TOWN OF TALLULAH FALLS
STATE OF GEORGIA
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 6 2018
MINUTES
The regular monthly meeting for March 6, 2018 of the City Council of Tallulah Falls, Georgia was called to order at 6:10 p.m. by Mayor Teri Dobbs.
Present were:
- Mayor Teri Dobbs
- Councilperson Deb Goatcher
- Councilperson Larry Hamilton
- Councilperson Mary Beth Hughes
- Fire Chief Mike Early
- Police Chief Bill Goatcher
- Town Attorney Allyn Stockton
- Town Clerk Jessica Robinson
OTHERS PRESENT:
See attached sign-in list. (for attachments, contact Town Clerk)
Mayor Dobbs welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked Reverend James Turpen to open the meeting with prayer.
A Motion was made by Councilperson Hughes to accept the agenda for the March 6th, 2018 Regular City Council Meeting. The Motion was seconded by Councilperson Goatcher and passed unanimously.
A Motion was made by Councilperson Goatcher to accept the minutes for the February 8th, 2018 Regular City Council Meeting and Executive Session. The Motion was seconded by Councilperson Hughes and passed unanimously.
Attorney Report:
Attorney Stockton presented the employee handbook that was provided to the Council and discussed during the February workshop. The Council asked each department head to review the handbook and be prepared for discussion at the April meeting.
Fire Report:
Attached hereto and made a part hereof. (for attachments, contact Town Clerk)
Fire Chief Early stated that he spoke to Rabun County regarding Code Red and it did not seem like a viable option at this time. Mayor Dobbs stated that she would explore the discussion during the SDS meetings with Rabun County. Chief Early reported that he would need to replace amkus pump “jaws of life”. He would research pricing and options for this item.
Police Report:
Attached hereto and made a part hereof. (for attachments, contact Town Clerk)
Chief Goatcher presented the trade-in value of $10,000 for the current police truck to the Council. He requested the new police truck to be purchased with SPLOST funds. After further discussion, the Council decided to not purchase the police truck at this time. Mayor Dobbs recommended to look at purchase options during the upcoming budget cycle. Chief Goatcher reported all the projects that were completed during the time Gary Verdino was available to work part-time during the month of February. The Council shared their appreciation to both Chief Goatcher and Mr. Verdino for their accomplishments. Councilperson Hughes shared an email that she received as part of the Tallulah Falls Business Association website giving positive feedback about the support that was provided by the Tallulah Falls police department during a recent funeral out of Athens that came to this community for a burial.
Water Report:
Attached hereto and made a part hereof. (for attachments, contact Town Clerk)
Chief Goatcher stated that the Gorge View well was approved by EPD.
Financial Report:
Attached hereto and made a part hereof. (for attachments, contact Town Clerk)
Mayor Dobbs read the Financial Report and stated that the town continues to be debt-free. She also made note that the property tax received does not support the budget of the Town. She expressed how critical funds from both Rabun and Habersham SPLOST are for the operation of the Town departments.
Street Report:
Attached hereto and made a part hereof. (for attachments, contact Town Clerk)
Chief Goatcher stated that several of the projects completed during the last month included clearing tree limbs and cleaning out culverts on Hickory Nut Mtn. and around main street.
Public Safety Report:
CSRA Probation Services, Inc. contract attached hereto and made a part hereof. (for attachments, contact Town Clerk)
The Council agreed for the Mayor to sign the annual contract to continue probation services with CSRA Probation Services, Inc.
Marketing:
The Council discussed at the workshop to not move forward with advertisement in the Highlander magazine at this time.
Mayor’s Comments:
The Mayor stated her appreciation to Chief Goatcher, Chief Early, and Gary Verdino for their help in the preparation for the tree planting to recognize Arbor Day. She also thanked Councilperson Hughes, Kristy Early, and Barbara Rice for their participation on the Tree Board for the Town.
Mayor Dobbs presented the lease agreement for the use of the bathrooms during the season for the Bluegrass events. The Council authorized the Mayor to sign an agreement with Carl Seaman for the use of the bathrooms. The Council directed the Clerk to develop a lease agreement for the property that will host the Bluegrass event owned by Terry Parker. The Council authorized Mayor Dobbs to execute the agreement upon receipt.
Open Comment:
A resident expressed concern about some of the pot holes in the streets. He requested that these conditions be taken into consideration when allocating money for paving.
Mayor Dobbs called for an Executive Session for the Council to discuss personnel.
A Motion was made by Councilperson Goatcher to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing real estate and potential litigation. Councilperson Hughes seconded the motion
Mayor Dobbs called the regular Council Meeting back to order at 8:27 p.m. and asked the Council to make any appropriate motions based on discussions in executive session. No action was necessary.
Two residents returned to the meeting after executive session. One of the residents requested that the Council provide an update regarding the proposed water projects for the Town and the status of each phase at a future meeting. The Mayor stated that she would speak to the engineer and would to plan for this update at the April meeting.
A Motion was made by Councilperson Goatcher to adjourn; seconded by Councilperson Hughes. The Motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.