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

HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION AGENDA
May 23^rd, 2022 6 PM

1. Call to order
   • Invocation – Anne Mitchell
   • Pledge of Allegiance 
   • Mayor’s Introductions of Guests and Announcements 
   • Approve the Agenda as distributed 
2. Old Business
   • Mayors Report
   • Dual Ordinance Reading – 1 Meeting 
3. New Business
   • Consent Agenda – 
     • May 3^rdCity Council Meeting Minutes 
     • May 23^rdWork Session Minutes  

4. Swearing in of Ethics Committee members
   • LaJean Turner, Jonathan Wilson, and Pam Greene

5. Utility Rate Increase – effective July 2022

6. City Council Retreat
7. Budget discussions – Second Reading next Week

8. Jake Brake ordinance
9. Water Rate Increase – Change to Ordinance on file (yearly changes tracking with Social Security changes)
10. Appointment of Monica McKenna to the Downtown Development Authority

11. Update from the Accounting/CPA selection committee

12. Police Report
13. Economic Development Report
14. Executive Session
15. Adjournment

HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION MINUTES May 23^rd, 2022 6 PM

The May Work Session of the City Council was called to order by Mayor Liz Ordiales on May 23^rd, 2022 at 6:00pm.  Present in addition to the Mayor were Council members Anne Mitchell, Amy Barrett, Patsy Owens, Nancy Noblet and Jay Chastain. Staff present were Economic Development Director Denise McKay and City Clerk Bonnie Kendrick.  City Attorney Thomas Mitchell was also present.

The invocation was given by Council member Anne Mitchell and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Mayor Ordiales welcomed guests and requested that the agenda be amended to include a discussion about package store limitations.

Motion to approve the agenda as amended was made by Council member Amy Barrett, seconded by Council member Nancy Noblet with all in favor.

In old business Mayor Ordiales gave her report with updates on property tax collections ($2,909 in outstanding real property tax [23 owners], $1,271 in 65 personal property accounts outstanding, 34 of the personal property bills are entities no longer in business. The difficulty with the real property is ones that have been sold and the information we have does not include the new owner.   Sheryl Branson is doing a great job of working through and tracking down new owners, but it is a lengthy and tedious process.  Final/Lien notices will go out in June on properties that remain unpaid.  We have finally received approval from the Georgia Department of Transportation for the sidewalk repairs, but it will be June or July before we can get the concrete to affect the repairs.  A day in the life of the Men of Water – 2” water line break and a tree trunk grew through the meter and broke it.  Bell Street and River Street ditches have been cleaned up and are now flowing appropriately when it rains instead of washing over the streets.  A sewer issue at City Hall has been repaired.  The Shook House has been dedicated to the family of Garland and Zuria Shook.  May is Motorcycle Awareness month and Mayor Ordiales signed a proclamation for Motorcycle safety.  The Water Treatment Plant new employees are Andrew Sims (Class 1) started today, Benjamin Edwards (passed the Class 3 test), the Young Harris College student, started May 11^th, Aimee Andrews (also passed the Class 3 test) and will start this week.  She is the daughter of City Clerk Bonnie Kendrick and although it goes against policy, the need for operators is critical.  We also have Clint Royce filling in part-time, Joseph Mitchell (Class 3) from Helen part-time and Randell Thomas (Class 1) will also continue part-time.  Council member Anne Mitchell said she had heard that the test covers a lot more material than necessary and asked that was true.  Mayor Ordiales said yes that the test covers a lot more than is required and she has had several conversations with EPD personnel regarding setting up a class at the technical college.  The student would have to take the test, but they would have a certificate that would allow them to work in a treatment plant.  She has also had conversations with them about the test and they say they will be back to her, but she is still waiting.  The Mayor also signed the Coast Guard proclamation.  The Coast Guard was at Mayors Park for free inspections of motorized watercraft (boats, jet skis, etc.).  The ice machine should be here next week.  Attorney Mitchell has been drawn up the contract and we are waiting for Mr. Van Tassel to review it.  Friday June 3 – 5^th the Cost of Freedom traveling wall will be at the Rec Center in Young Harris.  Someone has moved Ellawassee – possibly a senior prank, however, she has been moved back to her rightful place. Yoga is happening on the Square every Saturday.  Although we had to cancel the First Friday due to weather, we are set to hold the second First Friday on June 3^rd weather permitting.  Music on the Square will begin next Saturday, May 28^th  6:30 – 8pm and run through the summer.  Master Gardeners continue to spruce up the Square and the MBRA group has built a flower bed on the side of the stage facing the square.

Also, in old business the Dual Reading – 1 Meeting Ordinance will be on the agenda for vote at the June 7^th Council Meeting.

The Consent Agenda will consist of the May 3^rd City Council Meeting Minutes and the May 23^rd Work Session Minutes.  

Attorney Thomas Mitchell swore in of Ethics Committee members; LaJean Turner, Jonathan Wilson and Pam Greene.  Mayor Ordiales thanked the committee members for volunteering to serve.

The City Council Retreat will take place on August 13^th and will be facilitated by the Georgia Mountain Regional Commission who will not charge for the service.

The final Budget for FY22-23 will have a second reading on June 7^th.  Strickland sent the financials from August – January this morning and will be distributed to Council as soon as possible.

The Jake Brake ordinance second reading will be on June 7^th.  Jake brakes are device that closed the exhaust values which has a braking effect on the truck, however, it makes a lot of noise.  It is useful for trucks traveling at higher speed and downhill to save wear on brakes.  Consensus was that it is not necessary at the slower in-town speeds.  This ordinance will be effective on the Main Street and Bell Creek Road.

We continue to see cost increases – USA BlueBook has notified the City of a 17% surcharge being passed to them by Hach company and they will be passing it onto their customers. Mayor Ordiales presented a spreadsheet showing the increased cost of supplies over the past 2 fiscal years.   She also presented the water/sewer rate increase proposal for this year to align with the cost-of-living increases to Social Security recipients. It will be a resolution for vote at the June 7^th meeting and, if passed, will be effective with the July water billing.  Council member Jay Chastain stated that he felt it was easier on the citizens to do small increases more frequently than to wait and do a large increase.

The appointment of Monica McKenna to the Downtown Development Authority was moved to the Economic Development update.

The Accounting/CPA selection committee members Amy Barrett and Nancy Noblet updated the Council on progress.  The RFP for the selection has been published on the Georgia Procurement site, Towns County Herald and our website and we have received several letters of interest. Council member Amy Barrett said that there was more to municipal finance than she realized, and interviews should take place the 3^rd week of June.  Committee hopes to bring a recommendation to the Council by the July meeting.

The additional agenda item of the package store limitation was discussed.  Both package store owners have expressed to the Mayor concern about adding a 3^rd store.  Some Council members felt that two stores were an appropriate number, while others felt that the free market should dictate the number.  Council member Barrett stated that we don’t limit other types of businesses and felt that we should not limit package stores.  Economic Development Director Denise McKay state that in one of the early versions of the Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance, there was a limitation based on population of Towns County but was not included in the final version. Council member Anne Mitchell thought there was a state distance requirement between stores, but Attorney Mitchell said that he could not find one. After much discussion, the majority of the council deemed that there would be no limitations on the number of package stores permitted in the City Limits as long as state guidelines were followed. 

There was no Police Report.  Police Chief Paul Smith was attending a Cub Scout banquet with his son this evening.

In the Economic Development Report, Director Denise McKay advised the Council that Maggie Oliver has resigned, and Monica McKenna has offered to step up and take Maggie’s place.   The Schmear Café has opened and there will be a ribbon-cutting celebration later.  They are open Wednesday – Saturday 8am – 2pm. Abide Coffee House should open in June and the Vintage Market on Big Sky Drive has new owners who are renovating the space to accommodate living quarters.  They will have custom soaps, made-to-order and bath bombs.  Moose Creek and Carol’s Florist are moving June 17^th and will open July 1 in the Dan Joseph’s building at 487 Main Street.  The Paris Buildings are at a standstill.  Although the revised drawings are done, no further work can be done until the survey is completed.  The City has been trying to get a survey done for several months.  Expectation is the survey will take place the first or second week in June.  Director McKay is looking for a small industrial space for a cabinet maker with a cost of approximately $1,000.00/month anywhere in Towns County – please let her know if you know of any available space.  Director McKay invited everyone to participate in the Georgia Department of Transportation’s and the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission’s Regional Transit Development Plan Survey.  The survey should take 15 – 20 minutes to complete and you can identify what you want to see and what you do not want to see.

A citizen expressed concern about parking at the Texaco station (on the sidewalk) and Council member Nancy Noblet expressed concerns about the amount of signage in the windows of the station.  Mayor Ordiales said she would speak to the owners about both issues.

There being no need for executive session, motion to adjourn was made by Council member Nancy Noblet, seconded by Council member Amy Barrett with all in favor.  Meeting adjourned at 6:50pm.