Newspaper Page Text
www.starnewsgaonline.com StarNews October 15, 2023 Page 17
Per usual business, City of Villa Rica holds work session and regular meeting on same day:
little time (four hours) for average citizen to be aware of city’s intended actions prior to votes
story by Janice Daniel
The Mayor and Council of Villa Rica met on
Tuesday, September 12, 2023, 1:00 p.m. for
their monthly work session. Council Mmmber
Anna McCoy was absent. Main business con
ducted was discussing and agreeing on the
items for the Consent Agenda that would be
voted on (in a single vote) at the regular meet
ing scheduled to follow at 6:00 p.m. (same
day). The work session lasted about one hour,
allowing four hours until the regular meeting
began during which the Consent Agenda was
to be voted on.
Consent Agenda items:
1. To authorize the execution, delivery and
performance of an Intergovernmental contract
dated as of September 1, 2023, with the Urban
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Villa
Rica, Georgia, and to authorize the Mayor and
City Clerk to execute any documents needed.
2. Fleet Manager Chris Maddox asked
council to approve that two vehicles be put up
for auction on deals.gov: one Ford Taurus with
over 100,000 miles and needing $2,600 of
repairs; and one T550 Wastewater crane truck
no longer used. These two vehicles are cur
rently stored in the Avanti building and that
space is needed for other tilings.
3. Request to approve FY23 Budget
Amendments #156-168, mainly accounting for
2022 the Douglas County SPLOST, and the
purchase of new Christmas decor that was
approved but not previously budgeted.
Finance Director Jennifer Hallman also
mentioned that Utilities Director John Bain
wanted to make a swap in his 2024 Budget.
He had ordered equipment for the West Plant
that he expected to cost $130,000, but the
actual final cost was only $70,000, so he wants
to use the remaining $60,000 for baffle boards.
4. Ken Denney,
public information
officer, requested to
adopt a formal policy
for public interaction
on social media plat
forms, including
Facebook, X (fo
rmerly known as
Twitter), Instagram
and Linkedln. The
formal policy was
reviewed by a team
of attorneys with the First Amendment Clinic
of the University of Georgia, and also
reviewed by City Attorney David Mecklin.
One part of the final policy is to be adopted
into the Personnel Handbook, and another part
will apply to members of the public who wish
to interact with the city on these platforms.
Questions or concerns regarding the City of
Villa Rica’s social media activity or the social
media policy should be submitted online to
communications@villarica.gov.
5. Approve a proposal from Falcon Design
to engineer the reconstruction of Punkintown
Road from intersection at Shoreline Parkway
to just beyond the entrance to Town Creed,
including the intersection with Old Stone
Road. Punkintown Road to be rebuilt with
curb and gutter, and a new travel surface.
Falcon Design to engineer this reconstruction
at a cost of $257,500 funded from the Carroll
SPLOST.
6. Approve a proposal to survey the route for
a new force main from a relocated Shoreline
Utilities Director John Bain wanted to
make a swap in his 2024 Budget. He
had ordered equipment for the West
Plant that he expected to cost $130,000,
but the actual final cost was only
$70,000, so he wants to use the
remaining $60,000 for baffle boards...
.Some upcoming zoning issues were
briefly discussed and will have a Public
Hearing in the 6:00 p.m. meeting.
lift station to the Cleghom lift station.
The North sewer plant is operating at about
80% capacity and can
not be upgraded in a
cost-effective manner.
This creates a need to
divert the flow cur
rently being generated
on the north side of the
lake to the West Plant
via the Cleghom lift
station.
Cost is $30,300 to
come from the Water &
Sewer Fund.
Approve a proposal to make drainage
7.
improvements to the road surface along the top
lake Carroll V$
lawn Equipment
1111 Bankhead Hwy
Suite 13
Carrollton, GA 30117
770-832-7705
Mon.-Fri.8:30am-5:30pm
Sat. 8:30am-2pm
Brian Sammon Owner
of the Mirror Lake Dam, due to rainwater
pooling on top of the dam and creating a safety
hazard. HRN Construction has proposed to
make the necessary improvements for an
amount not to exceed $12,125 with Bobby
Elliott overseeing the work.
Mayor and council also heard a presentation
from Roadway Management Technologies, a
company who helps transition a vehicle fleet
into Smart Vehicles that can monitor road con
ditions, deteriorations, changes in base, sub
base, etc. They will equip the vehicles they
choose and charge per lane mile.
Some upcoming zoning issues were briefly
discussed and will have a Public Hearing in the
6:00 p.m. meeting.
Work session was adjourned.
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