Town Council Workshop Meeting

TYRONE TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES October 06, 2022 at 5:30 PM Eric Dial, Mayor Gloria Furr, Mayor Pro Tem, Post 4 Linda Howard, Post 1 Brandon Perkins, Town Manager Melissa Hill, Post 2 Dee Baker, Town Clerk Billy Campbell, Post 3 Dennis Davenport, Town Attorney Absent: Council Member Gloria Furr Brandon Perkins, Town Manager Also present was: Sandy Beach, Finance Manager Scott Langford, Town Engineer / Public Works Director I. CALL TO ORDER II. INVOCATION III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The first public comment period is reserved for non-agenda items. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes. Please state your name & address. Comments that require a response may not be answered during this time. The Council or staff may respond at a later date. SPLOST Advisory Committee Member, Stephen Eller from the audience(inaudible) stated that he believed that no one knew about the workshop at 5:30 pm only the regular meeting at 7:00 pm. That may be the reason it was not well attended. Mr. Trocquet stated that Council had not had a workshop in a while. V. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A motion was made to approve the agenda. Motion made by Council Member Campbell, Seconded by Council Member Howard. Voting Yea: Council Member Hill. VI. PRESENTATIONS VII. 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. Town Council Workshop Meeting Page 1 of 8 October 06, 2022 VIII. PUBLIC HEARINGS IX. OLD BUSINESS X. NEW BUSINESS 1. Review of the Town of Tyrone 2023 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) Manual Draft. Phillip Trocquet, Assistant Town Manager. Mr. Trocquet began his presentation and stated Fayette County would be presenting a new 2023 SPLOST referendum to voters. He stated that before Council was a manual outlining projects and dollar amounts if the special tax was approved. Mr. Trocquet shared that there was a great group of folks which included staff and a citizen Advisory Committee that worked together. The citizens on the committee came from different locations and backgrounds to help formulate a list of projects that were suitable given the projected revenues. He thanked the committee and staff and gave an overview of the Project Manual. Mr. Trocquet stated that the manual included an overview of what the SPLOST was and how it was distributed throughout the county and Tyrone. He then shared the categories which included leisure services, multi-use paths, Town Center (downtown), sewer & stormwater, and public safety and equipment. He compared Atlanta’s SPLOST rate at 8.9%, to Fayette County’s at 7.0%. He then broke down the sales tax, 4 cents were allocated to the State, 1 cent to the Local option Sales Tax (LOST), 1 cent to E-SPLOST (education), and 1 cent to SPLOST which would end in 2023. All totaled to the 7% sales tax for Fayette County. Mayor Dial clarified that on page 3 of the document, it stated that the SPLOST vote would take place in November of 2023, when in fact, it would be on the March 2023 ballot. Mr. Trocquet stated that it would be changed. Mr. Trocquet indicated that page 5 of the document displayed the break-down of each city’s portion of the 2023 SPLOST. If passed, Tyrone would receive 6.4% at a projected amount of $13,492,500. He added that the funding would be distributed into the same five categories, transportation, stormwater & sewer improvements, downtown improvements, and public safety, administration, and equipment. He clarified that the projected $4.5 Million for transportation included road improvements and multi-use paths. Mr. Trocquet shared the project summary on page 7 of the document which further detailed the five categories. Some examples were: paving and intersection improvements, connecting the school complex on Jenkins Road to downtown through cart paths, improving the Castlewood Road cart paths, downtown street lighting and signage improvements, improvements to all town parks, infrastructure upgrades, and stormwater structure improvements, and public safety and public works vehicles and equipment. Mr. Trocquet noted that the budget summary was located on page 8. He stated that the multi-use paths connections and improvements were estimated at $2 Million. Page 2 of 8 These were listed as: a Sandy Creek Highschool path, Dogwood Trail railroad crossing, Laurelwood Road connection for the dirt section to the paved section, Tullamore to Greencastle Road, and a path on East Crestwood or signage making the road a share-the- road portion, and Farr Road path improvements. Mr. Trocquet continued with the budget summary. He listed some of the downtown improvements: monument signage for the buildings and parks, wayfinding signage, and Senoia Road streetscaping, which would include lighting, trees, beautification, traffic calming devices, on-street parking, street widening, and cart path expansion. He continued with the downtown improvements and shared that Commerce Drive would receive similar improvements as Senoia Road. Other improvements include; underground utilities, crosswalk and pedestrian improvements, curb and gutter improvements along with parking expansion for downtown. Downtown improvements would estimate $2.5 Million of SPLOST funds. Mr. Trocquet then listed Parks and Recreation improvements: Shamrock Park landscaping, hardscaping, lighting and electrical, a permanent pavilion/stage for entertainment and a future Market Place, parking and expansion, library and recreation exterior space improvements. He added that Redwine, Handley, and Fabon Brown parks would also be on this list for improvements. He stated that parks and recreation improvements would total approximately $2.5 Million of SPLOST funds. Mr. Trocquet shared that the Stormwater improvements would include dams and infrastructure, including pipes and culverts. Sewer improvements would include capacity and infrastructure. He added that stormwater and sewer improvements were estimated as utilizing $3.5 Million of SPLOST funds. He stated that the Administration costs would include three different types of public works trucks and radios, and police patrol cars and radios with an estimated total of $500,000 of SPLOST funding. All projects would total approximately $13.5 Million of SPLOST funds. Mr. Trocquet stated that the next portion of the manual displayed visuals for the particular projects. He reminded Council that it was a workshop if they had any comments or corrections to please inform him. He added that the visuals gave voters a better insight of the projects. He gave Fabon Brown Park as an example. Citizens only see .5 acres of the 5 + acre park. He also mentioned the additional land that the Town purchased adjacent to Handley Park, eventually making that portion a nature preserve. He shared renderings of most Tyrone parks and added that additional SPLOST funding would assist in the already underway Dorthea Redwine Park improvements. Council Member Howard began a discussion to move the walking path at Redwine Park being that the path was hidden nearest to the pond. Mr. Trocquet suggested thinning the woods and adding lighting. Council Member Howard clarified that public works had cleared some and it did look better. Council Member Campbell stated that the area became very damp during the rainy seasons. Page 3 of 8 Mr. Trocquet moved to page 14 and shared an updated multi-use path map. He added that a Sandy Creek intern was currently working on the connection project. He shared that the rendering indicated a route from the main student parking lot to Powers Way and Senoia Road. He also factored in the new development on Hwy 74 and Jenkins Road. He added that the developer agreed to construct a cart path along the back end of their development with a curb cut and crossing to the school. Mayor Dial asked who would be responsible for the crossing. Mr. Langford stated that the crossing would be the responsibility of the Town, Fayette County, and the Fayette County Board of Education, which would lend to better odds for applying for a grant. Mr. Trocquet shared that the Town could possibly qualify for a High-Intensity Activated crossWalk (HAWK) beacon. He added that the connection would connect citizens to the schools and the schools to the Legacy Theater and the shops at Southampton. Council Member Campbell asked how the residents at Southampton and on the west side of town, cross Hwy 74 to get to the east side. Mr. Trocquet stated that pedestrians would use the crosswalk. The new route would add an additional mile to the route once completed. The route would begin at the crossing on Jenkins Road, located at the student parking lot. It would then utilize the current school path, cut through Town property onto Powers Way, then to Senoia Road. The path would travel under the overpass to the planned connection near the exit ramp, through Town property onto the Publix shopping center property. Mr. Trocquet moved to page 16 where it indicated a map of the planned Dogwood Trial/Senoia Road railroad crossing extension. This would essentially connect Maple Shade and other residents along Senoia Road to downtown. This would also be contingent on CSX approval. He added that if they denied it, there were other alternate routes planned. Residents were already traveling down Senoia Road; this would be a much safer route. Council Member Campbell asked if the Tullamore Trail to Greencastle Road path was one of the alternatives. Mr. Trocquet explained that yes, Greencastle was already a 25-mph road with a pre-existing path from Maple Shade. The Town would connect Greencastle to the Tullamore subdivision, to the Ivy Vale subdivision, on to East Crestwood Road. It still incorporated a railroad crossing, however, there was a much lower traffic count on East Crestwood. The ultimate goal was to connect folks to downtown and the Publix Shopping Center. Council Member Howard inquired about a piece of property across Senoia Road from Maple Shade Drive before the railroad crossing. Mr. Trocquet stated that he would report back to her regarding the owner. He added that the section was part of the direct route down Senoia Road. Mr. Trocquet moved to page 17 as it mapped miscellaneous cart path/pedestrian improvements. He shared that the section included the Laurelwood Road connection and the Castlewood Road improvements, along with Farr Road cart path improvements. He added that Farr Road could also be a candidate for the share-the-road speed limit of 25 mph along with traffic calming devices. Page 4 of 8 Council Member Howard inquired about downtown sidewalk improvements. Mr. Trocquet stated that those sidewalks were bundled with the downtown improvements. Mr. Langford reminded everyone that the County also owned sections of Farr Road and they would need to be included in any widening or enhancement discussions. Mr. Trocquet moved on to page 18 of the document which included the Town Center (Downtown). He stated that the Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) projects and the Comprehensive Plan had already laid out projects for improving the downtown area. These particular investments into the downtown area would ideally promote new business growth and property development. The LCI projects would assist with stretching SPLOST dollars and help with applying for matching grant funds such as TIP grants. Council Member Howard asked for clarification regarding the actual location of the entire Fabon Brown park. Mr. Trocquet displayed the property from the County’s Tax map. Mr. Trocquet touched on pages 19-23. He shared examples of streetscaping and wayfinding, parking, gateway, and monument signage. He reviewed street calming devices and a specific area downtown that indicated many overhead utility lines. He added how much better the Town would look with all lines hidden underground. He then spoke briefly regarding sewer and stormwater. The goal was not to expand sewer into the Town but to offset the property tax increases in core areas with large economic development on the northern corridor for the economic health of the community. He stated that page 23 was dedicated to public safety and public works trucks, radios, and patrol cars. That was the end of the presentation. Mr. Trocquet shared that there would be time for corrects before the public vote. He asked for Mayor and Council’s comments. Mayor Dial asked if anyone could think of anything that may be an issue such as CSX and the railroad crossing. Mr. Trocquet agreed and stated that the number one issue would be CSX. He added that based on their research, the CSX projects should be approved as long as we were patient and followed their guidelines. Mayor Dial clarified that the next step would be to place this on our website and send it to Fayette County. Ms. Beach added that it needed to be approved by the County. Council Member Campbell asked about promoting the document. Ms. Beach stated that the entire project was spearheaded by County employees dedicated to the SPLOST project. Mr. Langford added that the County was a good supporter of required transportation projects. Mr. Trocquet gave the Farr Road project as an example, the portion belonging to the County was not large and it had a pre-existing cart path. Mr. Langford clarified that if there were sections of road which the Town and the County-owned, the County would take jurisdiction. Mayor Dial began a discussion regarding some possible corrections and inquired about the cost distribution for services which included page 6 of the document and the pages that followed which broke down each category. He asked if some were combined, would it give more flexibility or did they have to be separated? Mr. Trocquet stated that he could combine some categories. Ms. Beach stated that the Admin. amount needed to be changed on page 8. Page 5 of 8 Mr. Trocquet stated that the $500,000 was closer to the needed amount. Mr. Davenport stated that the Parks and Recreation total should be $2 Million not $2.5 Million. Mayor Dial inquired about folding in Town assets such as the museum and recreation buildings as examples for improvements/repairs. Mr. Trocquet stated that they could be placed under Town Services. Mr. Trocquet stated that we could be general, however, specific enough so the citizens knew what was on the list. Mr. Langford suggested adding in a line that stated, facility maintenance. Mr. Davenport cautioned against the placement of maintenance. Mr. Langford then suggested facility improvements. Council Member Howard stated that Veterans Park was not listed in the document. Mr. Trocquet stated that he would combine all parks into their own category for improvements. He clarified that Shamrock Park would have its own category. Mayor Dial questioned if for example, Redwine Park was listed but improvements came from the former SPLOST, would it be ok to keep Redwine Park on the list? Mr. Davenport stated that it would be acceptable. Mr. Trocquet added that Veterans Park would also be included within the downtown plan for streetscaping and parking. Mayor Dial asked if Council or staff viewed any particular category that there was not enough listed within that category. Mr. Trocquet shared that one of his concerns were predicting the costs of projects given the current climate. He added that staff did feel confident that funds would be well spent for each project. If we over-collect, funds could be spent on facility improvements. If we under-collect, most of the listed projects could be future Capital Improvement Projects or inline for a future SPLOST. They could also be funded through the General Fund or grants could be applied for. Mayor Dial shared his concern regarding the stormwater sewer projects, they could require a large amount and there was only $2 Million allotted. Mr. Trocquet explained that if the money remained from the stormwater amount, other projects on the list could be completed. Mr. Davenport agreed and clarified that items could not be added to the list, only what was currently on the list when passed by voters would be permissible. Council Member Campbell directed to Mr. Langford that Council could assume that a list had already been formed for specific stormwater projects. Mr. Langford agreed and added that the worse pipes would be taken care of first. Council Member Campbell inquired about the tier system. Mr. Trocquet shared that the tier system was for timing and priority. Tier 1 projects would begin immediately but could be long-term. A Tier 2 project could be completed before a Tier I project, all due to timing. He clarified that the tier system could be confusing for citizens, it was mostly used for staff. He stated that the SPLOST Advisory Group discussed the tier-system at great length. He added that Council could decide to use the tier system or only use it internally. It was agreed that the tier system be kept for internal purposes. Ms. Beach stated that several of the projects listed were extra in case more money was obtained. She added that the current SPLOST ends in June 2023. Page 6 of 8  Council Member Campbell thanked everyone for their hard work. Mr. Trocquet thanked the citizen SPLOST Advisory Group. Mr. Trocquet gave a partial timeline: Council would vote on the approval of the SPLOST document at the October 20, 2022, Council meeting, the approved final document would be placed on the website, and in November all County municipality Mayors meet. Mayor Dial asked for clarification on what Council and staff could and could not say regarding the SPLOST. Mr. Davenport stated to only educate citizens on the SPLOST do not attempt to influence a vote for or against it. Try to inform citizens as best you can. Mr. Trocquet clarified that the SPLOST manual was similar to the LCI and Comp Plan as it related to informing the citizens of our Town projects. He added that the Advisory Committee stayed on track formulating the manual as an educational tool for our citizens. Mayor Dial asked if it was ok to say that the SPLOST would be in lieu of tax funds. Mr. Davenport advised against it. He added to educate citizens and encourage them to vote however they wanted. Mr. Trocquet clarified that the SPLOST funds only accelerate the completion of planned Capital projects without utilizing General Funds. Mr. Eller from the audience (inaudible) asked if they could meet with Town HOA’s. Mr. Davenport stated that non-profit organizations were often formed to better inform the public. Mayor Dial asked if staff could present the manual as a topic when they meet with the various HOA’s. Mr. Davenport clarified that it would be allowed as long as it was presented as an educational topic and invite them to vote in March 2023. Mr. Trocquet stated that he would be happy to present as he did for the LCI and Comp Plan. Mr. Trocquet shared the complete timeline: the Tyrone SPLOST Advisory Committee met on September 19th, the Council workshop was on October 6th, Council would vote to adopt the final manual on October 20th, the County Mayors meet on October 24th, December 8th would be the County Board of Commissioners adoption the Resolution, March 20th would be continued education, and finally, the Referendum would be on the March 21st ballot for citizens to vote. XI. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The second public comment period is for any issue. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes. Please state your name & address. Comments that require a response may not be answered during this time. The Council or staff may respond at a later date. XII. STAFF COMMENTS XIII. COUNCIL COMMENTS XIV. EXECUTIVE SESSION A motion was made to move into Executive Session for one real estate item, one item of threatened litigation, and for Council to review the Executive Session Minutes from September 15, 2022. Motion made by Council Member Hill, Seconded by Council Member Howard. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell. Page 7 of 8  A motion was made to reconvene. Motion made by Council Member Campbell, Seconded by Council Member Howard. Voting Yea: Council Member Hill. A motion was made to approve the Executive Session Minutes from September 15, 2022. Motion was made by Council Member Howard, Seconded by Council Member Hill. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell. XV. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made to adjourn. Motion was made by Council Member Howard. Voting Yea: Council Member Hill, Council Member Campbell. The meeting adjourned at 6:58 pm. By: Attest: Eric Dial, Mayor Dee Baker, Town Clerk Page 8 of 8