The City of Blue Ridge, in their regular monthly meeting October 8, took action on the 2019 Proposed millage rate, the 2020 budget, an ordinance, road abandonments, purchasing approvals and personnel.
The council held the third and final public hearing on the 2019 millage rate as well as held the second reading and adoption of the millage rate ordinance. The four council members all voted in favor of the ordinance.
All council members also voted yes to approve the 2020 budget resolution after holding the second and final public hearing. The first reading was held of the Broadband Ready Community Ordinance. City Attorney James Balli said the Department of Community Affairs is asking all Georgia jurisdictions to adopt a form ordinance to help facilitate an implementation of broadband services. “So they can be ready for that service to come and be ready for grants and funding.”
The city issued certificates of abandonment for a portion of Church Street and a portion of East Main Street. The city had not maintained or used the roadways for city or public purposes, and residents living on either side of the unmaintained roadways had been using them as driveways. The property now becomes taxable land and will be maintained by the applicable home owners.
A Mountain Communications Inc. invoice in the amount of $18,860 was approved to purchase radios and communication equipment for law enforcement/911 dispatch.
Councilwoman Robbie Cornelius was the sole vote against approving up to $15,000, to come from Hotel/Motel, for Light Up Blue Ridge. “That’s a lot of money,” she said.
The group approved placing an antenna on the Hardscrabble tank, which will help run the software program to read water meters, for $16,500. The total cost is $51,000 but GEFA (Georgia Environmental Finance Authority) pays for the remainder.
A task release for Carter and Sloope, up to $15,000, to camera a sewer line over a mile long, in the area of McKinney Street, along an old railroad track was approved.
The vote to approve a propane contract with Fort Mountain at the last meeting was rescinded because the company wanted to enforce a contract that could not be changed and that had a jurisdiction of Kentucky. The council agreed they didn’t need a contract because the city owns the tanks.
A 2020 F350 4x4 truck costing $46,688 from North Georgia Ford for use in the Water Department was approved by the group.
Deteriorating retaining walls were discussed as well. An expanse running on East Main Street from McKinney Street to Chastain Street is likely to need completely replaced while other areas are expected to be small batch jobs. The funds are expected to come from SPLOST funds. No action was taken.
After an executive session, the group moved to give Mark Clemmons a $1 raise starting this pay period. They also transitioned Sandra Bramlett from a part-time employee to a full-time employee.
In public commentary, Blue Ridge United Methodist Church Pastor Jay Hughes spoke about the church’s move out of downtown. He said the church was taking their computerized bell system with them but that the First Baptist Church now had a bell system, so downtown would not be without the iconic sound of bells drifting over the city streets.
Hughes added that the old building was built in 1955 and was very “non-handicapped accessible.” The building had also developed a termite problem. Additionally, he said the Methodist Church owns the local Methodist church buildings and that their move had been in the works since 2008 - 2009. The Church bought the property on Orvin Lance Drive in 2013. He said, “I was essentially brought here to do this.”
Cesar Martinez provided an update about the DDA and the Business Association. He said the DDA was working on a master plan and had finalized the parking contract with Executive Parking Systems. Martinez also said the Business Association would be holding the annual Safe Zone on Halloween, Thursday, October 31, 5:30 to 7 p.m., rain or shine.