Minutes City Council Spring Retreat April 10th, 2 2025 8:00am - 5:00pm April 11th, 2025 8:00am - 5:00pm EMI Habersbam Ofice, 202 Lutbi Road, Alto, GA 30510 Mayor Stephanie Almagno, Councilmember Erik Keith, Councilmember Nancy Lehman, Councilmember Kerri Davis, Councimember Alice Venter, Court Clerk Susan Newsom, Chief Chris Jones, Solicitor Teresa DiPonzo, City Engineer Fletcher Holliday, CAO Emily Woodmaster, City Clerk Erin Gathercoal, Public Works Director Scott Barnhart, Legal Counsel Bubba Samuels, and Leigh Ann Aldridge of EMI were in attendance. Day One - April 10h, 2025 Call Meeting to Order and Welcome = Mayor Almagno Mayor Stephanie Almagno called the retreat to order at 8:04 am, thanking EMI for hosting and thanking CAO Emily Woodmaster and department heads for their preparation and participation. Fall Retreat Recap Woodmaster paired up those attending and led an activity involving communication, collaboration, and creativity when it comes to problem solving and different perspectives. Woodmaster reviewed some of the larger changes to the upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget, including workers' compensation, increase in liability insurance, the annual fire truck payment (anticipated to be budgeted FY26 onward), and the annual maintenance fees for Habersham County's new E-911 radios. FY26 Budget Preparation = Municipal Court Clerk of Court Susan Newsom presented a proposed budget for FY26, stating that she expects it to remain similar to FY25. The only considerable changes are the items reviewed by Woodmaster (workers compensation, liability insurance, etc.) and the State mandate for licensed interpreters to be used by the municipal court. Newsom is still seeking a licensed interpreter for the Wednesday court and is hoping to find someone elativelyinexpensive. Newsom also presented an updated SWOT analysis for Municipal Court. Assistant Chief. Justin Ferguson arrived at 8:40 am. Newsom invited the Council to contact her with any questions or concerns. FY26 Budget Preparation = Police Department Police Chief Chris Jones and Assistant Police Chief Justin Ferguson presented the proposed FY26 budget for the Police Department, first providing historical context for the challenges, changes, and accomplishments since Jones arrived. Jones hopes to hire additional officers in FY26 to have two police officers per shift (11 officers total), which would still have Baldwin below the FBI Table 71 recommendation for 2.5 officers per 1,000 residents in the southern United States. Jones estimates Baldwin's actual population to be closer to 5,000, with a higher undocumented population and number of rental properties. Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th - 11th, 2025 Page I 1 Adding these additional officers would also promote a better work environment for current officers by increasing safety and training opportunities and opening up the ability to use PTO while ensuring shifts are covered. Interim Fire Chief Ross Jackson arrived at 9:28 am. Chief Jones reviewed the Police Department and GCIC budget line items with significant changes, primarily those affected by the proposed hiring oft two officers: Software SVC Contracts - AXON officer packages (bodycam, taser, etc.). Machines & Equipment - Additional equipment fori two new officers. K9 Supplemental - Compensation for K9 handlers Ferguson and Corporal Groves for time with dog at home, per State law. Vehicle Lease Program Utilities Absorbing Municipal Court and GCIC utility budgets. Chief Jones asked the Council to read the Executive Summary he provided for them and to contact him with any questions or concerns. Break The group took a break at 10:05 am and resumed at 10:20 am. Firefighters Ross Shellnut and Jordon Evans joined the retreat. Bubba Samuels and Justin Ferguson did not return. FY26 Budget Preparation = Fire Department Woodmaster reviewed the Fire Department's budget, noting a significant increase due to the proposed hiring of three firefighters, four sets of turnout gear, and the addition of the annual firetruck payment, which was slated to begin this fiscal year when the lease began. Woodmaster clarified on page "Expenses GF9" the two lines missing descriptions: Principal Payment (for Firetruck) - $103,496.12 Interest - $21,637.71 Interim Fire Chief Ross Jackson explained the need for additional staffing in order to have four firefighters per shift due to stricter ISO ratings and criteria. Baldwin currently has an ISO rating of 3, but Jackson expects the rating to improve at the next evaluation. A favorable ISO rating draws in industrial and commercial development, which can alleviate the residential tax burden. FY26 Budget Preparation - Public Works/Street Department Public Works Director Scott Barnhart presented a SWOT analysis and reviewed significant budget increases for the Public Works, Streets, and Parks Departments. Payroll - Additional classification changes and COLA. Vehicle Purchases - Following 10-year replacement plan in place. Equipment Lease - Lease/purchase of the Vac Truck Infrastructure Improvements - Mountain System Air Relief Valve (ARV) project. Equipment Purchase (Streets) - Replacement of two 10-year old salt spreaders. Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th - 11th, 2025 Page 12 Kerri Davis stepped out at 11:01 am and Erik Keith stepped out at 11:04 am. Barnhart presented an updated 3-5 Year Plan for the Public Works, Streets, and Parks Departments. Kerri Davis returned at 11:25 am. Break for Lunch The group broke for lunch at 11:37 am and returned at 1:03 pm. Councilmember Erik Keith, Legal Counsel Bubba Samuels returned and Code Compliance Officer Chris Thomason joined the retreat. FY26 Budget Preparation = Wastewater Treatment City Engineer Fletcher Holliday of EMI presented a SWOT analysis for the Water and Wastewater Treatment Departments, stating that the current staff are fully trained and operate the facilities with a combined 30 years of experience. Holliday then presented an overview of the Wastewater Treatment facility and the proposed FY26 budget, with total expenses still projected to be slightly less than FY25 with the following increases: Labt testing $7,500 Insurance - $7,000 Landfill tipping - $5,000 (could be offset by Reve Solutions) Equipment maintenance & repair - $10,000 Holliday reviewed repairs needed for the wastewater plant and capital expenditures, which are not budgeted but should be addressed when funding becomes available. FY26 Budget Preparation = Water Treatment Holliday presented an overview ofthe Water Treatment Facility and the proposed FY26 budget, with total expenses to be slightly higher than FY25 with the following increases: Salaries $6,500 (COLA + higher salaries for higher achieved certifications). Insurance - $17,000 Utilities - $10,000 Water purchases $9,000 (potable water is used to lubricate the water pumps, SO it isp purchased from the City of Demorest) Chemicals - $45,000 (chemical price increases, more rain events, and increased production and distribution create higher chemical usage) Equipment maintenance/repair - $15,000 (many components are due to be replaced; increased production has also contributed to this need). Holliday reviewed capital expenditures for the wastewater treatment plant to explore when funding becomes available and then opened the floor for questions and discussion. Break Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th - 11th, 2025 Page 13 The group took a break at 1:56 pm and resumed at 2:06 pm. Firefighters Ross Shellnut and Jordon Evans did not return. FY26 Budget Preparation = General Administration Woodmaster presented the general administration expense budgets, focusing on significant increases and changes from the FY25 budget: Elections Increased due to mid-terms and elections for three council seats. Regular Pay - Increased due to proposed addition of Finance Director. Drug Screens (City' Wide) - Now accommodates drug screens for all departments for new hires and post-accident testing. Vehicle Repairs and Maintenance - Decreased; $2,000 reallocated to the Code Compliance budget. FiFa- The City has not issued FiFas since 2018. Code Compliance: Increased due to equipment, including AXON body camera, as the contract is no longer under the PD. Woodmaster reviewed the anticipated revenue for FY26 in both the General Fund and the Enterprise Fund. General Fund Revenue Property Tax Current Year & Personal Property - 3% inflationary increase, but concrete numbers are not available at this time. Franchise Tax - Does not contemplate Precision Digital; Amount will be unknown until December. Zoning Fees - Decreased to the cost oft two zoning changes as there are no anticipated annexations or zoning changes at this time. Garbage Collection Increased 3%; FC Sanitation was bought out by Waste Eliminator in January 2025. Building Permits - Decreased, as there is not as much construction is anticipated at this time. Enterprise Fund Revenue Sewer Service - Increase above anticipated revenue for FY25. This increase does not contemplate rate changes, although EMI will assist the City in conducting a rate study. The FY26 budget was built based on the current rates in place with a 3% anticipated increase. The anticipated amount is $832,500 at 90%, with the other 10% restricted per the DOC contract with LACI. Debt Service Prison - Decreased by almost half; contract set to expire in December. FOGIS - Reduced to match average collections. Water Sales Based on 3% increase to water rates, at $1.54 million. Leased Property Collections - Property lease agreement with Reve Solutions. Break The group took a break at 2:55 pm and resumed at 3:06 pm. Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th. - 11th 2025 Page 14 FY26 Funding Strategies Woodmaster led a multi-group activity in methods of stricter budgeting and generating revenue. Ideas that were proposed/discussed included: Repurpose/lease property with Increase the millage rate or old Public Works building. water/sewer rates. Invest in water and sewer Collect outstanding oalances for infrastructure on Highway 365. cemetery plots. New GCIC accounts. Occupational tax recovery. Implementing a fingerprinting Softbal/gol/ishing service. tournaments. Revisit proposal to sell water to Office supply consolidation Banks County. between departments. "À la carte taxes" for City US Recovery Solutions Services. services VS. County services - Hotel with a mountain view. break services down by the mill Data center franchise fees - to prevent double taxation. encourage them to continue Rebuild budgets starting at building. $0.00 focusing purely on Cut Finance Director position. absolute needs. Capstone health insurance for City employees to reduce costs. Adjournment Action: A motion was made by Erik Keith to adjourn the meeting with a second Kerri Davis. Motion Carried 4-0 at 4:58 pm. Day Two - April 11", 2025 Mayor Stephanie Almagno, Councilmember Erik Keith, Councimember Nancy Lehman, Councilmember Kerri Davis, Public Works Director Scott Barnhart, Code Compliance Officer Chris Thomason, Legal Counsel Jack Samuels, Rick Barron of MPE, City Engineer Fletcher Holliday, CAO Emily Woodmaster, City Clerk Erin Gathercoal, Leigh Ann Aldridge of EMI were in attendance. Call Meeting to Order = Mayor Almagno Mayor Almagno called the meeting to order at 8:10 am. Strategic Plan Review The group discussed the upcoming challenges of setting an appropriate budget to keep the City running while continuing to provide premium services. Methods of providing education to residents about the budget and the services that they're receiving were also discussed. Water and Wastewater CIP Holliday explained the importance of Baldwin's water and wastewater treatment systems, providing potable drinking water to the public, economic development opportunities, fire Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th - 11th 2025 Page 15 protection, treating wastewater to protect public health and the environment, etc. Water Treatment Baldwin holds a surface water withdrawal permit for 3.0 million gallon per day (MGD) and pulls from the Chattahoochee River. The water plant treats an average of2.5 MGD per day. Baldwin distributes 2.25 MGD to Baldwin and Demorest (0.719 MGD to Baldwin and 1.536 MGD to Demorest, providing water to 2/3 of Habersham County) utilizing approximately 72 miles of waterline, two booster pump stations, and three water storage tanks with 1,140,000 gallons. The design, construction, and daily operation of Baldwin's water distribution system are regulated by the EPD's Minimum Standards to ensure adequate water quantity and qualityfor all drinking water systems. Baldwin also has EPD-approved construction standards and details for construction and expansion of the water system. Water demand for the City of Baldwin continues to grow and has already eclipsed the 2037 usage projected in 2012 when the original CIP was completed. There is currently 2.926 MGD in allocated flow to the following sources: City of Demorest - 2.0 MGD (currently in year 3 out of 10-year agreement) City of Baldwin - 719 MGD Proposed Allocated Flows for Potential Development - 207 MGD Wastewater Treatment Baldwin currently holds a.800 MGD National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The wastewater plant averages 404 MGD treated per day, with peak flows exceeding 1.0 MGD due to heavy rain events. The collection system utilizes approximately 18 miles of gravity sewer line, approximately 11 miles of force main, approximately 350 manholes, and seven lift- stations to adapt to the elevation oft the area. The wastewater system has a total allocated flow of .611 MGD to the following sources: City of Baldwin - 404 MGD Proposed Allocated Flows for Potential Development - 207 MGD Alice Venter arrived at 9:00 am. Operating Revenue (Enterprise Fund) Water/Sewer Rates - EMI is currently working on evaluating the City's rates and possibly updating the rate structure, as part of the CIP. System Connection Fees - Tied specifically to new water and sewer system to pay for the infrastructure already in place and to maintain it. Holliday recommended the System Connection Fees be reevaluated every three years. Installation Fees Wholesale Rate Fees Currently only utilized with the City of Demorest. Additional fees - Lift station fees, fire hydrant fees, tank maintenance fees, etc. Kerri Davis stepped out at 9:08 am. Holliday reviewed non-revenue water loss and the multiple potential causes for this loss, Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th - 11th, 2025 Page 16 including leaks, waste, broken or tampered meters, human error (inaccurate records, poor meter reading), or outright water theft. Baldwin's current water loss is 118 million gallons per year. Holliday reviewed the methods of addressing water loss including meter and waterline replacement, zone meters, and a leak detection survey, several of which have been implemented in Baldwin or are expected to be implemented soon. Projects Holliday reviewed projects currently in progress in the City of Baldwin: Pre-Treatment Unit at Water Plant: $5.1M Need funding options [GEFA/bond issuance]. The current water plant is only able to effectively treat turbidity in excess of 75 NTUS. Hurricane events in recent years have produced turbidity measuring over 200 NTUS, causing the filters to get clogged. ) This pre-treatment unit will save on treatment costs in the long term. Solids Handling Building at WWTP: $1.8M Need funding options [GEFA/bond issuance]. Needed to house the dewatering screw press. Erik Keith stepped out at 9:45 am. SCADA improvements at the Water Plant 95% complete - working on IT networking. o Closed system SO it cannot be hacked. Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Zone Meters - hoping to be solidified in the next month or two Paving - Banks Ridge, Banks Highland, Banks Terrace, Highland Pointe, and Dawn Place Flushing Program (proposal provided to City staff) Alice Venter stepped out at 9:52 am Break The group broke at 9:53 am and resumed at 10:04 am with Councilmembers Kerri Davis, Erik Keith, and Alice Venter, and Legal Counsel Ike Ekeke. HWY 441 Water Line + ARVs o Waterline currently out of service o Road bore through GDOT permit 7 air/vacuum valves Estimated cost of $400,000 Water Plant Elevated Tank Provides all the water to the J Warren Booster Station and to Demorest Needs ehabltation/fenovation due to interior corrosion Estimated 30-45 days out of service Will need to be a joint effort with Demorest, possibly utilizing the Baycor Tank. Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th - 11th, 2025 Page 17 Need to ensure adequate volume and pressure to J' Warren and Demorest customers Must meet CT values for chlorine disinfection. Renovation has already been paid for through quarterly payments to American Tank Maintenance, as they evaluated the tank and determined the repairs needed. Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) DBPs are formed when disinfectants (e.g., chlorine) react with natural organic matter in water and long detention time. The key chemicals include trihalomethanes *THMs), naloacetic acids (HAA5s). Disinfection is critical because: a. Controls harmful pathogens in drinking water b. Reduces waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. PFAS - Perfluoroalky Substances April 10, 2024 - The EPA established the first National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six PFAS compounds, setting the standard for maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). The EPA has released a mandate that regulated public water systems are required to complete initial monitoring for the PFAS compounds by 2027 and include the results in their Annual Water Quality Reports. Any systems with PFAS levels above the new standard must implement means to reduce the compound levels by 2029 to meet compliance. January 2025, the Georgia EPD released a draft strategy to incorporate PFAS monitoring into wastewater permits, to ensure that PFAS levels don't exceed MCLS after treatment by public water systems. Holliday reviewed completed projects for the City of Baldwin, including the raw water pump and station, the backwash pond, the interior water plant painting, the Habersham County road survey, and repaving Batson Street, Davis Drive, and Homer Drive. Action tems Water System Revise CIP (EMI) Elevated water tank(s) Water Loss Control (EMI) Water plant expansion Ground water source/supply Raw water pump (proposal submitted) 441 water line Reservoir (local or regional) Elevated water tank Water line replacement Flushing program (proposal (proposal submitted) submitted) Water Source Considerations Demorest Well Additional ground water sources New reservoir at Plant site Regional reservoir Garrison Road Well - A consensus has been reached with Demorest to move forward in deeding the well to the City of Baldwin. Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th - 11th, 2025 Page I 8 Finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding, currently under review by The Samuels Firm. Cost will be incorporated into the MOU. Action Items Wastewater System O Collection System Improvements o I/I- flows exceed 1.0 MGD at WWTP Wastewater Plant Improvements Lift Station improvements Sanitary Sewer System Evaluation Survey (SSES) to determine the locations of I/I in a collection system. Holliday opened the floor for questions and discussion. Break The group took a break at 10:54 am and resumed at 11:08 am without Stephanie Almagno and Erik Keith. Strategic Planning Woodmaster divided those present into groups to discuss potential items to add to the CIP, then reconvened to discuss those ideas: Stephanie Almagno and Erik Keith returned at 11:15 am. Banks County water tank Improving 441 infrastructure/south side water system Wastewater plant at Lee Arrendale Reestablish groundwater wells into the system Integrate with Alto Reservoir/green space in Chitwood development Break for Lunch The group broke for lunch at 11:55 am and resumed at 1:02 pm without Scott Barnhart, Erik Keith, and Chris Thomason. Strategic Planning + Committee Update Woodmaster reviewed the City's vision and mission statement, then reviewed previously established committees through the application Cascade. Erik Keith returned at 1:38 pm. Economic Development o Discussion of options for economic development for the City of Baldwin. Create Economic Development page on the website Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th - 11th, 2025 Page 19 Coordinate with Brittany Ivey with Stephens County Development Authority. Utilize testimonials from residents, local businesses, and developers. o Updating/Rebuild zoning ordinance and create a Highway 365 overlay committee. Infrastructure o Identify familiarize current commercla/ndustrial zoning regulations. Compare current regulations with comparable entities. o Propose amendments to Council. Consortium o Identify people/available property O Identify goals. Legal Counsel Ike Ekeke left the retreat at 2:00 pm. Reasons to Build in Baldwin 1. Ease of doing business 5. Sense of community/sense 7. Compared to Hallmark 2. "The cool kids" of place moments 3. Motivated council 6. Integrity, perseverance, 8. Diversity 4. Beautiful Baldwin quality Break The group took a break at 2:20 pm and resumed at 2:34 pm. Project Assgnment/Wap-lp Discussion Mayor Almagno called for an amendment to the retreat agenda. Action: A motion was made by Nancy Lehman to amend the agenda to add Censure Resolution of Alice Venter with a second by Kerri Davis. Motion Carried 4-0. Mayor Almagno reviewed the terms of the censure resolution for councilmember Alice Venter. Venter made a statement, acknowledging and accepting the censure. Action: A motion was made by Nancy Lehman to accept the censure resolution of Alice Venter with a second by Alice Venter. Motion Carried 4-0. Adjournment Action: A motion to adjourn was made by Alice Venter with a second by Kerri. Davis. Motion Carried 4-0 at 2:50 pm. 5/12/2025 OF Stephanie Almagno, Mayor Date Approved by Council CITY SEAL Erin Gathercoal, City Clerk 0 GA Spring 2025 Retreat Minutes April 10th. - 11th, 2025 Pagel 10