Extra eyes will be on all who enter downtown Blue Ridge as the council approve three extra security cameras be mounted during a Tuesday, February 9, meeting.
As a result of reported vandalism and theft downtown, Councilwoman Rhonda Haight suggested incorporating security cameras around the area. A quote from Blue Ridge Surveillance in the amount of $5,921 was approved. This price includes three additional cameras with night vision and license plate readers among other equipment.
The city will also be responsible for providing power to the cameras and high-speed internet for remote access, playback and more features.
An addendum has been created for the Parking Management Agreement between the city and Executive Parking Systems, owned by Zach Wojohn, and has since been signed by Downtown Development Authority Chairman Cesar Martinez. Haight later alleged that Martinez is in violation of the charter for signing the contract; therefore, the contract is invalid.
Panter sought out Wojohn in order to negotiate terms of the agreement to appease concerns over Wojohn’s purchase of Mayor Donna Whitener’s parking lot.
The addendum allocates a 5% net of the company’s earnings back to a city project, which the council would assign the funds to.
Councilman Nathan Fitts said, “Well I’d just like to state that, um, your recommendation is a violation of the state law 36-60-15.1, that you can’t do that. Leases and contracts with private persons for operations and maintenance of waste water treatment plants, sewer plants, parking, anything like that must be put out for bid.”
Haight agreed with Fitts’ notion, and Panter and Whitener recommended having City Attorney James Balli review the addendum. The council agreed unanimously to send the addendum to Balli for review.
The city unanimously tabled the idea to expand and remodel the downtown bathrooms by the depot after Fitts pointed out there are no drawings for the project. The official motion stated to approve the project pending Fitts’ coming up with the drawings.
When considering expanding the downtown restrooms, Panter suggested the city examine what they can do themselves versus bidding the project out entirely. The men’s bathroom would be expanded to five urinals, one toilet with two sinks; the women’s bathroom would be expanded to five toilets and two sinks. He said this project could take four to six weeks.
Mullin’s Utility was the bid winner to contract taps for the Water and Sewer Department, and the bid was approved for contract and must begin March 1.
The city will still supply materials, however, and customers will pay Mullin’s Utility for labor and clean up, and they will pay the city for the tap application fee, materials and handling, deposit and connection fees and surcharges, which were all charged previously.
Last month, the council approved a new police car, and this time, they approved $5,441 for the car’s equipment; however, Fitts moved to allot up to $7,000 in order to outfit and letter the vehicle.
A change order for the Ada Street water main was introduced and approved as a result of “hiring out a directional bore around two large trees due to a portion of those trees not being in the right-of-way,” Fitts said. The change order was approved for an increase of up to $5,000.
A dump truck accident many months ago resulted in the loss of a caution light at the intersection beside Lance Trucking, and since, the truck’s insurance has payed for the replacement, which costs $6,150. The city approved the replacement.
The 2021 Election Ordinance was adopted after a second reading. First readings for the Garbage Ordinance and Short-Term Rental Ordinance were performed.
The Garbage Ordinance requires garbage to be picked up daily, Monday through Friday, from commercial premises.
The Short-Term Rental Ordinance removes the Special Land Use Permit provisions, which was for allowing short-term rentals