City Commissioners approved $62.0 MILLION DOLLAR SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY.
At the February 14th City Commissioners meeting the Commissioners:
Approved: a Resolution for The Housing Authority of The City of Griffin, to issue Revenue Bonds in an amount not to exceed $62.0 million dollars to Regional Housing & Community Services Corporation, a California nonprofit corporation, or a designated subsidiary thereof, for the purpose of financing the acquisition, construction, furnishing and equipping of a senior living community.
This facility will be located at the NW intersection of Ga. Hwy 92 and Cowan Road, across from the First Assembly of God Church. The local subsidiary is Harmony Village Landowner, LLC. This facility provides various levels of care and particularly care for residents with dementia and related diseases.
The type of facility is in high demand in Georgia, particularly in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The nonprofit that will and operate the facility has an established record of operating similar facilities around the country.
These bonds impose no obligation on the City of Griffin, however, The Griffin Housing Authority is deemed a “dependent” authority of the City of Griffin.
The commissioners:
Recognized: Nate Miller, Rescue Technician/Firefighter with the City of Griffin’s Fire Department, as the January 2017 “Strongest Link” award recipient.
The “Strongest Link” Award is given monthly to a deserving employee who has demonstrated excellent performance and productivity, loyalty, professional pride, and other noteworthy accomplishments. The recognized employee receives one day off with pay, a gift certificate from a local restaurant, a “Strongest Link” plaque, and the symbolic “chain”, for which he/she will be the custodian until a subsequent employee is recognized.
Rescue Technician Nate Miller stepped up in a major way recently by being a key instrument in an important departmental project. When the voters of this community approved a $1.1 million SPLOST for a new 100’ aerial truck, the need for advanced training was critical. Rescue Tech Miller had experience and expertise from another department operating aerial trucks. On his own initiative, he offered to create a comprehensive training program which would meet the requirements for safe operation of the vehicle. He spent countless hours both off and on-duty creating the program and training key personnel. This ensured key personnel is now certified to properly use the vehicle. This initiative saved the City time and money.
Approved: on second reading an Ordinance amending the Code of Griffin, at Chapter 6,
Alcoholic Beverages, by deleting present Chapter 6 and adopting in lieu thereof a comprehensive
revision of alcohol regulations.
Since the last revision of this Chapter In October 2016, the GA Dept of Revenue has rescinded some more regulations, leaving regulation of alcohol to local control with the State’s role focusing more on the revenue aspects. City staff has been approached by licensees to enact more changes in line with those in Atlanta, Athens, Macon and similar cities. It is felt many of these changes will promote economic development without sacrificing local regulatory control.
Approved: on second reading an Ordinance amending the Code of Griffin, to reflect action by the Department of Community Affairs Board adding the 2012 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ICC) with 2014 Georgia amendments as a “mandatory” statewide code to be enforced locally. The Swimming Pool and Spa Code moved from an “optional” code, adopted by the City, to a “mandatory” code, effective January 1, 2017.
Approved: on second reading an ordinance amending the Code of Griffin by repealing present
Article II of Chapter 26, BUSINESSES, and enacting as Article VII of Chapter 82, TAXATION.
Recent changes in general law replaced the method of calculating interest due on delinquent occupation taxes. This ordinance reflects that change and also changes the due date for payment of the tax on businesses that commence operation after January 1 and the due date for imposition of penalty thereon. The location of the Occupation Tax provisions are moved from the Chapter on BUSINESSES to the Chapter on TAXATION to better reflect it is a revenue measure and not imposed as a means of regulating businesses.
Approved: on second reading amending the Code of Griffin, AMUSEMENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, by deleting the present article in its entirety and enacting in lieu thereof a new article in compliance with State regulations on coin-operated amusement machines.
Approved: to amend the City of Griffin Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Operating and Capital
Budget in the amount of $20,000.00 recognizing the Georgia Municipal Association Safety
Grant. The resolution and amendment will provide $10,266 to General Fund, $3,053 to Electric Utility Fund, and $6,681 to Water Wastewater Utility Fund.
Approved: to allow MEAG Power to continue to make voluntary deposits into the City of
Griffin Flexible Short Term Portfolio and the New Generation and Capacity Intermediate
Portfolio and authorize the Chairperson and City Manager to complete the election form. These forms are completed each time the city gets a new Commission Chairperson or New City Manager.
Approved: Correction of the agenda item for an Easement Agreement between the City of Griffin and Georgia Power Company for ingress/egress access to Georgia Power Company for Substation #6 approved on 1-24-17. The address that was contained in the agenda item was incorrectly stated as 1303 Cowan Road, Griffin. It should have been shown as 100 Vaughn Lane, Griffin.
Approved: to make repairs and seal coat the parking lot at Still Branch Regional Reservoir to
Spalding Concrete Company, lowest of 3 bids, in the amount of $41,730.00 for the Water and Wastewater Department. Budget amount was $60,000.
Approved: a Resolution and authorization for the Mayor to execute the 2017
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application for $750,000 to the Georgia
Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to make public water and sewer infrastructure
improvements along Meriwether Street (between Everee Inn Road and S. 8th St), S. 15th Street (between W. Poplar and Meriwether Street) and portions of Anne Street and Park Road.
The City of Griffin Public Works Department will commit $313,550 in cash and $10,000 in-kind services in FY18.
The commissioners:
Tabled: for further discussion the first reading to amend the Code of Ordinances, of the City of Griffin, Building & Building Regulations, Permits Sections, to add amendments that address the length of time a property that has been deemed a nuisance shall have to make the necessary corrections. Further, the ordinance stipulates that anyone who is indebted to the City must pay all fees prior to a permit being issued. This will give The City another way to collect unpaid judgments, which should help increase revenue.
The commissioners:
Appointed: Eula Redding to the Spalding County Collaborative Authority for Families and Children.
Approved: a Resolution affirming the appointment of J. Kristi Lovelace as Municipal Court Judge Pro Tempore and approving the compensation for such position.
The City Charter states that the Municipal Court Judge may appoint a qualified attorney to serve as Judge Pro Tempore during his absence or disability, to assist with arraignments, and/or to handle specific cases in which the Judge may have a conflict.
Judge Johnston has appointed J. Kristi Lovelace as Judge Pro Tempore. $6000 per year has been budgeted for the Associate Judge’s position payable $500 per month.
Approved: a Tourism Product Development Special Project Agreement Contract and
amend the FY 2017 Budget accordingly.
This Agreement Contract provides funding for completion of this project during the period ending June 23, 2017 in the amount of $5,000. The Griffin-Spalding Business Tourism Association (GSBTA) will provide $7,430, and the City of Griffin will provide the amount of $6,644 in miscellaneous in-kind services. This project completes the Historic Downtown Sidewalk Film Marker Walking Tour for the City of Griffin with installation of approximately 40 bronze markers in the downtown area designating movies and television series that were filmed in Griffin and Spalding County.
Submitted by Larry Johnson