Minutes of the
REGULAR MEETING
For the
City Council of Lookout Mountain, Georgia
February 15, 2007
PRESIDING: Thomas G. Gifford, Mayor
PRESENT: Council Members Sandy Gothard, Catherine Kelley, Ray Seipp, and Daniel Pettway, City Clerk Mary Katherine Harper, and City Attorney Bill Pickering. Also present were Chief Wallace Taylor, and members of the press.
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Gifford called the meeting of the City Council to order at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1214 Lula Lake Road, Lookout Mountain, Georgia.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the regular meeting held on January 18, 2007 were approved as submitted.
VEHICLE REPLACEMENT: As discussed last month, Mayor Gifford advised that Chief Taylor had obtained several bids for new police cars and Prater Ford had come in with the lowest bid at $19,958. Sandy Gothard asked about trade-in value and Mayor Gifford assured him that they were going to maximize the return on the Dodge and use as much of the police equipment off of it as possible. Catherine Kelley seconded Daniel Pettway’s motion to purchase the 2007 Ford Crown Victoria from Prater Ford with all in favor.
Mayor Gifford then presented the bids obtained by Brad Haven for a work truck for the sewer department explaining that the G.I. truck was on its last leg. Brooker Ford had come in lowest at 14,882 for a 2007 Ford F150. The council supported Sandy Gothard’s motion to purchase the new white pickup equipped with orange lights and City logos.
PERSONNEL MANUAL: City Attorney Pickering presented the new personnel manual with only three minor changes. The first simply being the addition of Memorial Day as a holiday recognized by the City, secondly the prior change made to the worker’s compensation portion where employees would receive payment from worker’s comp only, and finally the addition of equal distribution of the employee Christmas bonus money donated by the citizens. Mr. Pickering added that in the event that this manual conflicted with something in another manual such as the police or fire manual, the personnel manual would take precedence over any other. Sandy Gothard seconded Ray Seipp’s motion to accept the manual with all in favor.
STORMWATER: Mayor Gifford distributed the monthly stormwater report advising that the City had yet to hear anything back from the submission of the annual report, but should have word by next month. He further advised that occasion had arisen to send the code enforcement officer to make sure proper measures had been taken and were in place at several construction locations.
Minutes of City Council
February 15, 2007
Page 2
CREDIT CARD: Mayor Gifford explained that the City needed a credit card for Internet purchases and employee travel expenses and asked to entertain a motion to approve two cards to be held by Chief Taylor and himself with a $5,000 limit. The council approved.
PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY: Daniel Pettway advised that we were awaiting final approval from GDOT to let the project for bids. He further advised that he felt BWS&C would manage the construction bid process best and it appeared that we were coming in under budget.
MAYOR’S REPORT: Mayor Gifford reported that the Favorite Market had been purchased by MAPCO and they were in the process of applying for a beer license that would appear on next month’s agenda.
He stated that he had feared that the property tax appeals would affect our additional revenue, but in comparing the two digests there really did not seem to be any negative impact. He further stated that the letter that had gone out to the residents informing them of the new tax exemptions while also alerting them to the new web site had been well received.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Katherine Harper
City Clerk