Minutes

REGULAR MEETING CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NASHVILLE COUNTY OF BERRIEN Monday, March 23, 2026 6:00 P.M. INVOCATION: Rev. Sam Thomas PLEDGE: Mayor Travis Brown WELCOME AND CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Travis Brown ROLL CALL: Members of the City Council present included Mayor Pro-Tem Amy Garner and Councilmen John Clayton, Eric Gaither, Derek Joiner, Dustin Rathel, and Rodrick Smith. STAFF PRESENT: Hayden Hancock, Brandon Rice, Lee Goodman, Denise Skinner, Ashley Smith, John Reynolds, Michael Spells, Micah Myers, Police Chief Ronald Knowles, City Attorney Tim Tanner. ADOPTION OF FORMAL AGENDA: Amy Garner made a motion to approve the agenda as presented with Rodrick Smith seconding. Motion carried 6-0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING: February 9, 2026 regular meeting – Eric Gaither made a motion to approve the minutes with a second from Dustin Rathel. Motion carried 6-0. PUBLIC HEARING: Rezoning and Variance Requests for properties contiguous to 713 North Davis Street * Rezoning Map N08 Parcel 68-000 from R-15 (Single Family) to GB (General Business) * Rezoning Map N08 Parcel 74-000 from DR-10 (One to Two Family Residential to GB (General Business) * Variance: 300 foot setback from Residential District for Vet Clinic, Map N08 Parcel 67-000 * Variance: 300 foot setback from Residential District for Vet Clinic, Map N08 Parcel 65-000 Derek Joiner made a motion to enter public hearing. Amy Garner seconded, and the motion carried 6-0. Council heard from Teresa Willis of Berrien County Code Enforcement who gave specifics of the requests and commented that they had already been approved by the Berrien County Planning Commission. The four properties involved in the hearing include the Georgia Smokehouse location at 713 North Davis Street and properties immediately north, northeast, and east of that lot. The desire of those seeking the rezoning and variances is to construct a veterinarian clinic at that location. During discussion of the matter, one of the veterinarians who would like to locate a clinic on the properties spoke on the project and answered questions from Council members. Code Enforcement Officer Micah Meyers also answered questions from the Council based on measurements he had taken. No other member of the audience chose to speak either for or against the rezoning and variance requests. Eric Gaither made a motion to exit public hearing and return to regular session. Dustin Rathel seconded the motion, with it carrying 6-0. The requests were handled as four separate motions as follows: * Rezoning Map N08 Parcel 68-000 from R-15 (Single Family) to GB (General Business) – John Clayton made a motion to approve. Derek Joiner seconded. Motion carried 6-0. * Rezoning Map N08 Parcel 74-000 from DR-10 (One to Two Family Residential to GB (General Business) – Eric Gaither made a motion to approve. Derek Joiner seconded. Motion carried 6-0 * Variance: 300 foot setback from Residential District for Vet Clinic, Map N08 Parcel 67-000 – Derek Joiner made a motion to approve. Eric Gaither seconded. Motion carried 6-0. * Variance: 300 foot setback from Residential District for Vet Clinic, Map N08 Parcel 65-000 – Dustin Rathel made a motion to approve. John Clayton seconded. Motion carried 6-0. NEW BUSINESS: 1- Ripple Award: City Manager Hayden Hancock The Ripple Award for the month of February was presented to Thomas Gray. City Manager Hayden Hancock read descriptions from Gray’s co-workers, and Mayor Travis Brown presented Gray with a certificate. 2- FY26 CDBG Resolution: City Manager Hayden Hancock City Manager Hayden Hancock informed Council members that a copy of the resolution was in their packets. Mayor Travis Brown read the resolution for the FY2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for water/sewer improvements, using the Southern Georgia Regional Commission to assist with grant administration and Coastal Engineering Services as project engineer. Eric Gaither made a motion to accept the resolution with a second from Dustin Rathel. Motion carried 5-0 with Councilman Rodrick Smith abstaining. 3- Mower for Public Works Tractor: Assistant City Manager Brandon Rice Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director Brandon Rice presented a request to Council to purchase a Land Pride mower in the amount of $7,300.00 from Perrin Farm Equipment. Rice stated that $10,000 had been included in the Public Works budget for such a purchase, adding that the mower would replace a four-year-old 7-foot Bush Hog that is need of approximately $3,000 in repairs. John Clayton made a motion to approve the purchase. Derek Joiner seconded, and the motion carried 6-0. 4- Vickers Road Bid: City Manager Hayden Hancock  City Manager Hayden Hancock stated that bids for the surplus Vickers Road property owned by the City were opened on March 9. The only bid received was in the amount of $63,000 from Elver Garcia, owner of Quality Cargo. During discussion a desire was expressed by at least once Councilman to earmark the proceeds for the Animal Control Department. Derek Joiner made a motion to accept Garcia’s bid, Amy Garner seconding. Motion carried 6-0. CITY ATTORNEY REPORT: Tim Tanner None CITY MANAGER REPORT: Hayden Hancock City Manager Hayden Hancock gave updates on the following: - Hancock and Finance Director Lee Goodman have begun meeting with each department to start preparing for the next budget year. - A meeting was held on March 10 with DuPont Pine Products, their attorneys, and the City’s attorney regarding their natural gas contract with the City of Nashville. - The every three years accreditation meeting for the Nashville Main Street Program was held in Moultrie on March 19 with Nashville moving up a degree to the Classic Accreditation. - Area law enforcement personnel met in Nashville on March 19 for a dinner, training, and conducting of rolling road blocks. - The City’s new website should go live around April 20-21. - City Council yearly retreat is to be held at the Southern Bell on March 27-28. Meetings will be held with various City departments on Friday, the 27th. - Georgia Commissioner of Labor Barbara Rivera Holmes is to visit Nashville on Thursday, March 26. She will have a private meeting with executives of Chaparral-Robalo Boats before hosting a 3:30 PM public meet and greet. - Payroll module in Springbrook has been rolled out. Purchase orders module is to be rolled out on Tuesday. DEPARTMENT REPORTS Public Works – Brandon Rice expressed appreciation for the support of the Council in purchasing a mower for his department. Code Enforcement – Micah Myers stated he had been busy with placing signage for Cleanup Week, working with DFCS on a property on Joiner Street, contacting businesses about unrenewed business licenses, and contacting EPD and the Health Department about a potential illegal dumpsite. Main Street – Ashley Smith promoted the Easter Eggstravaganza coming up on March 28 and the Dogwood Fishing Rodeo (April 17-18). Police Department – Chief Ronald Knowles gave a report from the March 19 roadblocks conducted with the GOHS. He stated 65 citations were issued along with 2 drug cases. The department has also investigated two child molestation cases in recent weeks. Knowles also pointed toward the Dogwood Fishing Rodeo in April. Gas Department – Michael Spells reported that a gas line integrity inspection will be conducted on Monday and Tuesday, March 30-31. His department continues to do routine maintenance. Finance – Lee Goodman said that the City has already gotten a good head start and an early start on budget preparations for FY2027. He also gave an update on Springbrook. Water Department – John Reynolds said his department is conducting routine operations and had replaced a section of water main behind the old Ronald Griner Barber Shop location on South Jefferson in the past week. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Robert “RJ” Morris thanked Sam Thomas for the invocation and thanked Council for their handling of the water-sewer rate public hearing. He also inquired whether the Berrien County Airport was inside the city limits. Sam Thomas and Elaine Landy had questions about cemetery plots they had purchased but that had not been marked yet by the City. Lavonne Shaw asked the City to place a street light near her property on East Avera Avenue citing that it is very dark in that area. David Caulfield, a resident of the 300 block of West Joiner Avenue, requested the City to place speed limit signs to slow down traffic in that area. MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS: None EXECUTIVE SESSION: At 6:52 PM Derek Joiner made a motion to enter executive session for real estate discussion. This was seconded by Dustin Rathel and carried 6-0. REGULAR SESSION RESUMES: Regular session resumed at 7:11 PM. It was announced that the Laurel Street property will be re- bid at a minimum asking price of $184,900. It was also announced that the March 26 work session has been canceled. ADJOURNMENT: At 7:13 PM, Dustin Rathel made a motion to adjourn with a second from Amy Garner. Motion carried 6-0. March 23, 2026 __________________________ Mayor Travis Brown ATTEST: ___________________________ Amanda Thacker, City Clerk