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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-04-2018 regular meeting City Council of Peachtree City Meeting Minutes January 4, 2018 7:00 p.m. The Mayor and Council of Peachtree City met in regular session on Thursday, January 4, 2018. Mayor Vanessa Fleisch called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Others attending: Terry Ernst, Mike King, Kevin Madden, and Phil Prebor. Election and Oath of Office for Mayor Pro-tern King nominated Ernst for Mayor Pro-tem. Prebor seconded. There were no other nominations. Motion carried unanimously. Fleisch administered the oath of office to Ernst. Announcements, Awards, Special Recognition Assistant Police Chief Stan Pye and Lt. Brad Williams presented Sgt. James Harris with the Commendation of Valor award, which Pye said was one of the highest honors a police officer could receive. Fleisch recognized Police Sgt. Brian Eden with the Supervisor of the 4th Quarter and of the Year, mentioning his success in managing the My Community Officer program. Fleisch recognized Marty Davis of Public Works as City Employee of the Year, commenting on his work supervising a storm drain replacement project. 2018 State of the City Address Fleisch shared her State of the City address presented earlier that day at the Peachtree City Rotary Club meeting. Her remarks included: I am honored to be before you again this year to offer the state of the city going into the New Year. Our city will continue to meet challenges head-on instead of recoiling and kicking the can down the road because we have a council that is willing to make the tough decisions necessary for our city. Our citizens are telling us how important it is to them to repair our infrastructure, perhaps most vocally in the passage of the first SPLOST since 2005. The SPLOST passed by a 3-1 margin in the city and by a 2-1 margin in the county. We have already started purchasing equipment identified in the SPLOST list and some of the projects related to Lake Peachtree have been started. In 2014 large holes were found in Lake Peachtree's spillway which began the long process of determining the best path forward. The building of the spillway ensures that the lake will be enjoyed by our citizens for generations. Updating the 1966 lake agreement with the county was a huge step towards the restoration of the lake. Without the agreement, we would not have been able to start the new spillway. I'd invite you to drive down McIntosh Trail to see the enormity of this project that will protect life and property downstream for years. The land bridge to Spyglass Island and the creation of a passive park on the island have started. There are concepts in the works for the bridge from Drake to All Children's playground, the bridge along 54 and the bridge atop the new spillway. SPLOST has ensured that we will have the funds necessary to catch up on the many road and cart path paving projects across the city. Last year 3 miles of road were resurfaced, because of the SPLOST, we anticipate repaving between 10 and 12 miles of road this year. While 9 City Council Minutes January 4,2018 Page 2 miles of cart path were reconstructed last year, due to the SPLOST we will be able to do an additional 3 miles of cart paths this year. Plus, we are already constructing new paths to enhance connectivity. A company named IMS has been driving their vehicles across each mile of road in the city rating the roads using their laser technology. This objective, quantitative assessment of our roads could potentially save us money by prioritizing the roads in need of repair. If we are able to resurface roads prior to their having to be fully rebuilt there is a true potential for cost savings. 54 West The traffic analysis of highway 54 which was completed in June of 2014 has yielded the following enhancements along the corridor: • The traffic loop system which was installed in 2015 from a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission to help the timing of the traffic lights • The Green T which is an improvement that was funded by a developer at a cost of approximately 7 hundred thousand dollars • The grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation for the lane adjustments to the entrances of Plan terra and Walmart---those were completed in November. • The intersection changes to Plan terra and 54 which is a SPLOST project will be completed soon, as will the upgrades to MacDuff and 54. • The 10-million-dollar continuous flow or displaced left-turn project which will be under construction in 2020 for the 54/74 intersection This analysis cost the taxpayers of Peachtree City$70,000, yet it has yielded so much in return. Far from one of those studies that gathers dust on a shelf-- this analysis has become the blueprint for betterments along the corridor. We are making the corridor more efficient; however, the volume along 54 West will continue to be an issue. We are making upgrades that will help to manage the situation, but we will need to keep looking for solutions to alleviate the volume along 54. This analysis has also been the catalyst for the renewing of the relationship between the City and GDOT and the ARC. As a city, we have been working with both agencies to help with a number of long-standing issues across the city. Another project that was completed last year was MacDuff Parkway. This road was built by the developer at a cost of nearly 8 million dollars. The plans for the road were approved in 2007 and it was constructed per those plans. The developer has installed the traffic light at Senoia and MacDuff and it will be operational soon. As a City, we need to look at the future of 54 from 54/74 to City Hall and devise a master plan for that area to help spur redevelopment. This idea came out of the discussions with our comprehensive plan citizen committee and our commissions and authorities. A grant application will be submitted in order to help pay for this master plan. Now is the time to look at ways to incentivize redevelopment of our residential and commercial areas. 80 percent of the land in Peachtree City is made up of residential real estate. Consequently, much of what is left of vacant industrial land abuts residential land making the two not always compatible. It would be wrong to sacrifice the quality of life of some residents in order to preserve a rather small amount of industrial land. To put it into perspective, it would take about 30,000 acres of industrial land annexed into the city in order to make the ratio of residential to industrial 50-50. We need to be continuously looking at ways to increase the commercial side of our tax City Council Minutes January 4,2018 Page 3 base so that we do not burden homeowners. Residential properties make up about 66 percent of our tax base while commercial properties make up 34 percent. The average age of a home in Peachtree City is 29 years old. Last year the property values across the city increased over 12 percent. The rise in home values over the past four years is due to the upturn in the housing market and the city's reinvestment in our infrastructure. We need to keep Peachtree City a desirable place to live. Surrounding communities are building new homes and there is a natural consumer attraction to new areas. We will be competing in a new environment in the coming years and we need to stay relevant through redevelopment and possibly additional annexations. Finances Due to the recession, the city's finances were in an austere mode for many years yet thanks to very conservative budgeting, the financial viability of the city was never in jeopardy. We were one of the few cities in Georgia to maintain a AAA bond rating throughout the recession and we still maintain it today. In fact, our finance department has once again received accolades for its abilities. Public Safety We were recently rated as the safest city in Georgial. We have one of the best police departments in the country! We have a very engaged police department. Through the My Community Officer program, members of the PD are assigned to the 171 neighborhoods in the city. Our Community Outreach Events have increased from 121 events in 2014 to 1266 events ora 946%increase in 2017. The PD was recognized by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police for this Program in 2017. The department is known for its transparency through its Facebook page which has grown from 700 followers in 2012 to over 19,000 to date. The department has added two administrators from each division to further expand its social media outreach with the community. Additionally, each patrol sergeant can post current topics of interest to the Facebook page. We also have one of the best fire departments in the country! Our department answered more than 4,100 emergency calls. This is twice as many calls as in the year 2000, which is a reflection of our aging demographic. Peachtree City is blessed to have men and women who are truly dedicated to their calling in public safety. Stormwater Our stormwater department relined about 9000 feet of stormwater pipe and completed 17 pipe replacement projects. 96 percent of all stormwater pipes in Peachtree City are made of aging corrugated metal that will have to be relined or replaced at some point. WASA Council has initiated state legislation to secure that the future decision making of Peachtree City's sewer system resides with the City Council. This will also provide that the commodity of Peachtree City's sewer capacity is appropriately allocated should we decide to extend the system outside the city limits. Amphitheater The responsibility for the amphitheater was moved to the recreation and special events department, which entered into a partnership for the management of the amphitheater and some city events. This company has contracts with other municipalities that form a collective of cities to add to our concert buying power. . . The amphitheater, in my City Council Minutes January 4,2018 Page 4 opinion, has been an underutilized asset of the city. But with this new partnership, there is potential to increase the quality and quantity of concerts at the venue. The recreation department will also be responsible for the new skateboard park which will start construction in the next couple of weeks at Glenloch and the bid process will start sometime in 2018 for the construction of the splash pad also at Glenloch. Night Market The recreation department, along with private individuals, worked to bring Night Market at Drake to the city. The journey towards improving Drake field began in 2013 when we struggled to find the monies necessary to install utilities and other upgrades to the field. For me, it is especially gratifying to see Drake become the park that I had hoped it could be for our city: A centralized place to have events that will strengthen our sense of community. We as a city have so much good news to share about all of the things that have been happening. Unfortunately, we have not been very good at effectively sharing that good news to our citizens. Over the years we have made slow deliberate strides but this year it will be even more important to share the progress of the SPLOST projects and other events so that our citizens are continually updated. This year the city will turn 59 years old, and it is my hope that as we plan the 60th anniversary of our great city we will use Drake Field and the amphitheater and other great features of our community throughout the anniversary year of 2019 to further highlight many of the wonderful aspects of our great city. Thank you again for the honor of serving you. Public Comment There were no public comments. Agenda Changes There were no changes to the agenda. Minutes December 7, 2017, Regular Meeting Minutes King moved to approve the December 7, 2017, regular meeting minutes as written. Ernst seconded. Motion carried 4-0-1, with Madden abstaining. Consent Agenda 1. Consider Indemnification of Public Officials 2. Consider Legal Organ - Fayette County News/Today in Peachtree City 3. Certify December 5, 2017, Runoff Election Results 4. Consider Amendment to Administration Ordinance-Council Meeting Time 5. Consider FY 2018 Budget Amendments 6. Consider Resolution to Join GIRMA Fund for Firefighters' Cancer Coverage Program 7. Consider Contract for Police Department Parking Lot Resurfacing - Atlanta Paving & Concrete Ernst moved to approve Consent Agenda items 1 - 7. Prebor seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Old Agenda Items There were none. City Council Minutes January 4,2018 Page 5 New Agenda Items 01-18-0 Consider Contract for Lake Peachtree Boat Ramp Reconstruction- BOSS Construction City Manager Jon Rorie noted that the City had been looking at projects that were easier to accomplish while the lake levels were lower during the spillway construction. He said Integrated Science & Engineering (ISE) had been asked to develop plans for rebuilding the Pinecrest and Battery Way boat ramps, and bids were solicited from three contract vendors. Frontier submitted a bid of $31,900, while BOSS Construction's bid was $35,607.50, and North Georgia Concrete's bid was $65,320. He said after evaluation, BOSS Construction had been considered the most satisfactory bid. Prebor asked if obtaining a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would be a problem, and Rorie said it should be routine. King moved to accept BOSS Construction's bid of $35,607.50 for Lake Peachtree and Pinecrest boat ramp reconstruction. Prebor seconded. Motion carried unanimously. 01-18-02 Consider Authorization to Purchase Custom Ambulance Fire Chief Joe O'Conor explained that the department was looking to replace a 2008 model ambulance at Station 84 (Crabapple). He said the current ambulance would be placed in reserve status. After researching ambulances, O'Conor reported they believed the Braun Chief XL would best meet the City's needs. The cost was $256,950, and the money would come from 2017 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds. Fleisch added that the ambulance would have a marking affixed to show the public it had been purchased with 2017 SPLOST funds. King moved to approve agenda item 01-18-02 and authorize the purchase of a custom ambulance at an amount not to exceed $256,950. Prebor seconded. Motion carried unanimously. 01-18-03 Consider Adoption of Resolution and Declaration of Taking for SR 54/MacDuff Pkwy Intersection Improvements - Tree Top Associates, LLC - 2802 Highway 54W City Attorney Ted Meeker said the City needed to acquire permanent and temporary easements in order to complete the intersection improvement project. The City had made an offer to the property owner in December, and negotiations would continue. However, time was running out. Meeker asked Council to approve the resolution and declaration of taking so it could be filed if needed. Prebor asked if other easements would be needed, such as for the new turn lanes. City Engineer Dave Borkowski said no more easements would be required at this intersection, but easements would be needed for other projects, including the Gateway Bridge. Ernst moved that Council approve the resolution and declaration of taking for SR 54/MacDuff Parkway intersection improvements - Tree Top Associates, LLC. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Council/Staff Topics Update on Lake Peachtree Spillway Construction Rorie noted that Council had periodic updates the progress of this project, with another update coming in March, and what he hoped would be the final report in May as the project neared completion. Project manager Dan Davis of ISE showed drone footage of the worksite and said they were on budget and on schedule. He stated the focus now was still on the spillway foundation, consisting of massive footings and the slabs beneath what would be the piano key weir. He noted Lake Peachtree had been brought up by two feet, and Lake Kedron had been brought down, as planned. By late February, when the foundation was finished and they had City Council Minutes January 4,2018 Page 6 begun to lay the piano key weir, they hoped to raise Lake Peachtree another two feet. The goal, Davis noted, was to have the lake filled by growing season. He said full pool should be established by mid-May, and the project would be functional at that point. There would be some things that could not happen until then, so there would be about 60 days for punch list items. He said cold temperatures had forced work to pause this week because concrete could not be poured if the temperature was less than 45 degrees. Davis displayed a chart that demonstrated how much progress had been made since his last update to Council in November. He said the project was continually inspected and measured to ensure compliance with project specifications. There had been no change orders, Davis noted. Barring unforeseen weather events, the project should remain on schedule. Rorie emphasized that once the lake level was at full pool, there could still be a lot of dirt around the spillway. He said he and Davis would be visiting the contractor on-site next week to make sure they were all in agreement regarding the landscaping around the spillway bridge after the spillway was completed. Ernst clarified with Rorie that this spillway project did not include setting the bridge, which would be a separate process. Rorie confirmed this. Referring back to the Consent Agenda, Public Information Officer/City Clerk Betsy Tyler said that the new 6:30 p.m. meeting start time approved earlier by Council would begin in February. She said public hearings scheduled for the January 18 meeting had already been advertised in the City legal organ with the 7 p.m. start time. Executive Session King moved to convene in executive session to discuss pending litigation at 7:40 p.m. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Madden moved to reconvene in regular session at 8:09 p.m. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. There being no further business, King moved to adjourn the meeting. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:09 p.m. 1111)110 # Martha Barksdale, Recording Secretary Vanessa Fleisch, Mayor