Pike County Times
The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. Click here to donate through PayPal. Becky Watts: Phone # 770-468-7583 editor(@)pikecountytimes.com
 
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This online news website is owned and operated by Becky Watts. The Editor can be reached at 770-468-7583 or at editor(at)PikeCountyTimes(dot)com. Pike County Times is a website for citizens to keep up with local events and stay informed about Pike County government. It began on November 13, 2006 as a watchdog on county government and has turned into an online newspaper.

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REGULAR BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MONTHLY MEETING
Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at 9:00 a.m.
Courthouse, Main Courtroom, 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon, Georgia

www.pikecoga.com/novusagenda has a download of the agenda and accompanying information for this meeting. This includes items listed on the agenda such as the Medical First Reponse License and the property being decided on Bottoms Road. Monthly information from Animal Control, Coroner, Fire Department, Grady, Library, Magistrate Court, McIntosh Trail CSB, Planning & Development, Registrar, Superior - Juvenile Court, Tax Assessor, and the Water Authority are included as well.

All commissioners except for Tim Guy were present (he came in after the meeting had begun as noted below), County Clerk Jo Ann Wrye, County Manager (CM) John Hanson, and County Attorneys Rob and Tom Morton were in attendance. There were less than 1/2 dozen citizens in attendance at this meeting.

1. CALL TO ORDER .................................................................................... Chairman J. Briar Johnson

2. INVOCATION……………………………………………………………………………Ben Maxedon

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ................................................................... Chairman J. Briar Johnson

4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA - (O.C.G A. § 50-14-1 (e) (1))

5. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES - (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e) (2))

a. Minutes of the March 27, 2018 Regular Monthly Meeting.

Motion to approve. Approved 4-0.

6. INVITED GUESTS

a. Mark Hardison to present the annual audit. Mark Hardison of Clifton, Lipford, Hardison & Parker, LLC spoke to commissioners about the county's annual audit. It was a good report again this year. [Note from the Editor: Pike County has come a LONG way over the past 18 years that I've been attending meetings! Money in the bank AND getting projects completed in the county--including paving roads!]

$2.4 million in the yearly fund balance. Property taxes make up our largest fund revenues to pay for our budget. Expenditures of $9.3 million. Revenues $9.7 million. Mr. Hardison said that we have a strong fund balance. He also praised the county for a clean audit. This report has been sent to the state. Mr. Hardison praised CM Hanson, his staff, and other staff in the county for working with them. CM Hanson said that he has gotten good comments from several in the county on the ease of working with Mr. Hardison and his staff. Motion to receive the report. Approved 4-0.

b. County Attorney Rob Morton advised that there are others who are involved in this opiate litigation. This doesn’t obligate the county to join this nationwide litigation, but the county needs to be aware and can choose whether to be involved in this. Costs could be used for the Sheriff’s Office or to provide services for citizens here in the county who are dealing with addiction.

Tim Guy entered at 9:22 a.m.

Mr. Davies is working with a large law firm on a national meeting on this lawsuit issue. This is the only local law firm filing on the behalf of Georgia cities and counties. There is a push from the White House on down to hold opiate manufacturers responsible for the abuse of opiates that has resulted in an epidemic nationwide. For every 100 people in Upson County there, there are 138 prescriptions. Pike has 12 for every 100 people. There are no big chain pharmacies here so people could be going outside of the county get their prescriptions. His firm is filing lawsuits in federal court in local jurisdiction where it is transferred to one judge in Ohio. They’re all separate cases, but this has a possibility of finding a solution for all of them because the cases are all similar. He said that they are NOT suing anyone local; it is only manufacturers and distributors. He said that is similar to tobacco, but it will be unlike tobacco settlements because the money on this will trickle down to cities and states. There is a schedule that needs to be followed including May 10 when we need to decide whether to be a part of this with 30 other cities. This group works on contingency for 30% of the recovery and this law firm fronts all of the expenses to the county will not be paying out anything for this.

Chairman Johnson asked where the doctors fit into this as far as responsibilities go. This lawsuit doesn’t involve the doctors but is dealing with the manufacturers and distributors instead. County Attorney Tom Morton asked about how the county would hear about this if they joined the lawsuit. Mr. Davies advised that they will have a member on the steering committee on this lawsuit and that would keep us informed as a county.

County Attorney Rob Morton said that the Sheriff, County Manger and County Attorney’s Office need to review the information as well as the county commissioners. He said that we are having to pay for services as a result of this epidemic. CM Hanson said that drug addiction is an issue that we have to deal with in the county.

7. REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONS, DEPARTMENTS, COMMITTEES, AUTHORITIES

a. Monthly Reports submitted from County Departments and County Authorities, including a Revenue/Expenditure Statement for all departments and a summary check register.

b. County Manager Report
Update on County finances for the following funds/accounts:
General Fund ........................................................................................ …$2,643,530.76
Fire Dept. Donations ........................................................................................ $4,662.66
BOC – Jury Account………………………………………………………………$0.00
Cash Reserve Account ........................................................................ ….....$506,692.78
Pike County CD Special Revenue funds………………………………………….$0.00
Jail Fund ........................................................................................................ $18,476.23
E-911 Fund .................................................................................................. $130,632.11
DATE Fund ................................................................................................... $44,999.50
Juvenile Court Fund ....................................................................................... $13,659.70
Residential Impact Fee ................................................................................ $475,258.73
Commercial Impact Fees ............................................................................... $43,305.51
C.A.I.P FUND ............................................................................................... $33,272.89
General Obligation SPLOST Tax Bond Sinking Fund, 2016 ...................... $739,170.41
L.M.I. Grant (DOT) ....................................................................................... $78,743.04

c. County Manager Comment – None

d. Commissioner Reports

District 1 – Commissioner Daniel – None

District 2 – Commissioner Guy – None

District 3 – Commissioner Powers: Tommy Powers thanked CM Hanson and staff for their work on the audit.

District 4 – Commissioner Jenkins – None

Chairman Johnson – None

e. County Attorney Report to Commissioners.

County ordinance violations court will be held at 10 a.m.

Mrs. Geneva Woods passed away yesterday and he shared that she had been selected by the City of Zebulon for recognition. He said that an individual flew in from Texas and gave his testimony. He said that as a 10th grader in high school, he was living at the Children’s Home. He hated everyone and everything. She talked to him and told him that she saw something in him and believed in him. Since then, has gone on to impact more than 5,000 people for Christ.

Last night was the presentation for Citizen of the Year in the City of Zebulon and County Attorney Tom Morton was awarded honored and given the key to the city.

County Attorney Tom Morton said thathe looks at everything that comes to his desk and said that the Animal Control Department is doing a great job with its reports. He commended Animal Control Officer Tanya Perkins for her work on these extensive reports.

8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

9. NEW BUSINESS

a. Consider Use of Courthouse Grounds from Christ Chapel for Rods Run for the Hungry on April 14, 2018 from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. this will be a car show and activities.

This was cancelled last week due to the weather. Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.

b. Discuss/Approve/Deny alteration of final subdivision plat off of Pike Industrial Way and U.S. Hwy. 41, per Code Section 155.03 (A). David Allen, Director of Planning & Development addressed the Board stating this involves the Industrial Park off of Highway 41. K & K Manufacturing want to combine Tract 1 with Tract 2 which will make it 24 acres for future expansion. Staff recommends approval.

K and K Manufacturing would like to buy Lot 2 for future expansion and make it one big track of 24 acres. Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.

c. Approve/deny commitment to move excess revenue to Capital Funds account.

CM Hanson walked through several miscellaneous revenues that the county has received over the past year. He asked commissioners to move this excess revenue so that it can be used to work on roads in the spring of next year instead of waiting until the fall. Each project will come before commissioners before they begin. This would allow us to put less into the LMIG for future roads as well. Motion to move the excess funds to the CAP fund and the excess $88,000 to roads. Approved 5-0.

d. County Manager to present the FY 2018-2019 Budget to the Pike County Board of Commissioners.

Click here to see a copy of the preliminary budget.

CM Hanson sat down with every department and worked through this budget. The budget is his recommendation on this. We still don’t know about health insurance. This includes a 3% raise for baseline employees in the county. It does not include commissioners, the county manager, or constitutional employees. Motion to accept this preliminary draft. Approved 5-0.

10. PUBLIC COMMENT - None

11. EXECUTIVE SESSION

12. ADJOURNMENT

Motion to adjourn. 10:13 a.m.

[Note from the Editor: If you appreciate being able to read information from county meetings for free on Pike County Times, please make a donation to Pike County Times through the PayPal link at the bottom of the page or by check to Pike County Times at PO Box 843, Zebulon so I can justify the amount of time that I am spending away from family. It may not seem like much but sitting in a meeting and then typing it up takes a lot more time than you might imagine! Thanks for reading Pike County's only FREE newspaper.]

4.24.18
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