Danielsville will no longer ‘forgive’ water leak expenses
Danielsville water customers will no longer get a one time per-year “forgiveness” of water expenses incurred during a major water leak.
The city council approved an amendment to their water ordinance that removes this allowance, which means that customers will have to foot the expense for any water used, regardless of whether or not it is due to a water leak at their residence or business.
Mayor Todd Higdon said the city could not afford to continue to absorb this cost.
In other business, the council heard the “first reading” of a new flat fee schedule ordinance for building inspections. Higdon said these fees would help the city defray costs associated with paperwork and assistance from city staff, though the inspections themselves will continue to be done by the county.
The fee schedule is as follows: for residential and modular homes, $125; additions to an existing house, $40; basement finishing after C/O, $50; fee for damaged structures (fire, storm, water, etc., which requires a letter from the fire department or insurance company), $15; manufactured housing, $125; residential storage buildings, $25; commercial storage buildings, $30; swimming pools, $25; electrical, $25; plumbing, $25; heating and air, $25; commercial buildings, $300; commercial plans review, $100; temporary certificate of occupancy, $15 and general repairs (leaking roofs, broken windows, etc.), no charge.
This fee schedule is expected to be adopted at the next business meeting on June 11.
The city council discussed this year’s Danielsville Fall Festival, but came to no conclusions. Two members of last year’s fall festival committee, former councilwoman Janice Merk and Janet Croya, were on hand to discuss the matter. Higdon told the committee members that if the city sponsors the festival, the finances would have to be “run through the city, no question.” He also said the council would have some say in where the donation of proceeds from the festival should go. City attorney Dale Perry said that liability is the real issue for whoever is responsible for the festival.
Higdon told the committee members to come to the next work session, which was rescheduled for Monday, June 4 due to the Memorial Day holiday, with a “definite plan” of how they want to proceed.
The city council heard that part time police officer Jason Ring has resigned. Higdon said Ring and his wife just had a new baby and that his schedule as a deputy for the county had also undergone some unforeseen changes, making it harder for him to balance the two jobs. Ring accepted the part-time 20-hour per week position just a few weeks ago.
Higdon said the council must decide whether to hire another part-time officer, or to increase officer Henry Hicks’ hours from 20 to 30 on a permanent basis. Higdon said Hicks is now working 30 hours to cover the vacancy. The council took no action on the matter but agreed to discuss it further at their work session.
City clerk Susan Payne said the drop box system for utility payments has been implemented and is now working well. She added that she and assistant clerk Suzanne Ferguson have enjoyed getting to know the citizens as they come to make their payments.
She said the funds from the cashed-in Certificates of Deposit have been successfully transferred into the SPLOST account to bring the city into compliance with the state, as requested by city auditors Rushton and Associates. In a related matter, Payne said the work for the 2011 audit is now finished.
Higdon said he and Payne met with a GIRMA insurance official earlier on Monday to go over the city’s insurance cost “line by line” to see what items are insured, and for how much, in an effort to cut costs. Payne noted that the city also received $6,000 in dividend refunds from the insurance company.
The council heard, but took no action on a suggestion by Payne to consider integrating the city’s accounting software. She said the city currently pays $10,318 yearly in maintenance fees and fees to the outside accounting agency Capable Solutions, pointing out that the city’s information is not all in one place nor do they own the software. She said city hall cannot produce up-to-date financial statements since they must wait for them to be provided, which can hamper decision-making on the part of the council.
Payne ask that they consider the purchase of software that will handle utility payments, accounting, payroll and business license fees which has an upfront cost of approximately $25,000, including the first year’s maintenance fee. She and Higdon pointed out that the upfront expense would be recouped in the first couple of years.
Higdon said he understood the purpose of having an outside firm “keep a third eye on the city’s money” but pointed out that the company only used the information provided to them by the city. The council plans to discuss the matter further at its work session.
City maintenance director Josh Lester gave the council an update of the maintenance department’s activities, including the repair of five water leaks over the past month. Lester said this, along with recent rains, has put them somewhat behind on grass-cutting. Danielsville resident Gene Greene complained about the un-kempt lawn at the city cemetery over Mother’s Day weekend and Lester apologized, saying that they try to mow the grass every Friday, but that the unexpected work involving the water leaks had put them behind.
In a related matter, the council agreed to hire part-time help for the maintenance department at $8 per hour through the end of September.
The council discussed the sale of items by various charitable groups at the red light. Higdon said he had warned one group about standing in the middle of the road instead of the right-of-way to solicit donations as it presents a safety hazard. Police chief Matt Pilkington said he would check to see if there is state law that he can enforce about where groups can and cannot stand to seek donations on the state highway.
Former council member Nina Hitchcock complained about yard sales being held in the city hall parking lot, saying it does not look good for the city to have items for sale spread all over the lot. She said at one time a former council had banned yard sales at this location, except for non-profits. Perry told the council that such sales could be regulated by them, though the parking lot is county-owned.
Former councilwoman Junne Temple peppered the council with questions at the end of the meeting – asking them if they had had a called meeting, what surplus equipment they were planning to sell, where the money to replenish the SPLOST funds had come from and whether cashing in the CDs had depleted the city’s reserves. She also asked for a copy of the new building inspection flat fee schedule.
Higdon told her there was a called meeting that was appropriately announced on Monday, May 8; that they were currently going through and gathering the surplus inventory which would be advertised for sealed bid; that they cashed in CDs (totaling $75,660) to provide the $65,500 needed for the SPLOST account and that the remainder was placed into a new CD.
Payne provided Temple with a copy of the fee schedule, as requested.
Mayor Todd Higdon said the city could not afford to continue to absorb this cost.
In other business, the council heard the “first reading” of a new flat fee schedule ordinance for building inspections. Higdon said these fees would help the city defray costs associated with paperwork and assistance from city staff, though the inspections themselves will continue to be done by the county.
The fee schedule is as follows: for residential and modular homes, $125; additions to an existing house, $40; basement finishing after C/O, $50; fee for damaged structures (fire, storm, water, etc., which requires a letter from the fire department or insurance company), $15; manufactured housing, $125; residential storage buildings, $25; commercial storage buildings, $30; swimming pools, $25; electrical, $25; plumbing, $25; heating and air, $25; commercial buildings, $300; commercial plans review, $100; temporary certificate of occupancy, $15 and general repairs (leaking roofs, broken windows, etc.), no charge.
This fee schedule is expected to be adopted at the next business meeting on June 11.
The city council discussed this year’s Danielsville Fall Festival, but came to no conclusions. Two members of last year’s fall festival committee, former councilwoman Janice Merk and Janet Croya, were on hand to discuss the matter. Higdon told the committee members that if the city sponsors the festival, the finances would have to be “run through the city, no question.” He also said the council would have some say in where the donation of proceeds from the festival should go. City attorney Dale Perry said that liability is the real issue for whoever is responsible for the festival.
Higdon told the committee members to come to the next work session, which was rescheduled for Monday, June 4 due to the Memorial Day holiday, with a “definite plan” of how they want to proceed.
The city council heard that part time police officer Jason Ring has resigned. Higdon said Ring and his wife just had a new baby and that his schedule as a deputy for the county had also undergone some unforeseen changes, making it harder for him to balance the two jobs. Ring accepted the part-time 20-hour per week position just a few weeks ago.
Higdon said the council must decide whether to hire another part-time officer, or to increase officer Henry Hicks’ hours from 20 to 30 on a permanent basis. Higdon said Hicks is now working 30 hours to cover the vacancy. The council took no action on the matter but agreed to discuss it further at their work session.
City clerk Susan Payne said the drop box system for utility payments has been implemented and is now working well. She added that she and assistant clerk Suzanne Ferguson have enjoyed getting to know the citizens as they come to make their payments.
She said the funds from the cashed-in Certificates of Deposit have been successfully transferred into the SPLOST account to bring the city into compliance with the state, as requested by city auditors Rushton and Associates. In a related matter, Payne said the work for the 2011 audit is now finished.
Higdon said he and Payne met with a GIRMA insurance official earlier on Monday to go over the city’s insurance cost “line by line” to see what items are insured, and for how much, in an effort to cut costs. Payne noted that the city also received $6,000 in dividend refunds from the insurance company.
The council heard, but took no action on a suggestion by Payne to consider integrating the city’s accounting software. She said the city currently pays $10,318 yearly in maintenance fees and fees to the outside accounting agency Capable Solutions, pointing out that the city’s information is not all in one place nor do they own the software. She said city hall cannot produce up-to-date financial statements since they must wait for them to be provided, which can hamper decision-making on the part of the council.
Payne ask that they consider the purchase of software that will handle utility payments, accounting, payroll and business license fees which has an upfront cost of approximately $25,000, including the first year’s maintenance fee. She and Higdon pointed out that the upfront expense would be recouped in the first couple of years.
Higdon said he understood the purpose of having an outside firm “keep a third eye on the city’s money” but pointed out that the company only used the information provided to them by the city. The council plans to discuss the matter further at its work session.
City maintenance director Josh Lester gave the council an update of the maintenance department’s activities, including the repair of five water leaks over the past month. Lester said this, along with recent rains, has put them somewhat behind on grass-cutting. Danielsville resident Gene Greene complained about the un-kempt lawn at the city cemetery over Mother’s Day weekend and Lester apologized, saying that they try to mow the grass every Friday, but that the unexpected work involving the water leaks had put them behind.
In a related matter, the council agreed to hire part-time help for the maintenance department at $8 per hour through the end of September.
The council discussed the sale of items by various charitable groups at the red light. Higdon said he had warned one group about standing in the middle of the road instead of the right-of-way to solicit donations as it presents a safety hazard. Police chief Matt Pilkington said he would check to see if there is state law that he can enforce about where groups can and cannot stand to seek donations on the state highway.
Former council member Nina Hitchcock complained about yard sales being held in the city hall parking lot, saying it does not look good for the city to have items for sale spread all over the lot. She said at one time a former council had banned yard sales at this location, except for non-profits. Perry told the council that such sales could be regulated by them, though the parking lot is county-owned.
Former councilwoman Junne Temple peppered the council with questions at the end of the meeting – asking them if they had had a called meeting, what surplus equipment they were planning to sell, where the money to replenish the SPLOST funds had come from and whether cashing in the CDs had depleted the city’s reserves. She also asked for a copy of the new building inspection flat fee schedule.
Higdon told her there was a called meeting that was appropriately announced on Monday, May 8; that they were currently going through and gathering the surplus inventory which would be advertised for sealed bid; that they cashed in CDs (totaling $75,660) to provide the $65,500 needed for the SPLOST account and that the remainder was placed into a new CD.
Payne provided Temple with a copy of the fee schedule, as requested.
Also, sounds like Junne Temple can't take a hint: They've had enough of you.