HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-20-2015 regular meeting City Council of Peachtree City
Meeting Minutes
August 20, 2015
7:00 p.m.
The Peachtree City Mayor and Council met in regular session on Thursday, August 20, 2015.
Mayor Vanessa Fleisch called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Others attending: Terry Ernst,
Eric lmker, and Mike King. Kim Learnard was unable to attend due to a work commitment.
Announcements, Awards, Special Recognition
Police Chief Janet Moon was sworn in by Mayor Fleisch. Siblings James and Emily McMillian
received "Saved by the Belt" certificates from Lt. Matt Myers. They were passengers a golf cart
involved in a car-golf cart accident on June 30, and both were wearing after-market seat belts
that had been installed on the golf cart.
Minutes
August 6, 2015, Regular Council Meeting Minutes
August 13, 2015, Special Called Meeting Minutes- 7:30 a.m.
August 13, 2015, Special Called Meeting Minutes- 6:30 p.m.
King moved to approve the August 6, 2015, regular meeting minutes; August 13, 2015, special
called meeting minutes - 7:30 a.m.; and the August 13, 2015, special called meeting minutes -
6:30 p.m. as written. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
Consent Agenda
1. Consider Easement for Leedy Property
2. Consider Purchase of Scan Tool with Budget Adjustment& Reallocations
Ernst moved to approve Consent Agenda items 1 and 2. King seconded. Motion carried
unanimously.
Old Agenda Items
06-15-08 Discuss/Consider SR 54 West Corridor Study Improvements Design
• Commerce Drive / Marketplace (Discuss right-in/right-out concept for
business input)
City Manager Jon Rorie asked Council to continue this agenda item until the September 17
meeting. A meeting with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) was scheduled
Tuesday, August 25, in Thomaston.
King moved to continued agenda item 06-15-08 Discuss/Consider SR 54 West Corridor Study
Improvements Design [Commerce Drive / Marketplace (Discuss right-in/right-out concept for
business input)] until September 17. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
07-15-02 Consider Adoption of FY 2016 Budget Resolution
Financial Services Director Paul Salvatore noted the workshops and public hearing had been
held. The budget was ready for adoption.
King moved to approve the agenda item 07-15-02 Consider Adopt of FY 2016 Budget Resolution.
Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
08-15-04 Public Hearing -Consider Millage Rate for 2016 (3rd of 3 hearings)
Salvatore said this was the third and final public hearing required when there was not a full
rollback of the millage rate. The maintenance and operation portion of the millage rate would
stay the same-6.756 mills. The bond rate would be reduced from 0.332 mills to 0.314 mills.
City Council Minutes
August 20, 2015
Page 2
Salvatore continued that those property owners who had seen an increase in the assessed value
of their property would experience a tax increase. For every $1,000 increase in the fair market
value of property, a tax bill would increase by $2.70. The average increase in assessed values of
real property in the City was 9.5%. For properties previously valued at $200,000, the tax increase
would be $51.44, based on this average.
Salvatore noted that the tax digest was now where it had been prior to the recession, and the
graph below illustrated that point:
Peachtree City Digest Values- Real Property
$1,950,000,000
$1,900,000,000 --
\\44.4.""444.4"°".
$1,850,000,000 --
$1,800,000,000 — ---
$1,750,000,000
$1,700,000,000
$1,650,000,000
$1,600,000,000
$1,550,000,000 — --
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Fleisch opened the public hearing. No one spoke for or against the proposed millage rate. The
public hearing closed.
No action was required for this agenda item.
New Agenda Items
08-15-05 Consider Adoption of 2016 Millage Rate
Ernst moved to approve New Agenda item 08-15-05 Consider Adoption of 2016 Millage. King
seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
King noted that New Agenda items 08-15-06, 08-15-07, 08-15-08, and 08-15-09 were to be
continued or withdrawn, asking if they could be voted on at the same time. City Attorney Ted
Meeker said they needed to be voted on separately. There had been some changes on the
dates.
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August 20,2015
Page 3
Rast said the date for New Agenda item 08-15-06 had to change from what was in the meeting
packet due to the applicant's schedule. He continued that the rezoning and the variance for
the request had to be re-advertised. The public hearing would have to move to October 15.
08-15-06 Public Hearing-Consider Rezoning, R-43 to LUC, Hwy 54/Robinson Road
Imker moved to continue New Agenda item 08-15-06 Public Hearing - Consider Rezoning, R-43
to LUC, Hwy 54/Robinson Road to the October 15 meeting. Ernst seconded. Motion carried
unanimously.
08-15-07 Public Hearing-Consider Text Amendment to Zoning Ordinance, Accessory Uses
Imker moved to continue New Agenda item 08-15-07 Public Hearing - Consider Text
Amendment to Zoning Ordinance, Accessory Uses until September 17. Ernst seconded. Motion
carried unanimously.
08-15-08 Public Hearing-Step Two Annexation Request, Bradshaw Property, SR 54 East
This item was withdrawn by the applicant. No action was required.
08-15-09 Public Hearing-Variance Requests, Sigvaris, 1119 S SR 74
Imker moved to continue New Agenda item 08-15-09 Public Hearing - Variance Requests,
Sigvaris, 1 1 19 S SR 74 to September 3. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
08-15-10 Discuss Vegetation in Lake Peachtree
Rorie said that, after the presentation, staff would ask for specific direction from Council in terms
of moving forward. Giving a brief overview, he noted that the lake had been originally drained
in early 2014 for seawall and dock maintenance. A discussion of the vegetation growth had
been held in February, and the belief was the non-aquatic vegetation would die off once it was
submerged in the water, but it could lead to an environmental challenge and fish kill. The cost
estimate from Massana, the dredging company selected by Fayette County, had been
$181,000 to hand cut and remove approximately 45 acres of vegetation (the lake was 200
acres), which was an exorbitant cost. There was concern that cutting the growth too soon
created an opportunity for regrowth prior to refilling the lake.
Rorie showed several photos that showed the growth of the vegetation over the area of the
lake that was not included in the dredging. Massana needed to build another haul road to
remove dredging material from Zone 4 and to dredge the area known as the Pinecrest boat
ramp. The County had agreed to take on the $28,000 cost to remove two feet around the
Pinecrest boat ramp. As a result, the timeline for the dredging would be extended. Rorie said
he had contacted the County Administrator to find out when the work would be finished, noting
that people seldom mentioned that Lake Peachtree was also a collection point for stormwater
throughout the City. There had been many delays due to rain, not only because of the storms
but because of the stormwater drainage from multiple streams into the lake bed, which delayed
work beyond the single day of a rain event. The anticipated date for the contractor to be out
of the lakebed was now October 19, barring any more weather delays.
The question now was how to move forward in a timely manner knowing there was vegetation
and while the dredging still occurring, Rorie noted. Staff had gone on a reconnaissance mission
earlier in August, according to Rorie. They found some of the vegetation exceeded eight feet in
height. There was not an average depth across the lakebed. Some areas of the lake were
three to four feet deep, while others were seven to 10 feet. The normal pool of the lake was
seven feet, and the height of some of the vegetation was 10 feet
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August 20, 2015
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Rorie said he had been asked many times why the City could not just go out and mow the lake.
Public Works Superintendent Scott Hicks had taken a tractor onto the lake bed to mow, and the
tractor had gotten stuck in a grass-covered area, but the base was marshy mush, where the
water collected. There were sections of the lakebed that were dry, and there were sections that
were soggy and wet. The tractor weighed 6,400 pounds and had become mired up to its axles
after 15 minutes of mowing, and it took one hour to retrieve the tractor from the lake. The cost
of replacing the equipment would have been $115,000 if the tractor could not have been
retrieved. Rorie said he was not willing to commit the City's heavy equipment for a fish habitat.
It was not a question of if the equipment would get stuck; it was a question of when.
Recreation and Special Events Administrator Cajen Rhodes discussed restocking the lake. The
Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was very
familiar with the lakes in the City and had records on them. The DNR staff had planned to
electrofish (using electricity to stun fish before they were caught, a common scientific survey
method used to sample fish populations to determine abundance, density, and species
composition) in sections of the lake; however, the trailer and boat sank in the muddy lake bed
during the two attempts to enter it. As an alternate, Rhodes and the DNR staff waded into the
lake and cast nets to determine what fish were in the lake, finding bluegill and shad. Rhodes
said the bluegills were spawning. When their body of water shrinks, Rhodes said fish usually went
into survival mode, so it was a good sign that the fish were reproducing, but it had been a very
small sample.
Rhodes read from a letter written by Fisheries Biologist Brent Hess that had recommendations for
restocking, which included leaving new vegetation in place for an instant fish habitat. Hess
recommended the filling of the lake should begin in the fall to minimize potential detrimental
effects of flooded vegetation on water quality. He also recommended removing all undesirable
fish from the immediate watershed before refilling, which could mean the eradication of the fish
that were still in the lake.
Rhodes continued that placing gravel underneath and around piers and docks improved
fishing. Rock materials were great fish attractors. Fish habitat structures also included concrete
rubble piles, crates, wooden pallets, and wooden stake beds. The fish habitats should be
installed within easy casting distance of the bank.
The DNR officials encouraged the consideration of public access, suggesting the construction of
fishing piers that reached far enough into the water to provide bank anglers with access to
several types of fish habitat. Most of the shoreline should also be available to bank anglers.
There should be one public boat ramp with plenty of parking for boating and bank users. The
fishing facilities should include designated handicap access.
Rhodes added that the DNR recommended shading and sterile grass carp to help control the
vegetation. Five sterile grass carp per acre should be added to the lake to control the weeds,
and they would be added in in phases. Rorie added that the County had committed $10,000 to
purchase grass carp. Rhodes said the state had also provided recommended vendors.
Dan Davis of Integrated Science & Engineering (ISE) and John Vermont of Corblu Ecology Group
discussed the lake's ecology. Davis said they would explain what would happen from a water
chemistry standpoint and its impact. He introduced Vermont, saying they had worked together
for 25 years.
Vermont said there were biological and chemical issues with letting the vegetation stay in place
in the lake, including the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). The water in the lake must have
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August 20, 2015
Page 5
oxygen for the fish, as well as for the taste of the water and to help the water chemistry stay in
balance. Dissolved oxygen was typically higher in the winter. In the summer when the
temperatures were hot and the winds were low, the dissolved oxygen was typically very low. In
a lake system, aquatic weeds generally produced some oxygen, which was good. In the
lakebed situation in place now, wetland and upland plants had colonized.
When the lake was refilled, the upland plants should die quickly, Vermont said. The organic
matter left was acted on by bacteria that used a great deal of oxygen to break it down. The
oxygen was used up quickly in a lake system like Lake Peachtree's and could lead to a fish kill. It
was best to be done in stages, so there was some concern. If the vegetation was left in place,
there could be a big spike in BOD, which would suck all the oxygen out of the water and
possibly lead to a fish kill. Vermont said he did not know the state the fish were in, but there was
a lot of dark mud in the lake, which retained heat. The dead stalks from the upland vegetation
would stand up in the water as hard sticks for two to three years, according to Vermont, which
was bad for recreation.
The black willow trees were another problem Vermont said. The willows were a wetlands plant,
but there were big patches of them in the lakebed, and they could survive for years. The lake
would not look like an open water lake if they were left, and there could be a problem for the
fish even if things were done just right. The fish population would re-establish quickly. Grass carp
were a good idea, but the numbers had to be controlled. Once the carp had eaten all the
vegetation, they would eat the fish eggs.
Vermont added that the BOD would turn the vegetation into the kind of goo found in a
lawnmower when wet grass was mown, and the mower was not cleaned. It smelled bad,
looked bad, and caused water quality problems.
City Engineer Dave Borkowski looked at the options/consequences of what could be done to
address the vegetation. One option was to do nothing. The pros included cost avoidance,
instant fish habitat, and natural decay of the vegetation. The cons included a possible fish kill,
water quality problems, aesthetics, delays in refilling the lake, and water circulation problems.
Borkowski said the vegetation was very thick, and the water would not be able to circulate very
well at all.
The Cut in Place (cutting the vegetation but leaving it in the lake bed) option had a reduced
cost, but it would create floating debris,which would create water quality and aesthetic issues.
The Cut and Burn option also reduced the cost, allowed for use of the existing haul road, and
involved less organics. The cons included the impact on wildlife, smoke, ash fall-out, traffic
impact, a six-week delay (the state burn ban did not end until September 30), and staffing costs.
Borkowski explained the proximity of the smoke to SR 54, could require police to assist with the
traffic, as well as firefighters to help with the burn.
Fire Chief Joe O'Conor noted the most recent experience with a large-scale burn in this area
was when Lake McIntosh was being constructed. Most of the vegetation had been taken to the
Coweta County side of the lake and burned. There had been many complaints about the
smoke. O'Conor said the vegetation should burn if it was dry enough, adding that the state's
Forestry Department did not think the vegetation would burn in place, but would have to be cut
and moved above the water table. Rorie asked if staff would have to be in place during the
burn process. O'Conor said they would.
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August 20, 2015
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The Cut and Remove option would be better for water quality, had less organics, better
aesthetics, and the fish could be restocked sooner because the biomass would be gone,
Borkowski noted. The cons were the high cost, delays in refilling the lake (10 to 20 work days to
accomplish the task), and less fish habitat.
Borkowski discussed a hybrid approach and the cost variations between the Massana bid and
the alternative. The hybrid would meet what everyone wanted and would mitigate the
possibility of a fish kill. He noted the Massana bid to remove 44 acres of vegetation had a unit
price of $4,000 per acre to hand cut and remove the vegetation. Zone 1 was 10 acres, with an
estimate of$40,000; Zone 2 was 24 acres, with an estimate of$96,000; Zone 3 was one acre, with
an estimate of $4,000; and Zone 4 was nine acres, with an estimate of $36,000. The mobilization
cost was$5,000 for a total of$181,000 to cut the vegetation on 44 acres in the 200-acre lake.
Estate Management Services was the alternative, and removing lake vegetation was their job.
The company had specialized equipment that would not get stuck. Borkowski said the costs
were $465/acre to cut and leave in place, $595/acre to cut and mulch in place, and
$3,100/day to collect the floating debris with a mechanical plant harvester that was designed
for that type of work.
The net sum acreage of vegetation that had to cut was 101.3 acres, according to Borkowski.
The estimated cost was $46,965 for the Cut and Leave in Place option, $60,095 for the Cut and
Mulch in Place option, and an estimated three days ($3,100/day) for getting the floating debris
out with the plant harvester. Borkowski said there was a possibility the company would have to
return a couple of times after the initial effort to remove the floating debris. Fleisch asked how
deep the lake had to be to use the machines. Borkowski said the lake had to be deep enough
to inundate the majority of the lake,so everything would float.
lmker said he did not see the Cut and Mulch in Place as an option, adding that having the
debris scooped out by the harvester seemed better. Borkowski agreed, saying staff
recommended that, regardless of the option Council selected, the harvester be used to collect
the debris that had floated to the top of the water. Fleisch said that mulching it would make the
debris even smaller. Imker said this option was $60,000, and he recommended sending the bill
to the County.
Rorie said one of the recommendations from DNR was the eradication of the fish currently in the
lake. Leaving some of the vegetation in the lake created instant fish habitats. There was also
the ecological concern regarding leaving too much vegetation in the lake, which led to
increased BOD, which could lead to a fish kill. There was a probability of a fish kill with all the
options, and the City could not stop it. Another question from staff was whether the bluegill
could be caught and moved to another lake.
Vermont said the City could do that, but it must have a permit. Moving fish from one body of
water to another could not be done without a specific permit. He explained that the issues with
Asian carp and kudzu were all caused by well-meaning people. When a lake was restocked,
there was a specific balance to provide the right number or prey fish and predator fish.
Dumping in other fish skewed those ratios. If the City wanted to move all the trophy bluegill to
another body of water, it could be done with a permit, but it would not accomplish much.
Rorie said he did not want Council to make a financial commitment at this meeting. Staff just
wanted to have the discussion so Council could see how everything intersected. Council could
keep the cutting to the original 44 acres, just cutting back 100 to 200 feet from the shore and
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August 20, 2015
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leaving what was in the center to create fish habitat. The vegetation would die eventually.
Vermont said most of the vegetation would die within a year.
Rorie said he did not recommend killing fish, but there was a chance to reduce the probability
of a fish kill by reducing the vegetation. He asked Council to consider what they wanted to
have as the end product. Rorie said he did not think Council wanted a lake with trees sticking
up or filled with vegetation. The lake must also serve as a stormwater basin, while providing
recreational opportunities.
Rorie asked for specific direction from Council, saying staff had already reduced the cost from
approximately $180,000 to $60,000. They had found a more efficient and effective way to do it,
but that did not mean it would be instant gratification or an instant solution. It would take time.
Rorie asked Council to allow staff to develop a true cost alternative. If that was the direction
from Council, he would like to top it off with an official request to the County to fund the work.
Fleisch agreed that the County should fund removing the vegetation. She asked if the
vegetation could be removed while Massana was still dredging. Rorie said yes. He would bring
this item back for action on September 3. The City did not have to put out a bid or a request for
proposal (RFP). Estate Management Services was a Georgia company, as well as a specialist
company, and the City could brand name/sole source the project. They would need four to six
weeks' notice,which would be in October. Council consensus was to follow that plan.
lmker asked if there were any funds in the FY 2016 budget for Lake Peachtree other than for
additional attorney fees. Rorie said there were not. Imker said he considered repopulation of
the fish a low priority as far as getting the job done. There would still be enough vegetation for
the fish to survive after the work was done. He agreed the bill should be sent to the County.
08-15-11 Consider Unbudgeted Expenditure of Funds- Fire Department
O'Conor said this item represented good news for the City. The state, through the Fire Marshal's
office, had made records management software available to all jurisdictions at no cost, which
would allow the Department to make the change with the ongoing costs significantly lowered
by approximately 20%. The short-term cost was to acquire the connection to the Fayette
County 911 system was a $5,000 one-time cost. The ongoing yearly cost would be $1,750, which
would replace the $7,200 annual cost currently budgeted. The funds were available within the
Fire Department budget. Staff needed authorization to reallocate those dollars.
Ernst moved to approve New Agenda item 08-15-11 Consider Unbudgeted Expenditure of Funds
-Fire Department. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
Council/Staff Topics
Rorie asked Moon to briefly discuss her assessment so far of the Police Department. Moon said
she had been in office for nine days and had observed a few things. She believed in
community policing, which meant building community partnerships and problem solving. There
were 42 homeowners associations in the five villages, which was an opportunity to infuse officers
into those areas to let residents put a face with an officer and possibly have an officer assigned
to an area. A better job needed to be done in implementing a strategy for succession planning
in the department. Supervisors needed to be more proactive in decision making and critical
thinking skills. Their training should build those skillsets, so when it was time for Moon to leave the
job, the City would not have to look outside the Department and could continue the legacies
that were in place. She encouraged officers to obtain higher education. They had to broaden
their knowledge base so they could assume more responsibility as they started to grow. She had
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August 20, 2015
Page 8
also identified some bureaucratic processes that slowed efficiency. It should not take seven
days for a complaint to get to her desk so Moon could contact the first-line supervisor to do their
job of addressing the situation and informing the citizen of the resolution of the complaint. The
processes needed to be streamlined. Supervisors should be empowered to make decisions.
When the form hit her desk, Moon said all she should have to do was to sign off on whether she
agreed or not, then take any further action needed. Moon said she had received her packet
from the New Neighbors League, and the representative told her they had a list of all new
residents. Moon had asked for the list with the intent to send an officer to the new resident's
home to introduce themselves, give the resident a business card, and serve as their personal
police officer. Moon said she was still in the "wait, see, and listen" mode. She appreciated the
support she had received.
Executive Session
lmker moved to go into executive session for personnel and pending or threatened litigation at
8:31 p.m. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
lmker moved to reconvene in regular session at 8:55 p.m. King seconded. Motion carried
unanimously.
There being no further business, King moved to adjourn. Ernst seconded. Motion carried
unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:57 p.m.
Ont / lti
Pamela Dufresne, D uty City Clerk Vanessa Fleisch, ayor