The Blue Ridge City Council, in a unanimous decision, voted to seek outside counsel regarding the parking agreement with Executive Parking Systems.
Councilwoman Rhonda Haight suggested hiring Jarrad & Davis or the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) to review the agreement during a special called meeting Tuesday, June 15.
Ultimately, members agreed to send all information in relation to the contract to GMA with a request for “clarification” regarding whether or not the service should have gone out for bid.
“We’re gonna send the two contracts. We’re gonna send an audio tape of the parking meetings when it was approved. We’re gonna send the correspondence from our attorney. We’re gonna send the correspondence from Shelli and Zach Wojohn,” Haight said.
Haight said this would cost around $1,500.
In other action, Councilman Mike Panter noted that Councilman Nathan Fitts has not received his state mandated training.
Panter moved to have Fitts recuse himself from all votes until he receives the training, but the motion died for lack of a second.
Four accounts that haven’t been touched in “several years” were moved into the Water & Sewer account. The amounts total $109,326.63.
The water department’s three-year-old excavator will be traded for a new, $20,400 Kubota excavator from Mason Tractor.
Up to $20,000 was approved for a pressure reducing valve near the Ingles area.
Installation of a handrail, fencing and drain wall near Angela DeLorme’s office was approved for $7,560.
Mountain Street thermoplastic crosswalk striping was approved at $5,635, and $9,900 for six fire hydrants was ratified.
A sales order for copying machines for the office was approved for $221 a month.
Mayor Donna Whitener did not attend the meeting, but participated via phone call.