RIGHT -Ben BrandonBy SUMMER KELLEY
RIGHT -Ben Brandon
The room was packed at Thursday evening’s county commission meeting. Several hopeful commissioner candidates and candidates for the county executive position were in the audience during both the work session and the meeting itself.
During the work session, commissioners discussed plans for the new courthouse building needed in Dade County and were informed by the engineering firm, Arcadis, that they need to come up with a master plan for the five acres set aside for the facility. If the building is going to be expanded in the future or commissioners have some other use in mind for the area, a plan needs to be put in place.
“(Plans for the courthouse) have been going on for five years,” Commissioner Sarah Moore said. “We should get started or at least get a design so that when we are ready, we can go ahead and bid it out.”
“Whether SPLOST passes or not, we’re going to have to build this building,” County Manager Ben Brandon said. “My recommendation is to approve this work order.”
The county commissioners were also informed that there was not enough time to get a lease/purchase agreement to pay for the new courthouse facility if the SPLOST does not go through. If the SPLOST fails, financing to pay for the facility cannot be undertaken for four years and another SPLOST cannot be voted on for another year.
The condition of Burkhalter Gap was also discussed during the commission work session. Moore said the original estimate for an engineering study to be done on the road was $45,900, but that there is now the possibility of getting another company to do the engineering study for less. Without an engineering study, Moore said, the county can’t get federal funding to help fix the road. Moore said she had already talked to Billy Massengale to see if any funds were left in SPLOST to have the engineering study done. Brandon said that road is checked frequently and that it hasn’t moved in ten years since the county moved it over, but Moore said she has received several complaints on safety from bus drivers and citizens.
“I have no objection to ask for an RFP to get (the engineering study) done,” Brandon said. “ I think we will be shocked to find out how much it will cost to fix it.”
Commissioners agreed to formally announce taking bids in the paper for the study and Commissioner Scottie Pittman asked that someone look at County Road 6 because the asphalt caves in there from time to time. Hales Gap road was also mentioned as having some issues.
The wording of SPLOST was discussed during the work session and subsequent commission meeting as well. Brandon said that he disagreed with the wording, saying he felt that it read like the commissioners could decide what projects the money went to and when SPLOST funds ran out, who would get priority for the remaining funds.
Brandon also asked about a current court case involving Forsythe, Georgia. County Attorney Robin Rogers told Brandon that the wording provides that all projects listed in SPLOST be taken care of and that the intergovernmental agreements signed would prevent issues like what was going on in Forsythe.
The SPLOST, as approved by all the commissioners but Brandon, allows for the fire departments to bond money at a future time and gives the commission the right to issue bonds up to $6.5 million for projects listed under SPLOST.
Not putting in the exact amounts of each project gives the commission flexibility on the use of funds in case one project goes under budget and another project goes over budget.
The wording in the SPLOST, as approved Thursday to go on July’s ballot, also allows commissioners to prioritize projects and decide which projects will be delayed until additional funding is collected through the SPLOST.
Rogers informed those attending the meeting that the SPLOST has been approved as it is currently written by the Georgia department of revenue.
Pittman reported for his district that he has received a lot of calls regarding the new subdivisions going in on Sand Mountain.
The builders are promising people moving into the subdivisions that once there are five or six houses in the subdivision, the county will take over the roads to the homes and pave them. Pittman said he has been informing people that it is not the way it works and that they and their neighbors have to pay to have the roads paved.
According to Pittman, this has made several people very upset. Pittman asked if there was a way to force the developers to disclose the correct information about the roads instead of telling them the wrong things.
While Brandon and Rogers pointed out that there is nothing that can be done that is legally binding between the homeowner and developer, Commissioner David Young pointed out that contractor’s licenses will be required starting July 1 and the county could require that disclosure then and as the law states now, the builders can be held liable to the furthest extent of the law.
Rogers said it comes down to caveat emptor, or buyers beware, and the homeowners would have to go back on the developers.
During the Financial Report, City Clerk Don Townsend reported that expenses were under control, but that SPLOST collections were down from their projected collections.
Townsend said this has been the trend for the last five or six months. It was asked if there was any way that the financial reports could be displayed in such a way that those attending the county commission meetings could follow along with what the commissioners are looking at.
Brandon said they could do a power point presentation, but the display would not be large enough for everyone to view. The issue will be worked on before the next meeting. Brandon asked Rogers to read the new ordinance regarding Home Rule Authority. The new ordinance supported by the rest of the commission, takes away the ability of Brandon to appoint committees, appoint people to independent boards, agencies and bodies, or make other appointments as necessary. The ordinance must be voted on at two public board meetings before going into effect and was approved by all but Brandon at Thursday’s meeting.
“This is the last remaining authority that the County Executive has,” Brandon said. “Without this authority he is the same as a district commissioner.”
The final vote regarding the Home Rule Authority will be taken at the next county commission meeting.
The Dade Sentinel
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