November 17, 2015 - Workshop
The Town of Glen St. Mary held a workshop on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 7:35 P.M. at the Town Hall with Council Member Davis, Councilman Foster, Council Member Hodges, and Councilman Rhynehardt present. Mayor Juanice Padgett presided over the workshop.
The purpose of the workshop was to discuss grant points, possible paving projects, and picking up limbs around Town.
Mayor Padgett has stated at the last monthly meeting that Council would discuss the grant point system in further detail. Mr. Ronald Vanzant of Jordan & Associates was present to further explain the point system. Mr. Vanzant began by handing out a two-page sheet explaining the four different categories of the Community Development Block Grant on the front and the scoring criteria and total points available for all the different qualifying items on the back.
The second page also explains the need for a Community Action Task Force committee to score more points. It also shows the reduced leverage commitment needed to receive an additional twenty-five points for pledging $25,000 of leverage money towards the project.
Mayor Padgett stated she has thought about waiving tap fees. For new hookups, the low-to-moderate homes will be hooked up by contractors. Mr. Vanzant said the Town could claim all tap fees, not just the low-to-moderate income homes. The Town would have to get one hundred percent survey participation. New construction gets more points than rehab which gets less. Twenty-five percent of the points depend on the cooperation. The Town will need to call and see when everyone is available. The publication will have to meet the guidelines. The Town may be equally competitive, but in the service area, fifty-one percent or more must meet low-to-moderate income requirements.
Mr. Vanzant would like to mail a letter out to establish a survey list. Only the area where people are to be hooked up will need to be surveyed. Leverage money can get an extra twenty-five points and additional points with the survey.
Mayor Padgett then moved on to paving. She handed out a Roadway Map that has been modified to show what is County maintained, closed, unpaved, etc. She explained that the County has received a grant to pave Madison Avenue all the way through Glen. She asked Council to go and look at Lincoln and Clinton to see that both roads have large potholes in them. The Town has $10,000 budgeted for this year for paving and we put $10,000 in a separate account last year for future paving. Mayor Padgett has received a ballpark figure of $30,000. She asked Council if they want to start on part of it or wait a while. She mentioned that while they are working on Madison, the Town may get a better price. Clinton Avenue affects more residents. Mayor Padgett mentioned at the last workshop that the County is contracting with Mr. Freddie Bennett to oversee their paving projects. The Town would need to work up a contract with him and set a price for his services. Councilman Foster asked to get a proposal from him. Mayor Padgett told Council she will get that going for the next meeting.
Council then turned their attention to the current Water and Sewer Ordinance. In Ordinance 2013-03, Tap Fees begin on page 2 and Capacity Fees are on page 3. In Section 7, it discusses connection timeframes for residents to be able to connect to the new lines and not have to pay the capacity fees when the water lines were installed. Mayor Padgett asked Council to look at the other sheet from the earlier workshop. When bringing water and sewer lines out to the interstate, would the Town use the same criteria as before? Mayor Padgett told Council she already has someone asking to hook up on that new line. Attorney Bense agreed the Town would use the same standards. Mayor Padgett told Council there would be about thirteen parcels along the new water and sewer lines going out to the interstate. The Town needs to go ahead and get paperwork done for annexation as the homes are hooked up. We cannot waive the sewer capacity fee because we pay that to Macclenny. Water Capacity fees will be structured by Ordinance 2013-03. Water Capacity fees will be waived if connected within the first ninety days of construction. Sewer Capacity fees will be $750 for an existing home. All tap fees will have to be paid. Cost recovery fees will have to be paid back to Mr. Davis. Mayor Padgett asked Councilman Foster about the mobile home that is expected to be installed before the sewer line is available. Councilman Foster responded they can have a small grinder system installed for about $700 for the pump and labor.
Mayor Padgett then turned Council’s attention to the limbs being picked up around Town. She told Council the maintenance employees have asked about this matter. Some days they are very busy. Mayor Padgett went back and looked at how much time was spent picking up limbs and it showed to be about 10% of their time. She gave Council a notice that had been sent out previously. Councilman Foster mentioned crepe myrtles in front of his mom’s house. He stated he cuts them back when they get out into the sidewalk. Councilman Rhynehardt asked if he cuts things around his house and puts them out by the road, are they not going to come around and pick them up. They were both in agreement that this would fall under the Town’s beautification. They felt if a tree surgeon was in Town, that would be different and that would be the contracted worker’s responsibility. Mayor Padgett stated she would take out the “storm related circumstances” wording.
Mayor Padgett closed the workshop at 8:30 P.M.