City Council - Regular Meeting

gracious God again we just thank you thank you God for another opportunity to come and set around this table p over the busness of this your SE we pray God that the decision that we make this evening is for the battement of your people this is my prayer that you in Christ name we pray amen amen move down to the approval of the agenda I'll give you a few minutes I entertain a motion to approve the agenda motion to approve second those in fav let let the minute reflect that the May is absent next we have the executive session minutes November the 4th I'll let you all look over a minute

motion to approve ex motion approve second all in favor raise your right hand okay move us down to new business proposed resolution for grant writing and Engineering m c what you have before you is um part of the process for um the annual cdbg award um from the Department of Community Affairs um we did a um r RFQ and the committee selected Miss Allan Smith Consulting as the um Grant administrator Rider and the engineering group as far as procurement procure um engineering service from so this is part of the process to start um we're going to get back in the game of applying for and seeking out cdbg grants um hopefully near the end of this month we should be finished um with our AIT they'll be back here um he'll be back here on the 25th so hopefully we we got that back started we get that back started again we just asking for approval of this resolution any questions I think I'm right with she did a lot for us in the P yes she have you know she's welln that Consultant Group is well that area all right I a motion to approve or deny the resolution motion to approve all those in paper let me know I raing your right

hand okay you can um now moving along um mayor and councel compensation ordinance first reading yes may councel we had discussed this um earlier um the compensation ordinance col official work different um I know some people might you know look at it with the eyes open but um this ordinance what you read today um sorry but it won't affect you all right now so you you'll be voting on for the next crop that comes in so it won't be a Tak you all at at this table that's part of the process um but I I want to know you know um it is essential that you know Public Service you don't get rich but um at the same time you don't want to where you at least acknowledge it and be able to um attract a crop of candidates that want to serve their communities so I think staff has got together and this is what we presenting and we think it's looked all around and it is it is pretty unfair because if you look at it um doesn't mean anything but I looked at it on the average social security reception is you know brings home sometimes the average I got Social Security administrat $1,700 and believe me y'all are not not nowhere that just we proposing for the council just $800 $800 per month and I've seen it hire other places but um that that is what staff is propos we need the first reading tonight to go ahead and get the ball rolling as I I want to let the council know and the audience know um it will not affect these people right here it's for the new people that's coming in so um that being said Mr attorney is there anything else we need to say we'll

have some newspaper notice requirements we have to run so U everybody have an opportunity to weigh in on it and as Mr ha for the next term it wouldn't go into effect until that time fire read yes we don't no unless unless there's a the board doesn't want to move forward you can say but if not then this will be for your first reading I guess that move down to the facility Authority you want to bring yeah man Council but you have we're been in contact with the Board of Education um concerning uh creation of a facility Authority and um we um come up with one where um majority of it is you know is going to be on the preview of um perview of the city of green green gr and the authority um is not something going to be a money pick we're going to throw it in it's going to be based on projects and what I mean by that is um for instance um the city has has really about I think the only robust water and sewer system beside P here in the county um and I know I've met with the county manager before and he talked of you know industrial projects that are outside the county um that's in need of infrastructure like sewer and water and things of that nature and I think number one this will be a start um because financing projects um not only the construction cost but they allot other costs that with creation of the authority that can help us um usually when you finance through an authority it is a little um cheaper and maybe the City attorney can escape on that or elaborate a little bit more um

am I correct Adam yes sir and Council what this does is this normally we can't take out loans without going to the public first and a vote and so it's really limiting in your ability to get financing for projects what this does this is asking the legislator to create an authority for us that will serve as the entity that can go out to the bond market get bonds get better financing rates and come back all backed by your taxing power it's a little similar if you'll remember it's been about three or four years ago but we created a gas Authority with Union Point um that is that's an authority that that handles your uh gas operations this would be an authority that would allow you to uh Finance public projects and we wouldn't be limited to just ourselves The Proposal is to ask the legislator to give you all the ability to operate out in the county and that would help with some of the infrastructure that we have out there like our gas line water lines those kind of things um this would require the legislature so if you adopt this that's just step one a long way before step two getting it done now though means we get it in time for the next upcoming legislative cycle any questions or changes that they might have on the state level and get back with yall for and so I put it in there I want y'all I don't think they need to vote on today maybe December yeah I want y'all to read it because we made it um where the council can serve on the um Authority so you can be able to still keep in my view control yeah of what what you're doing is for instance you see where the gas Authority lays gas l but with this city be able to lay the water line the sewer line or whatever you'll still be able control still be able to control what you do is you know we won't be unlike the gas store we won't be seting no power you

you understand what I'm saying the city will still be in my view in control because this is not normal if you look on there other cities do the same thing from the building you know millage Bill even walking bill you know from different activities that you we're able to do and goes back to something what Adam said earlier like the school system um what what will happen is they want they would want the city to finance some the bond will be issued but the city wouldn't say go out and just say we're going to pay for they will have to do some what's called an intergo agreement and in in that interg government agreement the cities is going to require them that if they don't make it that they'll be able to Levy their tax and power so it wouldn't be on the city it'll be on that that entity that board education or whatever if they decide to use utilize it so the IG interg government Agreements are are very important yeah I just had a question he I look here so these four C that we have on here is surround well closed by us that you know that it's already have one yeah they have one country yeah okay it's just a finance kind Finance but you but you but you'll be you'll be able to be you know yeah utiliz because if we if we're not going to expand far as the city borders but I know our utilities that we want to expand outside you know we got to have the financing and and to be able to plan for it because you know I think it's more it's I I won't say profitable but I I think more advantages for the city to be able to have that tool in its pocket to be able

to put infrastructure out there that'll benefit the citizens here inside the city council I know that Mr ha list at Columbia County the city of Harlem has used Columbia County's Public Finance Authority kind of the opposite of what y'all are considering doing uh to renovate a park that they recently purchased so I can talk you through that process if we can reach out to the city of har without questions so the part was in the city Li yeah see this was this was the opposite colum County had the finance authorities they used it I believe to build their new parking deck at the new hospital Harlem was also able to use the the authority to make changes and renovations to a park they recently purchased and and the county is not on the hook the county has that IG before you would approve that you would have that in a government agreement which which in Georgia IG is locked tight 50 years so do you know that L out the payment and plan or whatever because before you issuing the bonds you got to have security to it call collateral what kind of plans you have on I mean give me an example for the city um utilities and you know make an investment down at um here at the city you know we're in need of space far as Administration the new city hall that could be used for that fun you know for those functions or whatever because that'll be allows to sometime some are to keep cost down so a lot of areas whatever the city decide that need that they're going to need because at the end of the day each project whether you have the authority or not you still going to have to go out for financing for it but it but it'll be it'll be better advantageous for us so Mr haes I I have a quick question this is a six member board and I I'll read through it but it's a six member

board and it's going to all be selected by this city council this counsel it's more likely each one will put your own you'll put your own representative you'll pick your own so you either have a choice to pick the person or you can serve yourself so you know counc Miller you might not want to serve but you have you you know you might you know you can you can serve on question so look over that so we bring it back at next the next Council okay thank you all right I don't have any public comments so I would ask what you no got a little few housekeeping things I want to do housekeeping yeah okay what you got oh report I got a report oh you oh no I want to just no go ahead with thing I I get that later just when you call like when the may call out report no I wanted to um get a few housekeeping things just with the clerk and um with the med counsel um going forward um I'm not scolan but um your iPads I want y'all to um bring all those back because what the way we're going to do it now is um the iPad we going to keep them here in the council and um we're going to provide you with laptops if you need need one because I think the paper or whatever we this this this thing has been we've been back and forth with the paper or whatever but we're going to keep the um the these right here here in here in the council chamber I'm trying to cut down but um I want y'all to see me about the laptop CU I know you got to have email and you got to correspond with us so see what no I don't want them what I'm saying is the clerk will take them up and then when we have the meetings she'll have these already set up for you all to have instead of I got you all

porder laptop yeah y'all need to get with me we have the funds available to be able to do that so um with with that being said second thing is um you know um we're going to have a budget amendment for as like the um right now all when we travel and everything and all that for y'all government it's all together I'm going to sit down with y'all I want each one to come with me I'm going to give y'all we going we we going to do a do a budget a budget a budget amendment for everybody or whatever cuz everybody been um coming to me W and I want to make sure everybody have is allowed everybody have their fair share and everything we go ahead and and do that up so we we're going to add some more to that or whatever cuz I want to make sure administrat is hard to get y'all together but we going get it so I don't see so I'm going fix that but um sorry about the iPad but it just works better that way with y'all having a laptop I'm not scoring you fromont of the public I'm not that is the way we we going we going to do it because um me and miss me miss um we waste a lot we do a lot on that paper um one other thing that um I want to bring up and I got to get what City attorney is want you be aware we've been talking with I can't call his name but ordinance by the dog um ordinance change or whatever M yeah Mr been very persistent you know I got to commend him for that but um I want you to well um I don't know we need to do a work session or whatever or something like that one day about it cuz I want you to hear I don't want you to just vote it down or whatever I just want us to get together and and hash out some cuz y'all the policy makers at the end of the day is going to be with y'all

the way the May the counsel wants to go my dog yeah and and um wants to add that's that's some push some amendments towards it and I want you I don't want to throw it on you at one time I want you us to be able to talk about cuz there might be some additions that you know what your constituents want to add to it the M that he want he recommends is that something that you can share with us through email or I I I'll get it to you I'll get it to you some of the things email and everything to you the police chief and everything I know it might seem like they might seem that we hadn't been responsive but as you know this city of green B there's a lot thing a lot of stuff coming out the pight so we had to bat keep our I don't know how good our bat have we had to bat as best we can with things um coming around that um with that being said man c um I um don't forget we got a appreciation lunching um this Thursday we're going to award um some um employee of the Departments employee of each department of the year and then we'll pick one Citywide I will pick one Citywide nominate one person Citywide but I appreciate if y'all could um stop by or come and see us doing our Thanksgiving um appreciation lunch and always you know if a few members of the public want to come I mean we ain't going to hold you back know you yeah F what time is 122 122 Thursday on Thursday all right we'll have we'll have um we'll have that but man counsel that is um all I have for right

now thank you I don't have any public comment card so that brings down a closing prayer and joury by Mr Smith father God I thank you for this evening I ask you to continue to strengthen this community strengthen the city the leaders that we have around in their family in Jesus name I pray amen amen