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Wednesday, April 12, 2023 – 9:00 a.m.
Courthouse, Main Courtroom, 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon, Georgia
Town Hall Meeting at 8:45 a.m.
Click here to see the documents that have been uploaded with the agenda on the Pike County government page.
BREAKING NEWS: Pike County Commission Votes to Acquire Property and Names Proposed Members of Appeals Board (Dated 4.12.23 by Editor Becky Watts)
ZEBULON - After meeting in Executive Session for an hour, the Board of Commissioners exited and voted on two items that had been discussed behind closed doors.
The first was acquisition of real estate. Commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with the purchase of approximately 238 acres in Zebulon for the amount of 3 million dollars.
Pike County Times asked after the meeting, “Three million dollars. Where is it coming from and what is it for?” County Attorney Rob Morton advised, “It is for future growth and the financing component is being researched.”
[Note from the Editor: Morton advised that this is the old King Farm between Hwy 18 and County Farm Road behind the City Sewer Pond and the Bus Barn. This is for parcel numbers 067008, 66005, and 06605ZZ if anyone wants to look it up.]
Commissioners also identified and unanimously voted for proposed members to serve on the Appeals Committee to hear a grievance in the county. Teri Totten, Rufus Clemmons, and Rob Weaver were named for the 3 person committee with Michael Smith and Keith Ford being named as alternatives if necessary.
[Note from the Editor: The employee and person that the grievance was placed against was not said on the record in the meeting. However, Pike County Times has obtained documentation through open records and is able to say that this is the grievance placed against County Manager Brandon Rogers by Pike County Department Head and Library Manager Rosemary Bunn of the J. Joel Edwards Library. (Pike County Times is not covering the information obtained through open records regarding the incidents that led up to this grievance being filed other than what has been previously reported in order to ensure that Appeals Board hears the information for the first time as it is presented to them in this hearing.) Library Board Chairman Anthony Vinson spoke in the Town Hall Session prior to the beginning the Commission meeting and did not mention the grievance specifically. However, he did say, "We (members of the Library Board) are committed to supporting our library manager who we also believe to be under attack by the county manager." He handed out "Save Our Library" buttons to library supporters that went along with his plea for the commissioners to help save the library from the overreach of County Manager Brandon Rogers who Vinson said does not value the library. Pike County Times will be including his comments verbatim along with the write up of today's meeting.]
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Town Hall Meeting
[Note from the Editor: This is held 15 minutes prior to every meeting where anyone can speak to commissioners without getting permission to be on the agenda; however, these comments are not part of the official record because this is prior to the start of the official county commission meeting.]
Chairman of the J. Joel Edwards Library Board Anthony Vinson handed out "Save Our Library" buttons to library supporters that went along with his plea for the commissioners to help save the library from the overreach of County Manager Brandon Rogers who Vinson said does not value the library. These are his words from the Town Hall.
When I was appointed to the library board five years ago things were in turmoil. The board was divided into factions and the fighting was fierce. At my first meeting, I wondered what I’d gotten myself into. But things settled down. A couple of members walked out, a new chairperson was elected – Gillian Appleton was her name – and under her leadership and the advisement of the county attorney we began operating under a Memorandum of Understanding, an MOU, signed by the three parties involved: the library board, the board of commissioners, and the FRRLS. For four years now we have operated seamlessly and smoothly with no end of calm seas in sight. Until the arrival of the good ship Brandon Rogers.
When Brandon first raised the idea of taking greater control of the library budget about a year ago, I asked him why. Are there improprieties? I asked. No, he replied. Are there discrepancies? No. Are there irregularities? No. Are there concerns? No. Then why do you want to violate the letter and spirit of the MOU and take greater control of the library budget? Because we can help, he said. Help? Reminded me of Ronald Reagan when he said, “The top 9 most terrifying words in the English Language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.”
Turns out the only person Brandon was helping was himself. You see, Brandon does not value the library. How do I know this? Because he told me. Well, to be honest, he didn’t tell me directly. You see, on two occasions I’ve asked Brandon if he values the library and both times he equivocated, refusing to say either yes or no and instead dancing around the question.
Brandon has suggested that we sever our relationship with FRRLS. He has also suggested that the board of commissioners directly run the library, even to the point of determining which materials are considered proper for shelving and circulation. He says that he wants us to, and I quote, “Expand our minds.” He insists that we can – and again I quote - “be more” if we operate independently, to which we reply, no we cannot. We cannot do any better than partnering with FRRLS, which gives us access to a veritable smorgasbord of goods and services that far exceed the yearly investment we make.
I repeatedly asked Brandon not to violate the MOU, pointing out that there was no valid reason. He replied that perhaps it was time to rewrite the MOU and almost immediately petitioned the commissioners to do just that. Rewrite the MOU giving him greater control of library operations. When he appeared at our March meeting, Brandon was cautioned by the library board not to violate the MOU without cause, but he didn’t listen and did so anyway.
Some might argue that this is his prerogative as county manager, but we would argue otherwise. We would argue that since the MOU is a tripartite agreement that only the board of commissioners, the FRRLS, and the library board can agree to rewrite it, and even then the three parties must agree to and sign it. And please note that the county manager is not one of the signatories. Also allow me to point out that should we sever our relationship with FRRLS, we would be the only county in the state without a proper, state-supported, fully functional full-service library. Surely that is not a distinction to which we aspire.
Gentlemen, Brandon has an agenda. He clearly wishes to take greater control of the library. To what end we cannot say, but he has consistently demonstrated this desire in word and deed, and his decision to violate the current MOU against the advice of the library board is submitted as evidence.
Gentlemen, please help us Save Our Library. We believe it to be under attack. The county manager knows nothing about the proper operation of a public library. We do. The board, six members of which were appointed by you and serve at your pleasure, are committed to maintaining the integrity of our library and its operation and ensuring that it remains open and its full range of services available to the hundreds of patrons we serve each month. We are committed to supporting our library manager who we also believe to be under attack by the county manager.
I have gone to the trouble of commissioning buttons bearing the phrase Save Our Library. It is my intention to distribute them around the county advising anyone wishing to know more to call the county manager, their county commissioner, or both.
All five commissioners were present along with County Clerk Angela Blount, County Manager (CM) Brandon Rogers, and County Attorney Rob Morton.
[Note from the Editor: I will continue adding to this meeting until it is complete.]
1. CALL TO ORDER....... Chairman J. Briar Johnson
2. INVOCATION ....... Jonah Thompson
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 March 28, 2023, Regular Monthly Meeting.
b. Minutes of the March 28, 2023, Executive Session.
6. INVITED GUEST - NONE
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.
Discuss/Approve/Deny
b. County Manager Report
Update on County finances for the following funds/accounts:
General Fund ....... $5,240,687.37
Fire Dept. Donations ....... $7,721.24
Cash Reserve Account ....... $467,582.54
Jail Fund ....... $29,825.12
E-911 Fund ....... $534,234.62
DATE Fund ....... $39,165.82
Juvenile Court Fund ....... $13,901.41
Residential Impact Fee ....... $1,034,618.09
Commercial Impact Fees ....... $166,248.03
C.A.I.P FUND ....... ($12,524.54)
General Obligation SPLOST 2022-2028 ....... $806,334.67
L.M.I.G. Grant (DOT) ....... $721,815.85
c. County Manager Comment
The House just wrapped up their recent session. Concerning issue. HB 189. Allows increased truck weight. This could be a big effect to us. Could damage our roadways and affect the Public Works budget. 10 trucks on Reidsboro Road in a 30 minute time period. Need to be addressed. Maybe partner with the Sheriff’s Office or the DOT or Code Enforcement to enforce No Thru Trucks. We spend too much money on our road for this.
Brooklyne Wassel had her baby girl over Easter. Kim from Fayetteville will be over once a week for the next 6 weeks until Brooklyne comes back from maternity leave.
d. Commissioner Reports
Chairman Johnson thanked the departments for doing their reports. We read them, we appreciate them. It shows how much these departments do throughout the month.
e. County Attorney Report to Commissioners: None
8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Discussion of Animal Shelter.Animal Shelter. CM Rogers said that he got a phone call on Monday with a lady off of Arthur Road with a dog that was abandoned. Said that the dog was aggressive and called Animal Control. She was upset because our hands were tied. By state law and our ordinances, it did not meet the definition to be picked up. He thought it sounded like a dangerous situation, but our AC hands are tied per our ordinances until it becomes more of a situation. We need to look at closing the gap on this. It’s an opportunity to think more on options for this. Tim Daniel. He has still not seen the ordinance that the Animal Control Committee drafted. Chairman Johnson said that he hopes we are close to some type of decision. Daniel. Asking about animal control everywhere he goes. The old-timers- we don’t need it. The others- why don’t we have it? It’s almost 50-50. He would like to see that ordinance sooner rather than later.
Rogers. During the process, he was trying to find a county that resembles us. Morgan County. Budget and population are similar. Different infrastructure. They have an animal shelter that runs about $330,00 a year. This goes back to how strict or lenient we go on that ordinance. Even the adoptable animals are hard to give away.
Daniel. Email on this today with funds needed. We can’t keep kicking it down the road. Johnson. We have a difficult decision to make. When he reads Tanya’s reports and listen to the community, we need to make a decision. Daniel. County Attorney sent out the ordinance again. It was sent out in February, but he resent it again today.
b. Discussion of Impact Fee Credits.
Turner’s Impact Fee credits. Denial from last meeting. (GET THIS) You didn’t get to see and agree to this prior to the construction of the infrastructure. The ordinance puts this on the administrator of Impact Fees which is the county manager. Asking for history on this to make sure that this wasn’t an incorrect decision. If not, going to move forward. No one was in disagreement. Proctor-If you issue a credit, it can’t be over the amount that would have been given.
9. NEW BUSINESS
a. Discussion of Employee Appreciation Day.
Rogers. The Clerk has been working on this. Went out to the Rec Fields as an option. Possibility of cooking and catering it ourselves. This could cut costs down by about $1,000. Also looked at local farms for hamburger meat, etc. Freshway and Food Depot as well. We could save a lot by doing this if the Board members are good with this. Cost from catering was about $10 a person.
Chairman Johnson. About $10 a head in the past. We all have full-time jobs so it was hard last time. We will set up contingencies in case y’all can’t make it. We are not appreciating certain employees if the commissioners are busy. Proctor asked about the pool hall. Rogers said that size was an issue. The Rec Building holds about 80 people and could be good in case of bad weather. Johnson still concerned about commissioners showing up to help. Utilizing our local farms is a good idea. Rogers. Looking at May 12 if the commissioners are available.
b. Open sealed bids for Lawn Maintenance.
Lawn Maintenance. Asked for 2 separate packets. Qualifications and pricing. Building and Grounds Director Ken Laulemier. Scored these. [Note from the Editor: I have no idea what this is and why we are spending extra time walking through another process to have a 3.0, 3.1, etc. Especially with everyone being about the same with qualifications.]
Flint River Landscaping - $48,500. Current company. What we are paying now. They do an excellent job.
Thomas Outdoor - $6,000 a month. $72,000 a year.
Sweatmon - $64,719.
Trying to run July to June from here on out. Flint River Landscaping is Rogers’ recommendation. Motion to stay with Flint River. Approved 5-0.
c. Open sealed bids for Transfer Station.
Transfer Station. Rogers and Public Works Goolsby. (Score Card for this too.)
Express Sanitation. 3.27 score card. $60,000 annually to help with Worker’s Comp.
Amwaste. Current provider for past 2 years. 3.21 score card. Return $24,000 in leiu of payment to the county. Will pay $10,000 per year to the county.
Tipping floor to dump trash. Upgrade. They paid for it. New gate was paid for by them. Lease payment for backhoe was going off. They purchased that backhoe from us. Paying them $24,000 a year annually that helps us with county dumpsters if needed for Public Works.
Rogers. One of the reasons that we did this, there have been some complaints about the Transfer Station in the past, but there are some things that we need work out. Asked for credit cards versus cash out there. At this time, they do not accept cash. $5 minimum. Credit card is a constant complaint.
Proposing to pay us $10,000. Express asks us to pay $60,000 per year. $66,000 recommended on the budget. We left everything the same in the budget. $24,000 of that is for Amwaste. Johnson. 10 years ago, we were paying nothing. Motion to continue with Amwaste. Approved 5-0.
d. Open sealed bids for Information Technology Services.
. Information Technology Services. Wired took over after purchasing Britain Turner’s company. Filled out a sheet for 2.54. Monthly price $10,600 for 24/7 monitoring and management. Servers are $150 a month. Total of $11,350 a month which is our current rate. We have made a lot of progress over the past 2 years. All departments can get immediate help if needed. They walk around and ask if departments around them need anything if they are at a county office. Recommends staying with them. Motion to stay with Wired. Approved 5-0.
More discussion about Amwaste. Johnson. We’ve been paying Amwaste $24,000 a year for the past 5 years. Agreement to pay them was made before Amwaste came in. There is a gentleman out there who was working them.
e. County Manager to present the FY 2023-2024 Budget to the Board of Commissioners.
The links to the proposed 2023-24 budget (87 pages) can be found by clicking here and the proposed budget summary sheet can be found by clicking clicking here.
Only budget not currently balanced is the General fund. Needs BOC help on Animal Control because that will affect the budget. A decision on Animal Control. The IDA has no budget because they are part of the millage rate. Need to get that MOU completed. Recreation Board. Debt services. They are working to get some combined debt services to reduce their budget. Fire Department. Well over $1 million. Moving forward but scaled it back. Saturday and Sunday duty. 7 days a week, 365 days a year will have 12 hours a day. E911 Molena and Zebulon. 6 month period. Their budgets start in January. Revenue is in the budget. Insurance. McGriff thinks that increase will be a single digit only. Maybe 8% only. COLA’s and retirements. All of that is included with a 4% increase.
A million short in revenues right now. It may not be able to stay if we keep the millage rate the same. Reassessment on properties. About $450,000 increase in the digest last year. Probably see that again this year. It will make up for some of the shortfalls, but a little over $1 million short in revenue. A lot of departments are not happy because cut down their budgets.
Agribusiness. The revenue is in this year’s budget. The budget did not change but $400,00 is for the building that we have revenue for.
Motion to receive the proposed budget. Approved 5-0.
10. PUBLIC COMMENT - NONE
11. EXECUTIVE SESSION: 9:52 a.m.
a. County Manager Brandon Rogers requests an Executive Session to discuss the possible acquisition of real property pursuant to O.C.G.A. 50-14-3 (b)(1).
b. County Attorney Rob Morton request Executive Session for consultation with the county attorney, or other legal counsel, to discuss pending or potential litigation, settlement, claims, administrative proceedings, or other judicial actions brought or to be brought by or against the county or any officer or employee or in which the county or any officer or employee may be directly involved as provided in O.C.G.A. § 50-14-2(1).
[Note from the Editor: On March 15, 2023, a written Grievance was placed against CM Rogers for a hostile work environment with the county by a department head (not elected) in our county. I am hoping that this discussion is getting the Grievance Committee process started. I also hope the county protects itself by ensuring that CM Brandon Rogers is not involved in ANY part of this process.]
Back in session at 10:55 a.m.
Acquisition of real estate. Purchase of 238 Bakers More West. 067-008, 005, 05ZZ. For $3 million.
Motion to identify persons to serve on the Appeals Committee for grievance.
Teri Totten, Rob Weaver, and Rufus Clemmons. Michael Smith, and Keith Ford as alternatives if necessary. Approved 5-0.
Motion to adjourn. 10:57 a.m.
12. ADJOURNMENT
Agenda subject to change.
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