City Council Meeting Notes: Aug. 13

Last night’s council meeting saw the return of Chief Roy Whitehead, city manager, and Melisa Arnold, city clerk, after illness-related absences. 

Mayor Kelly Kautz honored Pastor Elijah Collins, Jr., pastor of , and named Aug. 13 Elijah Collins Day in Snellville for his work in the community.  Collins just celebrated his 10th pastoral anniversary.  He received a standing ovation from the packed room, some of whom were members of his congregation. 

Changes to the Agenda and the George Anderson Saga

A few items were changed in the agenda.  Items B (changes to the charter) and E (contract with Knights Unlimited, Inc.) were moved to the "new business" portion of the meeting with no problem.  There was a problem, however, that was supposed to have been moved.

Action on Opportunity Zone

The first step to declaring Opportunity Zones in Snellville was getting this resolution passed, according to Mayor Kautz, which happened unanimously.  The businesses that relocate to these opportunity zones will qualify for state tax incentives based on how many employees they have. 

According to Gwinnettcounty.com, "Local governments that undertake redevelopment efforts in certain older commercial and industrial areas now qualify for a State of Georgia job credit. New or existing businesses that create two or more jobs can receive a tax credit of up to $3,500 per job." 

Board nominations

Hank Reid was nominated to serve on the Board of Appeals.  Mike Sabbaugh made a motion to approve the nomination, but no one seconded it, and so the motion died. 

David Brown was approved for Post 2. 

“For the next two agenda items, I expect the same thing will happen,” said Mayor Kautz.  “I have nominated numerous people and the council has not confirmed them… the people I nominated will most likely not pass.”

According to Kautz, the planning and appeals board have not been able to meet because they do not have a quorum.  She said that the city will miss out on development opportunities if they can’t decide on an appointment. 

Dennis Lawton was appointed to Post 1 on the Board of Appeals, while Dexter Harrison was once again not confirmed for Post 4 of the Planning Commission.  Joe Williams was confirmed for Post 2, while Ida Graham was approved for Post 3. 

Councilmember Diane Krause requested three additional days to find suitable nominations, but her request was not granted. 

Consideration and Action on Purchase of Electrical Up-fit for E-911 Equipment

According to Chief Roy Whitehead and councilman Bobby Howard, the new equipment would greatly improve the response time of emergency workers.  Rather than calls going to the Gwinnett call center first, calls coming in from Snellville would go directly to Snellville Police. 

The measure was approved. 

Changes to the Charter

Members of the council said that they want to make changes to the charter so that they will have the power to nominate people to boards.  As of now, only the mayor has the power to nominate. 

Councilman Dave Emanuel said the changes they want to make would make their charter the same as every other city.  Councilman Tom Witts asserts the measure would not take power away from the mayor, but would simply give them nominating power.  The measure was approved, and Snellville Patch will update you as information becomes available.  

Additional Items

Moosehead Marketing Solutions was owed $2,000 for work done for the city.  The payment was 60 days past due on the down payment.  The council broke into an executive session to discuss the issue.  

As of this morning, most of the money has been paid, though not all.  

Last, Tom Witts discussed plans to relight the Eternal Flame.  More to come on that soon as well. 

Were you at the council meeting?  Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.