BROADCAST VIA FACEBOOK LIVE       SITE: CITY OF HIAWASSEE
OPEN TO PUBLIC – City Hall Training Room Upstairs

HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION AGENDA
February 21^st, 2022  6PM

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
   • Mayors Report
3. New Business
   • Consent Agenda – 
     • February 1^st  City Council Meeting Minutes 
     • February 21^stWork Session Mtg Minutes 
     • July Financials 

4. Employee Insurance – Tim Barrett
5. Budget Policy Review 
6. Noise Ordinance enforcement changes 
7. New DDA Board Appointee – Efren Lopez 
8. Police Report – Year in review
9. Economic Development Report – Year in Review 
10. Executive Session
11. Adjournment

HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION MINUTES
February 21^st, 2022 6 PM

The City of Hiawassee February Work Session was called to order at 6 PM on February 21^st, 2022, in the Upstairs Training Room at City Hall by Mayor Liz Ordiales. The meeting was also broadcast over Facebook Live.

Present in addition to the Mayor were Council members Anne Mitchell, Amy Barrett, Patsy Owens, and Nancy Noblet. Councilmember Jay Chastain was absent due to illness.  Staff present were Economic Development Director Denise McKay, Downtown Development Director Steve Harper,Police Chief Paul Smith, and City Clerk Bonnie Kendrick. City Attorney Thomas Mitchell was also present.

The Mayor welcomed all guests including Mr. Paul Scherer, Mr. Barry Van Tassel, Tim Barrett of Barrett Insurance and a special guest who would be introduced later. The Invocation was given by Councilmember Nancy Noblet and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.  At the request of Mayor Liz, the motion was made by Councilmember Nancy Noblet to amend the agenda to add the discussion of Mayor Pro Tem appointment, seconded by Councilmember Amy Barrett with all present in favor. Motion to approve the amended agenda was make by Councilmember Patsy Owens, seconded by Council Member Nancy Noblet with all present in favor.

In her report, Mayor Liz updated the Council on Covid number – numbers are decreasing, and we have had 45 cases in the last two weeks.  She reminded everyone to Wash your hands, Wear a mask, and Walk away.  Business licenses report – only two businesses remain unpaid. Property tax update – second notices have been sent. 110 real property taxes are unpaid (approximately $18,000), 81 personal property tax bills remain unpaid ($5300), however we are still determining which are no longer in business.  In the “Day in the Life of the Men of Water”, Mayor Liz showed pictures from a late-night leak in front of Tata’s on Main, a very deep leaking water pipe and the trash that comes into through the sewer lines into the plant, which must be cleaned out by hand.  The cost of chemicals for treating the water and wastewater are increasing exponentially (as is everything else) and many of the vendors are now adding fuel surcharges to the bills.  In news at the Water Treatment Plant, Mayor Liz is speaking with a chemistry and physics student at Young Harris College who would like to stay in Hiawassee when he graduates in May.   She has encouraged him to take the class and test for the Water Treatment Class 3 and would put him on a part-time schedule when he passes the test and become full-time once he graduates.  Tyler Shields is scheduled to take the class 3 test on 3/30/2022.  Georgia DOT has suggested that Timberlake Plaza (Tilted Café and AT&T store) be modified to one way in and one way out and angled parking.  Mayor Liz met with all tenants in the strip mall as well as Chip Shively (owner) and Jim Crawford to facilitate the change.  The City will remove the 3^rd “driveway” and fix the sidewalk.  GDOT has also identified “driveways to nowhere” such as the one at Anderson’s office and the City is planning to remove them and fix those sidewalks as well.  There are several sidewalks that lack handicap curb cuts and “bumps” which are on the slate to be corrected.  As we have been recertified as a PlanFirst Community and a Broadband Ready Community, we will hopefully be attractive to developers when the federal monies are awarded for these types of programs.  We have been approved for the boardwalk between Lloyds Landing and Mayors Park. It will be 811’ long and approx. a $2 million project.  Barry Van Tassel would like to put an ice machine at Mayors Park – location to be determined.  City Attorney Thomas Mitchell said that we could allow that for public purpose.  Mr. Van Tassel said the machine he is interested in putting at Mayors Park is very small and can make 2200 lbs. of fresh ice every day.   He would like to incentivize it for people filling coolers instead of taking out bagged ice.  The Master Gardeners are having meetings at the City Hall and are taking care of the Square (removing dead leaves and debris).  Arbor Day was last Friday.  Joan Crothers and 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grade Student Council members planted a tree (Red Bud) at Mayors Park near the boat launch.  This year is the 27^th year Hiawassee has been a “Tree City”.  This morning was the Iwo Jima memorial event – Bud Johnson was honored.  The Mathis Way street sign is up and former Mayor Barbara Mathis was on hand for the installation.  The University of Georgia College of Health has a Health Equality program, and our student intern is Leila Farist.  The group is made up of stakeholders from the community with the intention of confirming that all persons have equal access to all health options.  Music on the Square line up is complete and there will be two additional weeks of programming.  Landscape project update – we received no bids. Liz reached out to 5 people asking them to bid. Hector Gonzalez bid (he is Mayor Liz’s sister’s fiancé) and Liz asked one other who bid $26K.  Mr. Gonzalez bid was 30% lower.  The window replacements at City Hall, we have not been able to get any additional bids although we have reached out to two companies in Murphy, NC.  Shook House – Working with Econ Dev Dir Denise McKay and DDA Program Manager Steve Harper on what is the best use of the space.  Parking is very limited, but the bank across the street (South State Bank) has a parking lot across the street and are willing to allow people to park there.  The only other area we could make into parking is the front lawn.  There was potential for a coffee shop there, but the prospective client felt they would outgrow the space within 2 years, and it would not be worth the expense of renovations for such a short time.  Eastern Metal expansion has moved into the county (industrial park).   They had hoped to stay in the City but where not able to find an adequate space for the expansion they are expecting.  They expect to be doing significant hiring in the coming years as they expand their operations.

In New Business, the Consent Agenda will include the February 1^st   City Council Meeting Minutes, the February 21^stWork Session Mtg Minutes, and the July Financials and will be on the agenda for approval at the Council Meeting on March 1^st.

Council member Amy Barrett left the meeting due to conflict of interest regarding the next agenda item.  Tim Barrett of Barrett Insurance update the council regarding Employee Insurance.  As he has done in the past, he reviewed all the option and presented all of them. The Chamber plan that the City currently has is still the least expensive, however, there will be a price increase (15%) this year.  Options to increase deductibles and/or copays do not make a significant difference in the price and the Mayor and Mr. Barrett feel that the plan we have is the best available.  This will be voted on at the March Council meeting.  Council member Amy Barrett returned to the meeting.

The Budget Policy has been distributed to the Council for review and there were no questions or comments from the Council.

Chief Paul Smith presented the Council with his top picks for Noise Ordinance enforcement changes.  The three ordinance each contain excellent points and he asked the Council to provide him with feedback on what they would like to see in the final ordinance.  His preference would be an ordinance based on distance rather than decibels since we currently have no decimeters for the police officers.  Feedback should be provided by the next Council Work Session (March 28th) for review and update of the existing ordinance.

With the hiring of Steve Harper for the DDA Program Manager position, the DDA Board is requesting that Efren Lopez be appointed to the DDA in Steve’s place.  Mr. Lopez is former police (Miami-Dade) and currently serves in the Coast Guard (expects to retire from the Coast Guard in October).  He and his wife have relocated to Hiawassee and their youngest son is enrolled at Towns County Schools.  They are looking to assist in the community in any way possible.  Mr. Lopez has been doing project management for many years.  His skill set will be of great value to the DDA.  The Council will be asked to appoint him to the DDA at the Council meeting.

Chief Paul Smith gave the Police Report “Year in Review”.  2084 calls were logged through dispatch, 4.5 million cars passed by the speed sign in the last year. 814 traffic stops and 310 tickets issued, 57 arrests.

Economic Development Director Denise McKay gave the Economic Development Report “Year in Review”, including the work done with Eastern Metal, the ARC grant for the Paris buildings ($600,000.00).   Stabilization is complete. Silent donations have been collected ($117.500.00) for the Paris Business Center – public donations program to start soon – over halfway to the fundraising goal set for the Business center.  We have had 1 bid on the renovation of the buildings – the same company that did the stabilization – meeting to sign contract this week.  Through the donation tubes, collections have exceeded $5000.00, and the Downtown Development Authority will work on how to best spend that money on beautification projects at their March retreat.  The DDA has also received $9,000.00 anonymous donation toward beautification projects.  Completed the revision to the alcohol ordinance and changes to the density ordinance have made us more attractive to developers. Denise and Steve had been speaking with a Tiny Home development company about quality affordable homes.  GICH program will assist in creating good plans for affordable, work force housing.  The comprehensive plan updated and adopted, 8 ribbons cuttings, the facade program, Rural Zone, Towns Forward, 3 clients working with SBDC - first clients for the Paris Business Center, Hiawassee DDA Inc (501C3), Lights on the Square and the Night Market has become a major attraction.  Denise also reviewed the 2022 work plan for City which included fund raising, beautification and business goals, marketing and business development and building a volunteer base.

A citizen asked for an explanation of crypto mining.  DDA program director Steve Harper explained that crypto mining uses high speed computers which require very large air condition units to keep the computers cool which creates a great deal of noise – likened to living next to an airport or helipad and having a helicopter taking off 24 hours a day.  Largely located in rural areas, they have become a nuisance.  Towns County Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw has issued a moratorium on them at his last meeting.  City Attorney Thomas Mitchell will create an ordinance to keep such activity out of the city and have it ready for a first reading next week.

Mr. Paul Scherer asked about the plans for the large parcel at the top of Big Sky.  As the purchaser has not approached the City with any plans, we do not at this time know what his plans are concerning the property.

According to our charter, the Mayor Pro Tem’s term is two years.  The vote for Mayor Pro Tem will be on the agenda next week.

There being no need for executive session, Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Council member Amy Barrett seconded by Council member Nancy Noblet with all present in favor.  The meeting adjourned at 7:34pm.