105, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9949, and the
Clyde Thomason Detachment of the Marine Corps League recognized Becky Kimble for her
work with the local veterans grouP? during the City's Memorial Day observance and the Fourth
of July festivities. George Martin qf the Peachtree City Running Club gave the City $6,000 to
replace and maintain the drinking water fountain at City Hall Plaza.
Public Comment
Penny Hunter addressed Council cqncerning safety at the City's crosswalks, saying they needed
to be clearly marked, identified, and protected. She continued that it was important to protect
pedestrians, especially children, using the crosswalks. Hunter also asked Council to consider
putting a restroom at the Battery Way park, noting it was a health hazard. Many people used
the park, and the City should be a fdendlycommunity for peoplewho used its parks.
Inge Guha-Biswas addressed Council concerning The Gathering Place, saying the money being
spent on upgrading the Recreation Administration building for senior activities would be better
spent upgrading the senior center. She asked Council to reconsider their decision. Guha-Biswas
said she was delighted to see the appreciation given that night to a City employee and would
like to see it given to other volunteers in the community.
Minutes
July 12, 2012, Workshop Minutes
July 12, 2012, Regular Meeting Minutes
Learnard moved to approve the July 12, 2012, workshop minutes and the July 12, 2012, regular
meeting minutes as written. Fleischseconded. Motion carried unanimously.
Consent Aaenda
1. Consider Letter Notifying Safebullt of Termination of Agreement for 2013
2. Alcohol License - NEW - Walgreens, 100 S. Peachtree Parkway
3. Consider Police Department Mut~al Aid Agreements - Fairburn, Newnan, Senoia, Tyrone,
Fayetteville, Fayette County, COy.'eta County
Haddix pointed out that the termination of the Safe built agreement was not to get rid of
Safebuilt, but to open up the process for a new Request for Proposal (RFP).
Learnard moved to approve Consent Agenda items 1, 2, and 3. Fleisch seconded. Motion
carried unanimously.
City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2, 2012
Page 2
Old Aaenda Items
06-1f.Ol Discuss Request froM Residenffo COr1siderSelUl1gaPorfion of Plafted Greenbelt
Learnard said it was time for a c1eS::m slate. Some of. the information Council had been given
had been incorrect and was later. corrected. . Learnard had met with both neighbors and
looked at both lots. She asked for Qouncil to be given all the information at this time.
Planning & Zoning Administrator David Rast gave a brief history of the situation. Ming Lu, the
homeowner, had requested that Council consider selling him a portion of the greenbelt to allow
him to make improvements to his home and yard. The Centennial subdivision had been platted
in seven or eight phases, and the property, 706 Bostonian Place (Lot 144), was in Phase IB, which
was recorded on July 23, 2002. One of the subdivision's stormwater detention ponds was
located in the greenbelt area behind the property. In 2005, the developer asked the City to
extend the length of Lot 143 (Lu'sneighbor) from 90 feet to 100 feet; the builder was having
issues placing the house with a deck on the tract without extending into the rear building
setback. The request was reviewed and taken through the approval process, and the plat was
recorded with the additional property. When the current situation came about. staff realized
the plat for Lot 143 had been re90rded in error. The 10-foot swath of land added to the
neighbor's property extended into the greenbelt that had been deeded to the City earlier.
Rast said the building permit for Lot 144 was approved in August 2005, and the Certificate of
Occupancy was issued in May 2006. He continued that Lu was not the original owner of the
home, and wanted to make some improvements to the house and the yard. Rast said Lu was
asking Council to consider selling him approximately 420 square feet of the greenbelt.
Lu thanked Council for reconsidering his request, noting that his reasons for asking for the
additional property were the same as his neighbor's and that the timelines were also similar. He
asked Council to approve his req~est. There was a steep drop-off in the backyard, making it
unusable. He understood his neighbor's replatting had been approved in error.
Imker asked Rast if selling the property would change the size of the detention pond. Rasf said it
would not affect the capacity, adding that access to the detention pond for maintenance was
in another location. Imker asked if.the neighbor had paid anything when the amendment was
made to his plat. Rast said he had not. Imker asked Lu if he was willing to pay for the additional
10 feet. Lu said he had been willing to, but he wanted to be treated fairly based on what had
happened with his neighbor. Imker asked how many lots in the area were developed that were
under 100 feet in length. Rast said':only the only lots platted with less than 100 feet were Lot 143
and the common property line with 144. The average of the other lots was 120 feet or more.
Imker recapped what had been sqid, noting Lu was asking for the same thing his neighbors had,
and he did not see why Council equid not approve selling Lu the greenbelt area. Imker said this
appeared to be a unique situation, and he did not see approval as precedent-setting.
Dienhart noted Lu had said he wOljld rather not pay for the extension, asking City Attorney Ted
Meeker for his opinion and whether it could be. clone. Meeker saicl. there vvas process under
state law that had to be followe~, and it usually involved getting a value for the property.
Dienhart said that. if Council approved moving forward, he needed to know Lu would be willing
to pay for the land.
Imker noted that the appraisal of the area might cost more than the land itself. Fleisch agreed.
Imker asked Lu if he was willIng to pay for the appraisal and the land, saying it would probably
be hundreds of dollars rather than)housands. . R.<:lst?()id. most ofthelqtswereiniti()lIy appraised
at $30,000 - $35,000, and the sale could add 400 square feet to the lot. An appraisal had not
been done; but that was his guess based on the initial information.
City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2, 2012
Page 3
Fleisch said the developer had mooe a mistake by not squaringoff the lots. However, Georgia
was a "buyer beware" state, and (u had had plenty of time to get a survey done and look at
the house prior to purchasing it.
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Imker said the developer should hqve replatted both lots at the same time, and it should have
come before Council. Fleisch said, when builders had a lot that was less desirable, they usually
built a "spec house" on it with all th~ bells and whistles to compensate for the lot, which had
been the case with his lot. The original sale on Lu's lot closed before the sale of Lot 143, which
was a custom-built house. The n~ighbors and the developer had realized the footprint for the
custom home was too big for the lot and that was when the developer asked the City to
extend the lot.
Fleisch continued that Lu's home had all the bells and whistles to compensate for the odd lot.
Most people would have passed on the house if they had not liked the backyard. She said
approving the sale of greenbelt would be precedent-setting. She referred to a similar situation in
Southern Shore, and Council had 1J0t agreed to sell that homeowner any land. She continued
that many residents had bad backyards with steep drop-offs. It would be difficult to approve
replatting a lot or selling greenbelt to one homeowner and then deny another one. Fleisch said
she could not support selling greenbelt. Council could not make a bad decision for one person,
and it was not a good idea for the City.
Haddix agreed with Fleisch, saying many people had come before Council wanting to put in
swimming pools, basketball courts, or tennis courts. They all said their backyards were not big
enough. asking for variances to encroach into the building setbacks. Anyone could ask for
more land. It 'Would set a precedent. Staff errors did not set precedent. . The City had been to
court in the past due to precedent set by Council. How Councils had voted on requests in the
past set law. In the past, Council had required homeowners to restore greenbelt they had
cleared and claimed as their yard.
Robert McQueston, Lu's neighbor at 708 Bostonian Trace (Lot 143), asked if Council would be
considering approval of the sale tQat night. Meeker said it would not be to approve the sale,
but to authorize staff to move fo~ard with the process. There were certain state requirements
that had to be met prior to bringing a sale to Council.
McQueston asked what the purpose of a greenbelt was. Rast said approximately 30% of the
City was platted as greenbelt, and greenbelts provided natural buffers between subdivisions to
protect green buffers and watersheds. Some of the areas were originally platted as greenbelt to
give more protection and prevent other developers from encroaching. There had been issues
of over-clearing within those areas platted as undisturbed buffers, which meant they were to be
left untouched. McQueston asked what would happen if the greenbelt were removed from an
area. Rast said the greenbelt was to protect the stormwater detention pond, which was the
area that cleaned the water befote it got to the wetlands area leading to Line Creek. The City
was responsible for maintenance .of detention ponds in subdivisions, and in some areas, the
greenbelts were used for access to the ponds, although not in this greenbelt. Rast said Lu's plan
included filling in the proposed area of sale to create a level play area for his children. Even
with that, the pond would still maintain its capacity.
McQueston asked what criteria wQuld be used to make a decision. Meeker said, from a legal
standpoint, it was up to Council's discretion in unique situations. McQueston asked if it mattered
whether the reason for the requestwould determine whether the request was granted. Meeker
said the criteria were need-based, whether the property was serving a current purpose or there
wds a hardship.
City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2, 2012
Page 4
McQuestan said he did nat feel th~ infarmatian presented was accurate. The memo. said Lu's
lat was the anly ane with a back IIhe af90feet. RClSt sClid lafST43 drid144 were the anlylats
staff cauld find with a depth af 90 feet. McQuestan said there was ane side af Lu's yard that
was 108 feet deep. He asked Rasf why the lat an the appasite side of Lat 143 had nat been
extended since its depth was naf 100 feet. Oienhart agreed, asking what wauld stap that
praperty awner fram also. asking for an extensian. Rast said the placement af the frant af the
hames in the area were mastly alo.ng the setback fram the edge af pavement. The way the
hame an Lat 145 was angled gaveraam far the deck and a larger yard. He did nat knaw what
wauld preclude them fram asking far the same thing. Haddix said that, if Cauncil approved the
sale af the greenbelt. Lu's yard wQuld fall under all the normal ordinances. McQuestan asked
whether the purpase af buying the area wauld be part af the decisian. Haddix said it cauld play
a part in haw it impacted each member's thinking. Haddix said he cauld nat get. past the
precedent it wauld set.
McQuestan said he had nat seen any decks that extended alang the entire back af a hause.
He was nat sure abaut Lu's, but he <;auldnat see it fram his yard. He thaught Lu cauld rebuild his
deck and square it aff sa he wauld nat have to. encraach into. the greenbelt. McQuestan said
Lu also. wanted a larger area for his children to. play, but ane af the gaad things abaut
Centennial was the amaunt af greens pace and areas for children to. play. He thanked Cauncil
for their cansideratian.
Imker asked whether Cauncil wqs willing to. get the praperty back that McQuestan had
acquired withaut due pracess. Dienhart said Cauncil cauld nat carrect past errors. Fleisch said
it wauld take forever to. carrect every past mistake. The errar was made during canstructian.
Platting was nat an exact science. Fleisch said, based an the dates, the spec hame had said
very quickly.
Imker did nat think selling the gree'nbelt waLJld be precedent-setting. The neighbar's praperty
had been extended far the sam~ reason. Cauncil needed to.. accammadate the request.
Haddix said any time Cauncil vated to. sell a piece af property it set a precedent. lmker said
precedent was set when the gree'rbelt was given to. the neighbar. Haddix disagreed, saying
staff made an errar and that was nat precedent-setting.
Learnard asked what the legal precedent wauld be. Meeker said he was nat aware af the City
selling greenbelt in the past. A staff errar was a bit different thana Cauncil decisian. Cauncil
did nat have to. sell praperty just because sameane asked. It might nat set a definitive
precedent. but it wauld apen a small daar. Any time Cauncil granted same thing new, there
was always the passibility af setting a precedent.
Imker said it was the same way eV$ry time Cauncil made a decisian. Haddix said that was nat
an accurate statement. It was an€} thing when Cauncil made a decisian based an law, zaning,
ardinances, and past precedents. When Cauncil did samething that set a new precedent, a
new daar apened.
Mary Giles tald Cauncil that the greenbelts and green areas were in the tap five things that
were impartant to. the City. Once the City started selling it and setting different rules far different
parts af the City, there wauld be Cl slippery slape for the City. The sale wauld be precedent-
selling. She asked Cauncil to. retainthe greenbelt it had.
Imker said seven af the nine praperties that bardered the greenbelt went into. the drainage
easement or the greenbelt. They v,yere talking abaut 400 square feet to. allaw Lu to. imprave his
praperty and increase its value. He was struggling to. find why that cauld nat be
City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2. 2012
Page 5
accommodated. Council denied requests all the time; he wanted to find a reason to help a
citizen.
Fleisch said Council was helping th~ City by not going down the "slippery slope." The City had
34,000 residents and going down thaf rOCldwoLJldbe bad.
Fleisch asked Lu about his homeowners association (HOA) and whether they knew of his plans.
Lu said he had checked with the H9A and was told by the HOA that they did not need to know
about the issue. He had received qn e-mail from the HOA manager. Haddix said the property
would need to be replatted, or he would have two separate tracts. Lu read from his e-mail,
which indicated he would not need HOA approval to acquire additional land. Haddix told Lu
inclusion in the HOA membership was a standard deed restriction. The land in the greenbelt
would have to be platted separately, outside the HOA, unless the HOA went through a legal
process to include the property. Otenhart asked Lu if it mattered to him if he had two separate
deeds. Lu said it did not. ..
Fleisch said she had checked when the certificate of occupancy (CO) was issued for Lu's
residence and found the CO was issued on May 26, 2005, and the home had sold on June 16,
2005, adding Lu was not the original buyer. The builder's permit for his neighbor's house had
been pulled on August 16, 2005. Fleisch said, presumably, the neighbor wanted a custom home
with a larger footprint that would have encroached into the building setbacks. lu said the
builder should have had sufficient time to replat his lot if his neighbor's lot was done after his.
Fleisch said a lot could be replatted if additional property was purchased, but the homeowner
would have to purchase the property.
Lu said that was why he had apprqached Council, to buy the property. Lu read from an e-mail
he received from Haddix, which said, "the bottom line issue here is that the prior plat changes
were made before the greenbelt was dedicated to the City. At that time, it was still developer-
owned property, not City property. No plat yet existed. The plat had not yet been finalized and
become part of the zoning." Haddix pointed out that e-mail had been written prior to staff
discovering the error, which changed that aspect, but not the key issue of setting precedent. Lu
said he had a final plat. and his neighbor had a final plat that had been changed. Lu asked
what the difference was. Haddix reiterated that staff made a mistake in approving the change
in the neighbor's plat. They should not have changed the plat without a Council vote. Council
had not voted on the issue. A precedent was set by Council vote. Staff errors did not have the
elected authority by state law to set precedent. The error could be corrected, but it would be
difficult. and it was another discussJon that Haddix said Imker could bring the issue to Council if
he wanted to.
Lu said his neighbor's house was very close to his. His concern was if his neighbor's home caught
on fire, it could bring his home down. Lu said his neighbor had finished the basement without
proper permits, and he did not know if the work complied with the City's code. Haddix told Lu
he should bring those concerns to City staff so they could look into them. Oienhart said that was
a separate matter.
Learnard said she would like for Lu... to develop his backyard, but she could not get away from
the idea that people were responsible for what they bought. Haddix said he meant no
disrespect, but Council was charged to make the right decision for the City, and sometimes that
was uncomfortable. This was one qUhose times.
Fleisch moved to deny selling a portion of the platted greenbelt at 706 Bostonian Trace in
Centennial subdivision. Haddix seconded. Motion carried 4-0-1 (Imker).
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City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2. 2012
PClge 6
New Aaenda Items
08-12-01 Consider AmendmepftoPurchasing Ordinance
Financial Services Director Paul Salyatore said the ordinance had not been updated since 1999.
There had been a recent flurry of ?ctivity due to the Public Facilities Authority bond. Currently,
sealed bids were required for any purchases over $10,000, and three written quotes were
required for items between $5,000 and $10,000. Staff would like to increase the limit from $10,000
to $25,000 on sealed bids and update the written quote requirement to $25,000.
Imker said it would be good to amend the ordinance, but in a precautionary manner. He knew
staff had checked with other muniCipalities to see what they did.lml<er wanted to ensure the
department heads still communicated with Purchasing to get all the potentiOl bidders, and that
they all received the requests for bids. Iml<er continued that Council needed to know the three
required bids were received and. documented so the reasons for the decision made were
documented. There also needed to be documentation ensuring the bidders had the same
information. To ensure the proqm had been implemented properly, Imker asked for an
audit/review of the contracts that were let in six months. He wanted staff to take the
responsibility, and he trusted, but wpnted to verify.
Dienhart said he understood the reason for increasing the limit, but he felt the oversight was
good now and saw no reason to change the ordinance.
Learnard asked what the reasons were for the ordinance change. Imker said it was paperwork.
Salvatore added that quoted items could also be turned around in a much shorter time. The
average number of bids put out ahnually was usually 10-- 14. This year, 20 bidshad been put
out, which was probably an anomaly due to the Public Facilities Authority projects. Generally, it
took approximately one week to put bids of this size out.
Salvatore went over the formal sE}aled bid requirements of other Class B cities, noting that
Peachtree City was ranked at the bottom along with Valdosta and Rome with a limit of $10,600.
The remaining cities had limits of $15,000, $20,000, $25,000, $40,000, and $100,000. No quotes
were required for items under $2,500 in Smyrna. Douglasville required three quotes on all
purchases under the $100,000 limit.
Learnard said the City had a staff of seasoned professionals, and if the amendment would help
them do their jobs, then she supported it.
Dienhart asked what the City would save by increasing the limit. Salvatore said it would save
staff and vendor time. Dienhart said there truly was not more freedom if the same process was
used. Salvatore said it would expedite the process since staff would not have to wait for the
sealed bids to come back. A dire<;::tor or chief would be required to get three written quotes,
but the process would move smaller projects along more quickly. Dierihart said Council was
charged with being a good steward of the taxpayers' money, and he did not feel he could
support the increase.
Learnard said staff was spread very thin, and $25,000 was reasonable. There would still be
standardized procedures and practices.
Fleisch noted the reality was that projects were being delayed by the current process. She also
wanted a review in six months to se~ how things were going, noting it would include items such
as electrical panels. Council wantep to keep tabs on the projects as well.
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City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2, 2012
Page 7
Dienhart said the City had a good staff now, but they could not predict the future. In 10 years,
someone could abuse the process':'Ond Council should minimize the exposure.
Learnard moved to approve the <;;1mendment to the purchasing ordinance regarding sealed
bids and written quotes. Fleisch seconded. Motion carried 4-1 (Dienhart).
08-12-02 Consider RFP for IT Support Services
Salvatore clarified that the Request for Proposal (RFP) was for the company that would maintain
the infrastructure, noting there were two contracts on the agenda. He also pointed out that
Council had approved the agreerrient for the technology infrastructure earlier. This project was
for the managed services piece tt1at would maintain the new infrastructure moving forward.
Salvatore asked Council to approve the contract with Presidio for managed services for
$143,480 for the first year, and two one-year renewals at $130,680 each, for a total of $404,840.
He also asked Council to approve a contract with Southern Technology Inc. for $23,900 to assist
in the transition to the new hardwqre aoci managed services environment. He noted that John
Hulsey of Presidio and Horatio Cyrus of Southern Tech were in attendance and could answer any
questions.
Learnard asked if the contract tieci the City to three years. Salvatore said there was a 60-day
out clause. Meeker said thecontr<;;1ct went year to year. City Manager Jim Pennington added
the staff wanted to make sure the City was not locked in.
Salvatore continued that SouthernTech's contract hqd been revieWed and approved by the
City Attorney. They would overseeJhe VC3 hardware installation, ensuring it was done correctly
before the City signed off. Southern Tech would assist in the transition betw~en VC3 and
Presidio. Salvatore said the agreementwith Presidio woulci retain the two remaining Information
Technology (IT) employees. South~rn Tech would also ensure there was aclear understanding
of what would be done by the in-house staff and what would be done by Presidio.
Imker asked if the Southern Tech contract would be for this fiscal year. Salvatore said it would.
Pennington clarified that Southern; Technology would be used to ensure a smooth blend and
would check VC3 and Presidio asthey moved in. A new element had been added that day
because VC3 was requiring a total sign-off by the City on everything they did. Pennington said
Southern Tech would help with that.
Imker moved to award Presidio the managed information technology services contract for
$404,480 and to approve the Southern Technology contract in the amount of $23,900 to assist
with the transition. Meeker saici th.e Presiqio agreement had just been received that day, and
he needed time to review and [11odify it, asking Imker to add the condition of a revised
agreement. Imker added the condition to his motion. Learnard seconded. Motion carried
unanimously.
There was a short break from 8:32 ~.8:38 p.m.
08-12-03 Public Hearing - FY 2012-2013 Budget
Public Information Officer/City Clerk Betsy Tyler read the protocol for public hearings.
Salvatore pointed out there was a triple threat to future revenue streams - decreasing tax digest
values, depletion/discontinuation of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds for
transportation infrastructure, and the loss of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) revenue due to
population shifts, with arbitration or') LOST pending.
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City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2,2012
Page 8
Salvatore continued that the. asse%~yd property values in the City had declined over 11 % since
2009, with an equivalent market vqlue decline of over $540 million. The model had projected a
0% decline for FY 2013, but the actual decline reported was 5.13%, or a dollar value of property
tax revenue of $635,839.
staff proposed a 0.372 "roll-up" of the Maintenance & Operation (M&O) millage rate to offset
the tax revenue lost from the property digest value decline. The adoption of the rollback
millage rate was not advertised as a tax increase because it was revenue neutral. The annual
loss from not adopting the rollback millage rate would be ongoing ($635,839 each year going
forward). Last year's digest decline cost approximately $200,000 a year.
Salvatore said the 2005 County SrLOST had generated approximately $2 million per year for
transportation infrastructure, and any remaining funds would be completed depleted by the
end of FY 2013. The regional TSPLOST vote on July 31 had failed. Staff now proposed a General
Obligation bond referendum for City voters in FY 2014 that would cover five years of paving
needs.
Staff had predicted a significant decline in LOST for many years due to the projected population
shifts. The model currently projected a decline in the City's share of 1.45%, or approximately
$300,000. The matter was now going to arbitration, and the actual loss might exceed the
projected amount. Salvatore pointed out that any loss had an ongoing impact on the model.
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The expense challenges included the continuing demand for upkeep and maintenance of City
facilities and other infrastructure and the continuing need for technology upgrades for both
hardware and software. A pay study had not been conducted in over 10 years. Salvatore said
the future expense increases projected in the five-year financial model were nominal at 1 .5%.
Staff continued to look at ways to; reorganize and/or economize on service delivery methods.
Salvatore said if revenues continued to suffer and there was no desire for millage rate increases,
there would need to be further adjustments to the way services were delivered and/or the levels
of services provided. Clear direction from the citizens and Council was needed on the
outcomes expected from the City I?udget process going forward.
The proposed budget now included a 2% cost-of-Iiving adjustment (COLA) for employees,
totaling $262,169. The improvements to Police operations included Cl new full-time ,evidence
custodian and two new part-time court bailiffs to free up sworn officers to be available for
patrol, one additional motorcycle patrol unit, new records management software, and
improved surveillance and fingerprinting systems. City-wide technology infrastructure
improvements included Phase II of the technology replacement project and an upgrade of the
city-wide wireless and phone systerns. The emphasis on facility maintenance and infrastructure
included six new part-time maintenance technicians, ongoing facility improvement projects,
and improved capital equipment fpr Public Works.
Salvatore looked at the FY 2013 l,Jses of funds, noting that the $28,948,190 budget included
$7,235,586 (25%) for Police, $6,816~954 (23.6%) for Fire/EMS, $3,608,284 (12.5%) for Public Works,
$902,310 (3.1 %) for Buildings and Grounds, $2,538,861 (8.8%) for Recreation and Special Events,
$1,000,041 (3.5%) for the Library, $1,176,763 (4.1%) for Administrative Services, $1,131,288 (3.9%)
for Financial Services/IT, $2,640,990 (9.1 %) for Debt Service, $624.737 (2.2%) for Non-Divisional and
Transfers, $219,849 (0.8%) for Planping and Zoning, $348,524 (1.2%) for Storl1iwater (Citybill),
$318,848 (1.1 %) for Building Inspection, and $385,156 (1.3%) for Executive Services. The City taxes
on a property valued at $243,000 would be $656.62.
City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2,2012
Page 9
Salvatore looked at the five-year financial projections, which included 0.2 mill increases in 2014,
2015, and 2016, adding that staff wouldcoritiriLJeto look for wClysto redLJce fhe furid balance
and do away with the future millage increases.
Haddix opened the public hearing.
Joe Bowler referred to the proposed 2% COLA, saying he had just retired from Clayton State
University, and he had not had a raise in four to five years. He suggested the alternative of a
one-time bonus to minimize the c:pst to the City, as the payroll was around $15 million. He
added that 2% of that was approximately $300,000.
Kim Westwood suggested adding a new stream of income, referring to agenda item 06-12-01,
the request from a citizen to purchase a portion of a platted greenbelt. She said that land was
of value to that one person, and the City should let them pay for the right of using it.
The public hearing closed.
Imker asked what the schedule would be to finalize the budget. Salvatore said Council usually
gave some final instructions based on the public hearing. The millage rate would be set at the
special called meeting on August 9. Normally, staff came to Council with the budget resolution
at this time, but Salvatore recommended another workshop be held to discuss what Council
wanted in the final budget. Policy decisions were needed regarding service levels. Staff had set
the service level at what was perceived the citizens wanted.
Haddix asked when the informatior) was needed to get the budget resolution ready for Council
consideration.. Salvatore. saIdqwprkshop could be held in conjunction with the millage rate
meeting on August 9, or another\^l<:)r~~~()p t() ~<:]~~ y~yryt~ingout.~gddixaskyd if that vvould
work with the legal requirements "for posting the meeting. Salvatore said the millage rate
hearing had to be advertised two weeks prior to the meeting. Council could go ahead and
approve the millage rate on Augu~t 9, and they could continue to work on the budget. If the
numbers on the revenue side were a given, then they could work on the expense side. Haddix
asked if there was any objection to having a workshop on August 9.
Imker said he wanted to meet with each director and chief prior to the workshop. The goal for
Jhe was to provide the County with the millage rate on time, but the City's requirement for
budget approval was September 30, which meant it needed to be complete by the second
meeting in September. Imker asked if there were any more required budget hearings that had
to be held. Salvatore said no. Imker said now it was up to Council to develop the budget and
approve it by September 30. He qsked the directors and chiefs to consider more reductions in
their department budgets. He said every dollar not spent would help reduce or eliminate future
millage rate increase projections. He wanted to discuss cuts with the directors that would not
impact services too much.
Haddix said he did not see many more cuts to be made, and that the department heads had
said all they were going to say. Dienhart said he supported lmker asking more questions, adding
he had questions he also wanted tb ask. Imker said there were items he had not noticed earlier
that he wanted to point out one mpre time. Some of the items in the budget were guesses. He
suggested August 21 for the workshop.
Fleisch asked for an update on thel0ST negotiations. Meeker said they had gone to mediation
last month, and it had not lasted very long. The 60-day mediation period would end the next
day or Monday, meaning the muniCipalities had 30 days to file the arbitration. He did not know
City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2,2012
Page 10
when a court decision would be .made:., Flf:}isc:h saidthat.vv9s P9rt oft~eissue th.is year, as well
as the vote on the regional TSPL OS\; which had. been turned down by the voters on July 31 .
Imker said the proposed FY 2014" referendum had been added by staff depending on the
TSPLOST vote. The citizens did not want it, but the City still had maintenance needs for roads
and paths. There would be a new County Commission in 2013 that would have to decide on
funding for its roads. He suspected the County might consider a proposal for the citizens to vote
on. The City should see what the. County was going to do before beginning work on the
referendum process.
Pennington said his budget message had clearly indicated staff had tried to take the needs of
all of the Cou'ncil Members an9blend them with the operational expectations of the
community. There could and would be changes. Once the budget was adopted, it was staff's
responsibility to administer it. The 2% COLA was very important. The City's major asset was its
employees. They were assets, not liabilities. He said Salvatore would need a week to get the
budget resolution together after Council provided their final budget input. The time frame for
the budget was now between the middle of August to the middle of September.
Council consensus was to hold a bydget workshop on Tuesday, August 21, at 6:30 p.m.
No vote was required.
08 12 04 Consider Bid for Roofs Various Buildings
This item is on the August 16 agend\;:l and was left on this agenda in error.
08-12-05 Consid~r .Bid - Fa~ade Recoati~g/Restoration
City Engineer Dave Bork()wskia?crressed c:o~ncil, recommending th9t the bid be awarded to
Holbrook Waterproofing Company of Georgia for an amount' not to exceed $165,000 to
restore/recoat the exterior walls of the Library, Leach Fire Station 81, and Neely Fire Station 82, as
well as some other maintenance wprk.
The bid process had requested bQse bids for the exterior walls and alternate bids to include
painting the existing metal structure for the covered walkway around the Library and other
projects at the fire stations. Two bids were submitted, ranging from $173,000 to $222,000. Staff
recommended Council only approve the base bid work, with additional items 1,3, 5, 6, 7,8, and
10. Additional items 9 and 11 woul~ be completed by the Fire Department as self-help projects,
which resulted in a reduction in the, bid cost of approximately $8,000.
Borkowski continued that the new. total cost was $155,293, with the rest of the recommended
$165,000 funding set aside as contingency for the project. The budgeted amount had been
$191,000. Staff requested the funds come from the Facilities Authority bond.
Learnard moved to approve the bid from Holbrook Waterproofing Company of Georgia for an
amount not to exceed $165,000. Fleisch seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
Pennington thanked the Fire Department for the work they would be doing, noting several
departments had been working together on projects recently.
08- 12-06 Consider Ordinanc~ Am~.ndmel1t - Parking on Stevens Entry, Prime Point, and
Petrol Point
Chief Clark said' revisions were OE}(3ded regarding parking around Mcintosh High School.
Sometime in 2000, the school had <;reated 160 - 180 parking spots for golf carts. In 2008 - 2009,
City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2, 2012
Page 11
staff worked with the Board of Edu,cation to reconfigure the. parking lot, and 200 parking spots
were available. Clark showed p~otos of Prime Point and Stevens Entry, pointing out it was
difficult to get around to the businesses in the area because of the cars and golf carts parking
on the streets around the school.... The businesses were . affected because it was difficult for
drivers to see when leaving the businesses due to the parking along the curb. The school had
created additional golf cart parking near the football field for this year, possibly for another 200
carts. The school had also changed the permit parking from assigned spaces to first-come, first-
served. Freshmen and sophomores would also be able to get a parking permit mid-year. With
the changes made by the school, the carts and cars should be able to park on the school
grounds. All the businesses had b~en contacted, and they were either in complete support or
they were not against the idea of eliminating parking on the roadways, with the exception of
one business that would be addressed later.
Borkowski said staff had looked at the curb cuts on the three roads and evaluated the sight
distance, finding the majority of the roads needed to be open due to the number of curb cuts.
Street parking worked in only a few places around 300 Prime Point. There was still a desire for
street parking at Ashley Glen, theossisted living facility. Borkowski said there was an area of
approximately 94 feet where on-street parking would work for the facility if one entrance were
designated as "in" only. Staff recommended making no parking at any time on all three streets,
but parking could be accommodated in some areas if there was an overwhelming desire.
Fleisch asked if the vehicles parked in the street had been counted. Sergeant Brad Williams said
Mike Satterfield of the Board of Education had counted anywhere from 200 to 215.
Clark said that, from the school's perspective, it was better to have the vehicles on campus
~ where they were easier to regulate, thCln having students enter thr()uQh the.. back gate. near the
football field where there was no ~idewalk. There had been occasional break-ins in the street
parking area. Ashley Glen had said they were willing to make the changes to their facility at
their own expense. Mimi's Restaurant had also had an issue with traffic in and out, but the
restaurant had relocated and the parking should be fine for the expanded doctor's office that
remained.
Public Information Officer/City Cler~ Betsy Tyler said language could be added to the proposed
ordinance for Ashley Glen. Learndrd said she wanted to move ahead with the ordinance with
the understanding staff would continue to work with Ashley Glen. Clark said staff would
continue to work with them. Haddix asked if it would be better to blend Ashley Glen into the
motion. Clark said they had indidated they were going to make the modifications, but staff
wanted to make sure they would be able to have the on-street parking issue resolved before the
start of school. Meeker suggested leaving any language out for Ashley Glen if it was not ready,
noting there were things that had to be done by Ashley Glen. The ordinance could be
amended later.
Learnard moved to adopt the attached ordinance to prohibit parking on both sides of Prime
Point, Stevens Entry north of SR 54, and Petrol Point north of SR 54. Fleisch seconded. Motion
carried unanimously
Council/Staff TODics
Hot Topics ,
Pennington referred to Ryan Chapman, the Boy Scout who addressed Council at the July 12
meeting, saying Chapman had b~en contacted twice since the meeting regarding his online
complaint about the poor condition of the golf cart path in his neighborhood. Pennington said
City Council Meeting Minutes
August 2, 2012
Page 12
the path was scheduled for paving in the next day or two. The communication problem had
been resolved.'
Pennington reported that work ori the easement from Camden Apartments for the golf cart
path had slipped through the cracRs due to workload, but it was now moving forward.
Pennington said the communications between Mcintosh High School Principal Lisa Fine and the
Police Department were going very well.
The site plan for the RaceTrac gas station on SR 54 West was under review. The Planning
Commission had asked RaceTrac fQr a start date. Staff hoped to have a construction schedule
by the next meeting. The plans were available on the City website.
Initial discussions had been held qn the Southern Pines Plantation annexation request, but no
other documents had been subroitted. There were issues that had to be worked through
regarding the sewer and golf cart .connections with Southern Pines, the Somerby development,
and Meade Field. Staff hoped to hove a workshop on the issue in the near future.
Pennington said Fayette County Development Authority President/CEO Matt Forshee would
report to Council on the partnership/employee at the August 16 meeting.
Pennington referred to an e-mail regarding the June lacrosse tournament. It was a very detailed
issue, and staff was putting everything in writing. Cost and revenue projections had been done
to see the effect the tournament hod on the City, and it had been positive.
Five projects would be getting ready for construction over the next few months. Staff was
looking at potential impact fees. There would be more on the horizon.
North Peachtree Parkway paving would be done toward the end of the summer. Wisdom Road
had been completed, and Kelly Drive had been permafixed. Stormwater work was going on in
several neighborhoods.
Salvatore gave an update on VC3's implementation of the new computer equipment, which
had been ordered. The virtualizafion infrastructure was the real meat of the work, with three
large servers. Work would then start on migrating the information from the current servers to the
new ones. Test groups would be set up to ensure everything worked as it should. Most of the
equipment should be in and the first group moved over to the thin clients by the end of August.
The Phase 1 activities should wrap up around the middle of September, which was when the
City would sign off on the work and Presidio would take over the management and working with
City staff on maintenance. The Phase 2 funds would be available October 1.
There being no further business to discuss, Learnard moved to adjourn the meeting. Fleisch
seconded. Motion carried unanim9usly. The meeting adjou ed at 9:49 p.m.
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