Issues arose between City of Blue Ridge council members almost immediately after calling their Tuesday, August 11, meeting to order.
Councilwoman Rhonda Haight asked if the agenda needed amended prior to starting the meeting, to which Mayor Donna Whitener agreed.
The council ended up removing three items, Chamber of Commerce Contract for Hotel/Motel Taxes, Leaf Blowing/City Drains Policy and Hampton Square Parking Contract, and adding an executive session for personnel, which passed unanimously after Councilman Nathan Fitts made the motion.
Whitener specified that the Leaf Blowing/City Drains Policy needed tabled because they “found that’s already in an ordinance that we can manage that.”
However, when the item came up later in the meeting, Whitener reminded members that it had been removed.
Haight responded saying, “By the way, I didn’t remove that. I don’t know who did, so the next time I put something on the agenda let’s not remove it unless I approve it if I put it on please.”
Fitts agreed with the statement.
Whitener reminded Haight that they removed it while amending the agenda at the beginning of the session, and Haight said she had planned to add some points to the existing policy.
Haight was having technical difficulties with the ZOOM platform while the amendment was
taking place, however.
A disagreement later ensued among talk of incorporating temperature detection units at the city hall, workshop and police department.
The cost would be $9,145, which would be covered by GEMA, Whitener said.
Although, FEMA would not commit to covering the cost via email.
“My question is we’ve got these units that we’re gonna have for testing, and we’re not even open (to the public) to use ‘em?” Fitts said.
Haight agreed with that point.
Whitener explained that the employees can use them, and it is beneficial to help with high-risk employees.
Fitts said, “To my knowledge, we only have one that’s high risk, so we’re revolving the entire city hall around one, around one person?”
Whitener refuted saying there are multiple employees who are high-risk and some who have high-risk family members.
Fitts explained that he cannot get behind spending almost $10,000 of taxpayer money for this without a guarantee of being reimbursed.
Whitener added that the city will receive $77,000 through the CARES Act, and Haight suggested coming up with a plan on how and where that money should be spent rather than “wasting it.”
Fitts agreed and added that they need to come up with a plan for re-opening the city hall to the public.
Haight moved to table the item, which was approved.
During discussion, Whitener explained the importance of responding to the 2020 Census in order to receive state funding.
Later, Whitener suggested adding a fire safety inspector.
Panter agreed, adding that the inspector could help with business licenses as well as other tasks.
As to who has currently been completing the inspections, Whitener said the state does a portion, along with a third party and Planning, Zoning and Project Manager Jeff Stewart has as well.
She revealed that Stewart is not “a fire expert.”
“So are you telling us you’ve had somebody not qualified doing ‘em?” Fitts asked.
Whitener said, “(Fannin County Fire Chief) Larry Thomas does anything we need with fire,” but thinks the city needs “to do more.”
“I mean, to me, we’ve got much of many other things in the city we need to do that you wouldn’t support, and it’s only ‘cause you, I think you, this is your agenda item,” Fitts said.
He continued, “You, all of a sudden, you want to do it, to me, this is the least of our worries if we have somebody already doing it, and you as the administrator should’ve already made sure we had somebody qualified doing this if you thought it was that important. You’ve been in office 11 years.”
Adding to his point, Fitts said other issues have been neglected that need to be addressed prior to adding another inspector, specifically noting the eight years of delinquent taxes owed to the city.
“Nathan, we are not here to listen to you argue,” Whitener said. “Things are pretty good in Blue Ridge.”
Arguing continued until Panter moved to go into executive session.