City Council - Regular Meeting

Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, we'll get our meeting called to order on this Tuesday evening, not Monday. Uh this year the uh with the holiday, the New Year's holiday, it's thrown us off a little bit and I still can't figure out what day it is. I do know, however, it is 2026. But don't ask me the date or the day because I am thoroughly confused and can't seem to get back on track. But hopefully um we'll we'll get in the rhythm of things before too long. Um our um do want to remind everyone tonight that our meeting is our council workshop and at the workshop meeting it's when we discuss items. We don't necessarily vote on anything other than um the approval of the agenda. We also have a public hearing uh that we'll start our meeting with. But before we do that, we have two very important people um to the council. Uh council member uh Vice Mayor Josh Reynolds and council member Lester Kramer Jr. uh Josh representing district 1 and Lester representing district three who um successfully won their um reelection since they had no opposition. It was hard work. I know it was tough, but there we y'all are y'all are back and that's good news. So Rob, I'm going to turn the floor over to you to swear in these two council members so that they can participate in the meeting uh going forward. Why don't

we start with Mr. Reynolds? You guys, you want to come down? All right. Yeah, that'll be fine. Come on, boys.

Oh, man. I'll tell you.

All right. raise your right hand. Do you, Josh Reynolds, are you a citizen of the city of Typton, Georgia, and being a public official of the city of Typton, the recipient of public funds for services regularly? Do you hereby solemnly swear or affirm that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of Georgia, and the Charter of the City of Typton, that you will faithfully perform your duties as council member of this city? That you are not the holder of any unaccounted public money to this state or any polit political subdivision or authority thereof. You are not the holder of the office of trust or the government of the United States or any other state or any foreign state which by the laws of the state of Georgia. You are prohibited from holding and you are otherwise qualified to hold that office according to the constitution laws of the state of Georgia as the elected representative from district one. You swear that you've been arrested thereof for the time required by the constitution laws of this state and the city charter of the city of Tiffan. You square

LIKE just hit that side. Thank you. Mr. Chromemer, raise his right hand, please. D West Croman, a citizen of the city of Typton, Georgia, and be a public official of the city of Typton and the recipient of public funds for services rendered. Do hereby solemnly swear and affirm that you will support and defend the constitution of United States, the Constitution of Georgia, and the charter of the city of Tiffen. That you will faithfully perform your duties as council member of the city. That you are not the holder of any uncounted for public money due to the state or any political subdivision thereof or authority. You are not the of any office of trust or the government of the United States, any other state or any foreign state which by the laws of the state of Georgia you are behaved for holding and you are otherwise qualified to hold said that office according to constitution and laws of Georgia. As the elected representative from district 3, do you swear that you have been a resident thereof for the time required by the constitution laws of the state and city charter of the city of Tiffan? Do you swear or affirm?

I affirm.

Congratulations. Thank you. Looking forward to uh to working together and um continuing on our path of excellence for the city of Tiffan. So, congratulations. Glad to have you. Glad to have you back in these seats. Um all right, Rob, I'm going to turn it back over to you now for the public hearing on the land development code. Uh we have one published here tonight concerning the proposed amendments to the city of lands development code being an amendment to chapter 4 section 4.03.30 relating to supplemental standards for car washes. This time I'd like to ask the conflict questions of the council. Have any of these applicants or opponents of the application contributed at least $250 to any campaigns for election during the past two years? Yeah, I have a question. Would the applicant be the city?

It is. Okay. Then my answer is no. I just wanted to clarify because we're dealing with the u you know amending the ordinance for car washes and you may have some interest in a property that may be located to a car wash. So I asking these conflict questions out of abundance of caution. Just want to make sure. Do you or members of your family have a property interest that would be affected by the proposed amendment? uh whether it is a positive or negative impact. Next, do you or any members of your family have a financial interest in any business entity that has a property interest and a real property that would be a affected by the proposed amendment whether it's a positive or negative impact? No. No.

Okay. All right. At this time, before I ask for public comments, I'm going to ask Jessica White, our city clerk, and who's wearing many hats these days, to give the council uh an idea about what this amendment's about. Okay, as Rob said, this is a staff recommendation. It's amending the supplemental standards to um our land development code. Um the existing standards had and I have the redline versions within your packet. The existing standards have setbacks for buildings. Um in total that takes about 85 ft of a commercial property. And so, um, as we looked at this, um, and to better align with the intended purpose, we're recommending removing the front, side, and rear setback requirements and replacing those with a single distance requirement to a residential zone property. Um, so it's moving from a setback to a building setback to a buffer. And so it's just if there's a residential lot either to the me and Rob thought there probably would never be one in front but you know to the rear of a commercial lot um or side it has to meet that that buffer requirement. So be from the property line of the residential lot to the building structure um of a car wash. Um and we're proposing that to be a 35 ft distance requirement. So that's mainly the only only major change. The other are the others that are redlined is just a scravener error that we're going to correct while we're in that section and making amendments.

Okay. Um this was uh presented last night to the planning zoning board and they um recommend it for approval. Okay. Gentlemen, those um proposed uh land development code as it exists now and then those proposed amendments are in our package. So you can you can look through that and and see those. Does anyone have any questions of Jessica? Everything clear? I think it's pretty straightforward. Yeah, it is. I might add uh council that there, you know, there still has the uh fence requirement and landscaping. So, uh when Jessica and I were working through this, I think the main idea was trying to protect residential properties, and I think this will do that adequately. Okay.

All right. All right. At this time, I'd like to see is there anyone here that'd like to speak in favor of this proposed amendment? Anyone here would like to speak in opposition to this proposed amendment? May there be no uh public comment as it's public hearing be. Okay. All right. Thank you, Rob. All right. And uh our workshop meeting is called to order. Gentlemen, you have the agenda presented before you uh that was sent out to us and plenty of time to review that by our city clerk along with our packet of uh information we'll be discussing tonight. So, I will take a motion concerning that agenda. Move to approve. Okay, we have a motion and a second to approve the agenda. Any other discussion? All in favor, please say I.

I opposed. And that does carry. All right. Um our first item of discussion is uh per our city charter in an even numbered year we do have to select the vice mayor and the vice mayor in our particular charter is selected by the council. So we won't be making that decision this evening but I do want to just bring that before you that it is an even numbered year. Uh Josh has served as our vice mayor for the last two years and um and has done a very good job and I'm very thankful that you've been here. There have been times when I've needed you to step into my role and you've done that well and I appreciate that. So, um just be aware that we'll need to vote on that selection uh next week when we have our regular meeting where we'll be voting and um I'll you know, however the council wants to uh to decide who that person will be, I will be happy to support. So, um so I'll kind of leave that up to y'all to discuss amongst yourselves how you'd like to move forward with that. So, okay. All right. Good deal. Thank you. All right, our next item under new business, uh, and I'm be calling on Michael Mitchum to come and talk to us about the bids that were received for the 2025 local maintenance improvement grant resurfacing project. And this is money that we do get from the Georgia Department of Transportation. We call it the LMIG grant. And uh, so Michael, you've got the floor. Take it away.

Good evening. For some of you, I'm glad to be here tonight. Uh, last week we had the bid opening for the 2025 Elme resurfacing project. We received a total of six bids with the apparent low bidder being the Scrugs company. They came in at 2,284,362 0. Um, after review, both ourselves over at ESG Inframark and the engineer recommend that we move forward with the apparent load bidder.

Okay. And you can see in your packet just to remind everyone that uh we do cons we do bring in Watkins and Associates uh as the engineer to help with that bid process and uh so that it's very fair and very transparent and um and you can see the letter from Stacy Watkins there recommending the award to Scrugs and the amount there. Um, and that is on a um, Michael, can you kind of go over just very briefly? It's on like a graded scale, is it not? There aspects of how it is selected.

If I remember correctly, it was Robert Civil Engineering that come in and done the asphalt assessment throughout town. Y'all have all seen the links and the videos. We're utilizing that map going through to select streets, and we do still try to spread them out by districts all across town. Uh we've hit a lot of the red and orange areas to where we're getting into the yellow to just continue improving the conditions of the roads around town. And actually, we were discussing it a little while ago. It's almost time to have another assessment done to get an updated list because of all the work that we have done with resurfacing roads with y'all's support and the city. So, exactly. We've gotten a lot of work done around town.

We have thankfully it needed to be done. Yes. And just to let um anyone know that may be watching this on YouTube, if you're curious about your street, you can go to the city website and there is a way to you can just type in uh street assessment in the search and it will take you to that link that will allow you to pull up and look at not just your street but any street within the city of Tiffan and it is graded green, yellow and red. Red obviously being the most important ones and then yellow could wait just a little bit. Green being in good condition. So um there are also different pots of money that we use for paving and for different projects but particularly for paving. Some are um TIA money transportation improvement enhancement transportation enhancement act money. Some is money. So just because you don't hear or see your street on this Elmig list doesn't mean that your street might not be paved. It may just be coming from a different pot of money. So just want to remind people about that. anytime you have a question, you can certainly call any of us or call Jeff, our city manager, and can can confirm that. So, um, any questions, gentlemen, on the selection potentially of of of the recommendation of scrubs for the U Elmik projects for 2026. Y'all good?

It's always a good thing. It is a good thing. All right, Michael, you want to go ahead and go into the 2025 water main improvements as well? Yes. Last week we also had the bid opening for that with six biders also submitting for that after review. The apparent low bidder on that one is KW Underground LLC. Their bid total was $1,200,000 for or $200,451.17. Um after review both ourselves and Stacy again recommend we go with the apparent low bidder on that one as well.

Okay. And that recommendation is in your uh is in your packet here. And um the uh everything is is there for you to review. Are there any questions concerning the um water improvements? Water man improvements. You good? All right. Great. All right. Thank you, Michael. Appreciate your help with that and that report. All right, Jessica, I'm going to turn it back over to you. Um you were going to be talking about the resolution granting the enterprise zone incentives to PAL Holdings doing businesses pork vineyards and um this is not a new process to us. So, um, just let you share that information there.

Um, the information, the applications in y'all's packet, um, Paul, they opened, uh, near the end of last year and they submitted their application seeking some incentives. Um, what they provided, um, we're going to recommend reimbursement for their bu building permit. They did some extensive work. if you haven't been there, it's beautiful and and it's a a good entryway off 82 to our downtown. So, um that was $750. They had a small utilities um cost uh their business license for the first year, reimburse that and they're eligible for the full tax abatement. So, be city tax abatement for 10 years based on the scale. Um, so I prepared this based off the schedule that y'all um allowed us to utilize to award in incentives and I know they'll be appreciative. So,

exactly. And you can see in your packet they have created seven new jobs. So, that's a that's a big plus for our downtown for a small business and the facility is absolutely beautiful. I know that through the Christmas holidays they were quite busy with Christmas parties and special events and everything. So, um, any questions that you guys have, uh, for Jessica concerning the, um, the application process? Okay, I think we're good. All right. Thank you, Jessica. Uh, do you want to go ahead and talk about designating Rhythm and Ribs as a festival? Okay, I'm going to get those dates wrong because it's different this year. Um, rhythm ribs, we we all know it. It they start on Friday, end on Sunday. So, this would allow them to have alcohol on site. Um, our staff has been in that committee working with them. Um, they're seeking to start alcohol sales 12:00 p.m. on Friday. Um, and that's really probably more the setup, not the actual sales. Um, and ending um, Sunday and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. And that's just again that's when everybody should be out and there may be you know people camp there. So, um, the sales are the same and the sales will begin, I think it's at 10:00, 12:00 p.m. till

and that's on Friday and from 9:00 a.m. to 1000 p.m. on and they I don't even think they start that early, but yeah, it allow it allows them to to set up um because all of these uh alcohol vendors additionally have to get a state license. Um so, and you can see in the packet there all of the restrictions within the festival area to make sure they're safe and and doing what they're supposed to do. So that would be

a couple years ago took on the uh responsibility the organizers of selling the wristbands, checking IDs and all of that and they utilize the entire par parcel to as the control zone. Right. All right. Any questions gentlemen on rhythm and rifts for March? All right. Um Jessica, I'm going to ask you to if there's any additional comment on the um public hearing we just heard and then I'm going to ask you about the shortened Paul project. So, um, anything you want to add to the public hearing? No. Songs are okay. Y'all good with any questions? Y'all good?

All right. Um, I know that, u most people are familiar with the, um, acquisition of the Short and Pton property uh, between our city downtown Development Authority and urban redevelopment authority. And we've contracted with the Carl Vincson Institute of Government and University of Georgia to come in and help us facilitate community discussions. So, you want to give us just an overview and kind of those dates that that's going to happen so we can make sure that's on everyone's calendar?

Yes. Um, we met with uh Danny Bivvens is the the lead from Carl Vincson today to go over um the public input sessions and those will start February 17th through the 19th. That's a Tuesday, Wednesday, and a Thursday. Um so, basically two full days, kind of half days. Um and we're planning to meet with the strategic committee that was when we first started this that they would meet with them first. Um some community groups that are already organized that you you know usually we want to pull from their input people from the surrounding communities. We're going to work with getting in touch with local pastors to try to um get lo those neighborhood um individuals also to come. We're planning one public input session. Um Caroline's working on a uh the marketing for that um as we speak and um that's planned for February 17th at 6:00 p.m. So just say those dates. Um there's about 90 people that are signed up for the communication. We've had that going since we brought the property for them to stay um uh involved in that process. And we, you know, from the beginning, we've always wanted to get community input. So, this is kind of the big um the call for those people to to come out and they want to hear from them cuz these are the people that are going to do the plan. You know, all we can do is say, "Hey, this is what we want. This is what we think will work. This is what we'd like to see." And they package that all together, all those ideas together, and um we'll really produce a a a great document that that we can try to try to move things forward. Um, also on the 18th they have a design team. So not just a plan, they'll also give us a design. Um, and those students in that program will come. So there's about 20 students is

what they expect and they'll come and they'll tour the area. Um, listen to the ideas and just do some concept vision um, producing a plan and we might like it, we might not. So we'll have like three choices to to see what um their vision and how they um think the site could be utilized. So that's you know uh also a great thing. But um so the people that have registered for the communication, our plan is there's about six sessions that they could come and talk with the um uh Carl Vincent and we're going to send them a link so they can sign up for maybe a time that you know works best for them. So those people are already engaged and we're just trying to pull them in. Um, and if we don't do sign up, you know, we'll start making some phone calls as we get closer, but we're trying to push that out um late this week and

try to get that going. We're about a month away. So, on our social media, um, Caroline's pushed out a survey.

So, um, if you haven't seen that, go on the social media for the city and fill out that survey because that's going to ask you your ideas and what you think. Is it too late? If someone has not already registered, is it too late to register to be at least on that list getting information? Can they do that through that survey? Okay. So, click on that and and I think there was a place where you could put your name and email and all that. So, if you have people within your districts that you really want to be involved, that you know would be interested, be sure and reach out to them and ask them to to complete that survey and uh and let's get them to the table because I think the more people in the community we have at the table, the better plan will we'll get and it'll be something the community, you know, will support because they've been a part of building it, creating it. So, um anybody that you know, um or if you need Caroline to email you the links, we can do that. any way that anything that we need to do to get people involved to come and and share their ideas to

continue on. This is just kind of their kickoff and to kind of see um get a a grasp on the ideas from the community and then you know really the strategic team that's in place will kind of keep moving that forward. Um and they'll set they'll come and do other surveys and over the next year there'll be other opportunities but this is kind of um the best opportunity at the start. Yeah. So,

yeah, we we will have Carl Vincson, like Jessica said, for a year. So, it's it's a slow process. We want to make sure we do it properly. We do it slowly. We don't rush into something. Want to make sure everybody that wants to be heard has the opportunity to be heard and that all of those ideas are are are put into the pot so that we can can, you know, kind of help steer that. Carl Benson will steer that. And they're very skilled in this. They do this for a lot of communities across the state. And um some of the outcomes of some of their projects are just incredible. So, I'm really excited that we have them at the table and really want to thank um the Rural Prosperity Program for granting us the money to bring Carl Vincent in because that was a big lift for us to get that uh to get that grant from Rural Prosperity and they'll be at the table with us. So, uh so that's exciting. Any any questions of this process of Jessica or any anything you need to know?

Good. Okay. All right. Thank you for that impromptu. I know I put you on the spot to do that kind of last minute, but thank you for sharing that. All right. Uh, moving on to other business. City manager report. Mr. Jeff.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. You have my written report. Uh, outside of that, yesterday I did meet with the county manager to discuss several items of city relevance. Uh, related to tipping fees, water system, and couple of parcels over by community development where there are currently some baseball fields. I think it was a productive meeting that did move us forward and if any council members need any further details, I'm available or if you have any other questions, I'm available.

Perfect. Okay. All right. Um, gentlemen, we are at the point now for mayor and council comments. So, anybody want have anything they'd like to share or talk about? I'm just very grateful and thankful to be serving another four years here. I enjoyed my my first term and I think we made a lot of progress in positive directions. Um so just thank the support that I had this hard hard fall tough campaign this time. But uh but I'll take it. It's just more money for Leanne to spend now. Of course. Thank y'all. Okay, gentlemen. Anything else? No.

Okay. I have nothing else to really add. I think we've got uh we're off to a good start for a good year. I'm glad that Jeff is continuing to show up at work every day. So that's good. And uh there's uh there are many good things to come in 2026. Um looking forward to what this new year brings. I think anytime we have a new year, it's time a good time to sort of reassess. I guess I do have something to say. It's a good time kind of reassess our personal values, our personal goals, and and our relationships and uh and and where we're where we're spending our time and energy and who we're spending our time and energy with. So, um, so just excited about 2026. I think we've got an incredible team here at the city. I'm so proud and so thrilled to be able to work with all of our department heads, all of our employees and our partners and Ryland and ESG and and various ones. So, uh, so uh, it's it's going to be good. And you have somebody you need to introduce.

I I do. Thank you, Madam Mayor, because uh, we do have an addition to the team. Uh, he began with us on December 22nd. I would like to introduce uh to the public and all our planning and zoning administrator Gregory Hines. He comes to us from Florida and a lot of experience. Not the dancer. Not the dancer, but that was the first question I asked him when I met him 10 years ago. Uh but he comes with a lot of experience uh with several cities, high growth and uh very common sense approach. He shares my vision of legitimate way to say yes. Excellent. So, Greg.

All right, Greg. We expect great things. So, no pressure. No pressure. No pressure. Yeah, exactly. All right. Is there any other business or any other comments? Anything else we need to discuss as council? All right. Seeing none, we will adjourn our meeting. We are germs.