01-04-1982 First MeetingJanuary 4, 1982
The first meeting in the new year was held pursuant to the Charter at City Hall,
Smyrna, Georgia, on January 4, 1982 and called to order by presiding officer Mayor
Frank Johnson at 7:30 o'clock p-.m. All council members were present. Also present
was City Attorney Charles Camp, City Clerk Willouise Spivey, Police Chief R. E. Little,
Acting Fire Chief Hubert Cochran, Public Works Director Jim David, Parks and Recrea-
tion Director Sherry Reavis, Civil Defense Director Jim Farley, Building Inspector
Dan Steely and representatives of the press.
Invocation was given by Councilman John Steely followed by the pledge to the flag.
Bid opening: Bids for four (4) 1982 police patrol cars were opened, read and recorded
as follows:
Strother Ford Co. $ 8,715.001 75 day delivery
4 barrel not available. 71 Amp
maintenance free battery
largest available.)
Hub
Motor Co.
$ 8,634.03
90
day
delivery
Amp, oil pressure &
43.35
temp. gauges:
8,677.38
Carey
Paul('Ford
$ 9,078.53
90
day
delivery
Neal
Pope Ford
$ 8,852.87
45
day
delivery
Wade
Ford Co.
$ 8,695.86
45
day
delivery
Days
Chevrolet
$11,486.79
60-90
day delivery
Cody
Chevrolet
Impala pursuit vehicle:
$ 8,833.00
Malibu 4-door:
$ 8,710.00
Elbert Coalson made a motion the bids be turned over to the Police Committee for
their recommendation back to full council at the next meeting. Jerry Mills seconded
the motion which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Pouring License: Frontier Palace, Inc., 2552-9 South Cobb Drive requested a wine,
malt beverage and.liquor pouring license, the applicant being Roger Louis Gowder.
Mr. Gowder's attorney stated the lounge would be located at South Cobb Plaza, in the
old European Health Spa building. John Steely asked Mr. Gowder if he would be serving
food, because he did not have it checked on the application; the only thing he had
checked was for dancing and live entertainment. Mr. Gowder said he was aware of our
ordinance requirement and would be serving food. Elbert Coalson read a letter from
Chief Little stating his investigation did not reveal any factors that would bar the
applicant from obtaining a license. Mr. McArthur Reeves, vice president of the
corporation stated the lounge would feature well-known entertainment and would serve
deli -style hamburgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. Jack Shinall said we had encountered
problems with other establishments in the City with people taking drinks into the
parking lot and asked about security. Mr. Reeves said he would not allow drinks to
be carried outside the building, and planned to use off -duty Smyrna police officers
for security. Chief Little said he did not allow his officers to work off -duty in
liquor pouring establishments and Mr. Reeves said he would have some type of security
guards on duty at all times.
Jack Shinall said the application met all requirements and made a motion it be
approved, seconded by Jerry Mills. John Steely said he was going to vote against the
motion because the application was not filled out correctly by failing to state that
food would be served. Jerry Mills amended the original motion to state that approval
of the license would be contingent upon proper completion of the application acknowledg-
ing that food would be served, per State and City ordinance. Jack Shinall seconded'
the amendment. Vote on the amendment and main motion carried 6-1, with Jim Hawkins
opposed. Mr. Gowder was asked to meet with Inspector Dan Steely immediately after the
meeting to complete the application.
Rezoning: Tajico-Emerson Center requested rezoning of property at 2800 Spring Road
in Land Lot 880, from 0&I to N.S. Mr. James F. Crist, Jr. was the applicant for the
rezoning. Mr. Crist wds not present and Jim Tolleson made a motion the application
be tabled to the next meeting. Jerry Mills seconded the motion which carried by a
7-0 vote.
Continued - January 4, 1982
Variance: Ridgeway Development Corporation requested a variance for their new
development on Smyrna Roswell Road at Pasadena Boulevard. The request was for a
50 foot setback from the street instead of the 75 feet required by ordinance.
Mr. John Strama, President of Ridgeway Development said a 75 foot right of way had
already been dedicated to the county in connection with the widening of Pasadena
Boulevard. Their plans call for a 50 foot setback from the road on two buildings,
which would be an infringement upon the setback requirement after the road is
widened. Jim Tolleson read a letter from the Public Works Department stating they
could see no reason why the variance should not be granted, and made a motion it be
approved. Jack Shinall seconded the motion which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Commercial building permits were presented by Inspector Dan Steely as follows:
(1) Kathy Garmon requested a permit for an addition to the existing structure at
1408 Spring Street for a rooming house, at a total estimated cost of $20,000. Plans
had been approved by the Fire Marshal, subject to the City Engineer's approval of the
site plan. The property is zoned 0&I the the City zoning ordinance does not have a
classification for boarding houses. Discussion followed, and Elbert Coalson made a
motion the request be tabled since there was some question as to whether or not the
property was properly zoned for a rooming house. Jack Shinall seconded the motion
which carried by a 7-0 vote.
(2) Humdico, Inc. requested a building permit for construction of a medical office
on Cobb Parkway at a total estimated cost of $250,000. Plans have been approved by
the Fire Marshal and Inspections Department and Jim Hawkins made a motion the
permit be approved. John Steely seconded the motion which carried by a 7-0 vote.
(3) Inspector Dan Steely presented a final plat for Unit 10 of Green Forest Sub-
division but stated Merlin Burt, the developer, had not submitted a performance
bond. John Steely said the City had been having problems with this developer and
Reed Road was washing away; therefore he would vote against the plat approval until
the performance bond was received. Mayor Johnson said Mr. Burt had contacted him
earlier today and agreed to have his bond into the Inspections office prior to the
meeting. Jack Shinall made a motion the plat approval be tabled, seconded by Jim
Hawkins. Vote on the motion carried 7-0.
Elbert Coalson made a motion the minutes of December 7, 1981 be approved as sub-
mitted. Max Bacon seconded the motion which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Jim Hawkins made a motion the minutes of December 21, 1981 be approved as submitted.
Elbert Coalson seconded the motion which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Jack Shinall stated Cobb County had increased our water rates by 24% and sewer rates
by 30%, effective January 1, 1982, and made a motion that Wallace Pate be authorized
to conduct a water and sewer rate study, at a fee not exceeding $1500 and paid from
the E&C Fund. This rate study will be presented to Mayor and Council no later than
January 22, 1982. Elbert Coalson seconded the motion which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Mayor's Closing Statement: Mayor Johnson said he had been rewarded by the citizens
of this city by having the opportunity to serve as chief elected officer for the
past two terms. He felt this administration had brought the City through some of the
most difficult times that could be found. When he first became Mayor he was encouraged
by the calibre and quality of employees, and we now have 103 out of 190 employees
with five or more years of service. Mayor Johnson thanked everyone around the table,
as well as all the employees, for the cooperation he received and said he would leave
tonight feeling proud of the terms he served.
Jerry Mills said he had served the City for eight years and it had been rewarding.
Jerry said he ran against Mr. Bacon for Mayor but he was still a friend, and knew
that we had a well qualified man to serve the City. Jerry said he loved the City
and planned to stay here, and thanked the citizens for providing him eight years of
education and a good time.
John Steely also thanked the people in Ward 7 for supporting him and said he had
enjoyed working with all the employees. He wished the best of luck to the new
administration and said tonight he was able to do something that had always been
his goal -- to turn his seat over to a lady.
Elbert Coalson told Mayor Johnson it had certainly been a pleasure working with
him and thought he had served the City well. Mr. Coalson presented a plaque to
Mayor Johnson on behalf of the citizens, council and employees in appreciation of
his service.
Mr. Coalson also presented a crystal jonquil to Jerry Mills and thanked him for the
hard work he has always done.
Meeting adjourned at 8:0 0 p.m.
January 4, 1982
The first meeting of the new administration was called to order at 8:00 o'clock
p.m. by Arthur T. Bacon. Mayor Bacon said he was happy to be here and called the
two newly elected councilmen to take their seats. He then introduced all the council
members.
The first order of business was the Mayor's oath of office, administered by Judge
James Bullard.
Judge Bullard administered the oath of office to the seven councilmen as follows:
James E. Tolleson Ward 1
Max Bacon Ward 2
James Williams Ward 3
James M. Hawkins Ward 4
Jack Shinall Ward 5
Elbert R. Coalson Ward 6
Sarah Jones Ward 7
The first official act of the new administration was to appoint the Recorder's Court
Judge, City Attorney and City Clerk. Upon recommendation of Mayor Arthur Bacon,
Jim Tolleson made a motion that Charles E. Camp be reappointed City Attorney, Willouise
Spivey as City Clerk and C. V. Reeves as Recorder's Court Judge. Elbert Coalson
seconded the motion which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Judge James Bullard administered the oath of office to:
C. V. Reeves
Charles E. Camp
Willouise C. Spivey
Recorder's Court Judge
City Attorney
City Clerk
Upon the recommendation of Mayor Bacon, Jack Shinall made a motion that Elbert
Coalson be appointed Mayor Protem. Jim Hawkins seconded the motion which carried
by a 7-0 vote.
Mayor Bacon stated that Allen Potter had agreed to continue serving on the Planning
and Zoning Board and that he was reappointing Mr. Potter as the Mayor's representa-
tive to the Board. The appointment for Ward 5 was deferred to the next meeting.
Jim Hawkins made a motion the present residential and commercial business license
fees be approved for 1982. Jim Tolleson seconded the motion which carried by a
7-0 vote.
Mayor Bacon announced the following committee assignments:
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
PUBLIC SAFETY
POLICE, FIRE & CIVIL DEFENSE
STREETS, MAINTENANCE
AND GARAGE
Jim Tolleson, Chairman
James Will.iams, Chairman
Jim Hawkins, Chairman
ENGINEERING & INSPECTIONS Elbert Coalson, Chairman
WATER & SANITATION
PARKS & RECREATION AND
INSURANCE
Jack Shinall, Chairman
Max Bacon, Chairman
LIBRARY, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS,
ALCOHOL & PRIVILEGED LICENSES Sarah Jones, Chairman
Sarah Jones
Elbert Coalson
Elbert Coalson
Max Bacon
Jack Shinall
James Williams
Jim Tolleson
Jim Hawkins
Sarah Jones
Jim Tolleson
James Williams
Jim Hawkins
Max Bacon
Jack Shinall
Mayor Bacon said he wanted these committees to work together and meet regularly.
After a six-month period, the committees will probably be rotated to give everyone
L a chance to familiarize themselves with each committee.
Mayor Bacon stated the next meeting would be January 18th and encouraged the citizens
to attend council meetings. There will probably be a called meeting on January
Continued - January 4, 1982
21st or 22nd, when the water and sewer rate study is completed and the citizens are
also invited to attend this meeting to provide their input. Mayor Bacon said he
would have regular hours in the Mayor's office and everyone was welcome to stop by. _
With no further business, meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
************************
January 18. 1982
The regular scheduled meeting of Mayor and Council was held January 18, 1982 at
Smyrna City Hall. The meeting was called to order by presiding officer Mayor Arthur
T. Bacon at 7:30 o'clock p.m. All Council members were present. Also present was
City Attorney Charles Camp, City Clerk Willouise Spivey, Police Chief R. E. Little,
Acting Fire Chief Hubert Cochran, Parks and Recreation Director Sherry Reavis, Public
Works Director Jim David, Civil Defense Director Jim Farley, Building Inspector Dan
Steely and representatives of the press.
Invocation was given by Elbert Coalson, followed by the pledge to the flag.
Citizen Reports: Jack Hembrough of 3740 Ridge Road said he had been without water
at his home for 8 days and it had been called to his attention that some of the
building practices used on his home were not in compliance with the Southern Buildinc
Code. Some of the water pipes were not buried properly and inside pipes not insu=
lated. Mr. Hembrough said he was angry with the builders, but more than that, with
the city officials responsible for inspecting the construction and not making the
builders live up to the code. Jim Hawkins said he would have to disagree with the
statement that the City does not make builders comply with our code and the building
inspector employed 2 years ago when these homes were built is no longer with the
City. Jim said he could locate the former inspector and find out why these viola-
tions occurred, if they did. After discussion Mayor Bacon assured Mr. Hembrough
that he and the building inspector would come to his home and inspect the pipes.
John Dinsmore, also a resident of Cedar Cliff Subdivision said he has had problems
and after moving into his home found that there was no ventilation for the furnace.
When he had the ventilation system installed he was told that his family could -have
been harmed from gas accumulation in the attic. Mr. Dinsmore asked council to take
better notice of what was taking place in various subdivisions.
Mike Reynolds of Cedar Cliff subdivision said he had also experienced problems but
felt our current building inspector was competent in enforcing the building code.
Rezoning: Mr. James Crist requested rezoning of property at Emerson Center, 2800
New Spring Road from Office & Institutional to Neighborhood Shopping for construc- ^�
tion of a shopping center. The Planning and Zoning Board had recommended the
rezoning be approved and the request was tabled by Mayor and Council at the last
meeting because Mr. Crist was not present for the hearing. There was no opposition and Jim Tolleson made a motion the zoning be approved. Max Bacon seconded the motion
which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Annexation: Ted Jones and J. W. Holloway requested annexation of property located
in Land Lot 631 on Emory Drive, the legal description having been read and made a
part of the minutes of the December 21, 1981 meeting. Jim Tolleson made a motion
the property be annexed, to become a part of Ward 1. Max Bacon seconded the motion
which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Annexation: James V. Wilbanks, Adelia W. Eubank and W. G. Wilbanks requested annex-
ation of property located in Land Lot 631 on Spring Street, the legal description
having been read into the minutes of the December 21, 1981 meeting. Jim Tolleson
made a motion the property be annexed to become a part of Ward 1. Jack Shinall
seconded the motion which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Management Change: The Timbers, 715 Concord Road requested a change in management
for their wine, malt beverage and liquor pouring license with the applicant being
Aloma Lee Balenger. Sarah Jones said the fingerprints had been received from the
State and everything seemed to be in order, and made a motion the management change
be approved. Max Bacon seconded the motion which carried by a 7-0 vote.
Appointment: Jack Shinall made a motion that Billy Stephens be reappointed to the
Planning and Zoning Board representing Ward 5., Max Bacon seconded the motion which
carried by a 7-0 vote.