Character Area Amendment Approved
Business, Community, Election September 21, 2022
LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga.- The Lumpkin County Commissioners voted to approve the character area amendment after hosting a public hearing to give the developer and citizens an opportunity to speak.
They also approved the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the City over the joint project and the distribution of the TSPLOST, and they called for a resolution to have the TSPLOST placed on the ballot. Commissioner Rhett Stringer made a motion in regard to the transfer station and recycling contract at the meeting as well.
Planning Director Bruce Georgia presented the Board with the request for the amendment to the character area map at the first Sept. work session. The board discussed the amendment and heard public comments at that meeting, to review visit https://lumpkin.fetchyournews.com/2022/09/07/commissioners-discuss-amendment-to-character-area-map/.
Architect Canon Manley while presenting to the board.
Assistant Planning Director Jenna Ritter was present at the public hearing and made a smaller presentation to the board with just the basic information. The registered architect for the project Canon Manley presented for the developer. Manely went through each of the requirements for consideration of a character area amendment.
Manely read off from a letter of intent which can be found http://lumpkincountyga.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1645&Inline=True, beginning on page 19. After Manley was finished speaking the public had a chance to comment either in favor of or against the amendment.
In the previous work session, there were two members of the community that spoke in opposition. In this meeting, no public comments were made.
After reviewing the information the commissioners vote to approve with a condition. The clip below is Commissioner Jeff Moran reviewing the condition.
The next item that was approved was the IGA with the City of Dahlonega for the TSPLOST distribution and the joint project as well as a resolution to have the TSPLOST placed on the ballot. The City voted on Sept. 19 to enter into the IGA with the county, to read about that meeting visit https://lumpkin.fetchyournews.com/2022/09/20/city-approves-iga-with-county/.
To see a sample ballot for the election or any other election-related information visit https://www.lumpkincounty.gov/183/Elections-Registration. If the TSPLOST is approved by the voters the city and county will collect on it for five years and get an 81/19 split on the distribution. The joint project will be the Auraria Road, Hwy 52/9 West, and Torrington Road intersections.
The motion Commissioner Stringer made was to maintain the current contract with Mark Robinson for the transfer station and recycling until the end of the Nov. He proposed having signage put up to explain the correct way to recycle and if that system does not work then it may be time for the board to consider charging a fee for the recycling.
Stringer stated that he will work with Robinson on this project. The board approved this motion and will reevaluate again in Nov.
City Approves IGA with County
Business, Community September 20, 2022
DAHLONEGA, Ga.- The Dahlonega City Council voted to approve their Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Lumpkin County for the TSPLOST joint project and the distribution of the funds during their special call meeting on Sept. 19.
They also had a work session and discussed Ordinance 2022-12 to allow for commercial walking tours of Mt. Hope Cemetery. Another item that was reviewed was an amendment to the tourism funds for the restroom renovation project.
The City and County have been working since Aug. on a new TSPLOST plan to be placed on the ballot in Nov. To review their most recent joint work session visit https://lumpkin.fetchyournews.com/2022/09/13/joint-work-session-for-tsplost-project-and-distribution/.
The IGA was worked on by both City and County Finance departments as well as a bond advisor for the County. City Attorney Doug Parks presented the IGA to the City Council.
“It is our job to identify the finance director’s goals with regards to this at the city level and the county level and also coordinate with the County’s bond council and additionally the County’s finance advisor,” explained Parks.
They will collect on this for the full five years thanks to new legislation instead of just hitting a specific dollar amount as done in the past. The county will be in charge of paying for the election expenses for the TSPLOST.
The County is set to vote on the IGA at their Sept. 20 meeting. To read through the IGA before their meeting this afternoon visit https://mccmeetings.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/dahlonega-pubu/MEET-Packet-188a6c8dfb4a453ba4cbb05e28cad666.pdf it begins on page 26.
Commercial walking tours for Mt. Hope are now getting an ordinance. The ordinance that was discussed at the meeting outlines certain restricted activities, other limitations, permitted times, fees, and tour guide regulations.
Heard in the clip above is councilmember Lance Bagley explaining the experiences he heard from customers of the walking tours. Dahlonega Walking Tours went before the council at the July 5 meeting for a special use permit with regards to the commercial walking tours to review that meeting visit https://lumpkin.fetchyournews.com/2022/07/06/city-recognizes-officer/.
Finance Director Allison Martin while she presents to the council the fund amendment.
The Visitor Center restroom renovation project came in over the original budget. The price for the project now is $184,000. The city previously approved a budget of $54,000.
The Chamber of Commerce will be contributing $105,000 to the project leaving a $25,000 gap in funds. The City Council will have to vote at their next regular meeting on Oct. 5 on whether to contribute the additional funds from the tourism funds.
Mayor JoAnne Taylor also made a few comments before the meeting. She let everyone know that the sanitation department is understaffed and due to that the way pick is being done has changed. Flyers were sent out to customers explaining the changes.
Also, she stated that there is going to be a documentary done on Dahlonega by Dennis Quaid as part of his Viewpoint project. Currently, he is in the scripting phase of the work and the City has been sending him as much historical information as possible. Taylor will provide more updates on the project as she has them. To check out what Quaid is doing visit https://www.viewpointproject.com/.
Commissioners Make Decision on CorrectHealth Bill
Business, Community, Police & Government August 18, 2022
LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga.- The Lumpkin County Commissioners decided to pay CorrectHealth the additional money required to bring them up to the new contract fee however they will not be paying the additional fee that was requested.
The board also voted to approve the amended intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Board of Education for the proposed aquatic center. They approved a proclamation recognizing the 8U Baseball team for their state championship.
The Board of Commissioners before deciding on the CorrectHealth Bill.
CorrectHealth sent the Board of Commissioners a bill requesting funds to help them break even on the months that the commissioners were bidding out for the service. During those months the commissioners were paying the original contract rate of $22,417.01, they requested at the first work session for the commissioners to meet the first proposed rate of $27,699.67.
To review that meeting visit https://lumpkin.fetchyournews.com/2022/08/03/board-reviews-correcthealth-bill-for-uncontracted-months/. The commissioners decided it was only fair to pay the money back at the new contract rate of $29,000, viewing that it wasn’t CorrectHealth’s fault they were not under contract for those months.
The board however did not feel that they owed the extra $42,000 because a contract amendment never came before the board. In Dec. when the nursing shortage began affecting the situation, CorrectHealth contracted Sheriff Stacy Jarrard and presented him with two options, cut down on the nursing staff or bring in more contracted services at a higher cost.
Jarrard contacted County Manager Alan Ours and got what he interrupted as an okay to move forward with the higher cost. Ours does not have the authority to approve contract changes so the next action was that it should have been placed on the next available agenda but it was not.
CorrectHealth did send a contract amendment to the board but it was never signed and CorrectHealth moved forward with the contracted services in what they called “good faith”.
John Ritter, Director of Marketing and Business Development came with Jarrard to the meeting to explain why the board should pay the fee.
“I did bring an option where we could have remained revenue neutral by cutting the service, but the client(Sheriff Jarrard) requested no we don’t want that we agreed to move forward and have that extra nurse so we have 7 days 12-hour coverage in the facility and we honored that request, we fulfilled that request, and we paid for that request,” explained Ritter.
The board was unaware of the options and had no opportunity to find additional funding to cover the extra expense. Jarrard asked that the money come out of his budget to pay the company, however after Finance Director Abby Branan reviewed his budget she found no additional funds to cover the fee.
Heard in the clip above is Chairman of the Board Chris Dockery explaining to Ritter his view on how the contract change should have been handled. At this time it is unclear what next steps CorrectHealth may take to get the additional funds.
The Commissioners recently adopted new plans for the aquatic center. The original plans came in way over the budget set aside for the project so the board started the plans over.
After numerous meetings with the community to get their input the board finally settled on a plan that best fits the community’s needs. The Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education had an IGA for the original plans and now that the plans have changed the agreement needs to be amended.
The Commissioners with the 8U Baseball team after the proclamation.
The Board of Education voted to approve the amended IGA at their regular meeting on Aug. 8, to examine that meeting and the plans visit https://lumpkin.fetchyournews.com/2022/08/09/board-of-education-approves-iga-with-the-county/. To see what the IGA looks like visit http://lumpkincountyga.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1656&Inline=True, it begins on page 48.
The Commissioners also made a proclamation recognizing the 8U Baseball Team GRPA Class C State Champions. The team was present for the proclamation and also received a Lumpkin County Coin from the commissioners. Commissioner Tucker Greene is one of the coaches for the team.
“I would just like to say thank you for the recognition for that group of boys that you saw before you, I’ve coached a long time and a lot of kids and this was one really really special group, and I was honored to be apart of it and I just thank yall for what yall did for them,” commented Greene.
Board of Education Approves IGA with the County
Board of Education, Community August 9, 2022
LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga.- The Board of Education approved the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the county for the new recreational center the county is planning.
The board also approved the three policies they place on the table last month after no public comments were received. They approved the days suggested by Superintend Dr. Rob Brown for parent conference days.
The Board of Education and the Lumpkin County Commissioners joined into an IGA to share the land where the new Lumpkin County Elementary School and the Aquatic Center would be located on. The county also helped take on some of the cost by handling the paving for the project according to the original IGA.
As many are already aware the original plans for the County’s Aquatic center went way over their intended budget for the project. The commissioners have spent the past several months in talks with the community to figure out what exactly needed to be in the center.
They finally came up with an outdoor eight-lane 25-yard pool, and a gym with courts for basketball, pickleball, and volleyball. There are also six outside pickleball courts and a lazy river with two slides.
Since the plans have changed the boards needed a new IGA. The amended IGA was presented to the Board of Education at their work session on Aug. 3. To review that please go to https://lumpkin.fetchyournews.com/2022/08/04/project-updates-for-lumpkin-county-school-system/.
Now that the Board of Education has approved the agreement the county will have to do the same. To review the agreement visit https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Attachment.aspx?S=4107&AID=1421617&MID=103478. The commissioners have stated that the center will be opened at the same time as the new elementary school and the buildings will look the same on the outside.
At the July 18 board meeting and work session, the board tabled three policy updates for a month. Two of those policies were revisions and they were policy JB and policy IEDA, and policy IKBB is a new policy in response to House Bill 1084.
To understand the changes to the policies and the new policy visit https://lumpkin.fetchyournews.com/2022/07/19/policy-updates-sitting-for-the-next-30-days/. During the 30-day time period, the community was able to voice any concerns before the policies were passed and put into practice. The community reported no comments to the board so they were passed as is and are effective immediately.
Dr. Brown also suggested two days for parent conferences in the middle of both semesters these days will be early release days. Those days were Sept. 23 and Mar. 30, along with those he also recommended two days for early release at the end of each semester.
The end of semester dates is Dec. 16 and May 24. These dates were all approved by the board.
The group from Well Fed Well Read with Dr. Brown.
The Board also recognized members of a group that operated this summer known as Well Fed Well Read. This group worked with The COmmuninty Helping Place and Lumpkin Literacy to bring books and food to low-income neighborhoods this summer. The idea came from Board Members Lynn Sylvester and Mera Turner.
Heard in the clip above is Director of Community Engagement and PR Jason Lemely, and Sylvester describing how the idea came forward. The Community Helping Place was also named this months Partner in Education for all they do for the school system along with this program.
Commissioners Dedicate Boardroom to Dr. David J. Miller
Business, Community September 22, 2021
LUMPKIN, GA.- The commissioner dedicated their boardroom in memory of former Commissioner Dr. David J. Miller who passed in May.
Dr. David J. Miller was a Lumpkin County Commissioner from 2017 till his passing in May of 2021. He was Commissioner for District 1. Miller was also a Professor of Healthcare Management at Brenau University.
While he was a commissioner for Lumpkin County, he held many positions such as Vice-Chair of the board, served on the Lumpkin County Board of Health, the Health Insurance Committee, and was appointed as the Board
of Commissioners’ liaison to Northeast Georgia Health Systems.
“It was certainly an honor to serve our community with Dr. Miller,” commented Chairman of the Board Chris Dockery.
Dr. David J. Miller’s wife Dr. Sue Miller unveiling the memorial plaque with assistance from Chairman of the Board Chris Dockery.
Dr. Miller’s family was present for the dedication and unveiling of the plaque that commemorates Dr. Miller. Former County Manager Stan Kelley was also in attendance for the occasion.
Additional Business
The commissioner also approved a joint proclamation with the city of Dahlonega to have the Community Helping Place Ornament be the official collector’s ornament for Lumpkin County and the City of Dahlonega for the 2021 season. The ornament’s design has not been announced as of yet.
During the meeting, the commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) and the GMP for the Aquatic Center. The GMP is the guaranteed maximum price contract between Lumpkin and Carroll Daniel Construction Company. The IGA is between the Lumpkin County Board of Education and commissioners.
Lastly, during the special called meeting, the board addressed a special land use application. The request was for a commercial shooting range at a residence. Citing code 27-51 5B and G as well as 27-73 paragraph 3, Commissioner Moran made a motion to deny the range. The vote was unanimous and the request was denied. For more information about these codes visit https://library.municode.com/ga/lumpkin_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH27LAUS_ARTVDEST_S27-51AGPRCHAR and https://library.municode.com/ga/lumpkin_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH27LAUS_ARTVIPRPE_S27-73SPLAUSAP
Commissioners discussing the land application.
“A commercial shooting range with line of fire and frequency of fire is not compatible with residential properties surrounding it in such a close proximity,” explained Commissioner District 4 Jeff Moran.
Board of Education and commissioners join together for new aquatic center
Community, News September 15, 2021
LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. – The Lumpkin Board of Education voted to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the County Commissioners for the building of a new aquatic center on the site of the Lumpkin County Elementary School lot.
The new Lumpkin County Elementary School is currently under construction. The Intergovernmental Agreement or IGA deeds a portion of the land to the county commissioners to build a new indoor aquatic center. This center will be open to the public and used for a Lumpkin County swim team.
The school system owns 28.835 acres on the lot and the county will receive 7.4305 acres for the aquatic center. Additionally, the commissioners will be responsible for paving the roads and parking lots on site.
The two governing bodies entered into an IGA on October 30, 2020, for joint development. The new IGA involves the construction and use of roads and parking lots. The total cost to the county for their side of the project is $1,776,102.00.
Cite plan for Lumpkin County Elementary and the new Aquatic Center. The solid lines represent the proposed area for the center.
The commissioners are expected to vote on this new IGA at their meeting on September 21. There will be a public hearing set at 5:15 p.m. that day over different matters, followed by a work session at 5:30 p.m. The regular meeting will take place at 6:00 p.m.
TAN NOTE
The board also adopted a Tax Anticipation Note or TAN with Truist Bank for $3,000,000.00. This comes with an interest rate of 1.38%. The TAN is to help Lumpkin County Schools until taxes are collected.
“We don’t have our local earnings yet for the year, Tax notices don’t go out until November and are not due until the middle of December,” explained Finicanic Director Shannon Christian.
The money will only be used as needed, and the school system will only be responsible for what it uses. The close for the resolution is on September 21. Currently, the district has 1.3 million dollars in the bank, which sounds like a lot, but will not make payroll by itself for the month.
Lastly, the board recognized teachers and staff for the Ideal Indian award. This month the award was given to teachers Amanda Bennett nominated by Kenndy Ledford, Beth Hawk nominated by Betsy Green, and Staci Kiefaber nominated by Molly Denham.
Staci Kiefaber (Left), Amanda Bennett (Middle), and Beth Hawk (Right) accepting their Ideal Indian Awards.
The staff that was award the Ideal Indian was the School Nurses and they were nominated by Kerri Whitmire. The nurse includes Rosa Grizzle, Ursula Luesing, Scott Mildenhall, Anna Roberts, and Cami McCarty.
“Our school nurses have been tried and tested since the first day of school, in addition to doing all the things school nurses do each day they’ve also been our go-to person at each school for COVID. This added challenge has only extenuated their capacity to perform at such a high level and a desire to serve others,” commented School Superintend Dr. Rob Brown.
The board presented one final award of the night the 2021 Yale Educator award to guidance counselor Alan Hogan and teacher Johnathan Mullins. This award was given due to these two making it possible for Lumpkin County students to make it into Ivy League schools.
Ursula Luesing (Left), Rosa Grizzle, Cami McCarty, Scott Mildenhall, and Anna Roberts(Right) accepting their Ideal Indian Awards.
Alan Hogan (Left) and Johnathan Mullins (Right) accepting 2021 Yale Educator Award.