WORK SESSION AGENDA
JUNE 4, 2007
10:00 A.M. – BOARD ROOM

CITIZENS’ INPUT

PRESENTATION

1. Recognition of Employees of the Year by the American Legion Post 145. (Wes)

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

2. Regular Commission Meeting of May 15, 2007.

RESOLUTIONS

3. Creating an International Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals. If approved, appointment of Larry Lewallen as Chairman for a two year term ending June 5, 2009, Elmer Prather and Tim Clower for one-year terms ending June 5, 2008 to the Appeals Board for the International Property Maintenance Code. (Amy)

4. Regarding the approval of Douglas County School District’s Tax Levy Resolution associated with bond issuance. (Ken)

PLAT APPROVALS – FINAL PLAT ACCEPTANCE (Cynde)

5. St. Andrew’s Country Club Estates, Unit 2, Block “F”, Lot 2.

6. Laurel Grove.

PUBLIC HEARINGS TO CONSIDER

7. the relocation of an unnamed cemetery (it is not unnamed, it is the Brock Family Cemetery) located on the Shepherd of the Hill United Methodist Church property at 4283 Chapel Hill Road – LL 60, District 1, Section 5, Parcel 6. (TABLED 5/15/07) (Amy)

8. the installation of multi-way stop at Janie Carr Lane and Dockery Lane intersection at Hartwell Drive in the Holly Springs Subdivision. (Randy)

9. the installation of a multi-way stop at Washington Drive and Virginia Place within the Mt. Vernon Pointe Subdivision. (Randy)

WORK SESSION AGENDA -2- JUNE 4, 2007

BUSINESS

10. Cooper Ridge Subdivision Letter of Credit: Authorize the acceptance of $45,000 check for the Letter of Credit and deposit into SPLOST Account – R00460 Resurfacing. (Mark)

11. The Sheriff’s Department has been awarded a $20,000 Local Assistance Grant from the State to provide specialized gang training for Sheriff’s staff. Accept Grant and amend the budget by increasing State Grants and Grant Department by $20,000. (Jennifer)

12. Amend the General Fund budget by increasing Transfers In and General Appropriations; and the Victim Assistance Fund budget Fund Balance and Transfers Out by $65,236. The funds did not get recorded as revenue in the General Fund or as a Transfer Out in the Victim Assistance Fund when the current budget was adopted. (Jennifer)

13. Four Deputy Clerk positions were approved at the last meeting for the Clerk of State Court in order to operate two courts simultaneously. Because of this, two new Deputy Sheriffs are needed for the security of the courts. Authorize the creation of two Sheriff Deputy positions and transfer $43,289 from General Appropriations to Sheriff Detention. (Jennifer)

14. The Board of Education has reimbursed the County for expenses incurred during its special election of March 20th. Amend the budget by increasing Election Revenue and Board of Elections by $35,287. (Jennifer)

15. In order to comply with budget statutes, the 2006 General Fund budget needs to be adjusted to correctly reflect Sheriff Enforcement expenditures. Amend the budget by increasing Miscellaneous Revenue and Sheriff Enforcement by $15,000 and transfer $85,000 from Sheriff Detention to Sheriff Enforcement. (Jennifer)

16. Approval of the inmate housing contracts for Carroll County and Paulding County to house maximum security and female inmates for the Douglas County Jail and allocate $150,000.00 from the fund balance to line item 281-02-52 to cover the housing fees for the remainder of 2007. (Stan)

17. Authorization for Chairman to execute Senior Victims Investigator Employment Agreement with William Mark Montgomery. (Anne)

18. Approval of the Resource Sharing Agreement for the Atlanta Regional Workforce Board Career Resource Center in the old Courthouse.

19. Approval of Memorandum of Understanding between the Sheriff and the City of Douglasville regarding a Major Case Unit/Task Force.

20. Juvenile Programs has received an additional $7,500 in funding from the Council of Juvenile Court Judges to purchase psychological evaluation services and drug screening kits for the October 2006 – September 2007 grant cycle year. Authorize signing the contract and approve budget amendment. (Jenny)

21. Authorization to erect two memorial gardens and place a bronze plaque in passive park areas. (Gary Dukes)

22. Authorize filing of Justice Assistance Grant for the Sheriff’s Office, accept the grant award and amend the budget to reflect the increased revenues and expenses. The Grant provides $22,175 in federal funds with a local match of $3,825 for a total project budget of $265,000. The project will link laptop computers in 20 patrol cars to a wireless network which will provide instant information to the deputies. (Gary Watson)

23. Approval of intergovernmental agreement with the City of Douglasville regarding right-of-way intersection improvements on the Chapel Hill Road/Stewart Mill Road projects.

24. Reappointments of Planning and Zoning Board Members Elmer Prather, Larry Lewallen, Tim Clower and Scottie Dye for two-year terms expiring June 5, 2009. (Amy)

25. Appointment of Robert Childress as Resident Commissioner to the Housing Authority of Douglas County. Term: 7/3/07 – 7/3/08.

26. Appointments to the Douglas County Animal Advisory Board.

27. Appointment to the Water & Sewer Authority.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

COMMISSIONERS’ COMMENTS

EXECUTIVE SESSION - Personnel, Litigation, Land Acquisition

CITY OF DOUGLASVILLE
CITY COUNCIL

Special Meeting

May 31, 2007
7:30 p.m.

AGENDA

1. Call to Order

2. Invocation

3. Pledge of Allegiance

4. Public Safety Committee/Dennis McLain
a. 20-07-29 - Authorize the City of Douglasville Police Department to apply for a grant from the Federal government’s Office of National Drug Control Policy Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center.

5. Planning & Zoning Committee/Michael Carter
a. 22-07-48 - Appoint an individual to a five-year term as the Post 3 member of the City of Douglasville Zoning Board, for a term, which extends to June 1, 2012.

6. Transportation Committee/Michael Carter
a. 27-07-17 - Authorize the Mayor to sign a contract with the Georgia Department of Transportation for resurfacing of the following four City streets through GDOT project LAU07-S010-00(432): Country Club Drive, from Selman Drive to its end; Duralee Lane, from Bankhead Highway to its end; Ridgemore Court/West Hills Court to its dead end; and Stonebridge Boulevard from Prestley Mill Road to Fieldstone Court.

b. 27-07-18 - Authorize the City Manager to advertise for and to receive bids on Georgia Department of Transportation project LAU07-S010-00(432) for the resurfacing of Country Club Drive, Duralee Lane, Ridgemore Court, and Stonebridge Boulevard.

7. Other Business

CITY OF DOUGLASVILLE
CITY COUNCIL

Legislative Work Session

May 31, 2007
7:30 p.m.

AGENDA

1. Call to Order

2. Invocation

3. Pledge of Allegiance

4. Public Safety Committee/Dennis McLain
a. Appoint two City of Douglasville representatives to the new Animal Advisory Board for Douglas County - Douglasville Animal Control Services.
b. Authorize the City of Douglasville Police Department to apply for a Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) of $23,952.00 from the United States Department of Justice.

5. Community & Economic Development Committee/John Schildroth
a. Adopt a resolution concerning the City’s support for the Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival on June 6-7, 2008.
b. Select the consultant firm to guide development of the City of Douglasville’s Master Plan for the downtown area.

6. Planning & Zoning Committee/Michael Carter
Tabled from May 21, 2007:
a. Request for a variance from the City’s Zoning Code on freestanding sign height restrictions in order to relieve the monument sign requirement and to increase the height limitation from 12 linear feet to 20 linear feet at 7475 Douglas Boulevard. Application by Seyedahmad Seyedahmadian Roozebeth Sayyar.
New Business:
b. Request approval of a revised final plat for SET Land Source LLC, Lot 39, Unit Six, Creekwood Village at Blue Creek Court. Application by L. Jason Jones.
c. Request for variances from the City’s Zoning Code on freestanding sign height restrictions in order to increase the height for a sign from the maximum allowed 70 linear feet up to 120 linear feet and on freestanding sign spacing restrictions in order to reduce the spacing requirement from the maximum allowed 250 linear feet down to 50 linear feet in a CG (General Commercial District) of approximately 2.3392 acres on Concourse Parkway. Application by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.

7. Parks & Recreation Committee/Roy Mims

8. Finance Committee/Henry Mitchell III
Tabled from May 21, 2007:
a. Authorize the Mayor to sign a lease with the St. James AME Church, located at 8310 Elm Street and the Dallas Highway, for the use of City-owned property adjacent to said church on Forrest Avenue.

9. Information Technology Committee/Henry Mitchell III
Tabled from May 21, 2007:
a. Authorize the Mayor to sign a Franchise Agreement with SynchroNet, Inc., and DoveTel Communications, LLC, for non-cable telecommunications services.
New Business:
b. Authorize the Mayor to sign a Master Recording Synchronization License agreement with Freeplay Music Corporation for the purchase of rights to use original recorded music on the City’s government access cable television channel.
c. Authorize the Mayor to sign an agreement with Capitol Infrastructure, LLC, to allow the provision of satellite video services within the Tributary at New Manchester development.

10. Maintenance & Sanitation Committee/Charles Banks
a. Adopt an ordinance to amend the City’s Solid Waste Ordinance to require that customers for commercial solid waste services be limited to the owners or lessees of the property served.
b. Adopt a resolution requesting the Georgia Department of Corrections to sign an agreement with the City for the services of a second inmate work crew from the West Georgia Boot Camp.

11. Transportation Committee/Michael Carter

12. Personnel & Organization Committee/Roy Mims
a. Establish the position of Media Coordinator in the City’s Communications Department, adopt a job description, and create one job slot in said position.

13. Ordinances & Intergovernmental Committee/Callye B. Holmes

14. Other Business

15. City Attorney/Joel Dodson

16. Chief Assistant City Attorney/Suzan Littlefield

17. City Manager/Bill Osborne

18. Comments from Citizens and Delegates

A snippet about Losing Georgia’s recently recognized Cemeteries of Douglas County, GA tour by the Google Earth Team made its way to section 8A of the Douglas County Neighbor newspaper. The paper is free, so pick up one and check out the article.

The cemetery tour would not be as detailed if it wasn’t for the support of the Douglas County Cemetery and Preservation Commission.

Caught this on Elizabeth’s blog earlier in the week about the Tributary at New Manchester, the mega-development deal in southeast Douglas County, already having plans / building Section 8 housing. The small piece of news was posted on Peach Pundit, and from the comments it looks like there maybe some truth to this news.

Section 8 housing within the Tributary is something that does not resonate well and, in my opinion, is a scary idea - will it turn out to be another Anneewakee Trails?

APPROVAL of MINUTES

• May 1, 2007

AGENDA

M2007-05 / Z2007-27 | Tab [1]
True Vine Land Planning & Engineering of Braselton, Inc. – Request for an amendment to the Future Land Use Map from Rural Places to Community Village Center and a rezoning from R-A to C-C for a daycare center at the property located at 8090 Highway 166: Land Lot(s) 81, District 3, Section 5, Parcel(s) 21. Lot size: 4.0 acres.
TABLED AT THE 05/01/2007 MEETING

Z2007-11 | Tab [2]
KDP, Inc. – Request for a rezoning from R-LD to L-I for a light industrial development at the property located at 7660 & 7640 Bankhead Highway: Land Lot(s) 153, District 2, Section 5, Parcel(s) 5 & 6. Lot size: 19.6 acres.

S2007-29 | Tab [3]
Jesse Harrell – Request for a Special Use Permit to allow outdoor storage for a wholesale distributor of plumbing materials at the property located at 6498 Highway 78 W: Land Lot(s) 189, District 2, Section 5, Parcel(s) 2 & 14. Lot size: 4.55 acres.

Z2007-30 | Tab [4]
Cornerstone Development Partners – Request for a rezoning from R-LD to C-C & R-LD for a 26 lot single family subdivision and high end boutique retail at the property located at 4283 Chapel Hill Road: Land Lot(s) 60 & 73, District 1, Section 5, Parcel(s) 6 & 1. Lot size: 17.0 acres.

S2007-31 | Tab [5]
Hwei Hsieh – Request for a Special Use Permit to allow placement of a mobile home for a medical hardship at the property located at 7263 Shell Road: Land Lot(s) 145, District 3, Section 5, Parcel(s) 26. Lot size: 20.0 acres.

S2007-33 | Tab [6]
John V. & Debra W. Johnson – Request for a Special Use Permit to allow an in-home CPA office at the property located at 133 Mountain View Drive: Land Lot(s) 239, District 18, Section 2, Parcel(s) 9. Lot size: 11.7 acres.

OTHER BUSINESS

Consider the following amendments to the Unified Development Code:

• Article 2, Section 209 – Definitions Related to the Use of Land & Structures
• Article 2, Table 2.5 – Accessory Uses
• Article 12, Section 1214 – Applications for Future Land Use Map Amendments
• Article 12, Section 1216 – Taking Action on Future Land Use Map Amendments
• Article 14, Section 1406 – Text Amendment Process

ADJOURN

Memorial Day is over with at the admission of kids out of school, the outbreak of summer, and yes dreadfully going back to work. But hile out on the three-day weekend did you ever stop by a memorial in Douglas County?

Believe it or not, there are at least nine memorials scattered about the county, most of which are closely located to downtown Douglasville. Some locations are obvious like that of the Veterans Memorial at Hunter Park or Freedom Island at the corner of Chapel Hill Road and Hospital Drive.

The oldest and most infamous memorial is that on the Douglas County Courthouse grounds on the north lawn. Dedicated and erected in 1914 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy Douglasville Chapter at the original Douglas County Courthouse, the monument honors the Confederate soldiers of the American Civil War. In 1998 the monument was relocated to the current Douglas County Courthouse where the monument was entirely rebuilt, with the exception to the soldier who always faces north.

Then there is another memorial at the heart of Douglasville where many people pass by in their cars and truck driving down old Board Street. The three prosperous oak trees that overhang the sidewalk in front of the old courthouse are memorials in themselves. In 1920 the ladies of the Douglasville Civic Club planted five oak trees on the northern lawn of the Douglas County Courthouse in honor of the five men who died during World War I.

Today three of the five trees still remain standing. Fannie Mae Davis said of the memorial as follows: “Few people of the present generation realize that the five stately water oaks, now of great age, are a living memorial to the young men of Douglas County who gave their lives in World War I”

Below is a small tour for Google Earth for the Memorials of Douglas County, Georgia.

• For Google Maps » Memorials of Douglas County
• For Google Earth » KMZ (3.25KB)

Those who travel out to Robert G. Hunter Memorial Park for cooking out and having some fun with the family may see some flags in front of the Veterans Memorial. No, these flags were not placed by the City of Douglasville or any Veteran groups, rather money donated to the Losing Georgia Project was used to purchase and display 55 American flags – each representing a person who perished or was a prisoner of war during the wars of WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq.

Playing the role of half memorial, half art piece – a cluster of flags stands at the base of each fence section resulting in five sections for five foreign wars. Each flag corresponds to the 53 names that are engraved in marble at the Veterans Memorial. The two ‘extra’ flags closest to the gate represent those names that were combatants of the Iraq war and have not been included at the memorial.

The two flags honor Iraqi P.O.W. Chief Warrant Officer Ronald Young Jr. (2003) and Sergeant Thomas Strickland (2005).

You have not been forgotten.

Forty-one years ago a twenty-five year old pilot from Douglasville, Georgia strapped himself into his silver F-105D Thunderchief for the last time in friendly territory at the Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base. Taxing behind the lead plane with hands on the stick and throttle, there was no turning back as the runway loomed ahead with the heat waves of Southeast Asia distorting the distance.

1^st Lt. Robert Gerald Hunter was born to fly ever since his first flight in 1956 with Alpha Fowler, Jr. after winning an essay contest about the impact of Charles Lindergh’s Spirit of St. Louis flight across the Atlantic Ocean. America’s entrance into the Vietnam War in 1964 gave Hunter the opportunity to follow his passion of flying in an unstable theater.

After successfully bombing an enemy supply bride in northern Laos, Hunter’s F-105D was struck by a surface-to-air-missile (SAM). Unable to maintain control with the damaged aircraft, Hunter ejected quickly without radioing of any problems. His parachute deployed without a hitch as the downed pilot drifted into the jungle landscape that dangled beneath his feet.

Eventually the parachute would disappear from the eyes of Hunter’s wingman, who circled the area noting the location for rescue crews. Fierce ground fire hampered any rescue of Lt. Hunter in the days and weeks ahead. Unbeknownst to many was that local villagers in the area had found the unconscious pilot hanging from his parachute in some trees.

Robert Hunter was reported Missing In Action for eight weeks until his body was positively identified at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. It would be mid-July before Robert and Zelma Hunter learned that their only son had been found deceased. The tragic untold part of this story was that Lt. Hunter had been home months before at a dinner that celebrated the appointment of a new manager to the Douglas County Electric Membership Corporation.

Today I would like to officially announce on the 41^st anniversary of 1^st Lt. Robert G. Hunter’s death that I am pursuing efforts to write a comprehensive history of Hunter’s life, legacy and memorial in the form of a book. Many people that were connected to Hunter’s legacy have passed away, like his parents, Charlie Jones - who rescued Hunter’s body, Dogie Stockmeyer, and Bob Harper.

With today’s announcement I would like to share the Douglas County Sentinel’s July 21, 1966 article on Hunter’s death.

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Under the hot Georgia sun at Robert G. Hunter Memorial Park a small crew of two workers from Air Solutions, Inc. out of Griffin, GA, are busy working on the refurbishment process of the Veterans Memorial. Air Solutions was contracted for the job and was told to “move forward with the refurbishment of the jet”, said Director Parks and Recreation Tracie Ivey.

The two painters, Mark Tatum and Benjie Blounot, had begun the restoration process yesterday with some light sanding and the removal of all the vinyl decals and lettering. This morning the two men were planning out their objectives: finish sanding, patch holes with bondo, pressure wash surface and finish prep.

Both Tatum and Blounot have worked with Delta Airlines painting their aircrafts and now they both renovate military aircraft around the U.S. that include aircraft located at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado and NAS Atlanta at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

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