City council agrees to hold regular workshops
False information led to the City of Blue Ridge terminating their contract for the purchase of the Highland Baptist Tabernacle property, the Pack property, during a special called meeting Tuesday, May 19.
“We have went around and around trying to find a new location for our city shop because we were told that EPD (Environmental Protection Division) was going to fine us if we did not take care of some water run off issues, and so we have worked on this for a year, year and a half at this point trying to find property,” Councilman Nathan Fitts said.
“We found a piece of property, put a contract on it, started getting questions, said ‘well, we need the paperwork from the EPD showing exactly what kind of property are we going to need.
“I know the mayor has told me several times we were gonna get fined by the EPD, specifically, if we didn’t do this. Well, the bottom line is that none of that is true. We did not, we weren’t gonna get fined by EPD. There is no letter once we talked to the state, and so we don’t need another building or property.”
City Attorney James Balli confirmed that there were no notices from EPD regarding the need of a retention pond for the city shop.
Councilman Mike Panter said that the council should be proactive on the matter, however, as it will need a retention pond eventually.
The council had approved the purchase of the property during their March 10 meeting.
The contract was under a 60 day due diligence period with a final purchase and sale agreement.
Amendments to the charter were made during a February 21 meeting, which include the incorporation of staggered terms and an appointments for vacant seats.
The council unanimously agreed to rescind that amendment.
In other action, council members voted to abandon their 4th Street right of way.
“All the property around it, in that right of way, is developed and built out, so there’s no need for the right of way now. There will never be a street there,” Planning, Zoning and Project Manager Jeff Stewart said.
The area will be divided to those built around it, and they will be required to pay taxes on it.
Additionally, the city is updating their website to be more appealing and accommodating, and the council voted to keep the current logo, which includes the state of Georgia with a star indicating the location of Blue Ridge.
Panter moved to replace himself on the Zoning Board with Mike Hughes which passed.
The council agreed to begin having workshops the first Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m.
A workshop to discuss the charter is to be planned sometime between June 1 and July 31.
Whitener recommend calling Carl Vincent for guidance on charter changes.
A motion was made by Fitts to require all emails by city officials copy each council member in each email to ensure they are not in the dark. The motion passed.
“That way, me sitting here can’t say I didn’t know about something,” Fitts said. “If I was copied on it, it was my fault if I didn’t read it, but us not being copied and communicated with emails that are going back and forth on other things is unacceptable.”
Mayor Donna Whitener opened discussion after the motion was made saying, “You also had, at one point, all of the supervisors sending you reports, and you told them you didn’t want all those emails, and you didn’t have time to read them anymore.”
Fitts denied the claim.
In previous meetings, business owners have come before the council to complain about street performers blocking store fronts and sidewalks.
The council agreed to ban street performers on city sidewalks. Instead, they should set up and perform near the gazebo in the park and must acquire a permit.
A parking space at the end of East Main Street was voted to be blocked off due to it prohibiting fire trucks and other parking spots.
Those wanting water and sewer extensions must pay for their own engineering review fees to the city’s engineer.
The following invoices were approved for payment:
•Keck & Wood invoice number 1337628, $5,333.75, for work involving the Streetscape Project;
•Carter & Sloope invoice number 24224, $5,331.26, for monitoring metals and temperatures at the waste water plant; and
•Carter & Sloope invoice number 24225, $5,132.36, for assisting the Water and Sewer Department with preparing an application for a permit renewal.
In addition, the city agreed to widen Depot Street and hired TRC Hauling & Paving in the amount of $14,179 under the conditions that it be completed within 30 days.
In the event that it cannot be completed, the job will be awarded to Johnson Paving for $16,752.22.
The paving of Bradley Street was awarded to Johnson Paving in the amount of $15,369.50.
The company was also approved to fix the overlay on Industrial Street for $5,500.
Work on adding park spaces to the city’s parking lot was tabled.
The MR Systems Service Agreement was renewed. The system is was the controls the entire water and sewer plant.
Stop bars will be added to the parking spaces along West Main Street to prevent blocking sidewalks.