FLOYD COUNTY COMMISSION AGENDA ACTIONS
April 8, 2008
The Floyd County Commission held an “away” meeting today at Rome High School.
Commissioners approved a letter of intent to have Lock and Dam Park considered as one of 15 sites on the state’s Bass Trail. The statewide system of designated fishing tournament sites is part of the year-old Go Fish Georgia program.
“Anglers spend $569 million a year with a ripple-effect of about $1.5 billion,” said Wayne Probst of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. “But every state around us except South Carolina is attracting more tournaments right now.”
Probst, Richard Garland, executive director of the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority, and Linda Smith of the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau presented information about the program during the board’s caucus session.
Garland said the park would need a four-ramp launch area and support system to include parking for 100 to 400 boat trailers. It already has a bait shop, campgrounds, parking for 100 boat trailers and space for more.
The state would provide up to $400,000 for the needed improvements, Probst said, but the county would have to match the amount 50-50.
It is unclear how much of the existing infrastructure would be credited as part of the county’s match. Probst and Garland are scheduled to present a detailed report at the board’s April 22 meeting.
Probst said the first 10 sites have been selected and “now we’re looking at some places we didn’t look at early in the process.”
The DNR is slated to approve the final sites on April 25 and intergovernmental agreements between the host sites and the states will be signed by June 1.
Smith said a marketing consultant determined the three rivers running through the county are its greatest tourist asset but more promotion is needed.
“We are behind this 100 percent, because of what our study says and because the economics are there,” Smith said. “It’s a corny line from a movie but….if you build it, they will come.”
I. CALL TO ORDER — Chairman Jerry Jennings
II. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG — Commissioners John Mayes and Eddie Lumsden
III. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Floyd County Evon Billups urged high schoolers in the audience to register to vote if they will be 18 years old before the election. Students received registration forms.
“This is a big election year. You get to choose your president,” Billups said. “But all elections are important. That’s how you get your board of commissioners and other elected officials who represent you.”
Click for complete voter information.
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Adopted minutes of Regular Meeting of March 25, 2008 and Called Meeting of March 27, 2008.
Click to view minutes.
V. PROCLAMATIONS
1. Parkinson Disease Awareness Month, April 2008. James Trussell, President, Northwest Georgia Parkinson Disease Association.
Click to view 'Parkinson`s Disease proclamation'
2. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 13-19, 2008. Beth Dabbs, Victim Witness Assistance Program Director.
Click to view 'Crime Victims proclamation'
3. Animal Control Officers Week, April 13-19, 2008. Jason Broome, Shelter Manager, Rome-Floyd Animal Control.
Click to view 'Animal Control Officers proclamation'
4. National Telecommunicator’s Week, April 13-19, 2008. Pat Smith, E911 Director.
Click to view 'Telecommunicators proclamation'
5. Correctional Officer Appreciation Day, May 1, 2008. Anne Brinkley, Floyd County Prison Warden.
Click to view 'Correctional Officer proclamation'
VI. FOCUS ON FLOYD
1. E911 – Pat Smith, Director.
Smith said the 911 Center that opened in 1988 has 28 dispatchers who field an average of 145,000 calls a year on the 911 line. Another 70,000 or so calls come in on the non-emergency line.
The operators also dispatch an average 143,000 calls for service each year and handle about 6,000 fire and medical alarms.
2. Floyd County Prison – Anne Brinkley, Warden.
Brinkley said the county prison has a staff of 55 supervising an average daily population of 389 inmates, both inside and outside the prison.
Inmate work crews put in 420,394 hours on public projects last year for a value of $2,459,305 if calculated using the minimum wage.
3. Public Works Department – Michael Skeen, Director.
Skeen said the department has a total of 96 employees handling public roads, signs, bridges, drainage, recycling, engineering and solid waste disposal.
In 2008 the department expects to pave 38.5 miles of road and make repairs on 15 bridges, based on a Georgia Department of Transportation annual inspection report due shortly.
“Sad to say, we collected about 30,000 pounds of litter a month last year (using supervised inmate or community service work crews),” Skeen said.
VII. RESOLUTIONS
1. Adopted Joint Resolution of the City of Cave Spring, the City of Rome and Floyd County, Georgia to Adopt Floyd County Comprehensive Plan (October 2007).
Click to read the plan.
2. Adopted Resolution to Amend the Floyd County Code to correct typographical errors contained in Resolutions previously passed.
3. Approved Intergovernmental Agreement between Floyd County and the City of Rome related to The Forum Parking Deck Project. The Rome City Commission approved the agreement Monday.
Click here for more information about the project.
Click here to see the agreement.
VIII. FIRST READINGS — None
IX. SECOND READINGS/PUBLIC HEARINGS — None
X. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
The board approved a letter of intent to participate in the Go Fish Georgia program.
XI. COMMISSIONERS’ REPORTS
1. Administrative/Finance Committee – Commissioner Whitefield, Chairman — None
2. Public Safety Committee – Commissioner Lumsden, Chairman — None
3. Public Works Committee – Commissioner Mayes, Chairman
The board set April 22 as the date for a public hearing regarding the possible closure of McFry Lane railroad crossing off Pinson Road in Shannon. The railroad will upgrade the Pinson Road crossing if the McFry crossing is closed, County Manager Kevin Poe said.
4. Water Committee – Commissioner Fricks, Chairman — None
5. Judicial Services Committee – Commissioner Jennings, Chairman
The board approved a contract not to exceed $25,000 with Steve Hagan of North Highland to facilitate a workshop on technology improvements for the County’s criminal justice information system.
Jennings said the goal is to have a common database for all departments. The police departments, jail, district attorney’s office and courts are often entering the same data and a combined system will eliminate duplicate efforts.
6. Special Committee Reports — None
XII. CLERK’S REPORT
Consent Agenda approved:
1. Tax Refunds
2. Malt Beverage Application, Bennett D. Phillips, RPNLLC dba Piggly Wiggly 451, 3880 Martha Berry Highway. (Ownership Change – Beer & Wine)
XIII. MANAGER’S REPORT
1. Approved Contract with R. J. Griffin for construction of the Town Green Project. (2006 SPLOST) Deferred March 25, 2008.
Poe said the design and maximum contract price have not been finalized but the basic project will be within the $1.69 million budget provided by the special purpose, local option sales tax package.
However, the contract gives the go-ahead for the company to start relocating a crumbling stone stormwater culvert under the site next to The Forum. The culvert must be moved before construction starts on the nearby parking deck or it could undermine the foundation.
The unexpected culvert relocation will be outside the original budget and could cost as much as $300,000. Poe said the city will be responsible for the additional costs.
“They could get it from savings on other (SPLOST) projects or they’ll have to make it up out of their pocket,” Poe said. “If collections exceed what we’ve projected, they can use that. But we’re concerned right now there could be a shortage.”
2. Deferred a decision on revising the scope of work for the Historic County Courthouse Parking SPLOST (2006) Project.
The latest plan is to build a 92-space surface lot but Jennings said city officials are questioning the need to carve out a section of the Law Enforcement Building lawn on Fifth Avenue for 14 of the spaces.
“Quite frankly, I think we’re all a little concerned about that,” he said. “We want to revisit the plans to try to find another alternative.”
The SPLOST package called for a $1.54 million deck with 104 spaces on the site of the existing lot. But consultants determined the structure would cost more than $3.3 million because of the presence of fly-ash and other geological problems.
The substitute surface lot would cost an estimated $859,000.
Click here for background information and an architectural drawing of the proposed surface lot.
3. Awarded Bid for Painting Dog Kennel at Animal Control to low-bidder Tanner Paint Inc. of Rome at $8,763.
4. Awarded bid for Southwest Rome Bypass Waterline Relocation to low-bidder K.M. Davis Contracting Co. Inc. of Marietta at $898,130.15.
Poe said the Georgia Department of Transportation will pay 80 percent as part of the cost to build the bypass segment between the Coosa River and Ga. 20.
The county’s 20 percent covers the additional cost of water line upgrades that will be done when the line is moved, he said.
XIV. ATTORNEY’S REPORT — None
XV. OTHER BUSINESS — None
XVI. ADJOURN
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