DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. – The $29.9 million 2020 budget Dawson County Commissioners adopted in October grew by more than $900,000 during Thursday’s regular meeting.
The Board voted 3-0 – with Commissioner Julie Hughes Nix absent due to an illness in her family – to amend the budget by $836,000 to fund a pay raise for county employees. The increase was based on a salary study conducted by Management Advisory Group late last year. The Board also voted to approve upgrades to employees’ defined benefit and defined contributions plans that will add an additional $70,000 to this year’s budget.
Commissioners accepted a staff recommendation to award Jarrard & Davis a legal services contract at a rate of $200 per hour for attorneys and $100 per hour for paralegals. The contract is for one year with four one-year renewal options.
Each election year, local government is required to set qualifying fees for candidates who plan to run for elected office. The 2020 fees are set as follows: Sheriff $1,779.86, Probate Judge $1,491.65, Tax Commissioner $1,491.65, Magistrate Judge $1,491.65, Clerk of Court, $1,491.65, County Commissioner $288, Commission Chairman $360, Surveyor $10, Coroner $108, Board of Education $99.
Following public hearings, the Board unanimously approved Tim Stowers’ request to rezone 10.5 acres on Harmony Church Road from Residential Agricultural to Residential Sub- Rural and Michelle Taber’s request to rezone 2.67 acres on Frank Bruce Road from Residential Agricultural to Residential Sub-Rural.
Commissioners had a very busy slate of agenda items to consider during the 4 p.m. work session.
Court Administrator Jason Stephenson led off by advising commissioners Hall County had under billed Dawson County for the cost of one Administrative Assistant and a law clerk for each Superior Court Judge for several years. The amount that was improperly billed totals $15,200.
Other work session issues discussed include:
— The potential sale of a 77.67 acre tract of land located along Shoal Creek to Caballero Holdings, LLC for $311,111. The Tax Assessor’s Office appraised the property at $647,074. An appraisal performed by J & T Smith, Inc. valued this property at $1.1 million.
— A request by Public Works Director David Mckee to award a debris removal and disposal contract to Graham County Land Company. The contract will not have any cost to the county unless the company is called to report during a disaster such as a winter storm. The contract, if approved includes removing and disposing of vegetation in rights-of-way; hazardous tree removal; vehicle removal; freon management; electronic waste removal.
— A request to award a debris monitoring contract to Debris Tech, Inc. The contract, if approved, would fast-track federal and state disaster relief funding and allow county staff to work in other needed areas.
— A request by Emergency Services Director Danny Thompson to renew a statewide Mutual Aid agreement with GEMA and the Department of Homeland Security to provide assistance and support in managing a disaster that occurs within Dawson County and other participating agencies.
— A request to accept a 50/50 Georgia Forestry Commission Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant that requires a $5,000 county match.
— A request to apply for a 50/50 Georgia Emergency Management Performance Grant to cover a portion of the cost for RAVE emergency alerting, weather siren maintenance, and Crisis Track damage assessment. The grant is $15,568.00. Dawson County’s match is $7,784.
Items discussed during a work session are not typically voted on until the next regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
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County Commissioners adopt $29.9 million 2020 budget
News October 19, 2019
Commissioner Julie Hughes-Nix
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – County commissioners had another full slate of agenda items to deal with during Thursday’s voting session. The 2020 budget, a vape shop ordinance and legal representation generated most of the discussion.
The Board approved a 2020 general fund budget of $29,903,653, an increase of $1,787,867 or 10.48 percent over last year.
The largest expenditure will be for Sheriff’s Office which will receive $8,346,363 or 28 percent of the general fund budget, an increase of 10.43 percent over this year. The next largest expenditure will be for Public Safety which will receive$5,560,482, followed by general government operations at $5,464,061.
The new budget conforms to the reduced millage rate of 8.089.
A month ago, the commissioners considered shutting down the county’s vape shops. But after a series of meetings between shop owners, elected officials and county staff, the Board decided to move forward with a new ordinance that will regulate the businesses.
Commissioner Sharon Fausett
Commissioners approved an additional $150,000 in funding for the firm of Jarrard & Davis for legal services this year. The firm was retained last December and $370,779 was encumbered for legal fees. Since that time, the county has paid the firm $359,652.32. The money will have to be moved from Fund Balance.
There were two zoning requests to be considered. In the first, the Board denied a request to rezone property on Price Road from Commercial Planned Community Development to Commercial Highway Business for the purpose of constructing a boat and RV storage facility.
In the other, commissioners approved a series of stipulations for property on Dawson Forest Road, first zoned in 1999. The stipulations included a requirement that the residential component be a minimum area of 20 contiguous acres; 50 percent of the project must consist of commercial, office, public, restaurant or other similar use; the property can be developed up to a maximum density of six units per acre up to a maximum of 100 units; open or natural space required shall be no less than 30 percent of the development.
In other business, the Board approved:
A request by Kare for Kids to use the county facility parking lots during the Mountain Moonshine Festival;
An intergovernmental agreement between Dawson County and the Development Authority of Dawson County;
Scheduling a public hearing for Special Event Business License Ordinance revision.
During the 4 p.m. work session, commissioners were reminded the legal services contract with Jarrard and Davis will expire Dec. 31. The Board must decide whether to renew the contract with that firm or hire in-house attorney.
Commissioner Julie Hughes-Nix raised concerns about the cost of legal services during the last year.
“The service has been first class,” she noted. “And you pay for first class. “I’m troubled by the it and I have had citizens tell me they are troubled by it too. By this year’s end, we will have spent $500,000.”
The legal services contract has a $250,000 cap, but that does not include litigation costs.
“Really more than $250,000 will be spent,” Commissioner Sharon Fausett said. “We would be remiss if we were not concerned about that amount of money.”
Angela Davis said, “What is carved out is litigation. We can’t control that. We have no way of knowing who is going to sue (the county) or who you may decide to sue.”
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Dawson County attorney resigns due to ill health, Jarrard and Davis receives interim contract
News January 1, 2019
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. –The law firm of Jarrard and Davis has contracted with Dawson County to provide legal services after County Attorney Lynn Frey announced his resignation on Dec. 20 due to ill health.
In a letter to the Board of Commissioners, Frey, who was Dawson County’s first staff attorney, said, “After a great deal of thought I have realized that I am unable to continue to serve as county attorney for the wonderful community that is Dawson County,” the letter reads. “My health has deteriorated to a degree that prevents me from providing the level of service the county deserves…I will miss a great many folks, too many to name here, and will leave with gratitude for the welcome I was given, for the many kindnesses I have been shown over the last couple of years and for the opportunity you gave me to be part of something that matters.”
Frey will be return to his former home in Darien where he served as city attorney for 13 years. He will be paid compensation of $25,000 according to an agreement ratified by the board.
The Jarrard and Davis firm serves many municipalities in Georgia, including Forsyth County where Ken Jarrard has represented the Board of Commissioners for approximately 15 years. The board ratified an interim retention agreement with the firm for a period of 60 days until permanent legal representation can be obtained.
Jarrard said “The board of commissioners has been emphatic that they want a seamless transition while they consider what next steps to take with respect to representation and we have been honored to provide that interim representation.”
Frey’s salary was $90,000 in 2018. The board recently approved a new legal assistant position with an annual salary of $30,547, though the position was never filled.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Dawson County Commissioners issue call for legal services
News November 10, 2019
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Still grappling with the rising cost of legal fees, the Dawson County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for legal services.
The firm of Jarrard and Davis has been under contract to represent the county since Lynn Frey, the county’s in-house attorney, resigned. But the contract with Jarrard and Davis will expire on Dec. 31.
Purchasing Manager Melissa Hawk presented commissioners three options; Hire an in-house attorney; Release a RFP to procure legal services by Jan. 1; Offer an extension request to Jarrard & Davis at the same prices, terms and conditions to begin Jan. 1, through Dec. 31.
Commissioner Julie Hughes-Nix has expressed her concern about the rising cost of legal fees. The Board recently voted to approve a request for increased legal funding for 2019. The request was for an additional $250,000, bringing the total 2019 budget up to $410,413. As recently as 2017, the budgeted amount for legal services was $232,000.
The Board also approved a land use resolution update that will add two new classifications – Residential Suburban 2 and Residential Suburban 3 – and adopted a moratorium on rezonings through Feb. 7.
In other votes, commissioners approved:
- A resolution to allow the county manager to approve a new special event business license for an annual event that was previously approved by the Board of Commissioners, providing there has been no material change in the event;
- A contract with the Georgia Public Defenders Office for 2020 in the amount of $187,311;
- The renewal of a memorandum of understanding with Georgia Forestry Commission that allows the county to purchase and operate Georgia Forestry equipment and trucks at a reduced cost for three years;
- A mutual aid agreement that requires both counties to respond to structure fires in areas identified in the agreement;
- The appointment of Austin Harmon as an alternate planning commissioner in District 4.
- Updates to the capital improvement element plan required by the Department of Community Affairs.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
BOC to vote on amendment to language access plan Thursday
News February 3, 2019
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Dawson County Commissioners are expected to approve an updated Language Access Plan required to receive federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant when they meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Government Building Assembly Room.
Commissioners approved a Language Access Plan for the Community Development Block Grant project on Dec. 6 and the plan was then forwarded to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for its approval.
But Senior Services Director Dawn Pruett received an email from DCA with updated statistical data in regards to the non-English speaking citizens of Dawson County. The LAP has been updated and this version has been approved by DCA. The BOC now needs to adopt this updated plan.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, requires states to take timely and reasonable steps to provide Limited English Proficient persons with meaningful access to programs and activities funded by the federal government.
Commissioners will also hold a public hearing on the Capital Improvement Element annual update.
Other agenda items commissioners are expected to vote on Thursday include:
- An amendment to the Legacy Link Contract that includes an additional $615 from federal/state funds from $106,918 to $107,533;
- A request by the county manager to approve a professional services exemption for interim legal firm of Jarrard & Davis to fulfill its scope of services agreement and approve a budget for said services;
- Appointment of members of the Joint Development Authority;
- Appointment of the County Clerk tabled from the Jan. 17 meeting.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Board approves comprehensive plan with future land use map
News January 26, 2019
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – The Dawson County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the county’s comprehensive plan during Thursday’s work session that includes the future land use map.
Commissioner Chris Gaines’ motion to approve included directions to Planning and Development Director Jameson Kinley and Terri Tragesser, chairwoman of the Long Range Planning Committee to meet in the next 30 days to develop a plan on how to move forward and create a Hwy. 53 overlay. “That overlay is critical,” Gaines said.
The comprehensive plan is the road map commissioners use to plan for future growth. The state requires counties update the plan every five years and submit it to the Department of Community Affairs in order to attain Certified Local Government status and to be eligible to receive state grants.
The county has held numerous public information meetings and conducted an online survey to keep citizens in the loop about the proposed plan.
Commissioners also discussed whether it would be more cost effective to contract with a law firm for legal representation or hire an in-house attorney.
County Attorney Lynn Frey retired in December, citing health issues. Since then the county contracted with Cumming-based Jarrard & Davis to handle legal issues for a 60-day period.
Commissioner Julie Hughes-Nix pointed out that department heads had communicated their satisfaction with the firm and Gaines and Chairman Billy Thurmond expressed support for contracting with a firm.
“I think we find efficiencies in a firm that brings a depth of knowledge in various areas that we have to go through,” Gaines said. “Whether it be zoning, HR, litigation or whatever it may be that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel with every issue I want it to be a firm that represents other communities and has already been there, done that type of thing.”
Other issues discussed include:
- Presentation of the Capital Improvement Element annual update;
- Presentation of the FY 2019 Legacy Link Nutrition Program Services Addendum
- Presentation of the Community Development Block Grant Language Access Plan;
- Presentation of the professional exemption request for the interim county attorney;
- Appointment of Christie Haynes Moore, John Drew and Betsy McGriff to the Joint Development Authority;
- Discussion of grant application procedures.
Items discussed during work sessions are not generally voted on, but placed on the agenda for the next voting session.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com