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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-06-2018 regular meetingCity Council of Peachtree City �j Meeting Minutes I i September 6, 2018 I6:30 p.m. The Mayor and Council of Peachtree City met in regular session on Thursday, September 6, 2018. Mayor Vanessa Fleisch called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Others attending: Terry Ernst, Mike King, Kevin Madden, and Phil Prebor. Announcements, Awards, Special Recognition Fleisch recognized Joshua Petty of the Stormwater Management Department as August's Employee of the Month. The Peachtree City Running Club presented the Mayor with a plaque designating the City as a Runner Friendly Community by the Road Runners Club of America. Public Comment John Dufresne said the City Manager approached the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) Board several years ago about the City's interest in acquiring WASA property behind the police station. He noted that Council went into closed executive session to discuss real estate matters and asked how they could go into closed -door executive session to discuss acquiring this property when the WASA Board (comprised of the Mayor and Council) would be present for those discussions. Minutes August 16, 2018, Regular Meeting Minutes King moved to approve the August 16, 2018, regular meeting minutes. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Consent Agenda 1. Consider Non -Profit Funding Agreement - Fayette Senior Services 2. Consider Non -Profit Funding Agreement - Promise Place 3. Consider Alcohol License - NEW - Newk's Eatery, 100 Line Creek Circle 4. Consider Extension of Time Limit to Use Alcohol License - Kedron World of Beverage 5. Consider Bid for Police Vehicles -Wade Ford -Smyrna 6. Consider Position Reclassification in Human Resources Division 7. Consider Official Intent Resolution - Government Finance Corp., Inc., Lease/Purchase Ernst moved to approve Consent Agenda items 1 through 7. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously. New Agenda Items 09-18-01 Public Hearing - Consider Rezoning -100 Line Creek Drive, The Overlook, General Commercial (GC) to Limited Use Commercial (LUC) Fleisch opened the public hearing. Senior Planner Robin Cailloux explained The Overlook development at 100 Line Creek Drive was on the far western side of the City, with T.J. Maxx and Michael's among the tenants. The property was currently zoned GC, and the future land use called for commercial zoning, as well. Cailloux said this request to rezone from GC to LUC was to allow zero -foot side setbacks so the owners could sub -divide the property into different ownership models. The owners were not proposing new construction. She presented a site map showing what they proposed. The primary building would be divided into Tracts 1, 2, and 3; the second building would be Tract 4; and the parking lot and common areas would be Tract 5. City Council Minutes September 6, 2018 Page 2 Cailloux noted that the Planning Commission heard this request at its July 23 meeting and recommended approval. Staff recommended that, if Council approved this change, they require the owners to update the development agreement with the City, particularly as it related to management of the shared property. The applicant, Jim Lowe of Trinity Development, told Council this request was in response to the changing retail market. Investors and buyers were interested in the individual buildings, and they were trying to accommodate them. No one else wished to speak, and Fleisch closed the public hearing. Fleisch asked how the landscaping and maintenance would be arranged under the new ownership model. Cailloux replied that the property would continue to fall under the City's Property Maintenance Ordinance. She said the specifics of how they would maintain the property would not be in the development agreement with the City, so Fleisch addressed her question to Lowe. He said there would be individual owners, but Trinity Development would continue as the main operator. The reciprocal easement agreements for maintenance were on a pro rata basis, with each tenant paying for each portion. The change would say that, instead of Trinity being solely responsible, the tenants would be responsible for maintenance on a pro rata basis. City Manager Jon Rorie noted that this was a common approach, and Lowe said the business model was becoming more widespread, thanks to Amazon. Ernst clarified that there would be no additional businesses, and Lowe said that was correct, just new owners. Prebor added that it meant someone could buy one building instead of having to I come up with money for all five tracts. City Attorney Ted Meeker pointed out that the condition proposed by staff referenced the development agreement, and that agreement would have to come back before Council to be finalized. This meant Council would see it again to ensure that the condition was satisfied. Fleisch asked if this would be similar to the agreement in other shopping centers, where they all paid for maintenance, and Meeker said it would. King moved to approve New Agenda item 09-18-01, rezoning 100 Line Creek Drive from General Commercial to Limited Use Commercial. Prebor seconded. Motion carried unanimously. 09-18-02 Public Hearing - consider Variance Request, 1207 SR 74 S, Proposed Dental Office, Sec. 1108(b) - Parking Lot Design Standards, Land Development Ordinance Fleisch opened the public hearing. Cailloux stated this was on the south side of the City, on SR 74 across from Wilshire Pavilion. The property was currently undeveloped, and the applicant had submitted a conceptual site plan for a 4,200 square -foot office building. On a site map, Cailloux pointed out SR 74 and showed how the office would be reached via an access road. The Zoning Ordinance set a minimum requirement for parking spaces, based on the building's square footage. For an office, Cailloux said, this was one parking space for every 250 gross square feet. The Land Development Ordinance had a maximum parking standard, set at 125% of the minimum. A 4,200 square -foot office would require a minimum of 18 spaces and a maximum of 23, she noted. Based on their operating procedures, the applicant believed they would need about 30 spaces, which was why they were before Council asking for a variance. She said they would have 14 patient chairs, which required 14 employees. This totaled 28 spaces, plus two handicap spaces to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. City Council Minutes September 6, 2018 Page 3 l Cailloux said staff reviewed the request and found that it met the criteria for variances. She said I a representative of the applicant was present to answer questions. Dylan Tarr, a c engineer, civil en ineerspoke for the applicant. He said there would be 14 chairs in the dental p office, with two teams of seven employees. The applicant had more than 800 clinics in the United States, Tarr remarked, so they had significant data regarding their needs. No one else spoke in favor or opposition. Fleisch closed the public hearing. Madden asked for clarification on the number of additional parking spaces requested. Cailloux replied that they wanted to add seven. The maximum allowed under the Zoning Ordinance would be 23, Cailloux noted. Madden clarified that there would be two handicap accessible spaces, and Cailloux confirmed this that was to meet ADA requirements. Rorie asked about other issues, such as trees on the site. Cailloux said the Planning Commission had not seen the proposed plan yet because staff decided it would be best to bring the variance request to Council first. City staff reviewed this plan, which met all requirements of the development ordinance, other than this parking issue. Cailloux said the question of trees would be answered when the landscaping plan was brought before the Planning Commission. Fleisch remarked that she saw where Panera Bread was also coming to this area, on the other side of this office development. Cailloux said that would be on the same Planning Commission agenda as the dental office. f I Madden moved to approve New Agenda item 09-18-02. Prebor seconded. Motion carried Lunanimously. 09-18-03 Consider FY 2019 Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) Budget CVB Executive Director Kymberly Hughes reviewed some highlights and accomplishments from the past year, including an increase in social media followers. The City government page was the number one referral page for social media visitors. This year, the CVB would be gauging the engagement of visitors to its social media pages using a group called Social Report. Hughes said that, from October 2017 to the present, the CVB sales staff had attended three trade shows: Your Military Reunion Connection, Destination Southeast, and Rendezvous South. There were two remaining meetings this year. Sales staff averaged 30 meetings per show, and there had been 21 requests for proposal (RFPs). There had been 134 room nights booked from those shows, and 25 of those had already been completed. Pending were 542 potential room nights from those same RFPs, Hughes reported. The Visitors Center continued to have new items for sale, and the 2018 Christmas ornaments had arrived and were $20. Their T-shirts were $18; tote bags were $20; tumblers were $12; and PTC stickers were $2. Hughes noted this would be a good destination for Christmas shopping. Hughes continued that she was excited that both the 2017 and 2018 Wine Fests sold out, with 500 tickets sold in 2017 and, when the number of available tickets was upped to 550 in 2018, all sold as well. Hops and Props sold out in 2016 at 400 tickets and in 2017 at 474 tickets. Tickets for the 2018 event were now on sale, with 150 VIP tickets at $60 and 400 general admission tickets for $40. Between the two categories, 175 tickets had already been sold. City Council Minutes September 6, 2018 Page 4 Moving on the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget, she pointed out that the Hotel/Motel Tax transfer from the City matched the City's FY19 approved budget. It included a 2% Increase from 2018 projections. The Craft Brew Festival and the Wine Festival were both budgeted, with revenue of $46,000. Hughes commented they were 100% self-sustaining events that did not use Hotel/Motel Tax funds. She said she was impressed, as a new director, at how quickly they had become self- sustaining, noting it usually took about five years to reach that point. She projected that this was due to good management of these events and community support. Hughes went over how CVB personnel costs were handled now that the CVB had contract staff. Her position was 807- covered by the CVB and 20% by the City. The remaining positions included two full-time sales positions and a marketing position that were 100% CVB funded. Part-time 'administrative and Welcome Center weekend and special event staffing were 100% paid for by the CVB through the Hotel/Motel Tax. Expenses included in the sales, marketing, and promotions budget showed an. increase. Tourism events requiring funding included the Diva Half Marathon, Amphitheater, Fam Tours, and other miscellaneous events that brought hotel stays, as well as expenditures for the Craft Brew Festival (Hops and Props) and Wine Festival. Hughes said there was a structure for the sports events that approached the CVB for money for expenses, as well as for arts festivals. Administrative and general operations included a vehicle lease and related repairs and maintenance and possibly acquiring a new vehicle that would be used for employees to attend events and trade shows. Hughes reported that the CVB had a large projected prior year surplus that was budgeted to be I -I used in the current fiscal year, leaving a projected $150,000 surplus at the end of FY2019. She explained that this money was generated through a vacant position that was budgeted but not filled, as well as marketing that was not expanded. The Hotel/Motel Tax transfer accounted for 91 % of the CVB's revenues, Hughes remarked, with the remainder coming from events and merchandise sales. She noted that Council was always interested in expenses related to tourism events, and this year's expenses included the Divas Marathon. This was the last year they were committed to the Divas event, and they would be looking at that for next year. The CVB had been approached by local sports teams about the possibility of hosting tournaments, but it was a delicate balance to match their time windows with the available facilities. Hughes noted there would be a fund balance at the end of the year, and that money would be used for special projects or for a program that required support. She told Council she would be glad to answer questions. Madden inquired about a line item that showed a decline in liability insurance premiums and asked how that could be. Hughes said the expenditure for 2018 might have been overestimated, and this was a correction. City Finance Director Paul Salvatore remarked that he believed the City had previously taken out liability insurance for the shows at The Fred, and now this was handled by the management company of the venue. King noted that last year at this time there had been a considerable amount of renovation work going on at several hotels in the City. He asked how that had progressed. Hughes said the Crowne 11 Plaza was 100% complete on itsltrspace Hotelnandtl Conference January Center was and beginn g completing its restaurant. The Peachtree City Council Minutes September 6, 2018 Page 5 renovations on its rooms now. By the time of the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta, the rooms should be complete. Currently, there were a few rooms offline, but the meeting space at the Crowne was available. She said the two hotels were working together to share space as needed. Hughes said it was very rare to have two hotels renovate at the same time, and it would make a big difference to Peachtree City to have these new spaces. Prebor asked about the new vehicle and the possibility of getting a vehicle wrapped. Hughes said they might be able to move an asset already in the City over to the CVB, and it would be wrapped for marketing and advertising. She said she and Rorie had discussed this. Ernst moved to approve New Agenda item 09-18-03, FY 2019 Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) Budget. King seconded, Motion carried unanimously. 09-18.04 Consider FY 2019 Keep Peachtree City Beautiful (KPTCB) Budget Assistant Finance Director Kelly Bush presented the FY19 Budget for KPTCB, along with a budget amendment. The bottom line, she said, was that it was costing more for recycling bin pulls at the recycling center by the Public Works building. Because the materials being recycled were not bringing the same amount as in the past, revenues were less than in previous years. Bush showed a listing of revenues, including income from waste hauler franchise fees, recyclables, litter/compost contract, cart path litter/trash contract, and the Recycle PTC subsidy from the General Fund. The franchise fees did not change from last year to this year, with KPTCB still collecting $1 per household per quarter. There was no change in the litter contract with the City, which provided for KPTCB picking up litter along the streets and highways and overseeing the mulching site on Rockaway Road. The other contract was to pick up trash and maintain the waste bins along the multi -use cart paths. There was a $3,000 decrease in recyclable revenues collected over last year, Bush noted. She explained that KPTCB got a credit for materials that could be recycled when the recycling bins were pulled. This credit was applied to the cost of pulling the bins, and the decline in the value of the recyclable materials over the past year, resulted in a smaller credit. Glass was no longer considered a recyclable material, and the waste haulers no longer collected it at curbside because it could break and contaminate other materials. She said the recycling center still had a bin for glass, but only one place still accepted it for recycling. Bush summarized that contractual service expenses were up by $14,500 over last year. This was the cost of pulling off the recycling bins at the center by Public Works to be emptied and replaced. All other expenses were down by $6,840, she reported. She said because glass could not be recycled curbside, more people were bringing it to the recycling center. Last year, they collected 300,000 pounds of glass at the recycling center. This filled the bins more quickly, resulting in more pulls. The City subsidy would need to be about $10,000 more than last year, Bush said, going from $15,770 in FYI to $26,430 in FYI 9. She reiterated that the decrease in revenue was $3,000, and the increase in expenses was $14,500, resulting in a $17,500 shortfall, but said KPTCB Director Al Yougel had found ways to cut expenses by $6,840, so the subsidy requested from the City would be $10,660 more than last year's. Madden asked about the fee charged to residents through their waste haulers, and Bush confirmed it was $1 per household per quarter. Based on the 10, 900 homes in the City, this brought in $43,600. Bush said Pollard, the waste hauler with the fewest customers (450), contributed $1,800 City Council Minutes September 6, 2018 Page 6 per year, with Waste Industries, at 4,300 customers, bringing in $17,200, and Republic Services, with 6,150 customers, submitting $24,600 to the City. Madden said, if it went up to $1.25, it would give the City an additional $10,800 per year. The increase for the pulls was $10,660, so that 25 cents a quarter would cover the recycling costs. Rorie clarified that the additional $10,000 was on top of last year's $10,000 subsidy, so the franchise fee would have to go from $1 to $1.50 to break even. He said the main players were Waste Industries and Republic, and Pollard was a small player. Madden brought up the 300,000 pounds of glass being brought to the recycling center, saying it would increase the vehicle weight on the road if not recycled. He said 50 cents would be a reasonable assessment to cover the shortfall, just $2 more a year per customer to retain the recycling. King noted that the most recent budget cycle only raised the taxes on the average home about $3.50. Increasing the franchise fee by a few cents would raise a lot of money, he pointed out. Madden said he just wanted to cover the costs, but King said he wanted to avoid a tax and spend mentality. Madden asked about the 70% decrease in vehicle expense. Yougel told him that in years past, KPTCB had been responsible for vehicle insurance, but now it was being covered through the City. Madden also asked why office/utilities expenses were up 200% and asked if they were moving. Yougel said they were not moving, but there were Improvements that needed to be made. Prebor asked if they had shopped around to get a better deal on bin pulls. Yougel explained that I _I Waste Industries was the largest bulk waste hauler, and they charged $200 a bin pull. Currently, KPTCB was paying $135. He said he had a quote from another hauler for $185. The $135 had been stable for about three years, and Yougel said he believed it would continue. Prebor noted that this all went back to the question of engaging one garbage service provider for the City that could give a bulk rate. He asked about the status of that discussion, and Fleisch said it was on hold. However, Rorie said he anticipated that question and asked City Clerk/Public Information officer Betsy Tyler to present some information she had gathered. Tyler reviewed that the City currently had a non-exclusive franchise arrangement for residential garbage pickup, with three approved providers. The providers were required to offer both garbage and recycling collection at the curb to the 10,900 single-family homes in the City. The curbside recycling service included plastics, newspaper, aluminum and bi-metal cans, and cardboard, while the City's recycling center accepted all of these, plus glass. Tyler explained that broken glass could contaminate all other recyclables in a co -mingled residential recycling bin, but could be kept separate at the recycling center. Tyler listed reasons the City covered during the retreat and budget workshops for considering a single provider for residential waste collection: lower rates or increased services for customers, reduced street maintenance costs, less illegal dumping of debris on the paths, reduction in outdoor burning, and lower costs at the mulching center. The rising costs of the recycling bin pulls at Public Works was another factor not previously discussed. As previously noted, they would be looking at single provider contracts for weekly garbage and recycling collection. Cost estimates I for bi-weekly yard debris collection would also be obtained, along with mandatory participation Lin the service. City Council Minutes September 6, 2018 Page 7 Staff had originally proposed that Council would not be asked for a decision until the proposal data was returned. Staff was currently evaluating other jurisdictions' RFPs for their best management practices, and would bring the draft Request for Proposal (RFP) to Council for approval to make sure all the items Council wanted to include were covered, Tyler said. The Mayor asked about timing for the RFP, and Rorie said the issue had been was discussed at the workshops and retreat, but the RFP had been on hold because he did not want it to become the sole focus during the budget process. Council could now turn its attention to the public policy issue. Tyler added that staff would draft the RFP, and then have Council review and okay it. After that, the proposals would be returned, and Council would vote. Switching to a single provider would not happen tomorrow, Tyler noted. It would have to be phased in due to the quarterly billing cycles used by the providers. Rorie told Fleisch the RFP should be prepared and before Council by the end of the year. Prebor asked if the aluminum cans and other recyclables were profitable. Yougel said cardboard was currently the only material for which they were being reimbursed. Paper prices had dropped over the past year, in part because China would no longer accept recyclables because they were contaminated. In Georgia, there were a couple of paper mills accepting paper, but there was no compensation to KPTCB. Plastic was recycled, but the payment was minuscule because plastic was so light. Prebor then inquired how much it cost to operate the recycling center. He and Yougel determined that it was the cost for the bin pulls ($75,400) minus the amount made from the recyclables ($15,400). Yougel said curbside recycling did not have any impact on the McIntosh Trail center because schools and apartment residents still dropped off items. Rorie said recycling, in general, was a narrowly focused public policy issue. What was before Council that evening was funding for a convenience center with a certain number of bin pulls so someone could drop off glass that could not be picked up curbside. An issue that wrapped around this more -focused problem was how the City would handle solid waste. Perhaps that waste was tree limbs from 3,700 acres of green space, debris from residential yards, or a pizza box. It was a wider public policy issue than just $20,000 worth of additional bin pulls at Public Works. He endorsed looking at each issue, as Tyler suggested, whether it was mulching or yard waste. Rorie recommended looking at all these little issues as part of the bigger picture. Whether the City should subsidize recycling or not was a public policy question, Rorie continued, asking what the consequences would be if the City did not. The answer was to look at solid waste collection. He said staff's recommendation was to approve the KPTCB budget with the subsidy increase, knowing that the solid waste franchise agreement would come back before them. Ernst noted that he had worked alongside Yougel, and his budgets were always tight. He said Yougel and his crew helped keep the City clean. Rorie stated that KPTCB put in 6,000 man-hours a year, the equivalent of three full-time employees, which would equal about $150,000. King asked if there was possibility of charging the $75,000 for the bin pulls to the waste haulers. He said this would only come out to a few dollars per customer. Rorie said he asked Council to remember that the more they wrapped into the franchise RFP, the less competitive the process I I would be. However, there were only so many players in the game. The three currently operating in the City could do that, and the Mayor said they could always ask. City Council Minutes September 6, 2018 Page 8 r 1 Madden clarified that the 10,900 homeowners in the City did not have to contract for garbage I I pickup. Tyler said that was currently true, but if they did, it must be one of those three that were Iauthorized to use City streets to provide service. Madden also asked how much it cost to run the mulching station. Public Works Director Scott Hicks said it was about $75,000 to $80,000 to grind the debris. Madden noted this only included the cost of the subcontractor who ground it, not the costs of City crews who collected it. Rorie said the City paid for the mulch three times: once to pick it up and transport it, another time to grind it, and a final time to pick it up and distribute it. He said there was value in the mulch, but there was a cost as well. He asked everyone to recall the piles of yard debris that some residents discarded on the greenbelt. Madden said it should save the City money to have one trash provider that would also pick up yard waste. Rorie said the current options were dumping along the paths, burning, or bagging and transporting to the mulch yard. All the options had their own sets of problems. Madden asked if residents could be required to contract with the City's chosen provider, and Meeker said it was authorized by the Georgia Constitution and that Newnan had such a requirement. Madden summed up the situation by saying if participation was mandatory, there would be savings from fewer people hauling debris to the mulch yard, fewer people utilizing the recycle center, and, Prebor added, less money spent on road paving. Rorie noted that all of these things made up the big public policy issue. Ernst moved to approve 09-18-04, Keep Peachtree City Beautiful budget. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Council/Staff Tonics Ordinance Amendment Preview Tyler told Council their packet contained information on a series of housekeeping/update ordinances for their review. One asked Council to codify the non-discrimination policies that had long been in place, but needed to be put into ordinance form, according to the City Attorney. A second amendment addressed a tiny component that was missed in the last update to the Stormwater Management Ordinance, and the change would bring it into compliance with State standards. State legislation regarding the WASA board had been finalized earlier in the year, so the City needed to amend the related ordinance codifying the enabling legislation. The final item was to update the fee for the Municipal Court's pre-trial intervention program. Tyler asked Council to review the language and submit any questions they might have. She said the items would be on an October meeting agenda, Rorie wanted to note how gratifying it was to the managers, elected officials, and staff to see the work that had been accomplished at Drake Field, site of the September 4 celebration of Peachtree City's Little League World Series team. Rorie said he appreciated the years of effort that went into making that event possible. It was an effort from many City departments, including Finance, Engineering, the Fire Department, Recreation, and Public Works, Rorie reflected. He said he was proud of the teamwork that went into the project, which included the contributions of taxpayers, and he extended his thanks to everyone, not just the baseball team, who made the event possible. Fleisch said this project was seven years in the making, and the pavilion just topped it off. To see it Jcome to fruition was a big deal. In projects such as this, Rorie said, there were sometimes conflicts City Council Minutes September 6, 2018 Page 9 1 between executing vision and public policy. He said he and the Mayor had butted heads on several occasions in trying to execute these plans, but admitted that she had been right. King moved to convene in executive session to discuss pending or threatened litigation and the acquisition or sale of real estate at 7:45 p.m. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. King moved to reconvene in regular session at 8:26 p.m. Madden seconded. Motion carried unanimously. There being no further business, King moved to adjourn the mee 'ng. Madden seconded. Motion arried unanimously. The eeting adjourned at 8: 27 p.m. AlAli Martha Bar s a e, Recording Secre ary V Nessa Fleisch, Mayor