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OPEN TO PUBLIC –City Hall Training Room Upstairs

HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION AGENDA
January 30^th, 2023 6 PM

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
   • Jeremy Parker – New Chief of Police
   • Year in Review
3. New Business
   • Consent Agenda – CCMA
     • December 6^thCity Council Meeting
     • October and November Financials 
     • January 30th Work Session Minutes 

4. Personnel Policy Resolution - CCMA
5. Hiawassee Park Utility Easement - CCMA
6. Nations Drive Road acceptance – CCMA
7. EMI Watershed Monitoring Annual renewal
8. Embrace Civility Program – Project – CCMA
9. Approval of Alcohol License – New Owners-Exxon Mart 24/7
10. TAP Transportation Grant $325,000 (20% Match-$65,000)

11. Police Report
12. Economic Development Report
13. Executive Session

Adjourn

HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION MINUTES

January 30^th, 2023 6 PM

The January Work Session of the City Council was called to order by Mayor Liz Ordiales on January 30^th, 2023 at 6:00 pm. Present in addition to the Mayor were Council members Amy Barrett, Patsy Owens, and Nancy Noblet. Council member Anne Mitchell participated via phone. Council member Jay Chastain arrived at 6:09 pm. Staff present were Economic Development Director Denise McKay, Police Chief Jeremy Parker, and City Clerk Bonnie Kendrick.  City Attorney Thomas Mitchell was also present.

The invocation was given by Council member Nancy Noblet and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Mayor Ordiales welcomed guests including Peggy Gardner, the “Golden Girls”, Noel and LaJean Turner, Josh and Julie Alexander and Mr. Gibson from the Fire Department.  Mayor Ordiales then introduced Office Jose Carvajal and Police Chief Jeremy Parker.

In old business the Mayor presented the Year in Review which included recaps of the issues with staffing challenges at the Water Treatment Plant and the amount of water processed by the plant over the course of the year (547,810,000 gallons removed from the lake and 485,710,000 gallons of finished water pumped into the system).  The  Water Department’s new building was completed this year and the Council passed the ordinance that will adjust water rates based on the cost of living increases each July.  The City received $71,000 in extra funds (Thank you Senator Steve Gooch) to do sidewalks from Hiawassee Brew to Ross Lloyd Road and River Street to the Shook House.  The Council voted to increase the Hotel/Motel tax to 8% most of which will benefit the Chamber of Commerce.  LOST negotiations were completed, and the City will receive an increase of approximately $71,000/year.  The new shed was placed at City Hall to relieve some of the congestion in the building and freed up two offices – one of which was allocated to the new Downtown Development Program Manager Steve Harper.  The 3-year sewer plant inspection was passed with no issues.  3 Package stores have been approved (the third is still working on his state licensing) which brought in approximately $57,000 in revenue from April – November 2022.   Our building inspector, Randy Day, has moved on to a new city and we have hired Bureau Veritas to do the job.   We hired and transitioned to a new accounting firm, Walker Pierce and Tuck, hosted ARC Chairperson Gayle Manchin, put the mural on City Hall and marked the Unicoi Turnpike at Lloyds Landing.  The City receive a grant for the Boardwalk for $690,000 and planted daffodils in memory of the children lost to the holocaust.  The City Square played host to Music on the Square (our 29^th year), Fall Affair on the Square and Mount Zion Church’s Fall Festival with new walkways.  Mountain True planted a tree and the ice machine was placed at Mayors Park.  We became a GICH (Georgia Initiative for Community Housing) community, renew our AirMedCare contract, installed a new phone system at City Hall, and had Halloween at the Fairground to keep our children safe.  Rushton CPAs completed our FY2021-2022 audit with no findings, hosted an intern from Dr. Church’s office, survived the GDOT road resurfacing project, the DDA developed a public art plan, and had the first ever Menorah lighting on the Square. The water department completed 907 work orders over the course of the year, we welcomed new Police Chief Jeremy Parker in December and suffered the wrath of the cyclone bowl over the Christmas – New Year’s holidays.  It was a wild year!

2023 will bring the AT (Appalachian Trail) season program, complete with a new van (after several repairs) Monday cookouts on the Square when the restaurants are closed, and new signage including a QR code which will bring up a map of the area and information on shuttle services.  The Shuttle van will make 3 trips a day to Dick’s Gap and 2 trips a day to Unicoi Gap between 9am and 5:30pm.  Retreat at Lake Chatuge, formerly the Mull’s Motel, is progressing and should be open for the hiking season.

The “goat pen” (lot on the northwest corner of River and Main Streets) has been sold and will be retail and housing).  Mayor Ordiales has been working with Tim Barrett of Barrett Insurance on the quote for the upcoming year –the cost of our current medical insurance will nearly double!  Tim is working on alternatives.   The compensation study was completed, and all the City’s employees are paid within the averages for the area, state, and nation. 

New week, we will pay off the last two remaining loans (one for Sewer and one for Water) and we will be debt free!!!  We will likely bask in that glory for approximately 6 months at which time the Water Treatment Expansion loan will come into being.  Because we are a PlanFirst Community, our interest rate will be 1.9% for 20 years – the loan will be $2.7 Million, however we also received $500,000 in principle forgiveness.

In New Business the Consent Agenda will include the December 6^th City Council Meeting, the January 30th Work Session Minutes and the October and November financials.

The Personnel Policy resolution will be on the agenda for vote at the February Council meeting – biggest change is the structure of holiday pay – everyone will get the holiday pay but working the holiday will be at straight time instead of time and a half.

Also, on the agenda on Tuesday, will be the easement release for Hiawassee Park.  The original design put the sewer line through the middle of the property, but ultimately, the line was run a different way and the easement needs to be removed.

Nations Drive was never properly recorded as a city street so the dedication of the street to the city will be on the agenda for Tuesday. 

The annual Water shed monitoring contract with EMI is also on the agenda for vote.

The Embrace Civility Program is a project of GMA and incorporates by resolution the 9 pillars of civility. This resolution will also be on the agenda for vote next week.

The approval of the alcohol license for the new owners of the Exxon Mart may be on the agenda for vote next week.  One of the three partners has not come in for fingerprinting yet and that may delay the vote.

The City has received the TAP Transportation Grant $325,000 with a 20% Match ($65,000).  This would be for the first step (the engineering study) and, once in place, would open up the grants for the actual work.  The work would be the widening of sidewalks throughout the City and some new sidewalks (Big Sky Drive).   The Engineering study must be in place before we can apply for the grants to do the sidewalks.

Police Chief Jeremy Parker discussed his transition to the department as well as an update on the ongoing investigations on crimes within the City.

In the Economic Development report, Director Denise McKay discussed the work of the DDA and what she was able to share about work at the lot on the north west corner of River and Main Streets, updates on DDA’s planning retreat and ongoing work, work on the five-year plan (focus will be the Paris building and incubator and the Shook House), fundraising and events and the Boardwalk progress (engineering and design services RFP responses due this week.

Motion to enter executive session to discuss litigation was made by Council member Amy Barrett, seconded by Council member Nancy Noblet with all in favor.

Motion to exit executive session was made by Council member Patsy Owens, seconded by Council member Jay Chastain with all in favor.

Motion to adjourn was made by Council member Amy Barrett, seconded by Council member Nancy Noblet with all in favor.  Meeting adjourned at 7:11pm