12/20/2016 BOC Regular Session Minutes
GORDON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
DECEMBER 20, 2016
The Gordon County Board of Commissioners held their Regular Meeting on Tuesday, December 20, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Administration Building.
Chairman Hood called the meeting to order.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chairman Hood asked if there are any additions, omissions, or deletions to the Minutes for the Work Session December 6, 2016 and Regular Meeting December 6, 2016. Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the minutes. Commissioner Gazaway seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Sexton, Gazaway and Steward voted aye. Motion approved.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
County Administrator King read the report into the record.
COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT
Commissioners Cunningham and Steward reported that they attended the Finance Committee meeting.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
AMENDMENT TO THE SHOOTING RANGES ORDINANCE, AMENDMENT TO THE CHICKENS AND POULTRY ORDINANCE, AMENDMENT TO THE SOIL EROSION SEDIMENTATION AND POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE
County Attorney Ledbetter advised that this is for the Board’s consideration of the amendments to the Shooting Ranges ordinance, the Chickens and Poultry ordinance, and the Soil Erosion Sedimentation and Pollution Control ordinance. This is the second reading of those ordinances. The Board began discussing those ordinances a long time ago; copies of the amendments were handed out to the Board on June 21, 2016; July 5, 2016 we had a public discussion of those ordinances in open session; July 13, 2016 we ran a notice in the paper for a public hearing where we received public comments on August 2, 2016. On November 28, 2016, we re-advertised for a public hearing, due to the length of time from the last one, and we held the public hearing tonight at 5:00 pm before the Regular Meeting. The Board needs to make a motion to approve or disapprove, either one or all of these ordinances. With regards to the shooting range ordinance, I am requesting that we add language that would state “with regard to the noise limit, prior to the issuance of a permit allowing operation of the facility, the owner or operator of the proposed indoor shooting range shall provide the County Building Inspector with a report from a qualified expert in sound engineering, that the indoor shooting range meets sound limits of this paragraph for the largest caliber firearm allowed to be fired in the facility, and no firearm that exceeds that caliber used in testing may be subsequently fired or discharged in or at an indoor shooting range”.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the amendment to the Shooting Ranges Ordinance with additional noise limit as read by the County Attorney, amendment to the Chickens and Poultry Ordinance, and amendment to the Soil Erosion Sedimentation and Pollution Control Ordinance. Commissioner Gazaway seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Gazaway, Sexton, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
CONSIDERATION OF NEW BUSINESS
REAPPOINTMENT OF NANCY NICHOLS TO THE GORDON COUNTY HOSPITAL AUTHORITY BOARD FOR A THREE-YEAR TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2019
County Administrator King had advised earlier that the Board received a request from the Gordon County Hospital Authority Board to re-appoint Nancy Nichols to a three-year term ending December 31, 2019.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the reappointment of Nancy Nichols to the Hospital Authority Board. Commissioner Gazaway seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Gazaway, Cunningham, and Sexton voted aye. Motion passed.
APPOINTMENTS TO THE GORDON COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION BOARD FOR TERMS ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2020 FOR SHEA HICKS, CHAIRPERSON, DAMON WALKER AND CODY OGLESBY, REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND CAROLYN FULLER AND MINA LUSK, DEMOGRATIC PARTY
Chairman Hood advised that this is a request to approve the list submitted by the Board of Elections and Voter Registration appointing Shea Hicks, Damon Walker, Cody Oglesby, Carolyn Fuller and Mina Lusk to the Gordon County Board of Elections and Voter Registration for terms ending December 31, 2020.
Commissioner Steward made a motion to approve the list of appointees submitted by the Elections and Voter Registration Board. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Cunningham, Sexton, and Gazaway voted aye. Motion passed.
REQUEST FROM LIMESTONE VALLEY RCD FOR OFFICE SPACE
County Administrator King had advised earlier in the work session that Limestone Valley RCD has made a request for office space. The local Director of Natural Resource Conservation Service, Doug Cabe, working with the Limestone Valley RCD received a State grant for $400,000 for water quality improvements in Gordon County. This includes working with some of the row crop farmers for nutrient management plans to manage some of the runoff into the rivers and it also includes financial assistance for the replacement of septic systems for homeowners that live near major waterways that empty into the Oostanaula River watershed. They will be setting up an office at the Environmental Health Department to help people that need that type of assistance. In order for them to do this, they need some office space. There has been a space made available there for their use temporarily for the next year or so, or until this grant has been consumed or expires. In order that they get credit on the grant for that, it is necessary for the Board to approve their use of that office space. It will be considered as an
in-kind value of $500 per month.
Commissioner Gazaway made a motion to approve an in-kind office space for the Limestone Valley RCD and Natural Resource Conservation Service grant. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Gazaway, Cunningham, and Sexton voted aye. Motion passed.
RESOLUTION FOR INTENT TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT PROJECT
Attorney Ledbetter advised in the Work Session that this is a resolution for intent to acquire property for the Health Department. This is a formal resolution of offer to the State of Georgia. In 1961 Gordon County transferred one tract to the State of Georgia for $1, and in 1968 the other tract to the State of Georgia Game and Fish Commission for $1. We are now hoping to acquire that property back for $10. The conveyance would be conditioned upon requiring that the property must remain for use by the general public. The deed would have a revisionary clause that the property goes back to the State if Gordon County ceases to use it for the general public. There is a requirement that the County will demolish the two office buildings on the property within a reasonable time. The County has until the time of closing to perform all due diligence and all tests. The transaction is easy unless the County finds something bad on the property that would end up costing a lot of money to dispose of. The County pays for its own tests, but if there is a determination that acceptance of the property is a bad decision because of any conditions found on the property, the County reserves the right to withhold its offer and not acquire the property.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the resolution for intent to acquire the property. Commissioner Gazaway seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Gazaway, Steward, and Sexton voted aye. Motion passed.
BUDGET AMENDMENT TO REPLACE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT VEHICLE
Attorney Ledbetter advised that a Sheriff’s Department vehicle wrecked on I-75 and that the insurance will pay for some or maybe all of the damage. However, the Sheriff’s Department, in the meantime, needs the vehicle replaced, so is asking for a budget amendment. The County will be pursuing the other party’s insurance for reimbursement.
Commissioner Steward made a motion to approve the budget amendment. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Gazaway, Cunningham, Sexton, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
MALT BEVERAGE WINE AND LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION FOR HIGHWAY EXPRESS FOR 2017
County Clerk Berry advised the Board that this location has a license currently, this is merely a change of ownership for this location and all paperwork is in order.
Commissioner Gazaway made a motion to approve the malt beverage wine and liquor license application for Highway Express. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioners Gazaway, Steward, and Hood voted aye. Commissioners Sexton and Cunningham opposed the motion. Motion passed.
RENEWAL MALT BEVERAGE WINE AND LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATIONS FOR 2017
Chairman Hood advised that this is a list of applicants for renewal of malt beverage wine and liquor license for 2017.
Commissioner Steward made a motion to approve the list of renewal applications for malt beverage wine and liquor license for 2017. Commissioner Gazaway seconded the motion and Commissioners Gazaway, Steward, and Hood voted aye. Commissioners Sexton and Cunningham opposed the motion. Motion passed.
ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Gazaway seconded the motion and all voted aye. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:15 p.m.
