Minutes of Hahira Council Meetings for the month of September 2008

HAHIRA CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
SEPTEMBER 2, 2008
6:30 P.M.
COURTHOUSE

Mayor and Council met for a Work Session September 2, 2008 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 Chris Stevens, Interim City Clerk Belinda Chappell, Downtown Development Coordinator Emily Grace Newkirk.

Director Donnie Warren was absent at this meeting.

REVIEW/CORRECTION OF MINUTES:

August 4, 2008 Work Session

August 7, 2008 Council Meeting

August 20, 2008 Budget Workshop I

Councilman Benjamin stated there was a correction to be made to the August 7, 2008 Council Meeting minutes. City Manager Sumner stated the requested changes would be made.

REVIEW OF BILLS/BUDGET OVERAGES:

Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she had a question concerning the Probation Officers cell phone bill of $75 dollars. Chief Davis stated the charges were for three months total and is normally paid on a monthly basis that ranges around $25 dollars per month.

DISCUSSIONS:

Mayor Bullard stated there were two items that needed to be added to the discussions, the Cable Franchise Fee Resolution and Ordinance, and the Flood Plain Ordinance. City Manager Sumner stated the Ordinance was a Flood Plain Ordinance provided by FEMA that certified the maps had been updated and that the City of Hahira is a FEMA certified flood plain community, this entitles the City to be eligible for natural disaster grants. Sumner stated the Cable Resolution and Ordinance retained the 5% cable franchise fee for which the City receives around $40,000 a year for this fee. City Manager stated he would like for these items to appear on the agenda for the Council Meeting on September 4, 2008. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she would like to review a map of the updated flood plains. City Manager Sumner stated he would provide a map for review.

Water Meter Replacement Project (City Manager)

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council that Director Chris Stevens received a couple of bids on the replacing of the water meters. Director Stevens stated the bid from Consolidated Pipe did not offer the name brand that the City was currently using, they offered a similar brand that could be used for the replacements. Stevens stated the second bid was from Lanier Municipal Supply, which the City had previously purchased meters from, and are located about 20 minutes from the City of Hahira. Consolidated Pipe was located in Leesburg, which is over an hour away from Hahira. Stevens stated that there wasn’t a significant difference in the price between the two companies. Councilman Benjamin stated he was concerned with the two companies providing a warranty on the meters. Director Stevens stated it would depend on the cause of damage of the meter. City Manager Sumner stated he was concerned if the meters could be purchased in blocks or how many meters could be bought at a time. Director Stevens stated he was confident the meters could be bought in blocks of fifty or more at a time.

Beautification Committee (Mayor Pro Tem Adams)

Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she would like the Beautification Committee to have a yard of the month contest for the City of Hahira. Adams stated she would like for each Council Member, if interested, to choose three yards out of their district to be nominated for the yard of the month contest, and one from each district would be chosen as the best yard or if they would rather have one yard of the month for the entire City that would be chosen by the Beautification Committee.

Funeral and Flower Policy (City Manager)

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council a funeral flower policy that was discussed during the Council retreat. The proposed policy reads as follows: It is the policy of the City of Hahira to send flowers to the families of those deceased who are immediate family members of active Council or current employees or flowers could also be sent to any past or present City Official or City employee in the event of a death. Sumner stated the policy also stated that Mayor and Council could choose to send flowers to the families of other prominent figures of our community as designated by Mayor and Council.

Mayor Pro Tem Adams asked if the hydrant by Ann Barfield’s residence had been flushed. City Manager Sumner responded the Public Works Department had flushed the hydrant. Adams was also concerned with the update on the water wagon for the watering of the plants around the City. Sumner responded that Donnie Warren was in the process of purchasing a water wagon for the City. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she was concerned on the update of getting the knock-out roses planted in the caboose area, and the cost of the flower urns for the City. City Manager Sumner stated he would check with Director Warren on the progress of each of these items. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she was concerned with the update of the map of the widening of US highway 41. City Manager Sumner responded that he had called DOT regarding the map and that he would place another call to DOT regarding this issue. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she was concerned on how many exotic animals were registered with the City of Hahira. Chief Davis responded that at this time, there were no animals registered. Councilman Clendenin stated he was concerned on the update of the recycling issue. City Manager Sumner responded the City would have three roll-off containers for the City residents to use for their yard debris, recyclables, and cardboard, and that these containers would be located on Hall Street adjacent to the Public Works Department.

　

BUDGET WORKSHOP III:

City Manager Sumner stated that Council had requested a break down of consultant fees during the past budget meeting for the year 2008, and presented a memo to the Council. Sumner stated the bill for the 2007 audit had not been received at the time. City Manager Sumner stated at the last FY2009 budget meeting Mayor and Council concluded the meeting with the Administrative Department, there were a few cuts made in this department that included the travel/transportation expenditures. Mayor and Council discussed the Police Department FY2009 budget and found there were no cuts that could be made at this time. Mayor and Council also reviewed the Fire Department FY2009 budget and found there was no room for cuts in the Fire Department budget. Mayor and Council concluded this budget meeting with the budget cutting process of the Better Home Town Budget and found there was no room for cutting any expenditure items at this time. City Manager Sumner stated the next FY 2009 budget workshop would be September 10, 2008 at 6 o’clock P.M. at City Hall to discuss the remaining departments of the FY2009 budget.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:30 P.M.　

________________________

Mayor, Wayne Bullard

________________________

Interim City Clerk, Belinda Chappell

CITY OF HAHIRA
COUNCIL MEETING
SEPTEMBER 4, 2008
7:30 P.M.
COURTHOUSE

PRESENT: Mayor Wayne Bullard, Councils: Mayor Pro Tem Adams, Terry Benjamin, Bruce Cain, City Manager Jonathan Sumner, City Attorney Rob Plumb, Police Chief Terry Davis, Fire Chief Dwight Bennett, Director Donnie Warren, Director Chris Stevens, City Clerk Belinda Chappell.

Councilman Ralph Clendenin was absent at this meeting.

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Wayne Bullard

ESTABLISH QUORUM: Mayor Wayne Bullard

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Wayne Bullard

INVOCATION: City Manager Jonathan Sumner

Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to hire Belinda Chappell as the new City Clerk. Mayor Pro Tem Adams made a motion, seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous.

Swear in of City Clerk:

Belinda Chappell was sworn in by her husband Stuart Chappell as the newly hired City Clerk for Hahira. Chappell was serving as Interim City Clerk since the passing of Diane Bellflower in June of 2008.

REVIEW/CORRECTION OF MINUTES:

August 4, 2008 Work Session

August 7, 2008 Council Meeting

August 20, 2008 Budget Workshop I

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council during the Work Session there were concerns about the updates on several items around the City. Sumner stated the concern of flushing the fire hydrant near the Barfield residence had been taken care of by Director Warren. Warren stated the fire hydrant was scheduled to be flushed once a month. City Manager stated other items for concern were the water wagon, the knock out roses, and the flower urns. Director Warren responded he was in the process of checking on the water wagon, Warren stated there were several knock out roses already planted around the caboose area but there could be more planted if desired, and for the flower urns, Director Warren stated he was in the process of getting price quotes for the urns.

Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to accept the minutes. Councilman Benjamin made a motion, seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous.

REVIEW OF BILLS/BUDGET OVERAGES:

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

PUBLIC HEARING:

Cable Franchise Fee Ordinance – First Reading (City Manager)

City Manager Sumner presented to Mayor and Council a Cable Franchise Resolution and Ordinance that allowed Hahira to retain the 5% franchise fee from Mediacom Cable Company. Sumner stated this document certifies that the City of Hahira will receive the 5% fee, which is approximately $40,000 dollars a year. Sumner stated this franchise fee is the same as the adopted cable franchise ordinance in the past, this document simply legalizes Hahira to receive the 5% franchise fee.

Mayor Bullard asked if there was anyone wishing to speak against this ordinance, there was no was wishing to speak against. Mayor Bullard asked if there was anyone wishing to speak in favor of the ordinance, there was no one wishing to speak in favor.

Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to accept the cable resolution. Mayor Pro Tem Adams made a motion, seconded by Councilman Benjamin, vote was unanimous.

Floodplain Ordinance – First Reading (City Manager)

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council an update on the Floodplain maps from FEMA. Sumner stated FEMA required each community to adopt the ordinance for the Floodplain areas in the City. Sumner stated he had the copies of the floodplain maps if Council wished to come to City Hall and review the maps. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she was concerned if this was the same floodplain the City of Hahira had in the past. City Manager Sumner responded this was the same floodplain as the City of Hahira had in the past, Sumner stated nothing had changed.

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 to accept the Floodplain Ordinance. Councilman Cain

made a motion to accept, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Adams, vote was unanimous.

CITIZENS TO BE HEARD:

Wilmon Stanley residing at 308 South Washington Street Hahira 31632. Mr. Stanley addressed Mayor and Council regarding the issue of the recycling center. Mr. Stanley stated he was concerned on where the City stands with Hahira citizens having somewhere to dispose of their recyclables. Director Warren responded the City had three roll off containers in place for cardboard, recyclables, and yard waste, these containers were located adjacent to the Public Works Department on Hall Street. Mr. Stanley stated he was concerned with the issue of the garbage truck not being in working condition. Director Warren responded the fuel pump had to be repaired on the garbage truck.

DISCUSSIONS:

Water Meter Replacement Project (City Manager)

City Manager Jonathan Sumner stated to Mayor and Council that Director Stevens had received three quotes for the replacement of the meters. Sumner stated these meters could be paid for with SPLOST, and recommended going with the quote from Lanier Municipal Supply to have the meters replaced. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she was concerned with which one of the quotes that Director Stevens recommended. Director Stevens recommended purchasing the meters from Lanier Municipal Supply. Councilman Benjamin stated he was concerned with how many of the meters needed to be replaced and was there a target area for replacing the meters. Director Stevens responded that he would like to replace most of the older meters first, that there was around 25 to 30 that were very outdated throughout the City, then the City would start the replacing of the meters on Nelson Street and continue from there. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she was concerned if there was a way to test the meters to see if they needed to be replaced. Director Stevens responded there was a way to test the old meters before they were to be replaced. Mayor Pro Tem Adams was concerned if there would be a disruption in service while replacing the meters. Director Stevens responded there would be a disruption, but it shouldn’t be any more than an hour of disruption for each residence.

Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to purchase the meters from the low bidder, Lanier Municipal Supply. Councilman Benjamin made a motion, seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous.

REMOVED

Funeral and Flower Policy (City Manager)

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council a Flower Policy that was presented at the Work Session on Tuesday night. Sumner stated there were no changes made to the policy. Mayor Bullard stated the policy reads as follows: Flowers should be sent to the families of those deceased who are immediate family members of active Council or current employees or flowers could also be sent to any past or present City Official or City employee in the event of a death. Sumner stated the policy also stated that Mayor and Council could choose to send flowers to the families of other prominent figures of our community as designated by Mayor and Council.

Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to approve the Flower Policy. Mayor Pro Tem Adams made a motion, seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous.

REPORTS:

Mayor Pro Tem stated she would like to thank the department heads for the work that was done before the storm, Adams stated everyone done a great job. Mayor Pro Tem Adams thanked Belinda Chappell for the hard work she had done for the City in the past and welcomed her as the new City Clerk.

Councilman Benjamin stated he would like to welcome Belinda Chappell aboard as the new City Clerk. Benjamin stated he would also like to thank all the department heads for doing a great job when the storm came through the City and responding to all the calls.

Councilman Cain stated he would like to thank all the departments for all the hard work they do each week. Cain stated he would like to congratulate Belinda Chappell on the new City Clerk position. Councilman Cain thanked the Mayor for all the hard work that he has done for the City and for pursuing the recycling issue.

City Manager Sumner stated he would like to thank all the departments for doing a great job and for going above and beyond for the City. Sumner congratulated Belinda Chappell on the City Clerk position and said he could not think of anyone better suited for the job.

Mayor Bullard thanked all the departments for doing a great job while the storm came through the City. Mayor Bullard congratulated Belinda Chappell on the new position of City Clerk and for doing a fine job.

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel. 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. Councilman Cain made a motion to exit executive session and enter back into the regular meeting and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to sign the affidavit certifying that the only thing discussed in executive session was personnel, seconded by Councilman Benjamin.

Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to approve the City Clerk salary at $30,000 per year. Mayor Pro Tem Adams made a motion, seconded by Councilman Cain, vote was unanimous.

Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to adjourn. Mayor Pro Tem Adams made a motion, seconded by Councilman Benjamin, vote was unanimous.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 P.M.

______________________

Mayor, Wayne Bullard

______________________

City Clerk, Belinda Chappell

Hahira City Council
2008 Retreat
July 11-13, 2008
Chancy Barn
Hahira, Georgia

　

Mayor and Council met for a Retreat July 11-13 2008 at the Chancy Barn in Hahira Georgia.

Called to Order: Mayor Wayne Bullard

Introduction and Invocation - Mayor Wayne Bullard

Present: Mayor Wayne Bullard. Councils: Mayor Pro Tem Adams, Councilman Terry Benjamin, Councilman Ralph Clendenin, Councilman Bruce Cain. City Manager Jonathan Sumner, Police Chief Terry Davis, Fire Chief Dwight Bennett, Director Donnie Warren, Director Chris Stevens, Interim City Clerk Belinda Chappell. Guest Speakers Bill Powell, Gary Zeigler.

Georgia Rural Water Association Water/Sewer Rates (City Manager, Bill Powell)

City Manager Sumner stated information he gathered on average water and sewer bills statewide. He stated an average bill would range around $41 dollars a month statewide, and the City of Hahira’s average bill was around $38 dollars a month. City Manager Sumner stated information on the projected revenues and the projected expenditures of the City. He stated the revenues will gradually decrease, due to fewer sewer tap fees applied for, and that the expenditures will increase with the economy rising each year. Councilman Clendenin stated he was concerned about the expenditures, if it included the salaries of all the departments. City Manager Sumner stated the expenditures did include the salaries of all departments. Councilman Cain stated he was concerned about the expenditures being more than the revenues for the year 2008. City Manager Sumner responded the expenditures would exceed the revenue for the year 2008 due to the decline of the economy and the decrease of applied tap fees. City manager Sumner stated that if the City does not increase rates there could be possible problems in the upcoming year.

Bill Powell from Georgia Rural Water Association (GRWA) reported to Mayor and Council a rate study performed for the City of Hahira. Mr. Powell stated it was the understanding of the City and GRWA that the rates, both water and wastewater, were too low and needed to be increased based on the needs of the system. Mr. Powell stated the rates needed to be increased to be able to fund the existing water and wastewater needs, continue a water meter change out program, water plant improvements as well as water and sewer repair. Mr. Powell stated the average water and sewer consumption for the residents of Hahira was 2310 gallons of water and 2176 sewer gallons per month. Powell stated the average consumption should range between 4000 and 6000 gallons per month. Powell stated these numbers were exceptionally low which brings to the conclusion that there is a meter problem. To alleviate this problem, the meters need to be changed out annual basis and also the household meters need to be changed out when they have reached the usage of a million gallons. Councilman Clendenin stated he was concerned on how much each meter would cost the City. Powell stated the cost would be around $150 dollars per meter. Mr. Powell also stated the City has an unaccounted for water problem, but by changing out the meters this should solve the unaccounted for water issue.

Police Department (Chief Davis)

Police Chief Terry Davis stated to Mayor and Council the Police Department’s mission to provide a level of service and protection to the residents and businesses of the City. Chief Davis stated that his vision for the City was to provide the highest quality of safety to all citizens, and that his department was committed to serve with professionalism, respect, and concern for the community. Chief Davis stated the short term goals for the Police Department were to obtain staff training to better deal with mental patients, as well as send Court Clerk Bobbie Dumas to the Police Academy for training. Chief Davis also stated to Mayor and Council the department’s long-term goals for the City. He stated the Police Department would like to be able to build a new Police Department and to hire and train additional staff. Chief Davis would like to obtain a full time Probation Officer as well as a full time Investigator for the City and also be able to create a traffic division for the City of Hahira. Chief Davis stated some of the weaknesses of the Police Department were: the inability to retain officers due to the amount of pay per hour, state program funding cuts, a small office building with no room to grow. Chief Davis stated some of the department’s strengths were: positive rapport with citizens and business owners of Hahira, strong leadership, and community oriented policing. Chief Davis stated he would like to be able to annex part of I-75 into the City to be able to support a traffic unit from fines and forfeitures, allowing the department to maintain staff during peak times. Chief Davis stated the City needed to annex at least one mile to be able to patrol the interstate. Chief Davis stated to patrol the interstate the City would need to hire two trained full time officers to solely patrol the interstate, which would leave in place officers to continue patrolling the City.

Financial Outlook (Gary Zeigler)

Gary R. Zeigler, P.C. stated to Mayor and Council a comparison report for the past and the present year’s budget. Zeigler stated there were accounting issues in the Incode System that needed to be reconciled. He stated the cash accounts were close to being reconciled but the general fund accounts were still a problem due to the set up issue of Incode and the income not being correctly classified. Zeigler stated the City had a declining cash position from the year 2002 to 2006. Zeigler stated he did not expect the revenues to increase for the year 2007 audit. Zeigler stated there were problems in the water/sewer receivables and that this could be a problem with Incode, or could result from errors in billing. City Manager Sumner responded that the billing issue was discussed with GRWA and came to the conclusion that part of the problem could be the need to replace meters throughout the City. Zeigler stated that part of the decrease in revenue was from the decrease in applied tap fees. Zeigler stated that the City was operating in deficit since the year 2002, he stated the operating expenses for the City had increased 45% since the year 2002. Mayor Bullard stated this was partially due to the City adding insurance coverage for employees and an increase in salaries over the past few years, plus the economy gradually rising each year. City Manager Sumner stated the City’s tax digest is constantly growing by several improved lots, which should increase the City’s revenue, but that instead the revenue had decreased. Sumner stated that when Tyler Technologies comes to get the Incode System properly working, and when the old meters are replaced, the deficit trend should decrease for fiscal year 2009 and the following years within the Proprietary Fund, provided rates are increased.

Mission & Vision Statements; Values; Goals; Strengths; Weaknesses; Opportunities; and Threats; (City Manager)

City Manager Jonathan Sumner stated to Mayor and Council that Hahira strives to meet the service needs of our citizens, effectively managing quality and planned growth while still preserving Hahira’s small town atmosphere. Sumner stated the City of Hahira would uphold its mission by safeguarding and strengthening the public’s trust, as well as provide the highest quality of service in an efficient manner while trying to utilize technology and innovation when possible to improve service delivery. Sumner stated the City would uphold its mission by fostering teamwork among employees, while nurturing open communication between municipal government and the public, as well as developing a visionary agenda to move our community forward. Sumner stated a few of the core values for the City consist of promoting citizen involvement and participation, promoting excellence in customer service, as well as honesty and integrity. Sumner stated we believe that the shared interest and values of the citizens of Hahira are the keys to maintaining a sense of pride and community. Sumner stated that the City values the heritage of our community, which is what gives the City a sense of dignity. Sumner stated we believe our integrity is of the greatest importance and our actions and decisions will reflect the highest ethical and professional standards. Sumner stated to Mayor and Council the strengths of the City were our good schools, low crime rate, the quality of the water, and the appearance of the City. Sumner stated with strengths also come opportunities which consist of Racetrack revenue, I-75 interchange, railroad property. Threats are identified as uncontrolled growth, closure of MAFB, and bars coming into the City. Councilman Cain stated he was concerned with the Gateway Project coming into the City, would the City still be able to keep that small hometown feeling. A detailed discussion ensued concerning the proposed Gateway Project, with the consensus being that more information was needed as the project develops.

Administration (City Manager)

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council the short and long-term goals for the Administrative Department. Sumner stated a few of the short term goals was to reactivate the Downtown Development Authority, send out a regular newsletter, update a computer rotation plan, as well as implement a file plan. Sumner stated some of the long term goals consisted of working with Next Step Development on the Hahira Gateway Project, to assist Valdosta/ Lowndes County Industrial Authority in the purchase of additional acreage, as well as initiate a document-imaging project.

Fire Department (Chief Bennett)

Fire Chief Bennett stated to Mayor and Council the five-year strategic plan for the Fire Department. Chief Bennett stated the goal of the Fire Department was the preservation of life and property and to mitigate all emergencies called to. Bennett stated this was accomplished through dedication and courage of the firefighters. Bennett stated over the last five years that the City had invested in equipment to aid the Fire Department in fulfilling its duties, and the equipment had allowed the department to perform the duties in a more effective manner. Chief Bennett stated a second fire station was needed on the west side of Hahira, and he recommended the station be located in the area of the Industrial Park. Bennett’s reason for locating the station in this area was its close proximity to the interstate and Union Road. He stated this would reduce the possibility of a delayed response because of a train. Bennett stated this area would give multiple access points to the West side of Hahira, as well as accommodate for future growth in the Hahira area. Chief Bennett stated there was a need to have three 24-hour full time firefighters in the FY2009 budget. He stated this would reduce the response time by over five minutes to any call in Hahira, and that two or three minutes can mean the difference between life or death. Chief Bennett stated the need for having the fulltime firefighters. In the year 2003, the Fire Department responded to 25 emergency calls. He stated that if the trend continued from previous years, the calls for emergency services could top out at over 200 calls. Chief Bennett stated the positive benefits of having the fulltime firefighters: quicker response time to all emergencies, more EMT’s on duty to respond to medical emergencies in Hahira, as well as a lower ISO rating to save citizens more money annually. Chief Bennett stated to Mayor and Council that through the addition of the second fire station and the full time employees, hopefully the fatalities can be dramatically reduced in the years to come.

Public Works (Donnie Warren, Chris Stevens)

Director Stevens stated to Mayor and Council that the Public Works Department was facing a larger workload with the enormous growth of the City in the recent years. Stevens stated the growth was putting a burden on the infrastructure and also the employees and equipment. He stated that the well on Tillman Street runs an average of seven hours a day, and the well on Randall Street had to run about 24 hours a day to keep up. Councilman Clendenin stated he was concerned with how many gallons of water the wells were pumping per minute. Director Warren stated the wells were pumping around 700 gallons per minute. Warren and Stevens stated to Mayor and Council that a new well was needed in the Industrial Park area that could pump up to 1500 gallons per minute of water. Warren also stated that isolation valves were needed for the fire hydrants. This was to keep from shutting off water for all residents in the City if there was a water main break. Councilman Clendenin stated he was concerned on the cost of the isolation valve for the fire hydrant. Director Warren responded that the cost of the isolation valve would be about $700 dollars each. Directors Warren and Stevens stated that there was equipment that was needed throughout the City, which included a back up generator for each lift station, a new aerator for the holding pond, a camera run-through for the east side sewer system, and dumpsters. Directors Stevens and Warren stated that the City should look at purchasing a new garbage truck. Director Warren stated to Mayor and Council that Hall Street was slowly deteriorating with the increased amount of traffic each day. Director Warren stated that the area around the Public Works Department needed gravel or paving. Currently, on rainy days the area holds water and cause problems in the area for any repairs that need to be made to equipment.

Water/Sewer Agreement with County, Road Paving List

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council a list of roads that needed to be paved. Sumner stated there was money in SPLOST V for the paving of the roads. Sumner stated Hall Street was on the list of roads to be paved, and that the cost would be around $315,000 dollars. Sumner stated that if the City proceeded with the paving of Hall Street, it would take up most of the money that was budgeted in SPLOST V. Councilman Clendenin stated he was concerned if this cost included the sidewalks and the drainage ditch. Sumner stated this cost did include the sidewalks and ditches, but the cost without the sidewalks would be around $250,000 dollars. Sumner stated there was $288,000 dollars in the SPLOST V account for street repairs. Sumner stated that if improvements to Hall Street remained at the current price, there would not be any money left over in SPLOST V to repair any other streets in Hahira. Sumner asked Mayor and Council if they would like to put Hall Street on hold and continue with paving other streets. Councilman Cain stated he was concerned if Stevenson & Palmer was finished with the design for the paving of Hall Street. City Manager Sumner responded the design was not completed and the $315,000 dollars was just a cost estimate of paving the street. Councilman Clendenin stated he was concerned about the cost with the drainage ditch or without and with the sidewalks or without. Sumner responded the cost estimate for the sidewalks was around $60,000 dollars, but that drainage was necessary to the project, as poor drainage was the cause of many of Hall Street’s problems. Mayor Bullard stated Hall Street needed to be built up so water does not continue to run over the road. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she did not want to spend all of the SPLOST V money on one street. Adams stated there were other roads that needed attention as well as Hall Street. A consensus of the Council was to proceed with the design of Hall Street, as it was the street in the worst condition of the City.

City Manager Sumner stated to Mayor and Council the paperwork for the agreement with the County for water and wastewater services. Councilman Cain stated he was concerned if anything had changed in the agreement since it was last discussed. Sumner responded that nothing had changed in the agreement with the County for water and wastewater services. Sumner stated the Council needed to come to a consensus before they scheduled a meeting with the County to discuss this agreement. Councilman Cain stated he did not agree with the County proposing to assert itself as regulatory authority over the City with respect to the management of its wastewater system. Councilman Clendenin stated he did not want the County involved the City. He wondered if the County would try and take over the City’s water and wastewater system. Councilman Cain stated he did not want to sell the County any water, he stated that he was totally against this agreement. City Manager Sumner stated that EPD saw this agreement as a step into the development of new houses to be constructed, like the Water’s Edge Subdivision. Mayor Bullard stated he didn’t like the wording of the current agreement, he stated the City should convert back to the original agreement and then discuss the issue further. Councilman Clendenin stated the City should submit a counter proposal to sell the County wastewater only, and wait for the County to come back with another offer. Mayor Bullard and Council agreed.

Council-Led Discussions

Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she would like for there to be a deadline that something could be added to the agenda, excluding the department heads, who can add something at the last minute if needed to. City Manager Sumner responded the deadline for adding an item to the agenda could be by five o’clock on the Monday before the following Monday’s Work Session. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she would like an earlier deadline for the Council packets to be presented to Council because the lack of time to review the packets. City Manager Sumner responded the packets could be delivered to each Council member by the Wednesday before the Work Session meeting on the following Monday. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she would like a newsletter sent out bi-monthly as well as have welcome packets and brochures to hand out to new Hahira residents. Mayor Bullard responded that he agreed with having the welcome packets to hand out to the new residents. Adams stated the website needed to be updated with the pictures of the new Council members. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated there needed to be a flower policy in place. She stated that flowers should be sent to employee immediate household members and past Council members. Adams asked when holiday decorations needed to be displayed. Mayor Bullard stated he would like the decorations to be displayed before Thanksgiving. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated the holiday parties needed to be combined into one big party for the employees. Councilman Clendenin stated he thought everyone should bring a dish and be involved in the party. Mayor Bullard asked how was the City supposed to show appreciation for the employees if they bring all the food and decorations for the party. The Mayor stated that the details of the holiday party could be discussed at a later time. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she would like to thank the Mayor for having well organized Council meetings and for showing respect, kindness and consideration to the Council.

Councilman Clendenin stated he would like to request getting a back up computer system for the main office in the instance of a natural disaster or storm. Clendenin stated the office needs to be able to continue operating if the main system was to shut down. City Manager Sumner responded that he had spoken to Robert Mellott about getting some price quotes for a separate computer back up system and he should be getting back with him on this issue. Councilman Clendenin stated he thought the City should look into purchasing a golf cart for the Mayor and Council to be able to transport visitors around town. Clendenin stated a lot of the smaller cities have started using the golf carts around town and that they burn a small amount of fuel. Mayor Pro Tem Adams stated she was concerned about the shape of the City vehicle and how it was running. City Manager Sumner responded the City vehicle had over a hundred thousand miles on it and the transmission had been replaced in it, but it gets you from point A to point B.

Councilman Benjamin stated a depreciation system was needed to surplus old equipment. Benjamin stated everything that had been purchased for the City was needed and money wasn’t spent on anything that wasn’t definitely needed by the City. Councilman Benjamin stated that each year the Mayor and Council expect the department heads to continue operating their department on the same amount of money, he stated the City needed to come up with ways to bring revenue in for the departments to be able to have more money in the budget to operate on. Councilman Benjamin stated something needed to be done showing the Mayor and Council’s appreciation for the employees. Benjamin stated he had several citizens ask him about the second fire station being put in on the west side of town, they were concerned about when the station could be built, that it was needed for the Westside residents of Hahira. Councilman Benjamin stated that the paving of the Public Works area was badly needed. He stated that when it rains the employees have to lie in the mud to repair equipment. Councilman Cain stated he was concerned on how many bays were in the Public Works area. Councilman Benjamin responded he was assuming the Public Works Department was concerned about the first bay area. Councilman Benjamin stated he would like to have more police patrols over night. Councilman Cain was concerned as to why we only had one patrol officer over night. Councilman Benjamin responded it was due to the pay scale for police officers, this was the reason Chief Davis couldn’t keep officers employed. Councilman Benjamin stated he thought Mayor and Council had accomplished a lot for the City and it’s all done through teamwork.

Councilman Cain stated he would like to get the interstate annexed into the City to be able to have our Police Department patrol the interstate. Councilman Clendenin stated there was a downfall to that issue, that the City of Hahira was a bedroom community and he felt it was wrong to bring revenue in by patrolling the interstate. Councilman Cain responded that it would stop drug trafficking from coming through the City limits of Hahira. Councilman Cain stated this was an issue that needed to be considered by Mayor and Council.

City Manager Sumner stated he would like to thank the Mayor and Council for serving them the past two years. Sumner stated the City had a good staff, that everyone works hard and does a great job. Sumner stated he felt the City was moving in the right direction. Sumner stated to Mayor and Council his thanks for the giving him the confidence to do the best job he can for the City.

Mayor Bullard stated he would like to thank everyone for attending the 2008 retreat. Mayor Bullard thanked the Council for all the hard work and research they put into the City. Mayor Bullard stated he thought the City done a great job for staying inside the budget for last year and thought we could do the same for the year 2008. Mayor Bullard thanked Belinda Chappell for stepping in and doing a great job as filling in for the City Clerk position. Mayor Bullard stated he thought the City was heading into the right direction, he thanked all the staff for doing a great job for the City of Hahira. Mayor Bullard thanked the Council for standing behind him and giving him the support he needed to do the job. Mayor Bullard stated he would prefer the SPLOST VI money be spent on paving and fixing the streets in need of repair throughout the City, and if there was any SPLOST VI money left, the City could spend it on projects discussed on the SPLOST VI referendum. He stated he thought the Council seemed to want the same things for the City as he did, and by working together as a team, these things could be accomplished.

There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 6:30 P.M.

 

_____________________________

Wayne Bullard, Mayor

_____________________________

Belinda Chappell, City Clerk　

　

　

BUDGET WORKSHOP IV
SEPTEMBER 10, 2008
6:00 P.M.
CITY HALL

　

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

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Wayne Bullard

Mayor Bullard announced the proclamation for the Power Team during this meeting.

Mayor Bullard stated the purpose of this meeting was to discuss the FY2009 budget.

City Manager Sumner stated a recap of the past budget meetings to Mayor and Council. Mayor and Council analyzed and discussed the FY2009 budget for the Streets, Parks and Recreation, W/S Administrative, W/S Operations, and Garbage Collection departments. Mayor and Council stated there were small cuts that could be made in some of these departments and in other departments there wasn’t any room for budget cutting after analyzing each line item separately. City Manager Sumner stated more discussion would take place concerning the FY2009 budget at the next budget workshop meeting on September 22, 2008 AT 6 P.M. at the City Hall.

There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Bullard asked for a motion to adjourn. Councilman Clendenin made a motion, seconded by Councilman Benjamin, vote was unanimous.

Meeting adjourned at 8:15 P.M.

____________________________

Wayne Bullard, Mayor　

____________________________

City Clerk, Belinda Chappell　

 

 

　

 

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