Hiawassee City Council Meeting Agenda/Minutes-June 3rd, 2025 6pm

BROADCAST VIA FACEBOOK LIVE       SITE: CITY OF HIAWASSEE
OPEN TO PUBLIC – June 3rd, 2025 6pm
Hiawassee City Hall 50 River Street Council Chambers
COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA       

      

1. Call to Order 

1.1.  Invocation – Nancy Noblet

1.2.  Pledge of Allegiance

1.3.  Approval agenda as distributed

1. Consent Agenda

2.1.   Minutes of May 6, 2025 Council Meeting

2.2.   Minutes of the May 15, 2025 Special Called Meeting

2.3.   Minutes of May 27, 2025 Work Session Meeting

2.4.   February and March Financials

1. Motion to Ratify the LMIG Paving project – Presley Road

1. Motion to approve the purchase of Waterworth software – term – 1 yr, 3 yr or 5 yr?

1. Motion to approve the second reading and adoption of the FY25-26 Appropriations Ordinance (Budget)

1. Motion to increase the mayor’s authorized spending limit to $10,000 (from $5,000)

1. Motion to approve the emergency repairs to Water Treatment Plant tank monitoring systems (SCADA) ($85,000)

1. Motion to approve purchase of a police pursuit vehicle from SPLOST (up to $45,000)

1. Executive session

1. Adjournment

Hiawassee City Council Meeting Minutes-June 3rd, 2025 6 pm

The City of Hiawassee June Council meeting was called to order at 6:00pm on June 3, 2025, 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 Amy Barrett, Scott Benton, Nancy Noblet, Patsy Owens and Jonathan Wilson. Staff present were Economic Development Director Denise McKay, Police Chief Paul Smith, Water Treatment Superintendent Andrew Sims and City Clerk Bonnie Kendrick. 

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

Council member Jonathan Wilson requested that the agenda be amended to include the vote for increasing the Council pay rate.  Mayor Chastain placed it on the agenda.

Motion to approve the agenda as amended was made by Council member Patsy Owens seconded by Council member Scott Benton, with all in favor.

Motion to approve the Consent Agenda which consisted of the minutes of May 6, 2025, Council Meeting, minutes of May 15, 2025, Special Called Meeting, minutes of May 27, 2025, Work Session Meeting, and the February and March Financials, was made by Council member Amy Barrett, seconded by Council member Jonathan Wilson with all in favor.

Motion to Ratify the LMIG Paving project for the paving of Presley Road was made by Council member Jonathan Wilson and seconded by Council member Patsy Owens.  Council member Amy Barrett and Scott Benton also voted to approve.  Council member Nancy Noblet recused herself as it is the street that she lives on.

Motion to discuss the purchase of Waterworth software was made by Council member Amy Barrett, seconded by Council member Patsy Owens, with all in favor.  Council member Barrett stated that she was concerned about using Waterworth because it is a Canadian company and that there are US companies that provide the same service.  She was concerned that privacy standards would not be the same as in the United States. Her mentor, Pete Pyrzenski, advised her that he had not heard of the company and said she should look at US companies such as OpenGov, HDL companies and Tyler Technologies. She was also concerned that this was only a 15-year-old company.  Council member Barrett suggested an RFP (Request for Proposal) to look at other software companies. She also stated that she had reached out to the two contacts Mr. Bracken provided – one had not returned her call and the other’s phone number had been disconnected.  Motion to table the purchase of Waterworth software was made by Council member Patsy Owens, seconded by Council member Amy Barrett with all in favor.  Council member Scott Benton stated that he wanted to be sure the RFP looked at the full package including adequate customer support for the software.

Motion to approve the second reading and adoption of the FY25-26 Appropriations Ordinance (Budget) was made by Council member Scott Benton seconded by Council member Amy Barrett, with all in favor.

Motion to increase the mayor’s authorized spending limit to $10,000 was made by Council member Scott Benton, seconded by Council member Patsy Owens, with all in favor.

Motion to approve the emergency repairs to Water Treatment Plant tank monitoring systems (SCADA) – not to exceed $85,000 – was made by Council member Amy Barrett, seconded by Council member Nancy Noblet, with all in favor.

Motion to approve purchase of a police pursuit vehicle from SPLOST – up to $45,000 – was made by Council member Amy Barrett seconded by Council member Nancy Noblet, with all in favor.

Motion to approve the Council Pay increase from $200 a month to $300 a month plus $50 per special-called meeting (not held contiguous to a regular work session meeting) was made by Council member Jonathan Wilson, seconded by Council member Patsy Owens.  Council members Scott Benton and Nancy Noblet also approved.  Council member Amy Barrett was opposed.

There being no need for executive session, motion to adjourn was made by Council member Jonathan Wilson seconded by Council member Amy Barrett with all in favor.

Meeting adjourned at 6:09pm.