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Tuesday, February 26, 2019 – 6:30 p.m.
Courthouse, Main Courtroom, 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon, Georgia
Courthouse Doors on East/South Sides open at 6:00 p.m.
Town Hall Meeting at 6:15 p.m.
www.pikecoga.com/novusagenda has a download of the agenda and accompanying information for this meeting.
Commissioners James Jenkins, Tim Guy, Tim Daniel, and Chairman Briar Johnson were in attendance as well as County Attorney Rob Morton, County Clerk Jo Ann Wrye, and County Manager (CM) Bobby Bickley. Commissioner Tommy Powers was not able to attend the meeting due to unforseen circumstances.
1. CALL TO ORDER .................................................................................... Chairman J. Briar Johnson
2. INVOCATION…………………………………………………………………………….…Bart Brock
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ................................................................... Chairman J. Briar Johnson
4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA - (O.C.G A. § 50-14-1 (e) (1))
5. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES - (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e) (2))
a. Minutes of the February 13, 2019 Regular Monthly Meeting.
6. INVITED GUESTS
a. Brooklyne Wassell, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent to introduce herself to the Board.
Brooklyne Wassel is our Ag and Natural Resources Agent. She serves Pike County only and brings information to Pike citizens. Citizens can ask about pecan trees and what weeds are growing in the yard and cattle pastures and laboratory services like soil and well water testing. She can also interpret results to something meaningful. Extension has 3 branches including Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4H and Family and Consumer Science. She said that she is here to serve Pike County.
7. REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONS, DEPARTMENTS, COMMITTEES, AUTHORITIES
a. Monthly Reports submitted from County Departments and County Authorities, including a Revenue/Expenditure Statement for all departments and a summary check register. There are no Department reports as they will be provided during the first Board meeting of March. Revenue/Expenditure Statement and Detail Check Register is included.
b. County Manager Report
Update on County finances for the following funds/accounts:
General Fund ........................................................................................ …$3,616,127.91
Fire Dept. Donations ........................................................................................ $5,935.07
BOC – Jury Account………………………………………………………………$0.00
Cash Reserve Account ........................................................................ ….....$107,311.82
Pike County CD Special Revenue funds………………………………………….$0.00
Jail Fund ........................................................................................................ $31,773.92
E-911 Fund .................................................................................................. $148,137.60
DATE Fund ................................................................................................... $44,693.39
Juvenile Court Fund ....................................................................................... $10,990.13
Residential Impact Fee ................................................................................ $593,085.17
Commercial Impact Fees ............................................................................... $44,001.40
C.A.I.P FUND ............................................................................................. $210,854.66
General Obligation SPLOST Tax Bond Sinking Fund, 2016 .................... ..$697,631.66
L.M.IG. Grant (DOT)……………………………………………………......$1,399.73
c. County Manager Comment
Storage facility is coming along nicely. Probably finished in the next two weeks. Gale has spent a lot of time on this and did a great job.
Community Grant for Hilltop. Still in the works. It is ready to be turned into the state.
Road Department. The culvert replacement in Concord is now completed with the exception of asphalt.
Caldwell Bridge Road was finished up today.
The following is from the County Manager Report of February 18, 2019.
CM Bickley met with Rep. Drew Ferguson and his field rep on Tuesday for lunch. He advised htat the deadline for site selection for the VA facility is September 1, 2019 but gave no further info.
CM Bickley and Public Works Director Todd Goolsby met with a surveyor to discuss the right of way on Nixon Road. The surveyor stated "that in order to get an accurate survey of the right-of-way he would need to survey each parcel along the road from the back line of the property and work his way toward the road. This would mean a lot more than what we would want to pay." CM Bickley advised that he and Todd "decided that it would be just as good, for now, to go in there and clean the road up from ditch to ditch and then gravel. This will also keep us from having to spend anymore money than we have to on the project."
Bobbly and Chief Registrar Lynn Vickers met with Robert Haney (Board of Elections Chair), Pam Releford, and Brenda Dawson (Elections Supervisor) of Upson County to get more information about the Board of Elections. Rep. Ken Pullin has drafted the legislation for Pike County's Joint Board of Elections for presentation in Atlanta in the coming weeks. There was some concern from Rob about the funding of the JBOE and some of that wording has been changed to the following:
(c) The board shall establish an annual budget. The budget shall be approved by Pike County. The board's operational costs, including personnel, shall be paid by Pike County, the Town of Concord, the City of Meansville, the City of Molena, the Town of Williamson, and the City of Zebulon as set forth in an intergovernmental agreement to be entered into among the governing bodies of such political subdivisions."He advised commissioners that he would send out a draft when it was completed.
Bobby met with Jack Hancock, a candidate for the Three Rivers Commission Board. He recommended him for this position.
Bobby and Todd Goolsby met with TJ Imburger of Spalding County Public Works to discuss the work order and cost tracking system that they wanted to learn more about. The system is call Facility Dude that is offered by Dude Solutions. He asked commissioners to google this and said that "It is a very slick program that tracks work orders and jobs as well as the cost associated with each work order/job. I will continue to research this tool and report to you as I find out information. In the meantime please take a look at it for yourself and please ask any questions that you may have."
Bobby met with Chief O'Barr and Gail Garrels to discuss where we are on the Concord Fire Department. The property within the Concord City Limits that the City of Concord is willing to give us may be where the new fire station will need to be located. The Chief and Gail will gather info for a 3 bay fire station within the city limits and Bobby will pass along the info to commissioners for approval when it becomes available.
Public Works
- Resurfacing bad areas on Caldwell bridge road has begun , one more nice day of weather and we will complete.
- After completion of Caldwell Bridge, Public Works will move to resurfacing the portion of Green street where new culvert was installed.
- Public Works has also handled several work orders for City of Williamson, one driveway installation and repairs to a storm drain.
- Todd met with Mayor Strickland concerning some assistance he needs with driveway at Concords water treatment plant on Spring road and materials he needs hauled.
- Recent storms have had trees falling and cleanup is underway with no major issues.
Economic Development
Project Wheelie - Ginny heard from them yesterday, they are out of town this week but they will be reaching out to Ginny beginning of next to set up a time to talk about the lot in the business park
Website - Go live was scheduled for today. However, Ginny had to push that back. She hopes Monday or Tuesday at the latest next week.
Lot 4 closing - everything was completed as of Monday, Ginny reached out to them about a press release and ground breaking ceremony. Click here to read about it.
Gas Line - meeting with K&K on Monday
Strategic planning for the IDA is next Wednesday
End of County Manager Weekly Report.
d. Commissioner Reports
Commissioner Jenkins expressed his appreciation for the phone calls and support over the past couple of weeks.
e. County Attorney Report to Commissioners.
None.
8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None
9. NEW BUSINESS
a. Consider one appointment to the Three Rivers Regional Commission to fill a one-year term, set to expire December 31, 2019. Applicants have met criteria.
Jack Hancock and Patti Morrison. CM Bickley spoke about Jack Hancock's 30 years of experience in serving communities and has owned property here for 10 years and has been here since 2018. He is the county manager’s recommendation. Motion to approve staff’s recommendation. Approved 4-0.
b. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding SE-19-01 – Owner/applicant Ronnie L. “Buddy” Ellis is requesting a Special Exception to have an automotive (motorcycle) repair shop within the overlay district. Property location is at the corner of US 41 and Fire Tower Rd, no mailing address is assigned. Land Lot: 135, District 2, Parcel ID: 086 048A.
Action: Discuss/approve/deny
Planning and Development Director Brad Vaughn advised that this was rezoned in previous meetings. It was AR before and is not C3. This is in the overlay along 341 and is exactly where the county wants this type of development to go. It was rezoned in 2007, reverted in 2013. But everything is complaint and the Planning Commission has approved the overlay pending the final approval. This has been recommended for approval. Per Todd Goolsby’s request, the county is going abandon this part of the road and the business owner will have an opportunity to purchase this part of the road.
IN FAVOR:
Ronnie Ellis - The owner said that he is in favor of this business and wants to do this to support his family.
OPPOSITION: None.
James Jenkins said thank you for coming to Pike County as a business. Tim Daniel spoke to Tommy Powers this afternoon and said that Tommy is glad to see this come to the county. Motion to approve. Approved 4-0.
c. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding SE-19-02 – Owner Bowen Jones and applicant Office of Planning and Development on behalf of the Highland Ranch Subdivision request to allow for agriculture, including the keeping of livestock with a platted residential subdivision (named neighborhood). Property location, 19 different parcels from the parent tract located at the corner of New Hope Rd. and Buffington Rd. Land Lots, 159, 160 and 162, District 2, Parcel ID: 089- 057 & 089-055C.
Action: Discuss/approve/deny
Brad said that this originated from a citizen who was interested in buying a lot there and wanted to buy 2 lots and raise horses. He looked at the subdivision language and found that AR zoning and found that permitted uses for AR zoning and a major subdivision were conflicting as to allowing livestock. To make this a lawful use (all are above 3 acres with the average being about 14 acres) and he made a recommendation to allow a special exception for this through a text amendment. The Board of Appeals approved this last week.
IN FAVOR:
Bowen Jones – The property owner spoke in favor. This was an old cattle ranch and was laid out as mini farms on AR approved property. Clients want to have animals out there and two contracts are pending this decision tonight. They could have put a lot more lots out there than they have, but they chosen to keep this AR with large lots and just asked the commissioners’ favor on this.
County Attorney Rob Morton said this was going to stay AR and the intent has not changed. A text amendment was approved that added language that changed the code. It is our recommendation to approve the special exception to clean up the language from the text amendment at a later time. He recommended the special exception.
Commissioner Tim Daniel asked if other properties are affected by this. Rob said that there may be, but this is the only one caught in this specific dilemma at this time. The special exception will allow them to market and sell these lots at this time, and the county will clean up the language at a later time.
Motion to approve. Approve 4-0.
d. Approve/deny 2018/2019 Budget Amendment Resolution to move $10,000 of Committed Funds to the County Extension Repairs & Maintenance for improvements needed to the County Extension Office.
Rob said that this is from June of 2018. This allows for the bill to be paid now that the work has been done.
Motion to approve. Approve 4-0.
10. PUBLIC COMMENT - None
11. EXECUTIVE SESSION: 7 p.m.
a. County Manager requests Executive Session for discussion or deliberation on the appointment, employment, compensation, hiring, disciplinary action or dismissal, or periodic evaluation or rating of a county officer or employee as provided in O.C.G.A. § 50-14-3(6) germane to personnel in the Administration Office.
Back in session at 7:25 p.m.
In honor of Commissioner Powers, Tim Daniel made the motion to adjourn.
12. ADJOURNMENT: 7:25 p.m.
Agenda subject to revision
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