1/4/2022 BOC Regular Session Minutes
GORDON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
JANUARY 4, 2022
The Gordon County Board of Commissioners held their Regular Meeting on January 4, 2022 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the main courtroom of the Gordon County Courthouse.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Becky Hood, Chairman
Chad Steward, Vice Chairman
M. L. Bud Owens, Commissioner
Kevin Cunningham, Commissioner
Bruce Potts, Commissioner
OTHERS PRESENT
Jim Ledbetter, Administrator
Annette Berry, County Clerk
Media
Approximately 12 Guests
Chairman Hood called the meeting to order.
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION
Employees with Anniversary Hire Dates in January.
Commissioner Potts read the list of Employees with Anniversary Hire Dates in January and Commissioner Steward drew the name of Tracy Manis with the Sheriff’s Department as Employee of the Month.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chairman Hood asked if there are any additions, omissions, or deletions to the Minutes for the Work Session and Regular Meeting of December 21, 2021. Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the Minutes. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioners Owens, Potts, Cunningham, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Administrator Ledbetter read the report (copy attached).
COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT
Commissioner Potts reported on his Committee departments’ work and projects that they have been working on consisting of the Public Works Department, Fleet Management Department and the Buildings and Grounds Department. Reported that he also visited with the County Clerk and the Code Enforcement, and helped out some citizens regarding some issues going on with projects in the south end of the County.
CONSIDERATION OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None
CONSIDERATION OF NEW BUSINESS
GEORGIA FUND 1 ACCOUNTS RESOLUTIONS TO AUTHORIZE CHANGE OF DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE
Administrator Ledbetter advised the Board that this is for Board approval of the resolutions to Georgia Fund 1 where the County keeps funds which are a safe guaranteed government fund with protected limits higher than what banks can give, to authorize changes to signature cards due to one employee retiring and another employee being named as a designated signature.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the Resolutions concerning the Georgia Fund 1 accounts change of Designated Representative. Commissioner Owens seconded the motion and Commissioners Owens, Cunningham, Potts, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
NORTH GEORGIA NATIONAL BANK ACCOUNTS RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE CHANGE OF DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is for Board approval to authorize changes to signature cards to North Georgia National Bank which is our operating account, due to one employee retiring and another employee being named as a designated signature.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the Resolutions concerning the North Georgia National Bank accounts for a change of Designated Representative. Commissioner Owens seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Potts, Owens, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
DISCUSSION OF JUDICIAL BUILDING PHASE ONE COSTS
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is discussion of the Judicial Building phase one costs, this is for a change order caused by inflationary costs of materials and some redesign of some judges’ benches, the total change order is $238,000. The County has sufficient SPLOST money to cover the entire change order; we will not be using any Gordon County General Fund money.
Commissioner Owens made a motion to approve Change Order for the Judicial Building phase one costs and for the Chair to sign the Change Order. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Potts, Owens, Cunningham, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
PROPOSAL FOR CHERT MINE PRICE INCREASE AND DRIVEWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMIT COSTS
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a proposal for the chert mine price increase and driveway right-of-way permit charge increase. At the chert mine, the County is basically subsidizing construction by having low prices. In breaking out the average costs of chert, that is significantly higher than what we are charging for it. The Director is asking to implement a $30 per load charge for single axle uncrushed, and a $55 charge for single axle #2 and #3, also a $60 per load for uncrushed tandem axle and $110 for tandem axle #2 and #3.
On the driveway permit charge, the Director is asking to implement a $25 permit charge for residential and a $50 permit charge for commercial. The average permit charge is $75 for adjacent counties.
Mr. Ledbetter commented that the Director did a good job on his analysis, but he thinks the changes might be too low.
Commissioner Potts commented that he is in agreement with the Administrator that the increases proposed are not high enough, on the chert mine proposals the price increases should be $10 for the single axle and $20 for the tandem axle. Chairman Hood advised that the motion is for the single axle uncrushed will now be $40 and single axle #2’s and #3’s will now be $65 and the tandem axle uncrushed will now be $80 and the tandem axle #2’s and #3’s will now be $130. The permit charge for driveway permits, residential will be $50 and commercial will be $100. Commissioner Owens seconded the motion and Commissioner Potts, Cunningham, Owens, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
ELEVATOR SERVICE CONTRACT WITH GENESIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
Administrator Ledbetter advised the Board that this is for our new judicial building, due to Georgia State law requirements of keeping judges, inmates, and the public separate, we have six elevators there. Genesis Elevator Company is the provider of our elevator service and this is the proposed contract from Genesis.
Commissioner Owens made a motion to approve the elevator service contract with Genesis Elevator Company. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioners Owens, Potts, Steward, and Cunningham voted aye. Motion passed.
LAND WATER CONSERVATION AND FUND GRANT RESOLUTION FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO BROOKSHIRE PARK
Administrator Ledbetter advised that the County has been working on the Brookshire Park Land Water Conservation and Fund grant. This is the Resolution that needs to be signed and sent back to the State so that the County can receive the $175,000 toward that project from the State of Georgia. This is a $350,000 SPLOST project and the county will use $175,000 SPLOST funds and $175,000 from the State.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the Land Water Conservation and Fund Grant Resolution for improvements to Brookshire Park. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the Motion and Commissioners Potts, Cunningham, Owens, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
DECLARATION OF SURPLUS PROPERTY FOR THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR TWO 2011 FORD CROWN VICTORIA VIN#2FABP7BV2BX183417 AND VIN#2FABP7BV68X183503
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is for the Sheriff’s Department to be able to dispose of two 2011 Ford Crown Victoria vehicles, they are asking that the Board declare them surplus.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the Declaration of Surplus Property for the Sheriff’s Department for two 2011 Ford Crown Victoria vehicles. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioner Potts, Cunningham, Steward, and Owens voted aye. Motion passed.
BOARD APPROVAL OF 10% PAY RAISE FOR ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES
Administrator Ledbetter commented that inflation is hitting everyone and the County has lost quite a few employees to other counties and to better paying jobs. Departments are short of employees and the remaining employees are having to work overtime to make it up. Around the County, departments are four to six people short. The threat of losing employees is a daily occurrence. Since 2009 Gordon County has given four cost of living adjustments, in 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018 the County approved 2% COLA. That has not kept up with inflation, prices in our region are up 28.94 % in 2021 versus 2009. The County has also grown and we’ve asked our employees to do more with the same amount of money. Our employees work hard, and we have employees that stay with the County 20, 30, and even 40 years. The employees are doing more, and are doing more for less right now. Employees do have fantastic health insurance at a lower cost than our neighbors, but that’s not enough anymore to make up the difference. We are 20% behind on inflation in keeping up with our wage costs. Gordon County is about 20% behind in keeping up with wages in our area and with inflation. We are losing some really good personnel. Our Finance Committee met and in the salary report, the Committee has recommended that at this time the County approve a COLA in the amount of 10% as an attempt towards truing up our employees wages. We are recommending this and it’s still less than what other counties are doing, but this is a good first step. The next step is we are looking at is a second round of ARPA money that can help us to be competitive. The recommendation would be a 10% cost of living adjustment. This is an urgent matter and our folks need it.
Commissioner Steward made a motion to approve the 10% COLA for our employees. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion. Chairman Hood advised that we now have a motion and a second for a 10% COLA for our employees. This should be every employee, for full and part time employee staff. County Administrator added that this does not apply to the Board of Commission members; they cannot set their own pay. Chairman Hood asked for the vote on the motion that was made. Commissioners Steward, Owens, Potts, and Cunningham voted aye. Motion passed.
ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and all voted aye.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:33 p.m.
