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MINUTES
CLARKSTON CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, November 4 2008, 7:00PM
Officials Present: Mayor: Lee Swaney
Council: Emanuel Ransom, Karen Feltz, Rosemarie Nelson, Pat Davis-Morris, Warren Hadlock, Wayne Foster
City Clerk: Tracy Ashby
City Attorney: Byran Downs
Mayor Swaney called the meeting to order at 7:00PM
No invocation Mrs. Joan Swaney in hospital. The Pledge of Allegiance followed.
Karen Feltz motioned to approve the Council Minutes from October 2008. Rosemarie Nelson seconded the motion with the provision that corrections are to be made.
Rosemarie Nelson stated the corrections are regarding the City’s website and wants to pullback her motion to ask Council to spend $2,000.00 because Council approval is not needed and the second correction on page 3 the SDS extension resolution (Service Strategy Agreement) is spelled out. Warren Hadlock stated he has more corrections that need to be made and wants to table it.
ZONING & REVIEW REPORT:
Mike Shipman reported that Partitions meet with City Attorney/Assistant City Attorney and information should be available next month and stated that Partitions will have to submit a new application for rezoning of their property that would be applicable with Town Center or TC Zoning.
Rosemarie Nelson asked of the status of the building next to the Orr’s. Mike Shipman stated there is a stop work order and presently they are waiting with DeKalb County. When the building was erected a footing inspection was done and they footing inspections failed, but the building was completed without anything from DeKalb County.
Emanuel Ransom stated that it needs to be recorded that the Tuesday October 7th Council Minutes and the Monday October 13th Special Call Minutes were tabled.
NEW BUSINESS:
Removing a Planning & Development Member – Mayor Swaney stated a particular member has missed four (4) consecutive meetings and states that this person needs to be removed from the position. Emanuel Ransom motioned to accept recommendation of the Mayor. Karen Feltz seconded the motion. Motion passed (5-0)
Mayor Swaney asked the City Clerk to issue a notification letter to the member.
Announcement of Schedule for Work Session & Public Hearing – The City Clerk reported that during the month of October Council Chairs and Department Heads should have worked together to discuss their budgets and review previous years and make recommendations regarding any essential items that are outside of normal budgetary needs they anticipate coming up. During the month of November Work Sessions will be scheduled for the Council to discuss the 2009 budget and recommendations/adjustments will be considered. A proposed Work Session has been placed before the Council for Thursday November 6th, at 6:30pm and Thursday November 13th at 6:30 pm. On November 14th Council and Dept. Heads should submit their recommendations for budget worksheets to the Finance Department. Budget worksheets will be compiled into a budget that will be published November 18th. In December two Public Hearings are being proposed, only one is required, the first proposed Public Hearing will be Thursday December 11th at 7:00 pm and the second proposed Public Hearing will be Thursday December 18th at 7:00 pm at which time a Special Call Meeting would immediately following the Thursday December 18th Public Hearing for the Council to adopt the budget for 2009. At this time the City would need to propose that the Council make comments and if they approve the Work Session dates and Public Hearing dates so the dates can be published for the citizens.
Wayne Foster motioned to approve November 6th & November 13th for Work Sessions and December 11th & December 18th for Public Hearings. Emanuel Ransom seconded the motion. Rosemarie Nelson stated she is not in favor of the November 6th date. Mayor Swaney asked the City Clerk of there was an alternate date that is available for the Work Session. The City Clerk stated that there is not alternate date and that Council was asked if there was any disagreements regarding the date presented or to propose other dates. Rosemarie Nelson stated she will not be available for the November 6th Work Session. Motion passed (4-0)
The City Clerk stated that Work Sessions will not lock in amounts for the budget and at any point Council can alter or change the budget up until the final hearing.
One Day Alcohol Permit for the Association of Burundian of Atlanta for an event to be held at the Clarkston Community Center on November 8th – The City Clerk stated that the $50.00 fee has been paid and a background check in being done as well but until the City approves this event the State will not approve there State Licenses. Mayor Swaney asked what the purpose of the organization is. Mr. Mahaba Komeye stated the organization will help refugees to settle in the United States and to help youth stay out of trouble by allowing them to join the organization.
Karen Feltz asked if a license is being considered in order to charge for alcohol and if the event will be inside or outside of the Community Center. Mr. Mahaba Komeye stated that there will be a fee for the drinks and that the event will be held inside the Community Center. Emanuel Ransom asked how many people are expected to attend this event and if they have spoken with the Police Department regarding police escorts. Mr. Mahaba Komeye stated that they are expecting about 100-120 people and that he has spoken with the police department and was instructed to come back by the police department during the first week of November to assure someone will be available for this day. Emanuel Ransom stated he has a concern with crowd control and informed Mr. Mahaba Komeye that parking is prohibited on College Avenue. Mr. Mahaba Komeye responded he has been informed of the parking issues.
Rosemarie Nelson motioned to approve the beer and wine permit. Karen Feltz seconded the motion. Motion carried (5-0)
Blood Drive – This is an event that Rosemarie Nelson wants to bring to the City of Clarkston in an open forum to see how many citizens would be interested in participating in a city-wide blood drive and stated information will be available when plans are finalized.
OLD BUSINESS: NONE
CORRESPONDANCE: NONE
CHIEF OF POLICE REPORT: NONE
CITIZENS COMMENTS:
Jan Gardner, Rogers Street, stated she has a concern regarding last minute Town Hall meeting and stated she received a phone call with verbal recording that a Town Hall Meeting will be held on November 6th at the Woman’s Club and stated that at a previous Work Session and it was clearly discussed and agreed by Council that the Woman’s Club is a rental facility only. At the Work Session Mr. Wayne Foster stated, “I agree public meetings should be held at the Community Center.” Why is there an unadvertised last minute Town Hall Meeting being held and why is Mr. Ransom allowed to hold this Town Hall Meeting at the Woman’s Club against a clear decision made at the Work Session and then voted by City Council when the rental agreements were adopted at Council.
Dean Moore, Rayford Trail, stated that the recyclers are still breaking glass at the end of the street and fail to clean up after themselves and asked if the City can address the issue with the bakery on E. Ponce de Leon. Mayor Swaney asked Mike Shipman if he can get with Dreamsan regarding the issue with the broken glass.
Rita Thomas, Market Street, asked if a contract has been signed with Pond & Co. for the fees and applications. Per Bryan Down no contract has been signed. Rita Thomas asked if a final bill been submitted. Rosemarie Nelson stated that those fees will come out of the grant that has been allocated by DeKalb County Community Development. Rita Thomas stated that is wrong and the contract with DeKalb County does not specify for those purposes and asked if the City Attorney can review the information. The $50,000 grant was to help push projects forward. The contract with Pond & Co. for the fees and application is the cost of the City doing business and has nothing to do with the $50,000 grant from DeKalb County. The motion to pay Pond & Co. for guidelines; there are no guidelines when it comes to fees for reviewing applications. The guidelines are in with the $50,000 fee and doesn’t have anything to do with the application process and asked if the contract states there was a strong request that Pond & Co. provide services on an “as needed” bases.
Kimberly Mitchell, Rogers Street, stated she spoke with the Clarkston International Bible Church regarding issues with trash, public urination and charter buses and wants to know the outcome of the charges by Emanuel Ransom towards Karen Feltz regarding financial ethics fraud at the Woman’s Club.
Chris Busing stated he did a fact finding mission regarding the Woman’s Club, and determined that Karen Feltz came in under budget and did a nice job. City Council should continue to do business and be prepared for what may occur due to the current economic issues that are being faced and stated he has ideas for emergency preparation measures.
Graham Thomas, Market Street, asked is anything going to be done with the parking lot and stated that there is a problem with men against women on Council.
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