Minutes of the
REGULAR MEETING
For the
City Council of Lookout Mountain, Georgia
September 21, 2006

PRESIDING:  Thomas G. Gifford, Mayor

PRESENT:  Council Members Ray Seipp, Sandy Gothard, Dennis Eischeid, Daniel Pettway, and Catherine Kelley; City Clerk Mary Katherine Harper, City Attorney Bill Pickering.  Also present were Chief Wallace Taylor, Alana Zoanni, David Bookhardt, City Auditor Paul Johnson, Rachael Peterson and John Tallman.

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 August 17, 2006, were approved as submitted.

ALANA ZOANNI:  Ms. Zoanni appeared before the Council requesting a privilege license for an Italian style deli next door at either 1216 or 1212 Lula Lake Road.  She explained that they had abandoned the idea of a drive-thru but were still considering the possibility of adding delivery once established and the demand is determined.  Mr. Pettway seconded Mr. Eischeid’s motion to welcome the new deli with all in favor.

DAVID BOOKHARDT:  Mr. Bookhardt explained that he had been in the credit card processing business with a Tennessee business license for some time, and living in Georgia he decided to request a license from the City.  He explained that he lived at 1306 Whitt Road and did not have inventory, deliveries, signage or customers on site.  A motion was made, seconded and all voted in favor to grant Mr. Bookhardt a privilege license.

PAUL JOHNSON:  Mr. Johnson delivered another clean audit report for FY ’05-’06 with all state standards having been met.  He explained that revenues were up with a $138,000 profit at the close of the year.  Mayor Gifford added that the sewer funding itself made a significant difference.  Mr. Johnson offered to go over the report in detail with Council Members if so desired and thanked Ms. Harper for her promptness and diligence.

SUB-DIVISION ORDINANCE:  An ordinance requiring that developers absorb all sewer engineering and stormwater management costs was read in its entirety and unanimously passed on second reading.

STORMWATER ORDINANCE:  City Attorney Pickering presented a new ordinance recommended by Stormwater Consultant Catherine Fox to regulate illicit discharge into the stormwater drainage system.  He explained that the verbage for the ordinance had been provided by Ms. Fox and had been accepted in form by the regulatory committees.  He further explained that this ordinance had to be adopted by the Council and simply gave the City the teeth it needed to enforce that nothing but stormwater is introduced into

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September 21, 2006
Page 2

the existing drainage system.  He added that Superintendent of Sewer Systems Brad Haven is named enforcement officer in the ordinance.  Mr. Pettway expressed some
apprehension and wished for more time to absorb the ordinance.  It was recommended that discussion could take place between readings and Mr. Eissheid made a motion seconded by Catherine Kelley and all present voted in favor of the new ordinance on its first reading.

Mr. Pickering then introduced another required ordinance provided by Ms. Fox to control adverse effects of post-development or post-construction stormwater run-off.  This ordinance sets forth very specific guidelines that developers will have to adhere to with required detailed plans to be submitted to the City for approval.  This ordinance appoints Mr. Haven as the enforcement officer as well. Mr. Pettway again expressed apprehension explaining that this seemed like overkill for our small community and requested time to absorb this ordinance and ask questions between readings.  Mayor Gifford reminded the Council that these ordinances were mandated requirements and the City could be subject to a $50,000 per day fine for non-compliance.  Mr. Seipp seconded Ms. Kelley’s motion and the entire Council voted to approve the ordinance on its first reading.

PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY:  Mr. Pettway advised that the right-of way issues had all been addressed and GDOT had sent the final half dozen questions to be answered before the project could go out for construction bids.  He explained that because the City was prepared to commit the 20% necessary for the second phase of the project, the memorandum of understanding for Phase II needed a signature and made a motion to allow the Mayor to sign.  Mr. Eischeid seconded the motion and all voted in favor.

WEB SITE:  Mayor Gifford explained that the bids came in higher than expected from 3HD so he had located a firm comprised of former Covenant College students at the foot of the mountain called Coptix.  Their bid was $7,750 with a $25 annual fee and a promise to have the site up by Thanksgiving.  Ms. Kelley seconded the motion made by Ray Seipp and all voted in favor of hiring Coptix to design the site.

SPEED LIMIT:  Chief Taylor recommended that the Council consider lowering the speed limit from the state line to Wood Nymph Trail to 20mph.  The Council expressed concern over the distance and felt it more appropriate to lower it through the business district to Red Riding Hood Trail.  Mr. Pickering advised that this might need to be done by ordinance.  Mr. Eischeid suggested that he and the Chief research the matter more and table it until next month.

STORMWATER REPORT:  Mayor Gifford referenced the new stormwater display table of educational brochures sent by Catherine Fox who would be here for another work session next week.  He further referenced the written stormwater report advising that the Council would receive one each month.






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September 21, 2006
Page 3


MILL RATE:  Upon receiving a 30% net digest increase in property taxes, Mayor Gifford distributed a spreadsheet with several scenarios illustrating the effects of an 8.0%, 8.5% & 9.5%.  He showed $71,000 dollars worth of unbudgeted expenses and explained that a decrease in the millage from 9.5 to 8.5 would bring an $81,000 revenue increase.  He then asked to entertain a motion to begin the process of public hearings to lower the millage to 8.5 instead of the revenue neutral millage.  Mr. Pettway made a motion seconded by Dennis Eischeid with all in favor of beginning the process to set the mill rate at 8.5.

AESTHETICS COMMITTEE:  Mayor Gifford informed that he had asked the Municipal Planning Commission to gather volunteers to pair with a couple of Council Members to form a committee to pen an aesthetics ordinance.  Taylor Watson, Keith Sanford, and Lulu Brock had volunteered along with Building Official Larry Reed and Chairman Earl Carstens.  Catherine Kelley and Ray Seipp both volunteered on behalf on the Council.

BUILDING PERMIT FEE STRUCTURE:  Mayor Gifford stated that an increase in certain permitting fees was still being taken under advisement and would need to be revisited next month.

STORMWATER EQUIPMENT:  Mayor Gifford presented a list of equipment and supplies needed by the stormwater department submitted by Stormwater Consultant Catherine Fox.   He asked to entertain a motion to allow the department to make these purchases with his endorsement alone, as these would all be necessary eventually.  Ray Seipp made a motion seconded by Dennis Eischeid and all present voted in favor of allowing the Mayor and Stormwater Department to make these purchases as needed.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Katherine Harper
City Clerk