Town Council Town Retreat Meeting

Tyrone Town Council Retreat Meeting Minutes Tyrone Library Tuesday March 14, 2017 9:00 AM Present: Mayor Eric Dial Mayor Pro Tem Furr Council Member Ken Matthews Council Member Ryan Housley Council Member Linda Howard Town Manager Kyle Hood Town Clerk Dee Baker Police Chief Brandon Perkins Sandy Beach Finance Manager Town Attorney Dennis Davenport Mayor Dial called the meeting to order and performed the Invocation. Public Comments Approval of Agenda Council Member Matthews made a motion to approve the agenda. Council Member Howard seconded the motion. Motion was approved 3-0. Mr. Hood informed Council that the Town was in possession of the newly completed Paving Condition Index (PCI) evaluation. The process was performed with LMIG monies and after piggybacking off of the County; the cost was virtually free. He added that the study logs road conditions in order from worst to best. Mr. Hood stated that the Town Engineer, Phillip Trocquet and Billy Campbell were trained on how to use the system. The data collected makes is easier to determine which roads need paving first. Staff can better inform citizens when their street will be paved. Mr. Hood stated that how and when to pave is at the discretion of Council, but the data collected will determine which roads are a priority. 1. Municipal Court Update. Kathy Bright Ms. Bright announced her retirement to Mayor and Council. Everyone shared their best wishes with Ms. Bright. She stated that upon her departure she would like to recommend April Spradlin for her position as Court Clerk. She stated that she has trained April for seven years and believes that she would be the best candidate for the position. She added that all pertinent contracts would be in place upon her departure and suggested advertising as soon as possible for both her position and for April’s if she were to be hired. Page 1 of 6 Chief Perkins stated that he wished Kathy would stay as they have a great team in place but he respected her decision. He added that with Kathy’s knowledge and experience she would be impossible to replace, but feels April would be best suited for the job. Mayor Dial asked who would perform the interviews. Chief Perkins stated that it would be he and Ms. Spradlin. He added that there were two other employees that have been crossed trained for April’s current position. 2. Stormwater and Environmental Planning Update. Brad Konwick Mr. Konwick informed Council that he asked the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to review the Town’s current stormwater permit as he believed the Town was performing more duties than were required. That was the case. Mr. Konwick then streamlined the Town’s permitting process to eliminate a few procedures. One change was that the Town was no longer required to perform stream monitoring or any ordinance revisions to incorporate Green Infrastructure or Low Impact Development at this time. He added that the Town would also reduce community clean-ups to one per year due to the lack of trash and volunteerism. Mr. Konwick thanked Council for funding the ongoing stormwater projects. He informed Council that other projects that were being performed were the pipe and culvert flushing of debris and detention pond maintenance. Currently, five ponds have been maintained and an additional five ponds will be maintained in the near future. He added that the current EPD permit would expire in December and he would be better informed of any additional changes they may have for next year’s permitting process. He ended by informing everyone that Fayette County would host this year’s Earth Day Festival and Tyrone would host in 2018. Council Member Howard inquired about the removal of trees in ponds. Mr. Konwick stated that there has been a Tullamore and Market Hill project on tree removal. He added that Mr. Campbell has assisted with the removal of brush and added rip rap to Handley and Redwine Park’s ponds to stop erosion. 3. 2017 Founders Day Preparations. Mitch Bowman Mr. Bowman stated that his goal this year was to streamline Founders Day practices and procedures. He added that he would like to have solid committee members in place and not to adhere to “that’s the way it was done in the past” way of thinking. He aims to have better attendance and to add new events to Founders Day. Mr. Bowman informed Council that he will be going through a process to define committee members. Mr. Hood stated that in the past we have relied on staff for volunteerism. Citizen volunteers should not be making purchases on the Town’s behalf. Mr. Bowman stated that some volunteers that have been with us a while may not like some changes but they need to be made because they’re logical. He stated that his plan to change a few events and venues should keep participants more involved. Mayor Dial stated that he appreciates all that Mr. Bowman has accomplished. He added that he may reach out to Way of Life Church’s representative Heather Trompke to assist with outreach to all local churches in order to participate in that Sunday’s events. A discussion was had regarding the Founders Day budget. Mr. Hood stated that the Founders Day purpose was not for making money. Mr. Bowman gave an example of streamlining the budget but removing excess such as Walkie Talkies and the abundance of golf carts not being used. He ended by stating that much will be trimmed in order to gain needed items such as great entertainment and a good carnival. Page 2 of 6 Parks and Recreation Capital Planning Mr. Bowman shared that the Shamrock Park playground equipment is 15-20 years old and needed to be replaced. He also opened a discussion regarding the placement of a train themed playground and sandbox near the Recreation Center. He stated that the removal of the old, placement of new equipment near the Police Department and the new train playground should cost approximately $70,000 Mr. Bowman shared that a new portable 16 X 24 stage was needed for use in multiple ways and for safety reasons. A discussion took place regarding the difference between the portable stage and the permanent stage located at the Recreation Center. Mr. Bowman informed Council that the cost for the portable stage was approximately $6,500. Mr. Bowman opened a discussion regarding the request of a local disc golf enthusiast. He stated that a local gentleman submitted extensive research regarding the placement of an 18-hole disc golf course near East Crestwood Road and Hwy 74. Discussion continued regarding safety, placement, feasibility and cost. All agreed at this time that the playground equipment was more in demand. Mr. Hood added that the train and playground equipment needed to be American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. 4. Town Sanitation Services. Sandy Beach Ms. Beach informed Council that the current software for Sanitation was not adequate and needed to be upgraded in order to be in sync with the current financial software system. The new software module will cost $21,995. She gave examples of lost revenue, approximately $83,000, due to many customer accounts that needed to be written off. There is no way of knowing when a customer moves or returns. The Republic Services drivers will pick up a customer’s trash even when they should not. A discussion ensued regarding the option of allowing citizens to choose their own sanitation service and the Town not renewing with Republic Services, or to purchase additional software for Sanitation. Ms. Beach stated that the Republic Services contract will expire in December and that Republic would be increasing their monthly rates again soon. She added that currently there is very little profit margin with Sanitation. The discussion continued regarding citizens choosing their own service provider and possible road damage additional trucks could cause. Mr. Hood stated that several companies would bid on contracts and the citizens could choose whom they wish. Citizens could possibly save money and the Town could eventually lose money staying with one carrier. He added that if Council wanted to choose to not renew the contract, now was the perfect time. The staff position could be a full time administration position or could be reduced to a part-time position for heavy traffic times in the middle of the day when lunches are taken. Council Member Furr made a motion to table the item to the April 20th Council Meeting. Council Member Matthews seconded the motion. Motion was approved 4-0. 5. Officer Compensation Plan. Brandon Perkins Chief Perkins stated that as a result of the State Government increasing law enforcement pay by 20% local agencies are tasked with finding ways to compete in retention and hiring strategies. Page 3 of 6 He stated that for the first time in a while the department is fully staffed with outstanding officers and he would like to keep them. He added that moving forward he would like to be able to contend with surrounding municipalities to hire quality officers by offering competitive pay. Chief Perkins opened the discussion by giving Council statistics from surrounding areas that were well-matched to Tyrone along with extensive research and recommended a new step and grade evaluation plan. He stated that he realizes that a limited budget would make it very difficult to become truly competitive. After speaking with his staff he proposed the following: A 6.5% increase for all non-ranking officers; a 5.5% increase for our 2 Corporals and 1 Detective; and a 5% increase for our Sergeants, Lieutenants and 1 Detective. This plan would bring the lowest paid closer to $40,000. Chief Perkins relayed that he and Major Brock would be left out of the equation. He would also consider implementing a system similar to Peachtree City and Fairburn where officers could earn more based on accomplishing certification and training milestones. Council Member Housley showed interest in awarding for more education. Council Member Furr stated that she was disappointed to see how much the officers were making and thought that there was in increase in the recent past. Discussion also included factoring in the cost of Insurance. Chief Perkins stressed the importance of being competitive and being fair to his officers. Mr. Hood suggested Chief Perkins return with a spread sheet with proposed figures which included insurance costs. Chief Perkins ended by stating that he wanted a figure that everyone would be comfortable with and anything would be greatly appreciated. Lunch 6. Zoning Ordinance/Growth Management Tools. Phillip Trocquet Mr. Trocquet presented examples of form-based zoning for Council’s future consideration. He explained that this model could assist with placing specific architectural standards on future development giving the Town a uniform look that would coincide with the Comprehensive Plan. He gave examples of building lines and setbacks and presented examples of established downtown areas. Mr. Davenport relayed that the form-based model gives a different perspective and that the architectural standards would not be completely of the developers choosing. Discussion took place regarding the recently re-adopted zoning ordinance. Council Member Furr showed concerns with the new zoning ordinance. Mr. Hood stated that the Town recently “cleaned up” the zoning ordinance. Mr. Trocquet stated that the form-based model would not include the entire zoning ordinance only the downtown area and along Highway 74. This would significantly condense the current zoning ordinance by including illustrations. Mr. Trocquet gave examples of a downtown area with commercial buildings with close road frontage and patron parking in the rear of the building, making the downtown area more “walkable.” Mr. Trocquet ended by stating that by implementing the form-based model, this would produce a more desirable and modern finished product which would be a simpler process for developers and Town staff. Mayor Dial shared that Mr. Trocquet’s level of expertise and professionalism was appreciated. 7. Street Light Inventory Needs Assessment. Billy Campbell Ms. Beach stated that recently it was discovered that there were 78 street lights that no one was paying for. An issue moving forward is that some lights in the Town are being paid for by the Town, while some by homeowners and some by HOA’s. She stated that Mr. Campbell gathered an inventory of Town street lights with pole numbers. Page 4 of 6 Ms. Beach stated that communication with EMC is difficult. They relay that some information is confidential. Ms. Beach stated that just recently, a new section of the River Crest Subdivision was added. EMC shared that the HOA was paying for the other phases but that the Town was being billed for the newest phase. Mr. Campbell stated that the master list of lights with pole numbers does not coincide with what we are being billed for. Ms. Beach stated that staff is requiring a list of pole numbers and account numbers from EMC to compare what is actually being billed. She stated that Mr. Campbell counted 832 light poles but EMC says we are paying for 670. Ms. Beach posed to Council; does the Town need to pay for all Town street lights in the right of way or demand that EMC prepare accurate information. Mr. Hood stated that the average cost per light is $12.25 per month and the Town is currently paying approximately $100,000 annually. Staff recommended a letter be sent by Mayor Dial asking for full cooperation from EMC’s CEO in order to gather correct information. Mr. Hood also suggested to not accept any new light pole liability. Mr. Davenport relayed that the Town should be paying for all right of way lights in your jurisdiction. It was discussed that not all HOAs are paying for their subdivision lights. All agreed to discuss the topic further prior to the adoption of the budget. 8. Payroll Services Provider. Sandy Beach Ms. Beach stated that there have been ongoing issues with Paychex, the current payroll system, and that their price has increased and shared findings of a review of competitors’ proposals. Ms. Beach proposed using ADP and to purchase coinciding timeclocks. Council Member Housley made a motion for Ms. Beach to return with an analysis for a new payroll system. Council Member Matthews seconded the motion. Council Member Housley amended his motion. He made motion to move forward with the ADP Workforce Now system. Council Member Matthews amended his second to reflect approval. Motion was approved 4-0. 9. Sewer Treatment Purchase. Kyle Hood Mr. Hood stated that the Town is on the Fulton County agenda this week for acquiring sewer capacity from the Camp Creek water reclamation plant. The Fulton County Public Works Director is on board and has worked with staff and Mr. Davenport to draft the agreement. He then gave options for payment for the additional sewerage. One option would be SPLOST monies if it were to pass. If Fulton County wants advanced payment the Town would need to find internal funding sources. Mr. Hood informed Council that currently the sewer fund has $1,482,242.36. The conversation continued regarding funding. Mr. Hood stated that the Town currently has a batch of CDs at Regions Bank which is approximately $500,000 and matures this month. He added that monies in Pooled Cash totaled 2.95 million. Mr. Davenport answered questions regarding the cost per volume in relation to the term of the contract. It is a fifteen year term including the payment for the cost to upgrade the Camp Creek waste water treatment facility. Page 5 of 6 Everything bought from Fulton County is centered on payment for the upgrade, which is based upon the percentage of twenty-three million gallons a day multiplied by the cost, which is just more than $100 million dollars. The actual cost for capacity is non-negotiable. In regards to selling the Town’s current .25 MGD back, Fairburn says that their current capacity is at only 60% but Fulton County says Fairburn is at 80% which indicates that it is time for Fairburn to renegotiate for more capacity. Upon approval with all parties and payment of capacity, this will start a fifteen year relationship with five a year renewal term. Adjournment Council Member Housley made a motion to adjourn. Motion was approved 4-0. The meeting adjourned at 1:47 pm. ____________________ __________________ Eric Dial, Mayor Dee Baker, Town Clerk Page 6 of 6