9/15/2020 BOC Regular Session Minutes
GORDON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
The Gordon County Board of Commissioners held their Regular Meeting on September 15, 2020 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the conference room of the Administration Building.
MEMBERS PRESENT
BECKY HOOD, CHAIRMAN
CHAD STEWARD, VICE CHAIR
NORRIS SEXTON , COMMISSIONER
KEVIN CUNNINGHAM, COMMISSIONER
OTHERS PRESENT
JIM LEDBETTER, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
ANNETTE BERRY, COUNTY CLERK
APPROXIMATELY 14 GUESTS AND MEDIA
Chairman Hood called the meeting to order.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION – Resolution
Chairman Hood read a Resolution in Support of Law Enforcement and Public Safety First Responders and presented it to Chief Deputy Robert Paris.
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 September 1, 2020. Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the Minutes. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioners Owens, Steward, and Cunningham voted aye. Motion passed.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Administrator Ledbetter read the report. (Copy attached)
COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT
Chairman Hood advised that she met with the Gordon County school superintendant, and attended the Council of Chief Elected Officials of North Georgia.
CONSIDERATION OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None
CONSIDERATION OF NEW BUSINESS
RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH THE 2020 TAX LEVY AND MILLAGE RATE
County Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a resolution to establish the 2020 tax levy and millage rate. The levy establishes a new countywide lower millage rate of 9.5970 mills. The county school district set a millage rate of 19.0530 mills and so the total net mills for county government operations, county school operations, and state government operations is 28.650 mills.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the Resolution to set the millage rate for 2020. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Sexton, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR $88,000 FOR THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR TWO REPLACEMENT VEHICLES WITH EQUIPMENT
County Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a request for a budget amendment to purchase two patrol cars and all equipment that goes with it to replace vehicles that have been wrecked beyond repair.
Commissioner Sexton made a motion to approve the requested Budget Amendment for the Sheriff’s Office. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Cunningham, and Sexton voted aye. Motion passed.
FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT FOR THE PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE LOCATED AT HIGHWAY 53 AND LIBERTY ROAD
County Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is the first amendment to the contract for the purchase of real estate. This is the property that the Board has been looking at on Highway 53 at Liberty Road by the fairgrounds. The Board had a previous contract to purchase, but that contract expired due to not getting our environmental tests back before expiration of the contract. The tests were back the next day after the contract expired, and there were findings on the property. We have gone back to the seller and he is willing to sell the property after the storage tanks are removed and after any contaminated soil is removed and we get a clean “no further action” status from the Georgia Environmental Health and we can have it looked at by our environmental guys again. The price changed again, we had based our deal on $145,000 as is, and in a cleaned up condition $185,000. He is now quoting $175,000. He does ask for a $17,000 deposit, if we refuse to close then he would keep $10,000 of the $17,000 deposit. If we do not close due to the property not being cleaned up or through some other condition of the property that the owner is supposed to fix, then we get our $17,000 back.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the first amendment for the purchase of real estate. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioners Sexton, Steward, and Cunningham voted aye. Motion passed.
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE COURTHOUSE AND COURTHOUSE ANNEX SPLOST PROJECT WITH MOMON CONSTRUCTION
County Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is the construction contract for the courthouse and courthouse annex SPLOST project. This contract and estimate has been provided to us by Momon Construction, our construction manager at-risk. This has a guaranteed maximum price with a footnote. The total cost of the renovations to the annex and to the courthouse is 3,546,514. That includes a built-in 3.5% contingency, that is $474,128. The original SPLOST project was $12,000,000. We have collected and saved by coming in under budget on other SPLOST projects and collecting interest, about $13,536,000. That’s $10,000 shy of the estimate. We estimate that there can be other project costs, furniture and fixtures of $500,000, technology of $150,000, and remediation of $50,000, that is substantially less now, additional architect fees and additional contingency of 2% giving us a 5.5% contingency. That would take the total project estimate to $14,660,514, that includes the 5.5% contingency. The new money required, if we use all of the contingency, would be $1,124,514, if we don’t use the contingency it is $363,386. Momon Construction has value engineered the project and has come up with 16 value engineered items to reduce the price. The footnote mentioned, concerns project material costs. Momon asked if material costs increased by 25% or more due to covid and supply issues, it would trigger some decisions we would have to make. We could either go forward with the project and cover that 25% or more increase, or we could stop the work. The plans are here, and the timeline is somewhat to be determined, each phase could be about 18 months. This contract could be lasting for perhaps 3 years.
Commissioner Sexton made a motion to approve the contract with Momon Construction for the courthouse and courthouse Annex SPLOST project. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Sexton, and Cunningham voted aye. Motion passed.
PERMIT APPLICATION FOR WAGON TRAIN
County Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a permit application for a wagon train. Mr. Denmond Fox has filled out the permit application and everything seems to be in order. Mr. Fox came before the Board to explain the request for the wagon train to travel on County roads and advised that he has made sure that the people participating understand there is to be no alcohol use during this event.
Commissioner Sexton made a motion to approve the application for the wagon train. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Steward, and Sexton voted aye. Motion passed.
REQUEST FROM THE GEORGIA STATE PATROL FOR DONATION OF FUEL
County Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is a request from the local Georgia State Patrol Office for a donation of fuel due to State budget constraints reducing their allowable cost for fuel. They are requesting 1,000 gallons of fuel to be used by only those Troopers assigned to Gordon County.
Commissioner Steward made a motion to approve the request from the Georgia State Patrol for up to 1,000 gallons of fuel not to exceed $1,500. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Sexton, and Steward 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 6:33 p.m.
