Thursday, May 16, 2013
The mayor stated that she did not issue a check to a law firm "under the cover of darkness," as one council member recently claimed.
According to Mayor Kelly Kautz, allegations by members of the City Council that she "retained a law firm to represent [her] personally in a lawsuit and then in December without authority paid the law firm with city funds" are blatantly false. During the May 13 City Council meeting, council member Bobby Howard claimed that a check was written to Cruser and Mitchell well before they were appointed as city attorneys to represent Kautz in the case between the city and Marilyn Swinney. (Swinney claimed that her First Amendment rights were violated when the mayor would not let her speak during the public comment portion of a council meeting. The city ended up paying Swinney $15,000, which she donated, to settle the case.) "Under cover of …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Patch will begin live-blogging at 7:30 p.m.
(Editor's note: you can scroll through the live blog of the May 13 council meeting above. For background, follow the links within the story.) Update May 15: The mayor has responded to allegations discussed in this article and live blog. You can read that story here. The fallout from the city attorney fiasco that happened toward the end of last year isn't over yet, as evidenced by the May 13 council meeting. From the time the mayor removed Tony Powell from his position as city attorney, he has not been paid, according to the city council meeting agenda. Cruser and Mitchell, the law firm that took his place, has also not been paid. Powell's firm, Webb, Tanner, Powell, Mertz and Wilson, LLC, is owed $94,000. That's nearly $35,000 over what …
Monday, April 29, 2013
A petition is circulating to change current zoning regulations in Snellville regarding homeowners and chickens.
Snellville resident Tracy Adams is petitioning the City of Snellville and Gwinnett County to allow homeowners to "keep chickens as pets or for personal use on their property, regardless of property size." Currently, chickens are allowed if you have three or more acres. According to Adams, nearby cities allow chickens to be kept on landowners property for personal use, including Lilburn and Decatur. "Our city should not be exempt from the personal freedoms of sustainability, personal endeavor, and responsibility," writes Adams in the petition. "Chickens are small quiet creatures that increase soil fertility with their manure, lay healthy eggs for their owners and provide entertainment and companionship as pets. Allowing people to keep …
Monday, April 22, 2013
The public is invited to discuss the lower lake at Summit Chase and an amendment to the group home ordinance will be discussed.
Snellville City Council will meet April 22 for a regularly scheduled meeting at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. A work session will be held at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend the regularly scheduled meeting. Snellville Patch will live blog the meeting. Work Session Discussion Items, 6:30 p.m.: Regular Business and Public Hearing, 7:30 p.m.:
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The Council filled posts on the Planning Commission and Appeals Board.
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Wednesday, April 10
The City Council approved Tod Warner for Post 4 of the Planning Commission and Tim Van Valkenburg for Post 4 of the Board of Appeals on Monday, but not without an argument. The Gwinnett Daily Post reports that Mayor Kelly Kautz declined to support the appointments, citing the "pending litigation" between her and some other council members. Both men's appointments were approved by 4-2 votes, with Kautz and Councilman Mike Sabbagh voting against, the paper reports. You might also be interested in: Liveblog - March 25 Council Meeting Snellville PD K-9s to Receive Bulletproof Vests During Council Meeting Snellville Officials React to Judge's Decision Regarding Mayor's Powers
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Discussion items include zoning ordinance variances and appointments to the Planning Commission and Board of Appeals.
Snellville City Council will meet April 8 for a regularly scheduled meeting at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. A work session will be held at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend the regularly scheduled meeting. Snellville Patch will live blog the meeting. Work Session Discussion Items, 6:30 p.m.: Following the work session, the mayor and council will adjourn to discuss the following items during executive session: Regular Business and Public Hearing, 7:30 p.m.:
Monday, March 25, 2013
Items include two K9s receiving bulletproof vests and a conditional use permit for a car and truck rental business.
Follow our live blog (beginning at 7:15 p.m., March 25) and participate in tonight's council meeting. Click here for the full agenda.
Other items on tonight's agenda include a conditional use permit for Budget Car and Truck Rental.
Snellville City Council will meet March 25 for a regularly scheduled meeting at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. A work session will be held at 6:30 p.m. Patch will live-blog the meeting starting at 7:25 p.m. Work Session Discussion Items, 6:30: Regular Business and Public Hearing, 7:30 p.m.:
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The garnishment stems from unpaid credit card amounting to over $20,000.
Editor’s note: This article has been corrected. The original article incorrectly stated that Kautz had reported income inconsistent with other records. The article also inaccurately described the status of the garnishment proceeding. A creditor is seeking to have Snellville Mayor Kelly Kautz’s mayoral wages garnished to help pay down a personal debt, according to court records (see attached PDF) and a Fox 5 news report. Kautz’s Snellville city wages reported in the court records are $500 a month. A financial disclosure statement for 2012 dated Jan. 2, 2013, lists income for Kautz’s law firm of $50,000 from Gwinnett County, for “appointed work for indigent clients.” Kautz told Patch in an email that those funds reflect income before …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Council members expressed relief and a continued faith in City Attorney Tony Powell.
After Judge Hamil issued the verdict regarding the mayor's ability to terminate City Attorney Tony Powell, four members of council -- and, of course, the city attorney -- were visibly relieved. Mayor Kelly Kautz sued council members Dave Emanuel, Bobby Howard, Tom Witts, Diane Krause, and, at the last minute, Mike Sabbagh, in an attempt to have the judge pass a declaratory judgment against their efforts to keep Powell in his position as city attorney. The judge, however, sided with the four council members and failed to issue the judgment Kautz was hoping for. Read the live blog of the hearing here. Judge Hamil stated that he expected to side with Kautz, the plaintiff, agreeing with her attorney that "inherent in the right to appoint is…
Dave Emanuel
11:39 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
Was proper protocol followed? It appears it was not, but you can decide for yourself. Following are sections of the City Charter that deal with the duties and responsibilities of the City Manager and the manner in which mayor and Council interact with the City Manager and staff. Section 3.14. - (a) A city manager shall be nominated by the mayor with the confirmation of the city council. The city … more ›