HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION AGENDA/MINUTES
April 27^th, 2020

The April Work Session Meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall 

BROADCAST VIA FACEBOOK LIVE ONLY       SITE: CITY OF HIAWASSEE
NOT OPEN TO PUBLIC 

1. Call to order
   • Invocation – Nancy Noblet
   • Pledge of Allegiance 
   • Mayor’s Introductions of Guests and Announcements 
   • Approve the Agenda as distributed 
2. Old Business
   • Mayor’s Report 
   • Budget Update – Hearing?
3. New Business
   • GIRMA Property insurance – Tim Barrett 
   • City - DDA Inter-Governmental Agreement Approval
   • Contract with Colditz for Lloyd’s Landing In/Out and Hospital Crosswalk 
   • Consent Agenda
     • Minutes from the April 7^thCity Council Meeting
     • Minutes from April 27^thWork Session
     • February Financials 

4. Police Report
5. Economic Development Update
6. Executive Session
7. Adjournment

HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION MINUTES
April 27^th, 2020

The April Work Session Meeting was called to order by Mayor Liz Ordiales at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall.  The meeting was broadcast via FaceBook live only and was not open to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Present in addition to the Mayor were Council members Anne Mitchell, Patsy Owens, Nancy Noblet, Amy Barrett, and Jay Chastain.  Staff present were Economic Development Director Denise McKay, Police Chief Paul Smith, and City Clerk Bonnie Kendrick.  City Attorney Thomas Mitchell joined the meeting via teleconference.  Also present was Tim Barrett of Barrett Insurance Company.

The Invocation was given by Councilmember Nancy Noblet and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

The motion to approve the agenda as distributed was made by Councilmember Nancy Noblet, seconded by Councilmember Jay Chastain with all in favor.

The Mayor welcomed Tim Barrett and thanked the Historical Society for the podium they gave to the City.  In her report, the Mayor recapped the Georgia Department of Health postings and Governor Kemp’s executive orders regarding COVID-19. Guidelines are posted on the City’s website. Drive-thru testing is now available at the Towns County Health Department on Tuesdays and Fridays. Call 706-896-2265 if you believe you need to be tested to schedule an appointment.  Currently, Towns has had a total of 20 confirmed cases as reported by the DPH and 32 cases confirmed in Union County. The state's daily cumulative totals are still fluctuating wildly. Mayor Ordiales has been keeping track of daily changes since March 24^th and will continue posting the DPH daily report on the City’s website. In code enforcement news, a dilapidated building has been removed across from the Courthouse. She also informed the Council that the Sewer Plant Expansion project is approximately 2 days from being complete.  The fence around the beach lift station is left to be installed. Once everything is complete, she will schedule a tour for the Council.

The City has a GEFA loan for the Million Gallon tank and distribution updates – originally $1.96 M at 3% interest which was split between Water/Sewer (65%) and Water Treatment (35%).  She would like to make a prepayment of the remaining 35% from Water Treatment (approximately $237,585 ).  She will ask the Council to approve this at the May Council meeting. Jennifer Garner, Court Clerk, sent out 76 letters to delinquent property tax owners.  To date, we have received 8 payments totaling $6,500.00 and the Tax Commissioner’s office has also received some payments.

Georgia Cities Magazine published an article outlining the importance of cities and the Mayor unveiled the final mural design to be on Eagle Mountain Archery (the old Two Dollar Store).  The Senior signs are in the Georgia Department of Transportation right of way and had not to be moved.  The Mayor and the Towns County Commissioner have asked the DOT to allow those to be moved back into the right of way for just the 3 weeks leading up to what would have been a traditional graduation date.   There is a banner going up on the Square this week which will have all the graduate’s pictures. Census paper applications should have been delivered last week to those households who have not completed the online census.

There was much discussion around how to hold public hearings for the proposed fiscal 20-21 budget.  This requirement has not been relaxed in the Governor’s executive orders. City Attorney Mitchell has been working on getting information from the GMA legal team and the current thinking is to accomplish public input by multiple means.  The real key is to provide the public a means to comment in real-time.  Methods suggested was to convene a meeting at City Hall, but move it to the Square and hold an outdoor meeting, meet in a larger space to provide for more people, allow people to come and got and rotate through the people wishing to attend, requiring only City residents to attend/speak, provide a dedicated email address that citizens can send questions to be answered, ZOOM meetings, a FaceBook Live meeting with comments allowed so that people can comment on other peoples comments and it is relayed to the Council/Mayor but it must be limited to only budget questions/comments. Pros and cons of each were discussed.  The Mayor and the City Clerk will work with Attorney Mitchell to finalize how the public meeting will be accomplished and notice the meeting as required by law.

Councilmember Amy Barrett recused herself from this portion of the meeting by stepping out of the Council room.  In New business, Tim Barrett presented the GIRMA property insurance renewal information. As always, he shopped around and found GIRMA to be the most reasonable cost. Insurance increased this year by approx. $1,500.00.  The new equipment (screw press) and Paris buildings, as well as a liability claim for lightning damage this year played a part.  The cost will be $39,996.00.  Councilmember Amy Barrett returned to the Council room.

The City/DDA inter-government agreement will be on the agenda for approval at the Council meeting next week.  Most notably, this agreement states that the City will provide $20,000 per year for DDA to work until they are able to fund themselves.

At next week’s Council meeting, the Council will be asked to approve the contract with Colditz for Lloyd’s Landing driveway In/Out (not the parking lot area) and Hospital Crosswalk.  They were the lowest bidder.  Mayor Ordiales will ask the Council to approve 53,000.00 to spend which includes the bid for Colditz and a 15% contingency for anything unforeseen.  This will come from the SPLOST account.

The consent agenda for the May Council meeting will include the minutes of the April 7^th Council meeting and the April 27^thWork Session as well as the February Financials.

Chief Paul Smith reported that call volume as well as vehicle traffic are down.  We have canceled both the April and May Municipal Court sessions but will have two in June to try to relieve the backlog.   The workload has been low enough that the police have resorted to singing videos… one features Chief Olaf …ahh Chief Smith.. 

Economic Development Director Denise McKay and the DDA have been working on business plans for the Paris Pavilion Business Center and hopes to present it at the May meeting for approval.  There is a June deadline for submitting for the USDA grant application.  The DDA has again been working on the Rural Zone application and will resubmit in August.  The Joint Development Authority is will be registered with the State of Georgia next week. Ms. McKay has been working with businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19; some have already received the PPP (Payroll Protection Program) funds, while others are still waiting. The system at times was overwhelmed and some gave up trying as the program ran out of money.  More money has been allocated and now independent contractors are now eligible to apply. On the SBA site there is no way to track the numbers locally only at the state level.  Thousands of unemployment claims are yet to be processed.

Councilmember Amy Barrett would like to set up a scholarship program for the City Council to benefit the 2020 seniors who are finding scholarship money hard to find as local businesses have had to close. She suggested that the council consider donating their pay for 1 month towards that effort. 

City Hall has managed well during the closure and will remain closed until June 1^st.  Marta Izquierdo, Billing Technician checks the drop boxes multiple times each day (we will soon have a box at the main entrance of City Hall) and we have kept up with the workload, seeing customers as necessary.  

Mayor Ordiales reminds us all to practice personal responsibility – Wear a mask, Wash your hands, Walk away – the Three W’s.

There was no need for an executive session.

Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Council member Jay Chastain, seconded by Council member Amy Barrett with all in favor.  Meeting adjourned at 6:50pm.