SPECIAL CALLED MEETING

The Board of Commissioners of Spalding County, Georgia, held a Special Called meeting on Monday, November 13, 2000 in their office in the Courthouse Annex in the City of Griffin, Spalding County, Georgia, beginning at 6:00 o’clock p.m. with Commissioners Earle Childres, Martha McDaniel, Merrill Massengale, Johnie McDaniel and Michael Kendall present. Also present were County Manager Mike Ruffin, Deputy County Manager William Wilson, and Executive Secretary Phyllis Doane. Also present were Jinna Garrison, Finance Director, Louis Greene, Parks and Recreation Director and Samuel Gardner, Fire Chief.

Also present were John Lester and Roland Hinners of HDR/W. L. Jorden & Co., David Jackson of Street Smarts, Brian Upson of Integrated Science and Engineering and Todd Barnes of A. G. Edwards & Co.

Chairman Kendall called the meeting to order.

Before the meeting begin, Commissioner Childres introduced his successor to the seat of District IV, Dick Morrow, and asked him to join him at the podium for the discussion of the sales taxes.

The order of business was:

1. To discuss the 1996 Sales Tax Program Status Report. Mr. John Lester, W. L. Jorden & Co. gave a summary of all the projects that have been completed since the SPLOST started in 1996 and the ones, which will be completed in the future. He stated that the SPLOST is set to expire in December 2001.

He said to date Airport Road Park, AMBUCS Park, Fairmont park and Volunteer Park have been completed at a cost of $1.09 Million. A total of $4.68 Million is funded for Parks and Recreation Improvements. Pending. At Wyomia Tyus Olympic Park the soccer complex, park entrance and roads, maintenance area, lake, baseball area grading, and baseball irrigation have all been completed at a cost of $2.70 Million. Pending are Wyomia Tyus concession stands (Jan. 2001) $500,000; baseball parking lot and entrance road (April 2001) $525,000 and $155,000 allocated to sprig the baseball fields next spring, landscape the baseball area, and complete the irrigation work. Swim and Dive center (June 2001) $5.782 Million. He said that money was available now to fund the project as Chuli Road ($795,000) and Mud Bridge Road ($487,000) had been removed from the paving list due to the lack of ROW donations.

There was some discussion regarding moving the money from paving roads to fund the Swim and Dive Center.

He said that 13 Storm Water Runoff projects had been done by the county and several by the City of Griffin at a total cost of $1.63 Million.

The Recycling Collection Facilities have all been completed at a cost of $484,000. Those include Akins Collection Center, Blalock Collection Center, Cabin Collection Center, Woodruff Collection Center and Carver Road Center.

On Unpaved roads we estimated doing 12 miles over the five years. To date 5.74 miles have been completed at a cost of $3.645 Million (Jordan Hill Road, Palm Street, Spring Creek Circle, Amelia Road Phase I, Covington Road, Hosannah Road and Gay Road. Elder Road is out for construction now. Hardy Lane is ready to go and Summit Street is going to be put with the Green Valley Road project. There are 8 roads to do (3.85 miles). This will make a total of 11.1 miles all together. Spent to date is $5.713 Million.

On resurfacing roads (LARP projects) in 1999 a total thirty-one (31) roads were done (28.02 miles) at a cost of $714,000 with reimbursement from DOT in the sum of $410,000. In 2000 we will be doing twenty-seven (27) roads (17.09 miles) at a cost of $707,000 with reimbursement for $375,999.

The Arthur Bolton Parkway will be ready for construction the middle of 2001. The design is to cost $1.275 Million and to date have spent $522,000.

Green Valley Road to improve north and South of State Route 16 is estimated at $850,000 with reimbursement by DOT in the amount of $103,000 and EIP grant $500,000.

The Development Authority - $7.364 Million was allocated and $6.927 Million has been spent. Also excess collections spent on roads were $881,900.

Orchard Hill and Sunny Side were both allocated $250,000 each.

The City of Griffin funded by the excess sales tax collection was allocated $3.395 Million and to date have been given $2.461 Million.

The Geographic Information Systems was funded by excess sales tax collections and to date has spent $343,867.

The balance left in the bond money to date is $2,474,000 to be spent as follows: Industrial Park $437,934.86; City of Orchard Hill $36,651.86; City of Sunny Side $28,000.61; Stormwater (County) $172,313.80; Stormwater (City) $190,665.81; Recycling Facilities $15,396.79; Parks and Recreation $1,505,000; Contingency Sum $98,500.

The total Excess Collections through July 2000 is $26.38 Million. The total estimated to collect is $11,810 Million with total estimated excess collections of $41.349 Million including $3.158 Million in reimbursements. The original tax was estimated to bring in $43 Million but new estimates show the tax will now net $36 Million.

2. To discuss the County Manager’s recommendations for the 2002 SPLOST. Mr. Ruffin presented his proposal for the 2002 SPLOST Program. He said that he did not recommend any projects for Orchard Hill, Sunny Side nor the City of Griffin. He said that he would have liked to put a water project on the ballot such as funding for a new reservoir in Pike County or rehabilitation of the existing Heads Creek Reservoir; however, the reception from the City officials was lukewarm at best and City Attorney had advised that SPLOST funds cannot be used for the construction of the reservoir. He said there were no road projects recommended for lack of matching funds from DOT. He said making his decision was that every project must have countywide benefit.

Commissioner Kendall asked that County Attorney Jim Fortune contact City Attorney Drew Whalen and discuss this issue as he believes the public would support a water supply project.

He stated that the total over-all cost of projects is $111 Million and he was requesting projects totaling $45 Million as follows:

a. Parks and Recreation improvements for a total $5.424 Million including an outdoor pool for Fairmont Park, renovation of City Park Gym and gymnasium for Wyomia Tyus.

b. A new industrial park consisting of 1200-acre expansion of the existing park for the Griffin-Spalding Development Authority in the amount of $31.676 Million including $2.35 Million to upgrade the City’s Potato Creek wastewater facility. Mr. Ruffin commented that the economic development program is very pivotal to the future of Spalding County.

c. For the fire department $1.675 Million for a sever weather early warning system.

d. $1.5 Million for construction program management fees.

e. $4.72 Million for debt service on an estimated $25 million bond issue.

 

Mr. Brian Upson, who is working with the Development Authority, gave the Board a presentation on the new industrial park proposed in the new 2002 SPLOST. He said that all the land was used up in the existing park. In fact, Spalding County had lost a large industry wanting to locate here because there was not space available. Commissioner Kendall questioned if the infrastructure was sufficient to handle a new industrial park and that was something that would also have to be discussed with the City Commissioners. He said that we need a definitive answer on this.

County Manager Ruffin commented that the referendum needed to be called in March 2001 but no later than June 2001. The Board is to review the complete list of proposals agreed that there was a time frame for making their decision and requested that this be placed on the January 8, 2001 agenda.

The meeting was declared adjourned at 7:50 P.M by Chairman Kendall.

County Clerk Chairman