BOC July 23rd Pblc Hrng and Reg. Mtg.

[Al Lee Gator]

Paulding County Board of Commissioners holds budget hearing, approves several agenda items

Paulding County Board of Commissioners convened on Tuesday, July 23rd for the last of two regular meetings for July, passed several resolutions, and during their morning session, held a public hearing regarding the upcoming FY2014 budget approval.

 

The budget hearing lasted about 30 minutes with some public comment and some comment from the Board itself. Tommie Graham cautioned that some expenditures coming back into the county's budget after the impact of a sagging economy should be questioned as to their relative priority over other things.

 

Following the close of the public hearing, the Board voted to approve a contract with the city of Dallas for the November elections, a housekeeping measure in connection with the upcoming municipal elections. Three post seats open in both Dallas and Hiram and Dallas will also vote on retail sales of alcohol. A similar alcohol ordinance was already passed in both Hiram and in Paulding County.

 

The Board approved a Bid Award to construct a runway extension at the PCNA airport site to Plateau Excavation in the amount of $1,055,134.93

 

The project is funded to 90 percent through an FAA grant not to exceed $2 million and is intended to add some 600 feet to the runway at Paulding Northwest Atlanta airport. Later the Board also approved acceptance of Grant funds from the Georgia Department of Transportation (a pass through from the FAA) to fund the Runway 31 Safety Overrun Project at the Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport.

 

Two Richland Creek agenda items passed. Resolution 13-16 adopts a Reservoir Management Plan for the Richland Creek Reservoir Project as required by Georgia EPD in support of the water withdrawal permits associated with the project and Resolution 13-17 adopts the Watershed Protection Plan for the Richland Creek Reservoir Project as required by Georgia EPD.

 

Completion of that project is at the mercy of the long process to obtain a permit through the Army Corp of Engineers. Chairman Austin characterized it last Tuesday by saying "We're getting very, very close."

 

Several state and local DOT projects on the agenda were passed including, action to authorize the Chairman to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Georgia DOT to install railroad crossing warning devices at McPherson Church Road/C.R. 94. Paulding DOT Director Scott Greene told the Board that this is the last unsignaled railway crossing in the county.

 

Three items are tied to completion of the East Hiram Parkway including an allotment request in the amount of $484,799.22, Supplemental Agreement #2 in the amount of $59,613.09 and Supplement Agreement #3, addition of a right turn lane, in the amount of $60,739.14 were approved by the Board.

 

And the Board voted in favor of authorizing the Chairman to execute an Intergovernmental Agreement on behalf of the county with the Paulding County School District regarding the implementation and ongoing operation of video recording system to capture recorded images of motor vehicles unlawfully passing school buses. County Attorney Jason Phillips explained that this is a civil fine and is set at $300 for a first offense, $750 for the second and $1,000 for a third.

 

Finally the Board also approved the bid and contract terms for the Cooperative Agreement with the Paulding County School Board.

 

The Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet next on the second Tuesday in August.

[gpatt0n]

Al Lee Gator:

 

Thanks for the report.

 

I'm hearing some talk about a conflict between the city of Hiram and the county and Dallas regarding the split of the local option sales tax?

 

I was just looking at the budget and the supplemental spending - a half-million more for the east Hiram parkway - and wonder if the Hiram folks are taking that spending - the entire Hiram By-pass is the largest single county road project in 'history.' Or maybe bringing things like that up would just confuse the issue.

 

I do recall that the proportions of the LOST are negotiated each time the item goes on the ballot and Hiram, which has the largest share of the county's business development and has largely avoided annexing residential property, has had to agree before the item is placed on the ballot. (Is that coming up again?)

 

I would say that Hiram started out at a negotiating disadvantage beginning in the days of Mayor Pendley. Why? Well Dewey Pendley ran the city in such a way as to minimize spending and had banked a ton of money during his 25 year tenure. He held back the size of the police force, did the least possible in regard to sewerage (the city is still paying) and back in the more progressive 1990's when there was some effort to consolidate local governments, there was a chance that Hiram, if it didn't expand its services (there were no parks, fire, or anything much more than three man city PD and a small water-system.) it may have been forced to give up its charter.

 

Of course now Hiram's does have parks a much more adequate police force and is more highly involved in economic development and that shows in its spending. And spending, as opposed to squirreling away cash, has been a big difference. The city has grown tremendously since those days.

 

I'm sure the people in the city have a much more nuanced view of how the LOST is being divvied ... and maybe they would like to share

 

pubby