Mayor and Council met for a Work Session November 01, 2010 at the Courthouse with Mayor Wayne Bullard presiding.

　PRESENT:

Mayor Wayne Bullard, Councils: Mayor Pro Tem Adams, Ralph Clendenin, Bruce Cain, Terry Benjamin, City Manager Jonathan Sumner, Police Chief Terry Davis, Director Donnie Warren, City Clerk Belinda Chappell.

ABSENT: Fire Chief Dwight Bennett

Mayor Bullard asked if there were any questions concerning the minutes. There were no questions concerning the minutes.

Mayor Bullard asked if there were any questions concerning the bills. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she had a question concerning a bill that was for an ad in a magazine from the Better Hometown Department for around $700 dollars. City Manager stated he would do some research and report back to Council with the information on the $700 dollars spent.

Mike Wells, with Northbridge Church stated to Mayor and Council that his church would like to bless the City with their volunteer work of updating the Community Center. Wells stated they would like to repaint, hang new draperies, landscape, etc. if the City would accept their volunteer work. Wells stated the Church was going to allocate $1000 dollars toward the project, and if the City was willing to add to that amount it would be greatly appreciated. Councilman Clendenin stated he was concerned if the City insurance would cover this type of work. City Manager Sumner stated volunteers were insured under the City insurance policy. Council agreed this was a blessing to the City and Mayor Pro Tem Adams agreed to oversee the project with the Church. Mayor Pro Tem Adams thanked Mr. Wells and the Church’s involved, for the food that was distributed throughout the Hahira community.

Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated to Mayor and Council that there had been a problem in her district with the spillage of liquid garbage coming from the garbage truck. Adams stated this was a very displeasing odor for anyone who walked the streets. Todd Griffin with G Waste Management Services stated that he had tried several times to find where the truck was leaking in the past and was unsuccessful. Griffin stated he recently found where a seal had went bad on the truck and that was where the spillage was leaking out. Griffin stated he had the seal replaced and there should be no more issues with the liquid garbage leaking from the truck.

City Manager Sumner stated he wanted to update Mayor and Council on the TEP. Sumner stated the TE project was anticipated every two years, but it had been three years since the last project. Sumner stated the City had submitted four different projects and had been denied in the past but he was confident this year that the City would get help this year with the TE project. Sumner stated the TE project was more for street scape projects and not the paving of roads. Sumner recommended Council consider using the TE grant to extend the sidewalks on the south side of highway 122 west, out to the west side of the new development where Harvey’s was being constructed. Sumner stated there would be a 25% cash match of the T grant made by the City. Sumner stated the cost estimate for the project would be between 50 to 150 thousand dollars. Sumner stated the project would have to be approved by the December Council meeting because the deadline was by December 15, 2010. Sumner stated he would entertain any questions Council may have. Councilman Clendenin stated he understood that the next grant would be to extend the sidewalks out to Hagan bridge from 122 East, so the school children would not have to walk on the street to get to school. Clendenin stated he did not feel the sidewalks extending out to the Harvey’s would be used as much as the sidewalks needed for the school kids to walk on to get to school. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she was concerned if there was any way the City could do both projects. Sumner stated one project would have to be picked as a priority project to submit for the TE grant. Sumner stated he understood that Council would like to continue the grant application for the TE project from Newsome Street to Harvey’s and investigate a reapplication for the Safe Routes to School Grant for extending the sidewalk from College Street down to Hagan bridge Road. Sumner stated the deadline to submit the application for the TE grant was December 15^th 2010.

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council that he had spoken to the State project coordinator for the Community Housing and Investment program and found out that the coordinator did not find anything that would hold the property to state or federal funding procedures. Sumner stated he could get that information in writing from the coordinator if that is what Council requested. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated all the information regarding the CHIP grant was recorded in the May 2004 meeting minutes. Adams stated in July 2006 the grant money was administered through RDC. Adams stated in 2005 the remainder of the grant money was returned to RDC. Adams stated it was recorded in the minutes that the property was purchased with the CHIP grant. Sumner stated he would do more research on the property and the grant money and report back to Council.

Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she would like Council to consider holding a Public Hearing to better inform the public on the Transfer Station. Councilman Clendenin stated he agreed that a Public Hearing would help inform the citizens of Hahira. Sumner stated he would notify the newspaper and as to Council’s desire to have the Public Hearing at the next Council Meeting.

Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated to Mayor and Council she would like to thank Councilman Terry Benjamin and former Councilman Temple Ogundu for their hard work on getting the Ethics Committee started for the City of Hahira. Adams stated the appointed committee had expired and it was time to reappoint a new committee. Adams stated in the ordinance it stated there would be three appointees, the Mayor would appoint one, the Council would nominate one, and the Mayor and Council together would nominate one, which would be a total of three for the committee. City Manager Sumner asked if Council had any names tonight they would like to submit. Mayor Pro Tem Adams nominated Mrs. Marilyn Dye, Councilman Clendenin nominated Mr. Patrick Warren, Councilman Benjamin stated he needed more time and Councilman Cain stated he also needed more time to look for a nominee. City Manager Sumner stated more discussion could be made on Thursday night at the Council meeting.

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council there was a tremendous amount of interest shown regarding the bid and it was very pleasing to see that a job that estimated to be about $160,000 dollars came in at $53,000 dollars. Sumner stated the LAS expansion would add up to about 120,000 gallons of more summer capacity to the wastewater treatment facility. Sumner stated the low bidder was Russell Danial Irrigation and has been recommended by Stevenson and Palmer Engineers. Sumner stated he would entertain any questions Council may have. Council agreed they were all very pleased with the low bid.

Mayor Bullard stated to Council he had received three separate quotes to renovate the front office at City Hall. Mayor Bullard stated that the office needed to be more secure due to the cash drawer being accessible at any time by the public. Mayor Bullard stated the proposals included building the wall to close off the office and the flooring. Mayor Bullard stated he also had a proposal from Brigman Cabinets for building the cabinets for the desk and filing space. Mayor Bullard stated the low bid came from Bobby King at $2893 dollars which included the electrical work that was needed. Mayor Bullard stated the complete cost of renovating the office would be $6872 dollars which included the wall, flooring and cabinets. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she had been very concerned in the past of unauthorized people standing near the cash drawer where they should not be, and this would fix that problem. Mayor Bullard stated this was a SPLOST V expenditure.

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council he had drafted the 2011 meeting and holiday schedule for Council to review. Sumner asked if there were any changes, corrections or additions that were needed from Council. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she had a question concerning the October 10^th Council meeting being postponed because of the Honeybee Pageant being held that same week. Mayor Bullard stated it could be moved back to October 3^rd if Council chose to do so.

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council that he had been working on the amendment with the City Attorney and he had prepared some text for the amendment. Sumner stated this was in respect to commercial accounts that existed in multi-tenant structures. Sumner stated there was not many in Hahira but there was a few sharing the same metered services. Mayor Bullard stated it was not fair to other businesses that were paying the full commercial rate compared to those who were not. Sumner stated the amendment would change how commercial tenants were being charged for the metered services. Mayor Pro Tem Adams was concerned with the apartment complexes that were using one meter for the entire apartment complex, would the amendment apply to those metered services. Mayor Bullard stated that could be added to the amendment. City Manager Sumner stated he and the City Attorney would continue to work on the multi-tenant amendment.

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council he had asked the Finance Clerk to calculate the figures for the Christmas Bonuses to present to Council. Sumner stated the year 2010 was in better shape than in the past years, looking at it from a cash standpoint. Sumner recommended the Christmas bonuses be given to the employees for the year 2010. Sumner stated he would answer any questions Council may have. Councilman Clendenin had questions concerning the amount of money in the General fund and the Proprietary fund for 2010. Mayor Bullard stated he felt the employees deserved the Christmas bonuses due to them helping cut back on spending in the departments. Mayor Pro Tem Adams had questions concerning the health insurance premiums increasing in costs for the employees. City Manager Sumner stated the insurance premiums would be increasing for the year 2011, but the Christmas bonuses were already in the budget for the year 2010. Sumner stated there could be more discussion regarding the Christmas bonuses on Thursday night at the Council meeting.

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council this was to reimburse the volunteer firefighters for the training throughout the year of 2010. Sumner stated this was routinely done each year.

Director Warren stated to Mayor and Council a generator was needed at the lift station on the corner of Coleman Road and Haganbridge.

Chief Davis stated to Mayor and Council that it was time once again for the Mayor’s Motorcade held over in Thomasville Georgia at the Southwestern State Hospital for the patients. Davis stated each year monetary donations, as well as supplies for the patients are donated and delivered to the hospital and that it was for a very good cause.

Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to come out of the regular meeting and enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel, legal, and property matters. Councilman Benjamin made a motion, seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous. Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to come out of executive session and enter back into the regular meeting authorizing the Mayor to sign the affidavit saying the only thing discussed was personnel, legal, and property matters. Councilman Benjamin made a motion, seconded by Councilman Clendenin, vote was unanimous.

There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 9:15 P.M.

________________________

Mayor, Wayne Bullard

________________________

City Clerk, Belinda Chappell

Mayor and Council met for a Council Meeting November 04, 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, Police Chief Terry Davis, Fire Chief Dwight Bennett, Director Donnie Warren, City Clerk Belinda Chappell.

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Wayne Bullard

ESTABLISH QUORUM: Mayor Wayne Bullard

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Wayne Bullard

INVOCATION: City Manager Sumner