City, County Agree on Service Delivery Strategy

News

DAHLONEGA, Ga. — The City of Dahlonega and Lumpkin County have reached a verbal agreement on a service delivery strategy (SDS). The SDS determines which services the county will provide for the city and what the city will pay for those services.

The strategy, which awaits the signatures of Mayor Gary McCullough and Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Chris Dockery, calls for the city to pay Lumpkin County $50,000 annually for supplementary fire services, $8,000 annually for supplementary law enforcement services and a 10 percent court add-on fee for jail construction and staffing for housing inmates and to cover medical expenses.

At Thursday’s City Council meeting, Cumming attorney Dana Miles, who served as a neutral arbiter between the two governments, said, “I’d like to congratulate city and county officials for coming together so flawlessly in getting this done. This is the way government should work.”

The next item on the council’s agenda — a proposed policy change for festivals and parades — met with a little more resistance. City Manager Bill Schmid presented the draft proposal as representatives of Gold Rush Days, Arts & Wine Festival and Trail Fest listened intently.

The policy, which represents a recommendation of the Planning Department and Downtown Development Authority. It takes into consideration the impact these events have on downtown businesses and the cost of city services needed to support them. It recommends festivals be divided into three categories based on the number of people in attendance and implements permit and parking fees.

Category A would apply to attendance of 5,000 or less and would cost organizers $500 for the permit and $300 for parking. Category B would apply to festivals with an attendance up to 25,000 and would impose a permit fee of $1,000 and parking fee of $550. Category C would apply to events over 25,000 and would impose a permit fee of $1,500 and parking fee of $1,750.
Festival organizers argued their events benefit the local economy and help to promote the city in a positive way.

A representative of the Arts & Wine Festival pointed out that their event is strictly non-profit and that their advertising and budget for this year had already been spent. She objected to the parking fee, saying the city doesn’t charge a parking fee for other visitors. She also pointed out that their fest did not bring food vendors purposely because they wanted visitors to frequent local restaurants.

Representatives of Gold Rush Days suggested that the fees not be imposed until 2018 and that a committee be formed with city officials, business leaders and festival organizers to write the final draft.

Schmid stated the proposed policy is just a first draft and more input would be sought before any action was taken.

Leave a comment

Back to Top