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JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION MARCH 2, 2020 7:00 P.M. The purpose of this meeting was to prepare the agenda for the March meeting. It was held at the Jefferson County Commissioners’ office. Those present were as follows: Mitchell McGraw, Chairman; Gonice C. Davis, Member; Tommy New, Member; Johnny Davis, Member: Wayne Davis, Member Adam Brett, County Administrator; Dalton Dowdy, County Attorney: and Bonnie Wells, County Clerk. Chairman McGraw called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance; Commissioner Wayne Davis gave the invocation. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to amend and adopt the agenda; the amended item d was Voting Places. Commissioner New seconded the motion the motion was unanimously approved. Service Center Issues and Remodel Project Service Center Director, Amy Tribble, was not in attendance. SHERIFF DEPARTMENT UPDATE & PROJECTS POD Addition Sheriff Gary Hutchins, Colonel Tim Moore, and Will Sumner of All State Construction Group presented and reviewed the proposal below for the construction of an additional POD at the Law Enforcement Center. ---PAGE BREAK--- After much discussion the county attorney asked that this item be reviewed at the March 10th regular meeting. Courthouse Security Upgrades The sheriff and the county administrator reviewed the following proposals from Fire Tech for security at the county courthouse. The proposals are for a fire alarm, which is outdated and cameras in the courtroom, the stairwell, and etc. The total of the three proposals is $32,295.00. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to approve the request of the sheriff in the purchase of the aforementioned items. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Video Hearings for State Offenders Colonel Tim Moore reviewed the following request for video equipment at the county courthouse; this would be a cost-effective alternative to have offenders appear before a judge. It would eliminate having an officer go to a different location to pick an offender up and physically bringing him/her back to Jefferson County. The bid was from Progressive Communications for $13,086.40 and the system would be in all five courthouses in the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia. The quote reflects the scope of work necessary for the installation of the equipment. Colonel Moore also added this would be a state contract. ---PAGE BREAK--- Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to approve the purchase of video hearing equipment. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. OLD BUSINESS Dirt Road Project Additions The county administrator discussed the possibility of adding Boone and Denton Road to the paving list. These roads are located in the north end of the county. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to add Boone and Denton Roads to the paving list for the summer of 2020. Commissioner New seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Striping Project The chairman said he looked at the roads on the striping list and he feels the roads need to be striped because some of them are hard to see, especially at night and when it is raining. At the previous meeting Chairman McGraw indicated he would ride the roads to ascertain if the roads needed to be restriped or resurfaced as two commissioners wanted resurfacing and two wanted restriping and he served as the tiebreaker. The funding and striping list are reflected below. Commissioner New made a motion to proceed with restriping the roads on the Jefferson County Road List for Potential Striping Project. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion was approved with ---PAGE BREAK--- a vote of three to two. Chairman McGraw, Commissioners New and Gonice Davis voted yes; Commissioners Johnny Davis and Wayne Davis voted no. NEW BUSINESS Culvert Pipe for Benefield Road The board reviewed the following bids for pipe on Benefield Road. The board had to decide if they wanted to proceed with aluminum or concrete. After much discussion regarding concrete and aluminum pipes, the cost of the aforementioned pipes and the quality of the material. The Road Superintendent recommended the board opt for aluminum on paved roads. The county administrator indicated there was a fund entitled LMIG Triple E that could reimburse some of the expense (they would pay 90% and the county would only have to pay 10%). He is to meet with Barry Woods from GDOT to ascertain if the county is eligible for the aforementioned funds. They could find out eligibility two weeks after an application is submitted. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to table this item until Tuesday night’s meeting allowing the county administrator and the road superintendent an opportunity to meet with Barry Woods from GDOT to see if the area would qualify and if it does, what type of money they are talking about. He agrees with Commissioner New he would not vote to put aluminum pipe on a paved road. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded. The motion was unanimously approved. Volunteer Firemen’s Compensation Proposal Emergency Services Director, Jim Anderson, reviewed the following proposals regarding compensating volunteer firemen. Mr. Anderson provided two proposals, the first of which would allot the fireman $10.00 per call and $5.00 per drill/training. The second proposal will allot the firemen $1200.00 annually if they attend 50% of the calls. The recommendation from Mr. Anderson would be to approve the second proposal. This would go into effect July 1, 2020. ---PAGE BREAK--- Commissioner New made a motion to support the EMA Director’s recommendation and approve the second proposal which would allot the firemen $1,200 annually. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. Discussion: Commissioner Johnny Davis said he hoped this would bring back more volunteers at the Matthews Fire station. Mr. Anderson asked if this would be paid once a year in December, Commissioner New indicated it did not matter to him when it was paid. Commissioner Wayne Davis wanted to know would the amount of the firemen’s county paid pension be deducted from the $1,200. Mr. Anderson said it would not. The county administrator said it would be effective July 1, 2020. The motion was unanimously approved. Harrow Purchase and Dirt Roads Maintenance Update ---PAGE BREAK--- The county administrator presented bids on a harrow for road maintenance. The county administrator said he wanted to commend the public works director and the road department for coming in today, which is their off day to work on the roads as the county has been inundated with rain. The administrator recommended the John Deere for $14,500. Commissioner Gonice Davis made a motion to accept the county administrator’s recommendation and approve for purchase the John Deere harrow from Blanchard Equipment. Commissioner New seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Voting Places Commissioner New said he spoke with Elections Superintendent, Susan Gray, and she is requesting a larger place for the November election. The chairman suggested they vote at the old Louisville Middle School or move the senior center to a larger location…he said it was just something to think about. Scheduled Public Comments There were no scheduled public comments. Public Comments on Agenda Items There were no comments on Agenda Items. Carson Hand from Leadership Jefferson County was in attendance at the meeting. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to go into Executive Session to discuss personnel. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Commissioner Gonice Davis made a motion to reconvene the regular meeting. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. No action taken in Executive Session. ---PAGE BREAK--- Adjournment Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Attest: County Clerk Mitchell McGraw, Chairman Gonice C. Davis, Vice Chairman H. G. Thomas New, Member Johnny A. Davis, Member Charles W. Davis, Member JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING MARCH 10, 2020 7:00 P.M.` This was the regular meeting for the month of March. It was held at the Jefferson County Commissioners’ Office. Those present were as follows: Mitchell McGraw, Chairman; Gonice C. Davis, Member; Tommy New, Member; Johnny Davis, Member; Wayne Davis, Member; Adam Brett, County Administrator; Dalton Dowdy, County Attorney; and Bonnie Wells, County Clerk. Chairman McGraw called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioner Johnny Davis gave the invocation. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to amend the agenda by adding the following: OLD BUSINESS items f & g; Matthews Fire Department and Resolution of Support for House Bill 309, respectively. NEW BUSINESS item d, Planning & Zoning Appointment. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to adopt the agenda. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to adopt the minutes. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Reports The chairman gave his report, the county administrator gave his report, EMS Director, Chad Parker, gave the EMS report; and Building Department Clerk, Sandy Walden, gave the building department/code enforcement report. Consent Agenda Chairman McGraw read the Consent Agenda items; they are reflected below. Motion to approve the courthouse security upgrades Motion to approve for purchase video hearing equipment Motion to add Boone and Denton Drive to 2020 Dirt Road Paving Project List ---PAGE BREAK--- Motion to authorize the volunteer fireman’s compensation of $1,200 per year Motion to purchase harrow from Blanchard Equipment at a cost of $14,500 Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to adopt/approve the Consent Agenda. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. OLD BUSINESS Jail POD Architectural Services County Attorney, Dalton Dowdy reviewed the following fee proposal and plans from Clemens, Rutherford & Associates, LLC for an additional pod at the Jefferson County Law Enforcement Center. The aforementioned company did the initial work for the law enforcement center. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to approve, pending county attorney’s review, Clemens, Rutherford and Associates, LLC to do the engineering and the work for the new pods at the law enforcement center. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Selection Committee to Approve General Contractor for POD Addition The county attorney suggested the board appoint a selection committee to review RFQ’s as they come into the office and make a formal recommendation to the board. The county administrator shared with the board the sheriff’s request to be included on the selection committee; he also volunteered to be on the committee. The chairman recommended Commissioners New and Gonice Davis be included on the committee as well. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to appoint Commissioners New, Gonice Davis, Sheriff Gary Hutchins, and County Administrator Adam Brett to the Selection Committee to approve a general contractor for the POD addition at the Jefferson County Law Enforcement Center. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Request for Qualifications for General Contractor for POD Addition The county attorney said the board will send out a formal request by posting on the various ACCG platforms and posting the required legal notices in the paper to allow for any general contractors who may be interested in the process to submit a list of their qualifications and how they would propose to handle the project; this would be subject to review, by the board. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to submit a request for ---PAGE BREAK--- qualifications for general contractors for the POD addition at the Jefferson County Law Enforcement Center. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Striping Project The county administration reviewed the following list of potential roads for the striping project. The total length of the roads for the project is 43.44 miles at a rate of $4,045 per mile. The chairman told the board if they saw a road listed in their district that needed work, remove it from the striping project list. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to approve the list of roads in the striping project, totaling 43.44 miles at a rate of $4,045 per mile. Commissioner New seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Culvert Pipe Replacements The county administrator reviewed the following and stated there were now three roads which needed to have the culvert replaced. Those roads are Lincoln Park Road, Benefield Road, and Wynder Smith Road. The cost to repair the culvert in those three roads is listed below. ---PAGE BREAK--- Lincoln Park Road is a paved road outside of Wadley; Benefield Road and Wynder Smith Road are dirt roads. The county administrator recommended the county apply for state aid through GEMA to see if the county could obtain state aid to help perform turnkey projects; if we do not receive the state aid, Jefferson County would complete the jobs one at a time. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to authorize the chairman to proceed with submitting an application for state aid via GEMA. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Matthews Fire Department Commissioner Wayne Davis reviewed Matthews Fire Department and the lack of volunteer firefighters at that station; the City of Wrens has been responding to calls in that area. The mayor and some of the city council has approached Commissioners Johnny Davis, Wayne Davis, and Chairman McGraw regarding reimbursement from the county for responding to the calls. Commissioner Wayne Davis said they met last week; he informed them he would not be in favor of reimbursement that went beyond the Matthews Fire Department budgeted line item. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to award funds from the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners general fund budgeted line item, Matthews Fire Department, to the City of Wrens. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. Discussion: The chairman asked the county administrator how much was in the budget. The county administrator said the full budgeted amount was $35,075; he explained some of the funds had already been used throughout the year; he then asked Commissioner Wayne Davis for clarity on the motion. Commissioner Wayne Davis said it needs what was allocated in the budget period; because he knows that some of the firefighters from Wrens has gone to Matthews on calls and checking calls. From here forward they would implement an IGA to determine the responsibility of the City of Wrens and Jefferson County. Commissioner Johnny Davis asked if they should wait until the new county administrator was in place before they started to work on the IGA. Commissioner Wayne Davis said it would depend largely on how many budget hearings the current administrator could attend. Our budget year would start July 1, 2020 and the current administrator is slated to leave May 22, 2020. The county administrator said he would be available, and he would like for the EMA director and the county attorney to have an integral part in the IGA as far as the language was concerned. Commissioner Wayne Davis said they would have an opportunity to proof it. Commissioner Johnny Davis said that was one of the things he and Commissioner Wayne Davis discussed with the mayor and the city administrator of Wrens importance of an IGA. The county attorney said the IGA will be from this point forward and will not be retroactive. The motion was unanimously approved. NEW BUSINESS 2020 Dirt Road Paving The county administrator reviewed the 2020 dirt road paving list. The chairman asked the board to review the list and give the administrator the roads they wanted to add to the list for paving. That list is reflected below. This item was for informational purposes only. FY 21 Inmate Medical Contract- The county administrator reviewed the FY 21 Inmate Medical Contract with Southern Health Partners. The aforementioned contract is shown here. The county administrator indicated there will be a 3% increase in the ---PAGE BREAK--- contract rate with the county jail and Southern Health Partners this year; nothing else in the contract changes; Southern Health Partners also provides services to the county prison, there is not an increase with that contract, just a flat rate. The county administrator recommended the board approve both contracts with Southern Health Partners. Commissioner New made a motion to accept the county administrator’s recommendation and approve the FY 21 Inmate Medical Contract with Southern Health Partners for the county prison and the county jail. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. County Vehicle Fleet Car Replacement The county administrator brought to the board the option of purchasing an admin package Chevrolet Tahoe for $37,720 from Hardy Chevrolet via state contract. This vehicle would replace the Ford Expedition in the county’s fleet of vehicles, with the expedition being passed down to the Emergency Services Department. The Emergency Services vehicle will be transferred to the IT Department. The vehicle the IT Director has will be decommissioned. The funds for the proposed vehicle will come from General Funds. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to purchase the Chevrolet Tahoe from Hardy Chevrolet for $37,720 with funds from the General Fund. Commissioner New seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Planning and Zoning Reappointment The county administrator reviewed the following letter from the Planning and Zoning Board requesting the reappointment of one of the board members. ---PAGE BREAK--- Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to accept the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Board and re-appoint Arty Thrift to the aforementioned board to serve an additional three-year term. Commissioner New seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Resolution of Support for House Bill 309 The county administrator shared information on House Bill 309, which creates two bonding authorities to allow local governments (cities and counties) to consolidate smaller bonded projects into larger projects so as to garner a better rate, thereby saving taxpayer funds. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to support House Bill 309 by approving the resolution on the floor. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Scheduled Public Comments There were no scheduled public comments. Public Comments on Agenda Items Wells asked the board what did ACCG mean. Commissioner Johnny Davis explained the ACCG was the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia. Commissioner Johnny Davis made motion to go into executive session to discuss personnel. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimously approved. Commissioner New made a motion to close the executive session. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to reconvene the regular meeting. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. No action taken. Adjournment Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Attest: ---PAGE BREAK--- County Clerk Mitchell McGraw, Chairman Gonice C. Davis, Vice Chairman H. G. Thomas New, Member Johnny Davis, Member Charles W. Davis, Member