Columbus, Georgia

Minutes



Council Briefing



Meeting

March 1, 2005



Members Present: Mayor Pro Tem John J. Rodgers and Councilors Wayne Anthony,

Glenn Davis, Berry Henderson, Julius Hunter, Jr. (arrived at 5:06 p.m.),

Charles E. McDaniel, Jr., Evelyn Turner Pugh (arrived at 5:07 p.m.), Nathan

Suber and Evelyn Woodson. Also present were Mayor Robert S. Poydasheff, City

Manager Isaiah Hugley, City Attorney Clifton Fay, Deputy City Manager Richard

Bishop, Clerk of Council Tiny B. Washington and Deputy Clerk of Council Sandra

Davis.



Members Absent: No one was absent.



Handouts: Orchard Grove Mobile Home Park chronology.



Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. in the Council

Chambers Conference Room, Plaza Level, Government Center.



Agenda:

Mid-Year Adjustment Amendment

Add-On for GEMA Grant

Oates Avenue & Young Street

Orchard Grove Mobile Home Park

UDO nonconforming dumpsters



Mid-Year Adjustment Amendment:

City Manager Hugley recalled that just two weeks ago, the administration

brought forth the mid-year adjustment. He called attention to the increase in

the General Fund revenue by $586,000. and expenses by $673,000. with a net

difference to come out of the General Fund- Fund Balance of $87,151.00. He

spoke of the increase in revenue based on growth for some of the other funds,

because we projected growth at 2.75% and it came in at 3.4%. He said that the

area that we are amending is the Integrated Waste Fund. He pointed out that

the ordinance read that we were increasing the Integrated Waste Fund by $15

million, which would increase the fund to $25 million. He recalled that this

was not the intent. He explained that this should have been listed as an

interfund transfer where we were transferring $15 million from Special Projects

Reserve into Integrated Waste Fund Reserve, and it would still be reserved

money that we would not use immediately. He said that in the ordinance it read

incorrectly as an increase and it should have read as an interfund transfer.

He explained that the amendment tonight would change that language in Section 3

to read interfund transfer and not an increase. He pointed out that the

Council adopted the FY-05 budget at $180,483,362.00, the carry-over was $2.7

million, the mid-year adjustment came to $1,041,000.00 and the new total for

the FY-05 budget is $184,257,247.00 when this ordinance is adopted tonight.



Councilor Anthony then asked City Manager Hugley to explain why there was $15

million in the Special Projects Reserve Fund. City Manager Hugley briefly

explained that in 2001, the Integrated Waste Fund became an Enterprise Fund,

which means that it should pay for itself. He said that this is an effort to

move those funds out of the Special Projects Reserve into the Integrated Waste

Fund. Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers added that the funds were originally generated

through the Integrated Waste Fund but was moved into Special Projects for

purposes related to solid waste. He said that its better identified in the

Integrated Waste Fund.



Add-On Resolution:

City Manager Hugley spoke of the add-on resolution, which is a federal

emergency management grant of $22,500.00 and the City is putting up $7,500.00

to support that grant. He said that the grant has already been received, but

this is going through the formal process of accepting the money; no cash out of

pocket is going to support this grant, because it is all inkind.



Oates Avenue & Young Street:

City Manager Hugley advised that the ordinance for Oates Avenue and Young

Street was delayed for another first reading a couple of weeks ago to allow for

some additional surveying. He said that all of the data has been collected and

would be listed on first reading for next week.



Orchard Grove Mobile Home Park:

City Manager Hugley called attention to the document on the Orchard Grove

Mobile Home Park. He summarized the key points in the contract and suggested

that he be allowed to share this information at the Council Meeting, because

there are several people listed on the Public Agenda regarding Orchard Grove

Mobile Home Park.



Councilor Woodson pointed out that she and the staff have met with some of the

individuals that are coming forward, and their concerns were heard. She

pointed out that the staff sent a certified letter to each responding to their

concerns.

At this time, City Manager Hugley went over the chronology of events that

occurred with the purchase of Orchard Grove Mobile Home Park. Mayor Pro Tem

Rodgers pointed out that these are the terms and conditions of the Ground Lease

and asked what happens when the ground lease expires in one year or July 2005,

at which time, City Manager Hugley determined that Mr. Buck would not receive

final payment until all of the trailer homes were removed; there are 20 mobile

homes remaining on the property. He said that if the $25,000.00 that would be

left is not enough to cover the cost to remove the trailers; then, we would

have to go after Mr. Buck. City Attorney Fay advised that it might be cost

prohibited to go after Mr. Buck.



When City Manager Hugley read from the prepared statement that ?Tenants

relocating to one of Mr. Buck?s properties will be moved at no cost, to include

hookup (this does not include utility deposits)?, Councilor Turner Pugh asked

why would the tenants have to pay another utility deposit and has the staff

communicated with the utility companies to see if they would not place an

additional charge on the tenants. City Manager Hugley said that normally the

utility companies automatically do that; unless, the individual is delinquent.



Unified Development Ordinance (UDO):

City Manager Hugley said that at the last Council Meeting, we talked about the

nonconforming dumpsters. It is in the current UDO that businesses would have

to come into compliance on enclosing their dumpsters. He said that we were

going to take that out, but we heard from the members of Council that we wanted

to keep that in. He suggested that we may want to change some of the current

language regarding the architectural style of the dumpster. He advised that

the UDO becomes effective March 1, 2005 and the businesses have 18 months to

come into compliance. Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers suggested checking into the

distance requirement for the dumpster from a thoroughfare.



There being no other business to discuss, this meeting adjourned with the time

being 5:28 p.m.







________________________

Sandra T. Davis

Deputy Clerk of Council

Council of Columbus, Georgia