Minutes of Hahira Council Meetings for April, 2010
HAHIRA CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
MARCH 29, 2010
6:30 P.M.
COURTHOUSE
Mayor and Council met for a Work Session March 29, 2010 at the Courthouse with Mayor Wayne Bullard presiding.
PRESENT:
Mayor Wayne Bullard, Councils: Mayor Pro Tem Adams, Ralph Clendenin, Bruce Cain, City Manager Jonathan Sumner, Police Chief Terry Davis, Fire Chief Dwight Bennett, Director Donnie Warren, City Clerk Belinda Chappell.
ABSENT: Councilman Terry Benjamin
REVIEW/CORRECTION OF MINUTES:
A.) March 1, 2010 Work Session
B.) March 4, 2010 Council Meeting
Mayor Bullard asked if there were any questions concerning the minutes. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she had found one grammatical error in the minutes.
REVIEW OF BILLS/ BUDGET OVERAGES:
Mayor Bullard asked if there were any questions concerning the bills. There were no questions concerning the bills.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
A.) Application from Magdalena Mapps (Smack Mama’s Café) for the Sale of Beer and Wine By-The-Drink (Chief Davis)
City Manager Sumner stated that Mrs. Mapps would be attending the Council Meeting on Thursday night. Chief Davis stated he had completed a background check on Mrs. Mapps and did not find any criminal history on Mrs. Mapps to retain her from receiving her beer and wine license. City Manager Sumner stated Mrs. Mapps had been provided a copy of the section of the code that explained the sale of beer and wine by the drink. Chief Davis recommended to Mayor and Council that in the future he would like to see the fee of the beer and wine license increased to a percentage of their sales. Davis stated he would do a study on this issue and present that to Mayor and Council in the next meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she felt that if businesses paid a higher fee, it would help the control of the sale of alcohol to minors, due to having their license revoked if caught selling alcohol to minors.
DISCUSSIONS:
A.) Request from Honeybee Festival Committee (Carol Jacobs)
City Manager Sumner stated Carol Jacobs would be attending Thursday night’s Council Meeting.
DEPARTMENT REQUESTS:
A.) MOU for Juvenile Fire-Setter Prevention Program (Chief Bennett)
Chief Bennett stated to Mayor and Council that Hahira and Valdosta Fire Department had partnered together to get this program started. Bennett stated this was a program to help educate juveniles on the importance of not pulling fire alarms or setting fires. Bennett stated that not all kids needed to serve a detention period, but just needed to be educated on the importance and dangers of fires. Chief Bennett stated a $4700 grant was awarded to help with the start-up of the program.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 6:45 P.M.
________________________
Mayor, Wayne Bullard
________________________
City Clerk, Belinda Chappell
HAHIRA CITY COUNCIL
COUNCIL MEETING
APRIL 01, 2010
7:30 P.M.
COURTHOUSE
Mayor and Council met for a Council Meeting April 01, 2010 at the Courthouse with Mayor Wayne Bullard presiding.
PRESENT:
Mayor Wayne Bullard, Councils: Mayor Pro Tem Adams, Terry Benjamin, Ralph Clendenin, Bruce Cain, City Manager Jonathan Sumner, Fire Chief Dwight Bennett, Director Donnie Warren, City Clerk Belinda Chappell.
ABSENT: Police Chief Terry Davis
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Wayne Bullard
ESTABLISH QUORUM: Mayor Wayne Bullard
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Wayne Bullard
INVOCATION: Councilman Terry Benjamin
REVIEW/CORRECTION OF MINUTES:
A.) March 01, 2010 Work Session
B.) March 04, 2010 Council Meeting
Mayor Bullard asked if there were any questions concerning the minutes. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated that she had found a grammatical error in the Work Session minutes. City Manager Sumner stated the correction would be made. Mayor Bullard asked for a motion. Mayor Pro Tem Adams made a motion, seconded by Councilman Benjamin, vote was unanimous.
REVIEW OF BILLS/ BUDGET OVERAGES:
Mayor Bullard asked if there were any questions concerning the bills. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she had questions concerning the BHT revenue and expense report. Adams stated the difference in the accounts payable and accounts receivable were in question. City Manager Sumner stated the accounts receivable was revenue coming in and the accounts payable was for expenditures. Sumner stated the amounts would balance when the business owners reimbursed the BHT department for advertising and other expenses. Mayor Bullard asked for a motion. Councilman Clendenin made a motion, seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
A.) Application from Magdalena Mapps (Smack Mama’s Café) for the Sale of Beer and Wine By-The-Drink (Chief Davis)
City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council that Chief Davis had performed a criminal background check on Mrs. Mapps and found no evidence that would keep her from receiving her beer and wine license. Sumner stated the advertisement to sell beer and wine was published in the Valdosta Daily Times on Saturday March 6, 2010. Mayor Bullard asked if there were any questions. Councilman Clendenin stated he was concerned if Mrs. Mapps was presented a copy of the ordinance that pertained to the sale of beer and wine. City Manager responded that Mrs. Mapps did receive a copy of the ordinance. Mayor Bullard asked if there was anyone wishing to speak against. There was no one wishing to speak against. Mayor Bullard asked if there was anyone wishing to speak in favor. There was no one wishing to speak in favor. Mayor Bullard asked for a motion. Councilman Clendenin made a motion, seconded by Councilman Benjamin. Councilmember’s Clendenin, Cain, and Benjamin were in favor. Mayor Pro Tem Adams was opposed, motion carried.
CITIZENS TO BE HEARD:
Mr. Patrick Warren residing at 602 E. Main Street Extension Hahira, Ga 31632. Mr. Warren addressed Mayor and Council with praise for Councilman Clendenin who made a quick response to an issue his family was having.
Mr. Wilmon Stanley residing at 308 S. Washington Street Hahira, Ga 31632. Mr. Stanley addressed Mayor and Council with concerns on the Harvey’s building. City Manager Sumner responded that partial plans had been submitted but not the complete plans for the Harvey’s building.
DISCUSSIONS:
A.) Request from Honeybee Festival Committee (Carol Jacobs)
Mrs. Jacobs was unable to attend the meeting, but wanted to request that the Honeybee Festival be able to use the streets in the City and City services. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she had a question concerning if City Manager Sumner had followed up with the business owners on vendors pressing on the windows of their business. Sumner responded that he had followed up with a business owner on the corner of Main Street, and the business owner requested that the Honeybee Festival Committee consider leaving adequate space for the business owners, so the public had access to their business, if so desired. Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to approve Mrs. Jacobs’s requests. Councilman Clendenin made a motion. seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous.
DEPARTMENT REQUESTS:
A.) MOU for Juvenile Fire Setter Prevention Program (Chief Bennett)
Chief Bennett stated to Mayor and Council that the Hahira and Valdosta Fire Departments had partnered together to get this program started. Bennett stated this was a program to help educate juveniles on the importance of not pulling fire alarms or setting fires. Bennett stated that not all kids needed to serve a detention period, but just needed to be educated on the importance and dangers of fires. Chief Bennett stated a $4700 grant was awarded to help with the start-up of the program. Chief Bennett was accompanied by Chief Rice with the Valdosta Fire Department, and both expressed how much they looked forward to working with the different departments and using the different resources from each department. Bennett stated he felt this was a much needed program for educating the juveniles in our area. City Manager Sumner stated that the City Attorney Rob Plumb had reviewed the MOU and found no problems with it. Mayor Bullard asked for a motion. Councilman Benjamin made a motion, seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous.
REPORTS:
Councilman Clendenin stated it had been a busy month for the Public Works department with the closings on Hall Street. Clendenin stated he had spoken to the School Board and got the issue worked out with the fire hydrants not pumping enough gallons per minute. Clendenin stated the new recorder for the City Clerk had been delivered and the software had been installed. Clendenin stated the City Manager, Director Warren and Chief Davis had received a projector for the City to use at the Courthouse or wherever needed, free of charge.
Councilman Cain thanked all the department heads for doing a great job. Cain stated a portion of Hall Street was in the process of being paved. Cain stated he had spoken to the developer for Harvey’s and the papers were supposed to be signed and he was told the construction would begin in the month of June. Cain thanked the City Clerk and City Manager for doing a great job. Cain thanked his fellow Councilmember’s as well as the Mayor.
Councilman Benjamin thanked everyone for attending the meeting, and a special thanks to Chief Rice from the Valdosta Fire Department for attending the meeting and partnering with the Hahira Fire Department in the MOU program. Benjamin thanked all the citizens for attending the meeting. Benjamin thanked all the Department Heads and the City Manager for presenting a very informative retreat. Councilman Benjamin wished everyone a Happy Easter Holiday.
Mayor Pro Tem Adams thanked Chief Rice for the effort he made to come and attend the meeting. Adams thanked the citizens for attending the meeting, and a special welcome to the Warren’s, who recently moved back to Hahira. Adams gave Emily Newkirk praise for the outstanding job she had done with the Great American Cleanup, the very first St. Patrick’s Day parade Hahira has had, and also the Easter celebration that was celebrated on Saturday. Adams stated the music, provided by Councilman Clendenin was very good and the entertainment was very well planned also. Adams stated the Easter parade as well as the events could not be made possible without the Public Works department. Adams said she had received many compliments on the beautification of the City and thanked Director Donnie and the volunteers who helped with planting the flowers and shrubs. Adams thanked the Mayor for giving permission for the City to continue with the beautification of the City. Mayor Pro Tem Adams thanked the City Manager for the organization of the retreat and stated he done a great job and went beyond the call of duty. Adams thanked the Odom Family for allowing the City to use their facility.
City Manager Sumner thanked all the Department Heads for doing a great job. Sumner thanked Chief Rice and Chief Bennett for getting together the MOU program. Sumner wished everyone a happy and safe Easter holiday weekend.
Mayor Bullard thanked Chief Rice for attending the meeting and helping support the MOU program along with Chief Bennett. Mayor Bullard welcomed the Warren’s back to the City of Hahira. Mayor thanked the citizens for attending the meeting. Mayor Bullard thanked the Council and the City Manager for their support and continuing to serve the City. Mayor Bullard wished everyone a safe and happy Easter weekend.
Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to adjourn. Councilman Benjamin made a motion, seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 8:10 P.M.
________________________
Mayor, Wayne Bullard
________________________
City Clerk, Belinda Chappell