The Cave Spring City Council work session was held on Tuesday, March 3 at 5 p.m. My notes are below. Just a reminder, if you would like to receive email notifications whenever I post, you can join the Cave Spring City Council Post 3 Updates Group. If you have questions, feel free to email me at reedforcavespring@gmail.com.
Ron Hoffman - Utility Mgt. Services, Inc.
Utility Management Services works with businesses and government agencies to identify ways to reduce utility costs. According to Mr. Hoffman, his company will conduct an audit to determine if the client could be on a better rate plan. If they discover the potential for savings, they will help the client move to a lower-cost plan. The company then provides a quarterly report showing how much the client has saved. For this service, the company bills the client a fee based on the amount saved (50% of the savings). This is expected to be a voting item at next week’s regular session.
BRAG Ride
Sandra Lindsey presented a request to council to pay for the cost to host a concert for BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia) on city property. The city is also being asked to provide a shuttle to Rome for the bike riders who wish to stay in a hotel. Additionally, the city is being asked to provide space in city hall that can be used as a massage room for riders and to provide police services to temporarily block traffic when the bicyclists leave town. The exact cost was not available at the time of the meeting but is expected to be presented to council within the next week (prior to the council vote next Tuesday, March 10).
There is currently an events moratorium in place that affects city hall property. However, this request was reported to have been relayed to the previous city manager in August of last year before the moratorium was enacted.
Mushroom Festival Update
The request to host the mushroom festival on city property was withdrawn.
Water Adjustments
All but one of the adjustment requests this month will be covered by leak insurance. There is one adjustment request for $115.86 that is not covered by insurance.
Update on 123 Fincher St. Property
The Northwest Georgia Housing Authority has accepted the city’s offer to purchase the property at 123 Fincher Street. The city attorney, Winston Gammon, said the paperwork is in progress.
Amended Gas Station and Convenience Store Moratorium
Chairman Dennis Shoaf would like the gas station and convenience store moratorium to be amended to adjust the termination date to May 2026 instead of May 2027.
Gas Station and Convenience Store Ordinance
Chairman Shoaf has introduced a gas station and convenience store ordinance to govern standards for these type businesses within the city limits. Chairman Shoaf requested feedback on three versions of the ordinance and indicated he would like to complete a first and second reading before the moratorium expires in May.
Events Ordinance
On Jan. 11, I shared the first draft of the event ordinance with council. Last month, we passed the event moratorium to allow us time to review and discuss the proposed ordinance.
Since then, I shared the draft ordinance online in its entirety to solicit public feedback and to be as transparent as possible with this process. I’ve received some helpful feedback from several people in person and via email. Additionally, one of our citizens shared the draft ordinance in its entirety on Facebook. That feedback was also very helpful and was shared with council.
On Monday, March 2, I received some additional feedback about the sanitation requirements. I did some additional research and found where the State of Georgia has established rules and regulations related to the number of portable toilets recommended for special events. I updated the draft ordinance to incorporate the state’s guidelines and also referenced the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding the requirements for accessible toilets. I also received some very helpful input on Tuesday, March 3, prior to the work session that I would like to incorporate into the draft ordinance.
During the work session, I advised the council that I will be sending out an updated version of the ordinance and asked them to provide feedback once received. My goal is to follow the same schedule Chairman Shoaf is following with the gas station ordinance and have the first and second readings completed by mid-May. I will post the updated version online as well once it is ready.
As mentioned previously, the goal for this ordinance is to ensure we have a fair set of standards against which we can evaluate event requests, that we fulfill our public health and safety responsibilities and that we make sure events are safe, well-organized and enjoyable for everyone.
Vigilant Solutions Invoice
The city currently owes Vigilant Solutions $4,914 for payment related to police equipment that has reportedly not been used in three years. The contract was not available for review at the time of the work session.
Verizon Connect
The city has also been paying for GPS trackers that have not been used. Of the five trackers, four were found in their original packaging in a closet at city hall. The trackers were initially acquired for police vehicles. The plan is to keep one of the trackers for use on the maintenance truck and cancel the subscriptions for the rest.
Former City Manager’s Truck Payments
It was recently discovered that payments for the former city manager’s truck were being made out of the water/sewer budget instead of the police budget. The truck is equipped as a police vehicle and is currently being used by the police department. However, this is not a budgeted item for the police department. Moving the truck to the correct budget/categorization is expected to result in an insurance rate increase.
Fannin Hall Repairs
The former mayor’s office requires work to repair water damage to the walls. The repairs will be funded with 2013 SPLOST proceeds.
Code Enforcement Updates
The interim city manager is working to address several issues related to code enforcement.
Georgia Cities Week
Georgia Cities Week will take place April 20–25. This year’s theme is “Love Your City.” DDA director Marley Peals announced she is working on events for Earth Day and Arbor Day. She is also planning a social media campaign for that week to highlight city employees.
BRACE Grant
The city has been awarded a Building Responsibility and Community Engagement (BRACE) grant for $5,000. The grant will partially fund the community clean-up event, purchase of a commercial waste receptacle and public information material related to community clean-up, city ordinances and property beautification. The total estimated cost for the cleanup event is $8,038.
Library Request
Chairman Shoaf has proposed donating $500 to the summer reading program at the library. This will be voted on at the March 10 meeting.
Parking Permit for Business Owners/Residence
Chairman Shoaf discussed the need to create a policy or procedure for making sure the parking ordinance is enforced. This would include determining a way to identify business owners/residents who are entitled to use downtown parking spots for periods longer than allowed by the ordinance for regular downtown patrons.
Policy and Procedures for Issuing/Renewal a Business License
Chairman Shoaf discussed the need to create a process for ensuring all requirements for obtaining or renewing a license are being met.
Application and Review Process for Community Center
As mentioned in a previous post, I had some concerns about the community center application. I shared a revised application with council to solicit feedback and determine next steps. The review process is ongoing.
Policy for Website Update
We currently do not have terms of use, accessibility statement or a privacy policy for the city’s website. It is best practice to have all three of these. I drafted these documents and they are now with the city attorney for review.
Policy for City Hall Key Issuances
Last month, council approved an $816 expenditure to re-key the locks at city hall. As part of that process, the Oversight Committee developed a key issuance policy to manage how keys are issued and tracked. The policy had been previously shared with council and will now be shared with certain personnel for further review.
Update - Website Accessibility
Efforts are underway to make sure the city’s website meets accessibility standards.
Travel Policy
The city’s travel policy has not been updated recently. The Oversight Committee created a draft travel policy to be reviewed by council. The proposed travel policy ties reimbursements to IRS and GSA standards to eliminate the need to routinely update amounts listed in the policy. This policy had previously been shared with council and is now being shared with additional personnel for feedback.
Update on Zoning Maps
Several rezonings have taken place since the last time the zoning maps were updated. Councilmember Joyce Mink is spearheading the project to update the zoning maps.
Update - Committee Reports
At the March 10 council meeting, we will begin providing updates on committee activities.
City Manager Interview Update/Scheduling
We have several interviews coming up for the open city manager position. Chairman Shoaf will be confirming the upcoming interviews and sharing the schedule with council.
Lease Update
The interim city manager has been reviewing the leases for city property and is currently working with the city attorney to make appropriate updates.
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