City Council

City of Bowdon Mayor and Council Meeting Monday, April 10, 2023 7:00PM Mayor and Council Chambers, 182 Grammar School Road I.-IV. Agenda Items: The Mayor and City Council met for a regular meeting on Monday, April 10th, 2023. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Jim Chaffin at 7:00PM. Roll call was conducted by City Clerk Susan Pierce. Members present: Mayor Jim Chaffin Mayor Pro-tem Jan Johnson Councilmember Wes McEntyre Councilmember Randy Saxon Councilmember Marty Johnson Staff present: City Manager Gary Bullock City Clerk Susan Pierce Police Chief Mark Brock Main Street Director Jan Gibbs City Attorney Kevin Drummond The Invocation was led by Councilmember McEntyre and was followed with the Pledge of Allegiance. V. Approval of Meeting Agenda Agenda was approved with no objections. VI. Approval of Minutes Minutes of Mayor & Council Meeting on March 13th, 2023 were presented for approval. Minutes of March 13th, 2023 were approved with no objections. VII. Public Comments Benita Carroll, 191 Harvell Dr. Apt. G2, said that when she moved from one location to another in Bowdon, she was charged another deposit, and she doesn’t agree with having to pay another deposit. The mayor and city manager told her we would look into it. Elaine Upshaw, 635 Wedowee St., said that they were not informed about the increase in sanitation cost until they received the letter in the mail. She said they could not afford the $10.50 increase and so they did not accept delivery of the new trash cart. She asked why they were not given the choice to opt out of trash service. Mayor Chaffin informed her that city policy states that citizens who live in the city limits are required to have trash service. He also said that the city had sought out other trash services after GFL informed us they would no longer service the City of Bowdon. We chose the least expensive service, which still resulted in an increase. Ms. Upshaw said they could take their own trash off. Mayor Chaffin suggested they set a time to discuss it later and try to find a solution, and Ms. Upshaw agreed.  City of Bowdon Mayor & Council Meeting Minutes April 10, 2023 Ben Meadows, 643 Wedowee St., said he got the notification of increase, and he was wondering about the process. He was not aware the city was looking for a new sanitation service. Councilmember Saxon told him that the city was not shopping until the former provider informed us they were no longer going to be servicing our city. Mr. Meadows asked how the public would know, and Councilmember Marty Johnson stated that the public has access to our meeting minutes on our website, bowdon.net. He asked how often the council meets and was told we meet monthly. Mr. Bullock stated that we also advertised on government websites, as well as in the Times-Georgian (local newspaper). He also checked with surrounding cities to find out the details of their trash service. Amanda Vaid, 2005 Barrington Lane, Villa Rica, spoke concerning the possibility of another convenience store opening in Bowdon. She and her husband Josh own the store and gas station located at 136 E. College St. They feel there are enough convenience stores and gas stations in Bowdon already. She would like to see other businesses such as a tanning salon open but feels we do not need more convenience stores. Anclee Upshaw, 635 Wedowee St., spoke and said he didn’t understand why they do not have a choice on having sanitation service. Mayor Chaffin stated that if you live in the city limits, you are required to have trash service. VIII. Business Session A. Approval of FY 2022 Audit - Mr. Bullock informed council that we had received the final audit for FY 2022. It was a good audit, with the only finding being the separation of duties, due to staffing issues. We do plan to address and try to correct the staffing issues before the next audit. Motion by Mayor Pro-tem Jan Johnson to approve the FY 2022 Audit as presented; second by Councilmember Marty Johnson; motion carried unanimously. B. Bowdon Housing Authority Appointment – Heidi Stephens of the Bowdon Housing Authority asked for a re-appointment of Anclee Upshaw to serve on the Bowdon Housing Authority. Motion by Councilmember Saxon to approve the re-appointment of Anclee Upshaw to the Bowdon Housing Authority as presented; second by Councilmember McEntyre; motion carried unanimously. C. Moratorium on new convenience stores – Mr. Bullock explained that we currently have four convenience stores just in Ward 1. We would like to look at our zoning code/ordinances to see if we need to limit the concentration of the same types of businesses in one particular area. He recommends placing a 180-day moratorium on any new convenience store/gas stations wishing to locate in Bowdon to give us time to address codes and ordinances. Motion by Councilmember McEntyre to enact a 180-day moratorium on new convenience stores within the city limits until we have an opportunity to evaluate our codes and ordinances concerning the concentration of businesses in a single area; second by Mayor Pro-tem Jan Johnson; motion carried unanimously. D. Grass Cutting Contract – Mr. Bullock asked Council to consider temporary use of the proposed grass cutting service with the low bidder, WRY Lawncare out of Roopville, which was discussed at the last work session, rather than going ahead with a contract. He proposed using them for a month, then voting on a contract later if we were satisfied with their service. Motion by Councilmember McEntyre to accept the low bid for a temporary use of WRY Lawncare for city grass cutting as presented; second by Councilmember Saxon; motion carried unanimously.  City of Bowdon Mayor & Council Meeting Minutes April 10, 2023 Councilmember Saxon asked if the cemetery grass cutters treated the ant beds. Mr. Bullock said yes, they are supposed to be treating them. He will check and make sure they are being addressed. E. City Manager Reports – Mr. Bullock mentioned the Reader’s Choice awards from the Times- Georgian which include several Bowdon businesses. The police department has been busy. We have also had road repairs and water leaks. The Recreation Department has been busy as well, especially the gymnastics center. The library renovations are almost complete. Main Street and the Downtown Development Authority have been active, with Founders Day plans under way. Code Enforcement has been busy with new development. We would also like to get the sanitation down to a more reasonable price. Councilmember Marty Johnson mentioned the text number citizens can sign up for to receive information concerning city developments, as well as the calendar on the website. Mr. Upshaw mentioned a tree that was leaning near his house, as well as a dilapidated house in the area. F. Department Reports – No questions. XI. Financial Session A. Property Tax Unpaid Balance Summary – Mr. Bullock also reported that we have closed out the 2013 SPLOST and have received the 2 new police cars. We are waiting on the equipment for them. B. March Financial Reports –no questions C. Cash balances as of 04/04/2023 – no questions Motion by Councilmember McEntyre to adjourn the council meeting; second by Mayor Pro-tem Jan Johnson; motion carried unanimously. X. Adjournment _________________________ ________________________ Mayor Jim Chaffin City Clerk Susan Pierce