Library Upgrade, Potential Lawsuit Dominate Commission Work Session

DAHLONEGA, Ga. — Lumpkin County Commissioners worked their way through a long list of agenda items in less than two hours during Tuesday’s work session.

At the top of the agenda was a presentation by Bill O’Leksy, a member of the Friends of the Library, on the status of the county library. O’Leksy said the library was already three years below state standards when he moved to the county 27 years ago and now ranks last in the state.

He pointed out that the building is not ADA compliant and it would cost $500,000 to $1 million to just meet the minimum standards. “Even if we put $1 million into the building, we still have a building that was too small in 1988,” he said.

O’Leksy asked commissioners to appoint a task force to look at all the alternatives and recommend a plan of action. “There was $1 million put into the 2014 SPLOST but it’s sitting there without a plan,” he said. “Without a plan, we can’t get grants or help from the state.”

O’Leksy said he could submit a list of names to serve on the task force and Chairman Chris Dockery agreed to meet with him and review the list prior to next Tuesday’s voting session.

In other action, commissioners discussed appointments to various boards including Barbara Bosanko to the AVITA Board (formerly the Georgia Mountains Community Services Board) and John Gaston as an alternate member to represent the Development Authority of Lumpkin County on the Lumpkin County Water and Sewer Authority.

Finance Director Allison Martin asked commissioners for authorization to join the National Purchasing PartnersGov coop. Membership is free and members have access to a large number of publicly solicited contracts to simplify purchasing while complying with procurement requirements.

The board also discussed an ongoing problem of water draining from two county roads (Coppermine Road and Chestatee River Ridge Road) causing damage to property owned by the Eckler family.

The property owners believe the problem is a result of actions taken by the county and the county should pay to fix the problem. County staff believes the problem is a result of the builder of the house turning the drainage during the construction of the house and not taking proper actions to redirect the water away from the house.

The cost of material to fix the problem is estimated at $4,500. Larry Reiter, Director of Planning and Public Works, recommended a cost-sharing agreement between the county and property owners.

Ridge Rairigh, attorney for the Ecklers, said, “My folks aren’t 100 percent agreeable to cost sharing and I do believe there is liability on the part of the county. I’m a citizen of Lumpkin County and I don’t want to sue the county. I do believe the court cost would greatly outweigh the cost of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Dockery recommended Rairigh and the staff meet again and come up with a solution the board could act on at the next voting session.