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Tuesday, August 28, 2018 – 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. This includes items listed on the agenda such as the Medical First Reponse License and the property being decided on Bottoms Road. Monthly information from Animal Control, Coroner, Fire Department, Grady, Library, Magistrate Court, McIntosh Trail CSB, Planning & Development, Registrar, Superior - Juvenile Court, Tax Assessor, and the Water Authority are included as well.
All five commissioners were present along with County Clerk Jo Ann Wrye, Interim County Manager and County Attorney Rob Morton and Planning and Zoning Director Brad Vaughn.
1. CALL TO ORDER………………………………………………………..Chairman J. Briar Johnson
2. INVOCATION…………………………………………………………………………..Frank Winfrey
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 August 8, 2018 Regular Monthly Meeting.
b. Minutes of the August 21, 2018 Special Called Meeting.
c. Minutes of the August 22, 2018 Special Called Meeting.
Approved minutes for all three meetings in one motion. Motion to approve all three. Approved 5-0.
6. INVITED GUESTS
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 September. Revenue/Expenditure Statement and Detail Check Register is included.
b. County Manager Report
Discussion. James Jenkins asked about the cost and return on the fireworks. Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.
Update on County finances for the following funds/accounts:
General Fund ............................................................................................... $418,700.80
Fire Dept. Donations ........................................................................................ $4,691.37
BOC – Jury Account………………………………………………………………$0.00
Cash Reserve Account .......................................................................... …...$507,046.19
Pike County CD Special Revenue funds………………………………………….$0.00
Jail Fund ..................................................................................................... ..$ 23,864.05
E-911 Fund ...................................................................................................... $2,409.63
DATE Fund ................................................................................................... $49,052.59
Juvenile Court Fund ....................................................................................... $12,935.96
Residential Impact Fee ................................................................................ $554,797.93
Commercial Impact Fees ............................................................................... $43,957.07
C.A.I.P FUND ............................................................................................. $295,434.25
General Obligation SPLOST Tax Bond Sinking Fund, 2011 .......................... $1,488.18
L.M.I. Grant (DOT) ..................................................................................... $540,968.45
c. County Manager Comment
Rob Morton said that he has gone through the records with Kay Landers in preparation for this meeting so he could be prepared for tonight’s meeting.
He has provided some handouts. The millage rate has been extended to October 1. There may be three meetings. September 12 and September 19. He has provided options for the commissioners to study and ask questions. There are three options. He identified some line items that we could anticipate growth.
Click here to download a copy of the 2018 Millage Rate Documentation.
Click here to download a copy of the 2017 Millage Rate Documentation.
Click here to download a copy of the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Budget Resolution and Supporting Documentation.
Click here to download a copy of the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Budget Resolution and Supporting Documentation.
[Note from the Editor: Thank you to Interim CM Rob Morton for providing the above documentation per my request and ensuring that I received the following notice from the Board of Commissioners that advises the public of its intent to increase the 2018 property taxes.]
Beginning of press release.
The Pike County Board of Commissioners today announces its intention to increase the 2018 property taxes it will levy this year by 4.12 percentage over the rollback millage rate.
Each year, the board of tax assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.
When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that the rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.
The budget tentatively adopted by the Pike County Board of Commissioners requires that a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate, therefore, before the Pike County Board of Commissioners may finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the Pike County Courthouse Courtroom, 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon, GA 30295 on September 12, 2018 at 9:00am and 6:00 pm and on September 19, 2018 at 9:00 am.
End of press release.
The fuel system upgrades are necessary and upcoming.
He had some meetings this week. One with Rep. Johnnie Caldwell. We have received a letter about funding for the Ag Center at Chestnut Oak that is less than the funding that was originally indicated. This will receive follow up.
ADDED 8.30.18: [Note from the Editor: This is from the August 18, 2018 Ag Authority Newsletter... "Chestnut Oak Update. The Agribusiness Authority has received a grant for $150,000 to put towards our covered arena. We are currently working with the county and state to secure another $150,000 in funds and start progress towards a breaking ground date for the facility. This facility will be a huge asset to agriculture in pike county as well as the community with its many uses. We have plans to host rodeos, livestock shows, cattle field days, and much more!]
There is a couple of individuals who will be going on active military duty.
A Hazard Mitigation meeting will be held on October 5 at 9 a.m. This will update the plan. The Tax Commissioner’s Office requires some upgrades. There are some distributions in the administrative office that are being addressed as well.
Todd and Brandon have given updates to where the crews are and what is going on.
[Note from the Editor: The following is from Interim CM Rob Morton's weekly report to commissioners from August 10, 2018.]
Rob advised that he had met with almost every department head and Constitutional Officer as well as city officials in preparation for past CM John Hanson's departure. He also advised that he had met with each applicant for County Manager up to that point and confirmed that each was still interested in the position. Relocation to Pike County was also discussed though a couple of applicants might be close enough that relocation may not be required by the Commission. (Interviews have been ongoing in the Special Called Meetings that were approved earlier in the meeting.)
Ground was broken on the new storage/office facility near Public Works during the week and Brandon and his crew are finishing up the Sheriff's training center.
There was damage from the recent storm that resulted in insurance approvals for remediation. Impacted areas included the Courthouse, Public Works, the Senior Center, and the Water and Sewerage building. He advised that there may be some wifi issues at the administrative offices as well. But the biggest issue was damage done to the elevator system for inmates. The damage will be covered by insurance minus the $1,000 deductible, but it may cost around $10,000 to repair the elevator and computer/security systems.
Discussion is ongoing about evacuation/emergency exit plans for the courthouse. The Sheriff's Office is in charge of security at the Courthouse.
Public Works is currently scraping dirt roads in the Meansville area and will be wrapping up repairs to Rosecliff Road off of Durham Road where it was washed out. The mowers were in the area of Caldwell and Gresham as Weems and Kings Road at that time. Mowing was ongoing on dirt roads in the Molena area along with mowing and trimming of low hanging limbs. Dirt road mowing was also taking place on Campbell and Dukes Roads. A paving crew was a Whitfield walk and a ditching/piping crew was on Plantation Road cleaning ditches. Grading had begun for the new administrative records storage building and offices by Public Works, but recent rains have affected that schedule. [End of report.]
[Note from the Editor: The following is from the August 18, 2018 County Manager Report.]
We received the $468,000 in LMIG funds and will begin working on resurfacing County Farm Road, Buchanan Road, Hemphill Road and the paved portion of River Road. This should be completed by December. One of the roads on the resurfacing plan will need to be deferred until additional revenues are received from tax collections (which, according to this report) is consistent with what commissioners have been advised previously. [End of Report.]
d. Commissioner Reports
Commissioner Tim Daniel said that he there are a few more for applications but he is ready to get the process over with for County Manager. No other comments.
e. County Attorney Report to Commissioners.
We did receive information involving a claim involving water lines but that pertains to the Water and Sewer Authority and not the county.
8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
9. NEW BUSINESS
a. Consider use of Courthouse Grounds requested by Dwain Penn of New Hebron Baptist Church for Pike County bible Reading Event on Monday, September 10, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 11, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, September 12, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Event will take place on the south porch and immediate area.
It has been reviewed and this event took place last year as well. It was recommended for approval. Motion to approve. Commissioner Tim Daniel said that this was around the same time as September 11th and did not interfere with that? No. Approved 5-0.
b. Approve/deny resolution to transfer $30,000 from Committed Fund Balance Reserves to Public Works Capital Outlay.
Rob said that this $30,000 was identified from Capital Outlay to Public Works to replace the fuel system there. It was discussed earlier this year and a bandaid was put on the system, but the bandaid has come off and it needs to be replaced. It’s $31,000 and some change. Extra will be covered from Public Works and this is similar to the original quote. This is the software system and the pumping system and not the actual tanks. Motion to transfer the funds. Discussion: It includes 2 dispensers and island, the fobs with the system, the software system and set up along with hoses and miscellaneous equipment. This is simply a problem with the current equipment so we are going with the current provider to fix the problem. [Note from the Editor: According to the weekly County Manager Report from August 18, 2018... The fuel system has crashed again after the crash that was repaired from this spring. There are "unquantifiable losses" to the the county when the system crashes. "Pursuant to our financial policies, we can make emergency purchases 'when faced with the loss of an essential governmental service', which is certainly the case with the loss of the county's fuel system." Payment options include deferred billing or 3 installments. The initial upgrade was for $30,255.00. ] Approved 5-0.
c. Approve/deny 9-1-1 Resolution for 9-1-1- charges on prepaid wireless services.
Morton advised that 9c and d are similar and just need to be updated per the law related to charges so these charges have been updates. [Note from the Editor: These are the charges that we see on our cell phone and regular phone bills for E911.] Motion to approve 1st Reading. Approved 5-0.
d. Approve/deny 9-1-1 Resolution for 9-1-1 charges on telephone services and wireless enhanced 9-1-1 charges other than prepaid wireless service.
Motion to approve 1st Reading. Approved 5-0.
e. Discussion of Registrar’s Office.
Recommendation to appoint Lynn Vickers as Chief Registrar and Jo Ann Wrye and Patricia Maxedon as Deputy Registrars. This is required with Chief Registrar Sandi Chamblin’s retirement (this is her last week). Typically the Grand Jury makes these appointments, but since the Grand Jury is not meeting right now, Judge Chris Edwards will make the appointments. He noted that we are fulfilling the requirements of the law by designating three registrars with one of those being the Chief Registrar. This is within our budget. Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.
10. PUBLIC COMMENT- (Limited to 5 minutes per person) - None
11. EXECUTIVE SESSION: None
12. ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn 6:49 p.m.
Agenda subject to revision.
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