SITE: CITY OF HIAWASSEE
OPEN TO PUBLIC – March 3, 2026, 6:00 pm
Hiawassee City Hall 50 River Street Council Chambers
HIAWASSEE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
1. Call to Order
1.1. Invocation – Scott Benton
1.2. Pledge of Allegiance
1.3. Approval agenda as distributed
2. Consent agenda
2.1 Minutes of February 3,2026, Council Meeting
2.2 Minutes of February 23, 2026, Work Session
2.3 December 2025 financials
2.4 Payment of the PBC Loan from SPLOST (26,132.18)
3. Motion to approve Osteria Da Ferraro LLC and Hiawassee Package (under new ownership)
alcohol license
4. Motion to approve Budget Policy/Financial Policy
5. Motion to approve IWORQ Building Permitting and Code Enforcement software ($3,800
annual subscription, implementation and set up$2,500 -total for first year $6,300)
6. Motion to approve the 2026 Watershed Protection Plan contract with EMI ($27,752.00)
7. Motion to approve the purchase of the trailer for the Water Department not to exceed
$14,145.00
8. Motion to waive the first reading of the Alcohol Ordinance amendment – Tasting Ordinance
9. Executive Session
10. Adjournment
HIAWASSEE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES – March 3, 2026
The City of Hiawassee March City Council meeting was called to order at 6:00pm on March 3, 2026, in Council Chambers by Mayor Jay Chastain, Jr. The meeting was open to the public and broadcast over Facebook Live.
Present in addition to the Mayor, were Council members Scott Benton, Nancy Noblet, Jeff Scott and Jonathan Wilson. Council member Andrea Bell attended via telephone. Staff present were Economic Development Director Lily Ponitz, Police officer JP Smallwood, Deputy City Clerk Sheryl Branson and City Clerk Bonnie Kendrick.
The Invocation was given by Council member Scott Benton and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Motion to approve the agenda as distributed was made by Council member Nancy Noblet and seconded by Council member Jonathan Wilson with all in favor.
Motion to approve the Consent Agenda, which consisted of the minutes of the February 3, 2026 Council Meeting, the minutes of the February 23, 2026 Work Session, the December 2025 financials, and the payment of PBC Loan from SPLOST of $26,132.18, was made by Council member Scott Benton and seconded by Council member Nancy Noblet with all in favor.
Motion to approve the alcohol licenses for Osteria Da Ferraro LLC and Hiawassee Package was made by Council member Scott Benton and seconded by Council member Jeff Scott with all in favor.
Motion to table the Budget and Financial Policies was made by Council member Jonathan Wilson. Motion failed due to lack of a second. Motion to discuss the policies was made by Council member Nancy Noblet and discussion centered around the question of procedure. Mayor Chastain stated that the Budget and Financial Policies have been in place for several years. Council member Scott Benton asked if this was procedural and Mayor Chastain stated that yes, each year the policies must be approved and also stated that we have had clean audits. Motion to approve the Budget and Financial Policies was made by Council member Scott Benton, seconded by Council member Jeff Scott. Council member Andrea Bell and Nancy Noblet were also in favor. Council member Jonathan Wilson voted not to approve.
Motion to approve the purchase of IWORQ software for a first-year cost of $6,300.00 was made by Council member Andrea Bell and seconded by Council member Scott Benton with all in favor.
Motion to approve the 2026 Watershed Protection Plan contract with EMI for $27,752.00 was made by Council member Jonathan Wilson and seconded by Council member Nancy Noblet with all in favor.
Motion to discuss the trailer purchase for the Water department not to exceed $14,145.00 was made by Council member Scott Benton. Council member Benton stated that he had talked to Ryan Osborn of the Water Department about the specific needs of the trailer and he was unable to find even a used trailer for the price stated. Motion to approve the purchase was made by Council member Benton and seconded by Council member Nancy Noblet with all in favor.
Motion to waive the first reading of the Alcohol Ordinance amendment – Tasting Ordinance was made by Council member Nancy Noblet and seconded by Council member Jonathan Wilson. Economic Development Director Lily Ponitz spoke about the need for the changes for two reasons; the first has to do with tastings so that package stores can do tastings which would align our ordinance with the state laws and the second is to allow a “Wine Bar” where you can consume on premises abut also purchase the products. These were thought to be already in the ordinance but were missing. Motion passed with all in favor.
There being no need for executive session, motion to adjourn was made by Council member Nancy Noblet seconded by Council member Jonathan Wilson, with all in favor. Meeting adjourned at 6:08 pm