Demorest The Heart ofHabersham City of Demorest City Council Regular Session Regular Session Minutes Demorest. Municipal Building Thursday, January 3, 2023, 7:00P.M. ATTENDEES Shawn Allen, Councilman John Hendrix, Councilman Jerry Harkness, Mayor Andrew Ferguson, Councilman Mark Musselwhite, Interim City Manager Thomas Mitchell, City Attorney Megan Chastain, City Clerk The. January 3, 2023, Demorest City Council meeting was held in the Demorest Municipal Building located at 125 Ivy Street. AGENDA ITEM1: INVOCATION AND PLEDGE TO THE FLAG Mayor Harkness opened the meeting by leading in prayer and the pledge to thei flag. AGENDA ITEM2: CALL TO ORDER Mayor Harkness called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. AGENDA ITEM: 3: APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mayor Harkness asked if there were changes or additions to be made to the agenda. Mayor Harkness asked Council to amend the agenda to add: WADE RHODES and to strike: CONSIDERATION OF CLEANING SERVICES FOR MUNICIPAL BUILDING/CITY HALL, EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, UNITED CONTRACTING & ROOFING INVOICE. ANDI FOURTH OF JULY. A motion to amend the agenda adding: WADE RHODES and to strike: CONSIDERATION OF CLEANING SERVICES FOR MUNICIPAL BUILDING/CITY HALL, EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, UNITED CONTRACTING & ROOFING INVOICE AND FOURTH OF JULY was made by Councilman Hendrix and was seconded by Councilman Bennett. ACTION: The motion to approve the agenda as amended (adding: WADE RHODES and striking: CONSIDERATION OF CLEANING SERVICES FOR MUNICIPAL BUILDING/CITYHALL, EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, UNITED CONTRACTING & ROOFING INVOICE AND FOURTH OF. JULY) was unanimously approved (4-0). AGENDA ITEM 4: APPEARANCE & PUBLIC COMMENT Jimmy Davis said the No Engine Brake sign had not been put up on Demorest Mt. Airy. He requested that all public meetings be listed on the calendar on the City of Demorest website. 1Page AGENDA ITEM! 5: APPRECIATION ANNOUNCEMENT: DPD/DWD/DSD Mr. Musselwhite made an appreciation announcement for the Demorest Police Department on their recent awards. Chief Krockum said they were recognized by GOHS and placed 2nd int the category of 1-10 officers. Chief Krockum was awarded Coordinator oft the Year. Mr. Musselwhite made an appreciation announcement: for Cade Lancaster. In the past year, Cade has received his Class Three Waste Water Treatment Operator Licenses, Waste' Water Analyst Licenses, and his CDLS. Mr. Musselwhite made an appreciation announcement for Demorest Water Department. Over the Christmas holiday during the freezing weather, they responded to 31 calls within 24 hours and responded to seventy one 911 calls. Wade Rhodes built a presented a 7500ft flex building on Hollywood Church Rd with five 1500ft spaces. Each unit contains both a sink and at toilet. Hei is requesting one meter fort the entire building instead of one meter per unit. He states that $12000 in water meter does not make economic sense to him and that it was a discouraging economic factor. Mayor Harkness thanked him for his words. AGENDA ITEM 6: WADE RHODES AGENDA ITEM7 7: Council Appointments Councilman Allen - Finance Councilman Bennett - Police & Fire Mayor Harkness assigned the following councilmen to act as a liaison for the following departments: Councilman Hendrix and Councilman Ferguson - Water, Streets & Sewer Mayor Harkness nominated Councilman Allen to act as Mayor Protem. Councilman Allen accepted. Harkness called for a motion. A motion to vote Shawn Allen as Mayor Protem was made by Councilman ACTION: The motion to vote. Shawn Allen as Mayor Protem was unanimously approved (4-0). Mayor Harkness presented the annual appointment Mr. Musselwhite made int the Work Session. Bennett and was seconded by Councilman Hendrix. AGENDA ITEM 8: ANNUAL REAPPOINTMENTS Interim City Manager Mark Musselwhite Public Works Director Bryan Popham Police Chief- Robin Krockum Fire Chief- Jonathan Knight City Engineer Ben Turnipseed Magistrate Judge - Robert Sneed City Accountant Ed K. Burton, LLC City Attorney Thomas Mitchell City Clerk Megan Chastain Mayor Harkness asked for a motion to vote in allt the reappointments at once. A motion was made by ACTION: The motion to vote in all the reappointments at once was unanimously approved (4-0). Mayor Harness called for a motion to approve the minutes as presented. Ar motion was made by Councilman Hendrix and was seconded by Councilman Ferguson. AGENDA ITEM 9: APPROVAL OF MINUTES: DECEMBER 8 Councilman Allen and was seconded by Councilman Ferguson. 2IPage ACTION: The motion to approve the minutes as presented was unanimously approved (4-0). Mr. Musselwhite made a report to Mayor and Council that included the following: The Police Department, Fire Department and Public Works monthly report AGENDA ITEM 10: MANAGER'S REPORT AGENDA ITEM11: REVIEW OF FINANCIALS The December financials were presented in the council's packet. Mr. Musselwhite plans to meet with Alan Burton to make sure council has everything they need to cover all concerns and/or questions they may be experiencing with the monthly financial reports. AGENDA ITEM 12: CONSIDERATION OF TRAVELERS INSURANCE Mayor Harkness called for a motion to accept the policy that was presented int the work session. A motion to accept the policy as presented with the intention of changing it if the policyi is lacking in any way was made by Councilman Bennett and was seconded by Councilman Ferguson. ACTION: The motion to policy as presented with the intention of changing it if the policy is lacking in any way was unanimouslyo approved (4-0). AGENDA ITEM 13: CONSIDERATION OF HEALTH INSURANCE Mayor Harkness called for a motion to accept the new employee insurance policy which was presented in the work session. The motion was made by Councilman Allen and was seconded by Councilman ACTION: The motion to accept the new employee insurance policy was unanimously approved (4-0). After the discussion in the work: session, Mayor Harkness called for a motion to table the printer contract. Councilman Allen made a motion to table CONSIDERATION OF DPI CONTRACT (PRINTER) and ACTION: The motion to table CONSIDERATION OF DPI CONTRACT (PRINTER) was unanimously Hendrix. AGENDA ITEM 14: CONSIDERATION OF DPI CONTRACT (PRINTER) was seconded by Councilman Hendrix. approved (4-0). AGENDA ITEM 15: CONSIDERATION OF DISPOSITION OF PRISON VAN was made by Councilman Bennett and was seconded by Councilman Allen. After the work session discussion, Mayor Harkness asked to table CONSIDERATION OF DISPOSITION OF PRISON VAN until April. A motion to table CONSIDERATION OF DISPOSITION OFF PRISON VAN until April ACTION: The motion to table CONSIDERATION OF DISPOSITION OF PRISON VAN until April was unanimously approved (4-0). 3IPage AGENDA ITEM 16: CONSIDERATION OF STREET REPAIR: 2023 LMIG After the discussion made in the work session, Mayor Harkness called for a motion. A motion was made by Councilman Allen to approve the LMIG project with the change of Walnut Street to Ohio Street and ACTION: The motion to approve the LMIG project with the change of Walnut. Street to Ohio. Street was was seconded by Councilman Ferguson. ungnimouslyopproved. (4-0). AGENDA ITEM17: CONSIDERATION OF PLANS FOR ODE After the discussion made ini the work session, Mayor Harkness asked if there was any other discussion. Mr. Musselwhite gave al brief discussion on where we currently are with moving City Hall toi the new location and also the plans for the next few weeks to come. Councilman Allen asked to clarify the difference in the $9,000 and the $12,000 camera system. Mayor Harkness said he believed the $9,000 camera system only allows for 16 cameras and the $12,000 is al better system and allows for al lot of cameras. Councilman Bennett said the $9,000 camera system only holds sO much data so if we were to add more cameras, we would need to purchase a secondary system. Councilman Allen made a motion to approve the renovations, contracts presented and to clarify the $12,000 camera system and to add a ACTION: The motion to approve the renovations, contracts presented and to clarify the $12,000 camera system and to add a security camera to the gym was unanimously approved (4-0). security camera to the gym. A second was made by Councilman Bennett. AGENDA ITEM 18: CONSIDERATION OF COMMUNITY YARD SALE After the discussion made in the work session, Councilman Ferguson made the recommendation that the yard sale be thet first week in April for Demorest citizens and that we would offer 20 signup spots. Councilman Ferguson stated that the bathrooms in the gym would need some work before the community event as most of them are out of order. AGENDA ITEM 19: ANNUAL SPLOST REPORT The Annual SPLOST report was: submitted to the Newspaper. There was no further discussion. AGENDA ITEM 20: CONSIDERATION OF MOTION TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION (if needed) Ar motion was made by Councilman Allen and was seconded by Councilman Ferguson to adjourn and reconvene in Executive Session for the purpose of discussion of personnel, pending litigation and the Acquisition of real estate. This portion of Regular Session adjourned at 8:17 p.m. AI motion was made by Councilman Ferguson and seconded by Councilman Allen to come out of Executive Session and reconvene in Regular Session. The motion was unanimously carried, and Regular Session reconvened at 9:07 p.m. AGENDAI ITEM 21: MOTION TO ADJOURN A motion to adjourn was made by Councilman Hendrix and the motion was seconded by Counçilman Bennett. The motion was unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m. 4IPage MaypfofDemorés DEMOR SEAL Demorest derk d City RS 5IPage