City Council

Minutes Forsyth Council Meeting November 21, 2022 Call to Order Mayor Wilson called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance, Invocation by Lloyd Strickland, and Roll Call Mayor Wilson led the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Lloyd Strickland gave the invocation. In attendance for the meeting was Mayor Eric Wilson, Councilmembers Mike Dodd, Greg Goolsby, Julius Stroud, Melvin Lawrence, and Chris Hewett. Also in attendance was City Manager, Janice Hall; City Attorney, Bobby Melton; and City Clerk, Regina Ivie. Approval of the agenda Mr. Goolsby offered a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Seconded by Mr. Hewett; the motion carried with five votes (Dodd, Goolsby, Stroud, Lawrence, and Hewett). Approval of the minutes from the council meeting held on November 7, 2022. Mr. Stroud offered a motion to approve the minutes as presented. Seconded by Mr. Lawrence; the motion carried with four votes (Dodd, Stroud, Lawrence, and Hewett). Mr. Goolsby abstained. Don Daniel presentation from the local newspaper. Mr. Daniel presented Mayor Wilson with a copy of the first edition of the Reporter from 1972. The Reporter recently celebrated their fiftieth anniversary on November 8, 2022. Public hearing to consider the application of Ragan Peluso for a variance application request for 183 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Mr. Melton stated Ragan Peluso seeks a variance for 183 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive tax parcel F17 007. The application for the variance seeks a commercial usage of the property for the interior/inside sorting of materials, without outside storage of materials. The prior usage of the property has been for automobile services; zoning will remain unchanged. The advertisement for the public hearing notice was published in the Monroe Reporter on November 2, 9, and 16, 2022. Mr. Cody Ellis, Economic Development Director stated Planning & Zoning approved the variance request unanimously. It will be a sorting facility only; no materials would be left outside. A pickup location for items sold online. Mayor Wilson opened the public hearing for comments in favor of or opposition to the proposed variance request. There being no comments in favor of or opposition to Mayor Wilson closed the public hearing. Mr. Hewett offered a motion to approve the variance request as presented. Seconded by Mr. Dodd; the motion carried with five votes (Dodd, Goolsby, Stroud, Lawrence, and Hewett). Public hearing to consider the application of Kimberly Pope for a variance application request for 164 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Mr. Melton stated Kimberly Pope seeks a variance for the property at 164 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive: tax parcel F17 070. The variance request is for the use of the property for an outreach ministry; zoning would remain unchanged. The advertisement for the public hearing notice was published in the Monroe Reporter on November 2, 9, and 16, 2022. Mr. Cody Ellis, Economic Development Director stated Planning & Zoning approved the variance request unanimously. The facility will be used for an outreach ministry, providing different types of assistance. Mayor Wilson opened the public hearing for comments in favor of or opposition to the proposed variance request. There being no comments in favor of or opposition to Mayor Wilson closed the public hearing. Mr. Howard arrived at 6:10 p.m. All members are present for the meeting at this time therefore all unanimous votes will be six votes (Dodd, Goolsby, Stroud, Howard, Lawrence, and Hewett). Mr. Hewett offered a motion to approve the variance request as presented. Seconded by Mr. Lawrence; the motion carried unanimously.  Page |2 Approval of Electric Cities of Georgia Year End Settlement and Contract Payment Reimbursement. Ms. Hall recommended the refund of $2,197.83 be issued to the city as a refund check to combined utilities. Mr. Goolsby offered a motion to approve the year end settlement reimbursement as a refund check to the city as presented. Seconded by Mr. Dodd; the motion carried unanimously. Approval of renewal agreement with Cintas for public works uniforms. Ms. Hall reviewed the agreement; five years agreement with an annual opt out with no price increase. Mr. Stroud offered a motion to approve the agreement as presented. Seconded by Mr. Hewett; the motion carried unanimously. Review of joint county local option sales tax agreement with Monroe County. Ms. Hall reviewed changes that were made by Monroe County to the agreement. The distribution split was increased for Monroe County to 77.1%, City of Forsyth decreased to 20.5%, City of Culloden will remain the same at 2.4%. No changes were indicated for the board appointments to the Monroe County Hospital Board and Monroe County Development Authority. In section five the city had indicated we would sell water to the north system at $3.00 per 1000 gallons to Monroe County as a separate customer to the city. And completion of bidding and construction in two years; no later than December 2024. Ms. Hall further stated that at the Monroe County Commissioners meeting an amendment to section five was made; the rate of $3.00 per 1000 gallons for water would be for the life of local option sales tax, 10 years. And three years for completion was indicated for the construction. Mr. Stroud offered a motion to accept the two changes as presented; and allow Mayor Wilson to sign the agreement and the LOST certificate to be submitted to the state. Seconded by Mr. Hewett. After some discussion regarding the proposed changes Mayor Wilson called for a vote. The motion carried unanimously. Approval of final payment to Pellicano Construction. Ms. Hall reviewed the final invoice from Pellicano Construction. We currently owe Pellicano construction $459,947.17. Ms. Hall recommended approval of a payment of $409,947.17, to withhold $50,000 from the payment. Currently, we are waiting for replacement of the damaged desktop. Mr. Goolsby offered a motion to approve the payment of $409,947.17 to Pellicano Construction; to withhold $50,000 from the payment. After some discussion Mr. Hewett offered an amendment to the original motion; to withhold $100,000 from the payment amount. Seconded by Mr. Lawrence; the motion failed. Mr. Hewett, Howard, and Lawrence voted in favor of the motion. Mr. Goolsby, Stroud, and Dodd voted against the motion. Mayor Wilson called for a motion on the original motion; the motion carried with four votes (Goolsby, Stroud, Dodd, and Mayor Wilson). Mr. Howard, Hewett, and Lawrence voted against the motion. Approval of Christmas Bonuses for city employees. Mr. Stroud offered a motion to approve Christmas bonuses for all city employees as presented; to include the golf and CVB employees. Seconded by Mr. Dodd; the motion carried unanimously. Approval of street closures for upcoming holiday events. Mr. Goolsby offered a motion to approve the street closures as presented. Seconded by Mr. Dodd; the motion carried unanimously. Approval of Requisitions Greater than $6,000 i. Industrial Chemicals, Inc $10,350.00 ii. Axon Enterprise, Inc $8,707.37 Mr. Hewett offered a motion to approve the requisitions as presented. Seconded by Mr. Stroud; the motion carried unanimously. City Manager’s Report Ms. Hall provided the following report to council: • A bicentennial committee really needs to be appointed so that planning can begin. Gilda Stanbery, Renina Smith, Takeimia Childs, and Richard Dumas have volunteered to serve on the committee. Mr. Dodd offered a motion to appoint Gilda Stanbery, Renina Smith, Takeimia Childs, and Richard Dumas to the city’s bicentennial committee. Seconded by Mr. Hewett; the motion carried unanimously. • Public Art Committee met last week to review the focus for the grant. Call to Artist will go out tomorrow with award being made in January. This is an “art grant” for the entrance signage so they will not be the customary “Welcome To Forsyth” signs. Forsyth City Council November 21, 2022  Page |3 • Grapple truck returned to route last week. Huge thank you to the county for helping us out during the long down time while the Grapple truck was being repaired. • With Grapple truck back in service, the patch list for road cuts has been completed. • Craig (H2O) is working with a company doing sampling to see if the chemical process that they provide will remove the phosphorus and copper that is keeping us out of compliance with our permit. Hofstadter responded to the preliminary Consent Order today. • All pickups and Explorers have been delivered. The Explorers are in Griffin for equipment installs. Waiting on equipment to be delivered for the pickups before we take those to Griffin. • The projects list is a work in progress getting it put together. We currently have 75 projects on the list and working to provide information about each of those projects. • Councilman Stroud has requested a replacement iPad. Please let me know if your iPad needs replacement so that we can place one order. • Public Hearing for the CDBG will be held on December 7 at noon here in Council Chambers. The purpose of the hearing is to discuss the approved activities of the City’s CDBG. • The required public hearings for the 2023 budget adoption will be held on December 5 and 19 during City Council meetings on those dates. • City policy allows for departments to request, and for the city manager to approve additional closings of ½ day on the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve provided all employees of the department agree and will use accrued leave for the additional time off. City Hall staff have requested to close at noon on Wednesday, November 23 and Thursday, December 22. • Christmas Tree lighting & visits with Santa is this Saturday at 6:00 pm • Christmas parade is next Thursday, December 1 at 7:00 pm. Please let me know if you would like to ride a golf cart in the parade so we can arrange to have those in place for the parade. • New Year’s Eve concert and Forsythia ball drop will be December 31 City Attorney Report Mr. Melton stated a public hearing is currently being advertised for December 5, 2022 for an amendment to the city’s zoning code. Mayor’s Report Mayor Wilson had no further business to report. Additional Business No additional business was mentioned. Public Comments Mr. W. James Green stated the police department is in disarray. Mr. Green reviewed a previous incident with an employee, a Hispanic male that worked at his shop. Officers investigated the incident; the employee was not charged. Mr. Green asked as to when a chief of police would be hired and about the police department’s certification. Mr. Green also stated he was recently given a citation at the golf course. He was kicked off the golf course. He stated he submitted a complaint to the city. He also inquired about the hospital board selling property. Ms. Hall stated to Mr. Green submitted a public complaint that’s being investigated. Once that’s complete she will meet with him to discuss his complaint further. Executive Session Mayor Wilson stated an executive session was needed to discuss personnel and pending litigation. Mr. Dodd offered a motion to adjourn into executive session at 6:49 p.m. Seconded by Mr. Hewett; the motion carried unanimously. Mr. Howard offered a motion to adjourn the executive session at 7:30 p.m. Seconded by Mr. Hewett; the motion carried unanimously. Adjourn There being no further business to discuss Mr. Hewett offered a motion to adjourn the council meeting at 7:32 p.m. Seconded by Mr. Dodd; the motion carried unanimously. Forsyth City Council November 21, 2022