Demorest The Hearl ofHabersham City of Demorest Regular Session Minutes Demorest Municipal Building Tuesday, October 4, 2022,6:00P.M.  City Council Meeting, Political Forum & Budget Hearing  ATTENDEES  Shawn Allen, Councilman John Hendrix, Councilman Jerry Harkness, Mayor Andrew Ferguson, Councilman  Thomas Mitchell, City Attorney Kim Simonds, City Manager Megan Chastain, Interim City Clerk  The September 6, 2022, Demorest City Council meeting was held in the Demorest Municipal Building  located at 125 Ivy Street.  AGENDA ITEM1 1: INVOCATION AND PLEDGE TOTHE FLAG  Mayor Harkness opened the meeting by leading in prayer and the pledge to the flag.  AGENDA ITEM: 2: CALL TO ORDER  Mayor Harkness called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. AGENDA ITEM3: APPROVAL OF AGENDA  Mayor Harkness asked ift there were changes or additions to be made to the agenda. Ms: Simonds asked that the agenda be amended to strike: CONSIDERATION OFI LANDSCAPING BIDS and to add: DISCUSSION OF MILLAGE RATE. A motion to approve the agenda as amended was made by Councilman ACTION: The motion to approve the agenda as amended (striking CONSIDERATION OFL LANDSCAPING BIDS, and also to add DISCUSSION OFI MILLAGE RATE) was unanimously approved (3-0).  Hendrix and seconded by Councilman Ferguson.  AGENDA ITEM4 4: APPEARANCE AND PUBLIC COMMENTS volunteered to putt the speed trailer in the area. AGENDA ITEM 5: POLITICAL FORUM  Jeremy Smith from 110 Vermont Street spoke to request that the one-way streets on Palmer Alley be removed as a safety concern. Mayor Harkness asked Chief Krockum to patrol the area. Chief Krockum:  Kathy Nicholson with 99.3 hosted a political forum before the meeting from 6:00-6:35p.m. Ms. Simonds presented the changes that were made to the budget. Councilman Allen, Councilman Ferguson and Ms. Simonds met with Chief Krockum Monday night (10/03/2022) and they havea  AGENDA ITEM 6: PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE 2023 BUDGET  1/Page    scheduled meeting with Chief Knight. Ms. Simonds said expenses would need to be reduced or new sources of revenue would need to be discovered. She also said that raising the millage rate and water rates would be another option. Council spoke on the millage rate and decided on a preliminary rate of  6.16.  AGENDA ITEM 7: APPROVAL OF MINUTES: SEPTEMBER 6, 2022  Mayor Harkness asked if there were changes to be made to the minutes as presented from the September 6, 2022 meeting. A motion to approve the minutes as presented was made by Councilman ACTION: The motion to approve the. September 6, 2022 minutes as presented was unanimously  Allen and was seconded by Councilman Hendrix.  approved (3-0).  AGENDA ITEM 8: ETHICS COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS  Mayor Harkness asked to table this item. A motion to table the Ethics Committee Appointments was ACTION: The motion to table the Ethics Committee. Appointments was unanimously approved (3-0). Attorney Mitchell said Council would need to adopt an ordinance for the closure oft this alley. A motion to close the alley and to dispose of the property as allowed by city and state law was made by ACTION: The motion to close the alley as requested by Juan Navarrete and to dispose of the property  made by Councilman Allen and was seconded by Councilman Ferguson.  AGENDA ITEM9: CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST TO CLOSE ALLEY-NAVARRETE  Councilman Hendrix and was seconded by councilman Ferguson. as allowed by city and state law was unanimously approved (3-0). AGENDA ITEM 10: CONSIDERATION OF SPEED BUMP (W. CENTRAL)  Mayor Harkness asked Chief Krockum to confer with Ms. Simonds to determine what type of sign the city should put up on W. Central to slow traffic. Chief Krockum volunteered to get the speed trailer from  the County to put in the area.  AGENDA ITEM 11: CONSIDERATION OF SPEED BUMP (W. CENTRAL)  After the discussion in the Work Session, Council agreed to table this agenda item. A motion to table the employee handbook changes was made by Councilman. Allen and: seconded by Councilman Hendrix. ACTION: The motion to table the employee handbook changes was unanimously approved (3-0). Councilman Hendrix presented the park resolution that Mr. Mitchell drafted last year to apply fora GOSP grant. The total is $1.5 million and our match is 35%. Councilman Allen made a motion to put in an ACTION: The motion to put in an application for the GOSP Grant was unanimously approved (3-0). AGENDA ITEM 13: CONSIDERATION OF ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT EXTENSION FOR HALLOWEEN Ms. Simonds asked Council to extend the entertainment district to both sides of Georgia Street for Tricks & Treats on October 31, 2022, from 5-8 p.m. Councilman Hendrix spoke against the extension. The item  AGENDA ITEM 12: CONSIDERATION OF PARK RESOLUTION  application for the GOSP Grant and was seconded by Councilman Hendrix.  died for lack of motion.  2/Page    AGENDA ITEM 14: CONSIDERATION OF MOTION TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION (if needed) Ar motion was made by Councilman Allen and was seconded by Councilman Hendrix to adjourn and re- convene into Executive Session for the purpose of discussion of pending litigation. This portion of  Regular Session adjourned at 7:58 p.m.  Ar motion was made by Councilman Allen and seconded by Councilman Ferguson to come out of Executive Session and reconvene in Regular Session. The motion was unanimously carried, and Regular  Session reconvened at 8:34 p.m. AGENDAITEM-15: MOTIONTO ADJOURN  Apotion to adjounwas made yc Councilman Hendrix and the motion was seconded by Councilman  The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.  0    Demorest City'clèrk  Se  3IPage