5/4/2021 BOC Regular Session Minutes
GORDON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
MAY 4, 2021
The Gordon County Board of Commissioners held their Regular Meeting on May 4, 2021 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the conference room of the Administration Building.
MEMBERS PRESENT
BECKY HOOD, CHAIRMAN
CHAD STEWARD, VICE CHAIRMAN
BRUCE POTTS, COMMISSIONER
KEVIN CUNNINGHAM, COMMISSIONER
M. L. BUD OWENS, COMMISSIONER-viaZoom
OTHERS PRESENT
JIM LEDBETTER, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
ANNETTE BERRY, COUNTY CLERK
MEDIA
APPROXIMATELY 7 GUESTS
Chairman Hood called the meeting to order.
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION
Employees with Anniversary Hire Dates in May – Commissioner Steward read the employee list for May and Commissioner Cunningham drew the name of Mathew Herod with the Sheriff’s Department as Employee of the Month for May.
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 April 20, 2021. Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the Minutes. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioners Owens, Potts, Steward, and Cunningham voted aye. Motion passed.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Administrator Ledbetter read the Administrator’s report in the Work Session. (copy attached).
COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT
Commissioner Owens reported that he attended the Development Authority Board Meeting, and met with the EMA Director. He also congratulated Tim Cochran with the IT Department for his hard work and his work toward cost savings. He also spoke concerning the possible landfield deal between Santec and Republic, he suggested that after Republic takes control, the Board invite Republic to a Board meeting to hear their plans for the landfill should the deal actually take place. Commissioner Potts showed photos and spoke about his committee members accomplishments recently and about the new dozer acquired by the Public Works Department, also about the work on Dobson Road. He reported that he had attended and completed an ACCG class, met with our State Representative Matt Barton and noted that the Representative would like to talk to any one of the Board members monthly, also met with Judge Rasbury who wanted to talked about the problem with school attendance. Commissioner Potts will speak with Craig Sparks at the Recreation Department regarding the project that was given to him by the Board at the Strategic Planning meeting.
CONSIDERATION OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None
CONSIDERATION OF NEW BUSINESS
RE-APPOINTMENT TO THE NORTHWEST GEORGIA LIBRARY BOARD FOR JIM ROSENCREANCE FOR A THREE-YEAR TERM ENDING JUNE 30, 2024
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a re-appointment to the Library Board for Jim Rosencreance for a three-year term ending June 30, 2024.
Commissioner Steward made a motion to approve the re-appointment of Jim Rosencrance to the Northwest Georgia Library Board. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Cunningham, Potts, and Owens voted aye. Motion passed.
CONTRACT WITH AT&T TO COVER PHONE LINES OFF CONTRACT AND NOT ON THE MAIN PHONE SYSTEM
Administrator Ledbetter advised the Board Members that this is a contract with AT&T to cover phones lines that are off contract and not on the main phone system. We had certain lines that came off contract and this will save us $2,300 a month by getting them on contract.
Commissioner Steward made a motion to approve the contract with AT&T. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Potts, Cunningham, and Owens voted aye. Motion passed.
PROPOSAL FROM ENVIRONMENTAL CORPORATION OF AMERICA FOR PHASE 1 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOR BROOKSHIRE PARK
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this item is for a proposal from Environmental Corporation of America for a Phase 1 archaeological survey for Brookshire Park. We are looking to get a grant for Brookshire Park and the State policy requires us to have an archaeological survey for any land we are disturbing. After negotiation, we have brought the cost down to about $12,250 for the survey. Being approved for this grant would save us about $175,000.
Commissioner Steward made a motion to approve the proposal from Environmental Corporation of America for the Phase 1 archaeological survey for Brookshire Park in the amount of $12,250. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Cunningham, Owens, and Potts voted aye. Motion passed.
RE-APPOINTMENT TO THE REGION ONE EMS FOR BUD OWENS FOR A THREE-YEAR TERM ENDING 6/30/2024
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a re-appointment to the Region One EMS for Bud Owens for a three-year term ending June 30, 2024.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the re-appointment of Bud Owens to the Region One EMS. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Owens, Cunningham, and Steward voted aye. Commissioner Owens abstained from the vote. Motion passed.
AGREEMENT WITH DALTON COMMUNICATIONS, INC. FOR EMERGENCY RADIO SYSTEM
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is an Agreement with Dalton Communications, Inc. for our emergency radio system. We will be paying them about $49,000 to provide the radio service. We will have to buy radios and those are built into the budget for about $350,000 for over 500 radios that we need to buy. Dalton Communications will provide maintenance of the consoles at E-911 for $13,000 per year. We only have three towers currently providing coverage and the minute we go live we will have eight towers providing coverage, we do not have to pay for those towers. In order to get that kind of tower coverage, going the other route and maintaining our own radio system, would be many millions of dollars. This is a much better deal than what we currently have.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the agreement with Dalton Communications, Inc. for the Emergency Radio System. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Potts, Cunningham, Steward, and Owens voted aye. Motion passed.
REQUEST FOR BOARD APPROVAL TO FILL A VACANT POSITION AT VOTER REGISTRATION & ELECTIONS
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a request from Shea Hicks at the Voter Registration & Elections Office to fill a position where someone has resigned. Administrator Ledbetter reminded the Board that we are still working under the Covid policy where vacant positions have to come before the Board for approval. Commissioner Potts inquired about how we would stop that requirement and the Administrator explained that the Board would have to approve stopping that policy. There was a consensus of the Board to allow that policy to be stopped due to the covid risks being lowered and to go back to the previous policy where any position already budgeted could be filled without Board approval.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve filling a vacant position at the Voter Registration & Elections Office. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioner Cunningham, Steward, Owens, and Potts voted aye. Motion passed.
DECLARATION OF SURPLUS PROPERTY FOR THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT FOR MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a declaration of surplus property for the IT Department for a list of miscellaneous items. Previously the county has been able to recycle these and get a decent amount of money for such items and our IT Department will do the same for this list of items.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the Declaration of Surplus Property for miscellaneous items for the IT Department. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Potts, Owens, and Cunningham voted aye. Motion passed.
REQUEST FROM THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR THE UNITED WAY GRANT
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a request from the Recreation Department to apply for the United Way grant. This is a yearly grant offered by the United Way.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the request to allow the Recreation Department apply for the United Way grant. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioner Cunningham, Potts, Steward, and Owens voted aye. Motion passed.
HARBOR ROAD EMERGENCY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR
Administrator Ledbetter advised that Harbor Road is still out of commission indefinitely, we are basically going to have to put a bridge in. Our civil engineer will spec out the bridge, the cost is up in the air right now. Tonight’s action item is to simply declare that artery an emergency so that we can accelerate the bid process. We have already received a number of proposals. This is an important road to get restored, so we are asking the Board to approve treating this as an emergency. It will still be a month or two, even with treating it as an emergency. We think the costs will be somewhere between $100,000 and $200,000.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to declare this an emergency project for the replacement of the Bridge at Harbor Road. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Potts, Cunningham, Steward, and Owens voted aye. Motion passed.
ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and all voted aye.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:16 p.m.
