Town Council Regular Meeting

Town of Tyrone Council Meeting Minutes January 15, 2015 Present: Mayor Eric Dial Mayor Pro Tem Gloria Furr Council Member Ryan Housley Council Member Linda Howard Town Manager Kyle Hood Town Clerk Dee Baker Town Attorney Dennis Davenport Council Member Matthews was absent. Mayor Dial called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The Invocation was given by Mayor Dial, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Public Comments Approval of Agenda Council Member Housley made a motion to approve the Agenda. Council Member Howard seconded the motion. Motion was approved 3-0. CONSENT AGENDA: All matters listed under this item are considered to be routine by the Town Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will not be separate discussion of these items. If discussion is desired, that item will be removed from the consent agenda and will be considered separately. Approval of Minutes, December 18, 2014 Council Member Furr made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda. Council Member Housley seconded the motion. Motion was approved 3-0. Page 1 of 6 PRESENTATIONS/RECOGNITION: Eagle Scout Recognition. Eric Dial, Mayor Taylour Butler, Preston Earle, Nicolas Eatman and Joseph Noffsinger are four local recently honored Eagle Scouts that were in attendance to be recognized by Mayor Dial and Council. Mayor Dial stated that being an Eagle Scout is a great accomplishment and asked Preston Earle to explain the significance of completing the program together. Mr. Earle drew attention to their Arrow of Light patch. It is the highest rank in Cub Scouts, which they all completed together. He stated that they were in Troop 79, and also traveled to Mexico together. They shared many good and bad memories. Throughout Scouting they were also able to contribute to the community by completing their projects and gaining their Eagle Scout ranking. Mayor Dial presented each Eagle Scout with a Letter of Recognition, listing a small portion of their many accomplishments. Mayor Dial stated that by reaching the Eagle Scout ranking, they have proven that they have outstanding work ethic and are young men of good character. In addition, they have created friendships that should stand the test of time. He ended by declaring on behalf of the citizens of Tyrone, we thank you for the contribution you have made to our community. Also in attendance was Darrell Evans, Sandy Creek High School Principal. Dr. Evans congratulated the four young men on their accomplishment and thanked them for being great representatives of Sandy Creek High School. State of the Town Address. Eric Dial, Mayor STATE OF THE TOWN - 2015 It has been my pleasure to serve this town over the last seven years. I have been blessed to share a portion or all of this time with the people sitting here with me. Few councils or commissions work together as well as we do and I am grateful for it. Our citizens are better served because of it. It is the prayer and aspiration of this council and its staff to operate a good government. But what is good government? To me, good government is one that is ethical, efficient, and minimally intrusive in the lives of our citizens. It is our responsibility to provide a healthy, economically-viable, and most importantly, a safe environment for our people to live and work. The services that we offer and the departments we operate should all fit into one or more of these categories. We are proud to report that this responsibility is being fulfilled. For the 10 th year in a row, our millage rate has remained the same; meaning minimal taxes for our residents. Page 2 of 6 2014 brought us over 70 new businesses – that is double what we saw in 2013. Multiple independent sources agree that we are a safe and happy place to live. Being identified as the 7 th safest and Number One Happiest City in Georgia is no accident. When you consider the data that is utilized, the credit is to be given to our residents and our employees. The five of us make decisions on your behalf, but it is you that deserve to be recognized. I want to thank our police department, under the leadership of Chief Perkins, for the work you do to protect us from those who lack a healthy respect for the law. Despite a drastically low Part 1 Crime Rate in 2013, we managed to reduce this rate by an additional 4% in 2014. We have the luxury of living in a place where we don’t have to worry about our safety while raising our children and grandchildren. In this current environment, law enforcement has been second-guessed and weakened. At times many are treated more like criminals than defenders. On behalf of this council, let me be clear, you are the authority of anyone who steps into our town and you and your philosophy of law enforcement will be supported by us when needed. Kyle, I want to thank you for developing and leading a staff that is efficient in the various areas that you oversee. We have an active, educated, and healthy citizenry and our infrastructure is improving more than ever. We are on the cusp of significant changes to our primary thoroughfares, for which you have proactively secured low-interest government loans. Our streets and cart paths will get a facelift sooner rather than later because of your work. In addition to the resurfacing we will complete in 2015, we also have some other areas in which we need to be proactive. We need to make decisions as to if and how we should provide sewer to the downtown corridor. It is clear that many businesses are suffering with their septic service and an unknown number of potential businesses are avoiding this important part of town. The structural backbone of our town, Tyrone Elementary School, has still not found a buyer and whether we agree with it or not, a big reason is because of the perception of a need for sewer. Another important area of our focus is the Highway 74 corridor. It is critical that we preserve the integrity of this part of our town so we have partnered with Fairburn, Fayette County, and Peachtree City to create the 74 Gateway Coalition and will together establish consistent standards of development and aesthetics. One way we invite our citizens and business owners to assist us is through our 2015 Comprehensive Plan. The Atlanta Regional Commission is leading us in this effort and we need your input to prepare us for the next decade. This is arguably the most important planning Page 3 of 6 function of our town and is only performed about once every ten years so we really need your involvement beginning with the first public engagement on February 17th. In closing, at times we can become overwhelmed by the world around us, particularly at the national and global levels. We are bombarded with the realities of taxation, health care, immigration, terrorism, and the like. Considering all of the negatives that come with these issues, I am reminded and comforted that I can come home to a town that is free from controversy and conflict. A town that is safe and insulated from most of the dangers many Americans face. We are blessed to live and work in the Town of Tyrone – the happiest city in Georgia. OLD BUSINESS: NEW BUSINESS: 1. Consideration and adoption of a resolution establishing the date for Town elections and establishing fees and date for qualifying candidates. Dee Baker, Town Clerk Mrs. Baker stated that 2015 is an election year for the Town. She specified that the positions of Mayor, Council Post 1 and Council Post 2 are up for election. The Resolution’s purpose is to officially publish the qualifying fees and dates for these positions. Qualifying dates and times are as follows: August 31st through September 4th, 8:30 am through 4:30 pm. at Town Hall. The fee to qualify for Mayor is $288 and the fee for Council Post 1 and 2 is $144. She stated that the last day to register to vote is October 5th and that this information will also be advertised in the paper. Council Member Furr made a motion to approve the Resolution. Council Member Housley seconded the motion. Motion was approved 3-0. 2. Consideration of the approval of road striping. Kyle Hood, Town Manager Mr. Hood stated that the Town has had several calls regarding the striping of Briarwood and Palmetto Roads. The number of dollars budgeted this year should cover all of Briarwood, Palmetto from Arrowood to the county line and a section of East Crestwood from Farr Road to Highway 74. A firm number to complete these projects is $9,750. Council Member Howard inquired as to why the Palmetto Road section from Arrowood to Senoia Road will not be striped. Mr. Hood stated that it would be too costly per linear foot. The majority of complaints are from the county line to Arrowood Road. Council Member Furr inquired as to the mileage between the county and Arrowood Road. Mr. Hood stated that it is 1.0 miles and it adds up to approximately 4 miles of paint. Council Member Furr stated that most of that section is the county. Mr. Hood stated that the county is donating labor in exchange for striping that section. Page 4 of 6 Mayor Dial inquired that, if it is the desire of Council to continue the striping for the entirety of Palmetto Road, could that be included within the spring paving project? Mr. Hood replied that that is a possibility. Council Member Housley made a motion to approve the non-construction road [striping] on the listed roads by Atlanta Paving and Concrete in an amount not to exceed $10,000. Council Member Howard seconded the motion. Motion was approved 3-0. Public Comments Staff Comments Chief Brandon Perkins addressed the Eagle Scouts and stated that he made it to Life Scout as a young man and they met at the Town Hall building. He congratulated them on their accomplishment and added that it prepares them for going far in life. Chief Perkins spoke to Council regarding the Police Department and Court’s 2006 and 2008 software servers. He stated that both are in dire need of replacement. He requested that both be replaced by Dell for $6,613.05.They will be on state contract and purchased with funds from the Federal Drug Fund account. Council Member Housley made a motion to approve the Police Department software server system from Dell computers under state contract in the amount of $6,613.05. Council Member Furr seconded the motion. Motion was approved 3-0. Council Comments Executive Session Pursuant to O.C.G.A § 50-14-4 (b) of the Open and Public Meetings Act, Council will meet in Executive Session to review the Executive Session meeting minutes from December 18, 2014. Council Member Furr made a motion to move into Executive Session for to review the Executive Session minutes from the December 18, 2014 meeting. Council Member Howard seconded the motion. Motion was approved 3-0. Council Member Furr made a motion to reconvene. Council Member Howard seconded the motion. Motion was approved 3-0. Council Member Housley made a motion to approve the Executive Session minutes from December 18, 2014. Council Member Furr seconded the motion. Motion was approved 3-0. Page 5 of 6 Adjournment Council Member Furr made a motion to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm. By: ________________________ Attest: ______________________ Eric Dial, Mayor Dee Baker, Town Clerk Page 6 of 6