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05-01-1995 Regular MeetingMay 1, 1995 The regular scheduled meeting of Mayor and Council was held at Smyrna City Hall. The meeting was called to order by presiding officer Mayor A. Max Bacon at 7:30 o'clock p.m. All council members were present. Also present was City Administrator Bob Thomson, City Clerk Melinda Dameron, City Attorney Charles E. Camp, Fire Chief Larry Williams, Finance Director Claudia Edgar, Assistant Public Works Director Ray Curtis, Police Chief Stan Hook, Library Director Laurel Best, Parks and Recreation Director Steve Ciaccio, Community Relations Director Kathie Barton, Clean and Beautiful Coordinator Ann Kirk, Personnel Director Mary Ann White, City Engineer Ken Hildebrandt, Chief Building Official Scott Stokes and representatives of the press. Invocation was given by Reverend Jerry Johnson, pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church, followed by the . pledge to the flag. Mayor Bacon recognized students from Campbell High School who were in attendance at the meeting and asked them to stand. Mayor stated there were two proclamations to be presented tonight and indicated the first one is "May is Older Americans Month." He then asked the Golden Jonquils and the representatives from the Parks and Recreation Department to come forward. Councilman Cramer then read the proclamation. Patty Bacon then introduced the Golden Jonquils present at the meeting: Barbara Anderson, Betty Davis, Grace Colley, Wynona Halderman and Ron Brown. Ms. Bacon stated these citizens participated in the recently held Mayor's Walk and represented Smyrna in that event. Ms. Colley presented Mayor Bacon with a Golden Jonquil We shirt. Ms. Bacon stated on May 10 there will be a Senior Citizens Health Fair at the Community Center and encouraged everyone to come participate in that event. Mayor Bacon then asked Councilman Lnenicka to read a proclamation honoring Captain David Littlejohn who retired from the Police Department. Mayor Bacon then presented Captain Littlejohn with the proclamation and a crystal Jonquil. Captain Littlejohn thanked the Mayor and Council for the opportunity to serve the Smyrna citizens as a police officer. CITIZENS INPUT: Mayor Bacon asked if any citizen would like to come forward for this portion of the meeting. Frank Adams, Smyrna Clean and Beautiful Committee, came forward and recognized the thirty-three students and four teachers (Ms. Bramblett, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Neff and Ms. Soulis) from Griffin Middle School for their assistance which resulted in 265 volunteer hours in the stuffing envelopes that contained the "NO HANDBILL" decals that were mailed to the citizens of Smyrna. Mr. Adams then stated the Smyrna Clean and Beautiful will be mailing "1000 Points of Light Shining in Smyrna" certificates to all the students who participated in this volunteer effort. Mayor Bacon recognized the Boy Scouts, from Troop 721, who were in attendance at the meeting. The troop leader came forward and stated they were in attendance for the young men to learn about citizenship in the community and one of the requirements to earn a badge in this field is attendance at a council meeting. PUBLIC HEARINGS: (A) Variance Request - 6016 Bordeau Walk - Reduce Front Yard Setback From 20 Feet to 10 Feet on Cul-de-sac side of yard Mr. Thomson stated the request is for a variance for a pre -sold home because placing the house only five feet from the lake as originally intended would present a structural hazard and thus the request is to move the house forward five feet. Mayor Bacon recognized the applicant, Mr. Jack Miller. Mayor Bacon stated this is a public hearing and asked if anyone was present in opposition to the granting of this variance request. There was none. Councilman Cramer asked Mr. Miller to briefly describe what he plans to do on this lot. Mr. Miller stated this variance was originally granted at 10 feet because of the size of the lot and was based on a computer drawing that was submitted to the surveyor. When the lot was actually laid out, the lake protrudes into the land farther than the plan indicated on his drawing. He stated this placed the house too close to the lake and presented a hazard. He further stated the house needs to be moved forward an additional four feet and that is the reason for the request. Councilman Cramer stated the previous variance was to move the house forward from the lake and the May 1 1995 meeting - continued house needs to be moved forward an additional five feet. Councilman Cramer stated there were no objections from anyone on either side of this property. Councilman Cramer made a motion the variance request at 6016 Bordeau Walk for a front yard setback from 20 feet to 10 feet on the cul-de-sac side of the yard be approved. Councilman Hawkins seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. (B) Variance Request - 3811 South Cobb Drive - Eckerd Drugs - Reduce Rear Yard Setback From 33.5 Feet to 23 Feet Mr. Thomson stated the unusual shape of the lot makes the variances necessary. He stated Eckerd has a standard store footprint and the setbacks are required in order to place it on the lot. Mayor Bacon stated this is a public hearing and asked if anyone was present in opposition to the granting of this variance request. There was none. Councilman Hawkins asked Mr. John Cavin, the representative for Eckerd Drug Stores, to come forward and briefly explain why the variances are requested. Mr. Cavin stated the site in question is the former location of the closed Del Taco building near King Springs Road. He stated the property in question is a "Y" shaped piece of property and is triangular in shape. He stated as the lot narrows in the rear, the building layout starts to become closer to the road in the back and actually on the side as well and a variance is needed from the existing setback requirement. Councilman Hawkins asked if they have a standard size or type of building they plan to construct for Eckerd. Mr. Cavin responded yes, his firm provides the real estate and Eckerd provides the building plans and it is a prototype building. Mr. Cavin stated the new building will be slightly larger than the former Del Taco building and it will not fit on that piece of property without this variance. Councilman Hawkins asked if it was true that Eckerd would not be encroaching any further toward South Cobb Drive and if in fact they will only be moving 10 feet to the rear and an additional four feet to the side and Mr. Cavin responded that was correct. Councilman Wood asked if this would replace the existing Eckerd Drug Store in the King Springs Village Shopping Center and Mr. Cavin responded that yes, it would be a relocation of that store. Mr. Wood then asked if this would be a drive-in type store and Mr. Cavin responded yes, there would be a drive-in window on the side of the building. Mr. Wood then asked if they would have an entrance on King Springs Road and South Cobb Drive and Mr. Cavin responded yes. Mr. Hawkins stated there were existing curb cuts on King Springs Road and South Cobb Drive and Mr. Cavin stated that basically the parking lot would not change. Councilman Hawkins stated he was happy a business was going into the former location of Del Taco since that business had been closed for about a year or so. Councilman Hawkins made a motion the variance request at 3811 South Cobb Drive to reduce the rear yard setback from 30 feet to 26 feet and to reduce the side yard setback from 33.5 feet to 23 feet be approved. Councilman Wood seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. (C) Variance Request - 2125 South Cobb Drive - Eckerd Drugs - Reduce Rear Yard Setback from 40 Feet to 15 Feet Mr. Thomson stated the issue is the loading dock placement which without the variance, would be within 15 feet of the property line and the building placement would become difficult. Mayor Bacon stated this is a public hearing and asked if anyone was present in opposition to the granting of this variance request. There was none. Councilman Cramer stated this location is at the corner of South Cobb Drive and Pat Mell Road which will take the SouthTrust Bank and Brakeland properties. Councilman Cramer asked Mr. Cavin to briefly describe what they plan to do at this location. Mr. Cavin stated they were combining the SouthTrust Bank and Brakeland properties and demolishing those and building a new Eckerd Drug Store on the site. He further stated what made the site unusual is the fact that there are three streets (Old Concord on the rear, Pat Mell on the side and South Cobb Drive on the front) involved and the way they have laid out the property requires placement of the building to be closer to the rear street (Old Concord). Mr. Cramer asked how much Eckerd would spend on a building of this type. Mr. Cavin responded approximately a million and a half dollars. Councilman Cramer stated this would revitalize the area around Cobb Center and this would also be a relocation of the Eckerd Drug Store building at Cobb Center Mall. Councilman Scoggins asked about the curb cuts on the property. Mr. Cavin responded there are currently ten curb cuts on the property (the bank has curb cuts on Pat Mell and Old Concord for their May 1, 1995, meeting - continued drive through facility and they are closing off the curb cuts on Old Concord) to better the flow of traffic. He then stated the bank currently has two curb cuts on South Cobb; Brakeland currently has two curb cuts on South Cobb (total of four) and each building has two curb cuts on Pat Mell (four on that side) for a total of eight and the Bank has two more on Old Concord for a total of ten. They are reducing the curb cuts from ten to two which will be wider and will allow better traffic flow. Councilman Lnenicka asked if there is anything they are planning to do that would impact access to neighboring or adjacent property owners. Mr. Cavin responded there is one neighbor, a furniture store, and they have received positive feedback from that property owner as they would rather have another retail business to generate traffic rather than a closed bank which is adjacent to their property. Councilman Lnenicka asked if this construction will require the closing of any streets or the diversion of any traffic. Mr. Cavin responded it would not. Councilman Cramer made a motion the variance request by Eckerd Drugs at 2125 South Cobb Drive to reduce the rear yard setback from 40 feet to 15 feet be approved. Councilman Scoggins seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. Mayor Bacon asked when construction would begin and Mr. Cavin responded Eckerd is redesigning the interior and keeps delaying the interior plans so there is a while to go before they actually close on the property. He further stated it will probably be about six months. FORMAL BUSINESS: (A) Ratify Decision of Hearings Officer Mr. Thomson stated the requirement is for council action in the Code concerning the Hearings Officer and that is in Mr. Hawkins' ward. Councilman Hawkins stated it was his understanding that the apartments located at 1119 Medlin Street, known as Medlin Woods, had a fire that occurred in 1992 in which one of the buildings was almost a total loss. As a result the City asked the Hearings Officer to request an appraisal on October 6, 1992, to assess the damage and to also recommend to this body what action should be taken. He further stated since that time he assumed the property owner has had numerous opportunities to take some type of action on this but the fact of the matter is we are now in 1995 and that burned out building is still roped off and the property was appraised. He further stated the Hearings Officer heard the case May 10, 1993, and it was his finding, based on the appraisal of the property, that what would be required to put the building back in proper order would be more than 50% of the value of the property appraised value and therefore, he moved under the powers given him through Georgia Code, that the building be demolished and that a lien be placed against the property so the property owner could not change title to that property in any way until they satisfy that lien. Mr. Hawkins asked Mr. Stokes if it was a correct statement to say the property owners have had an additional year to take care of the problem themselves. Mr. Stokes responded that the date the city would have taken action to call for demolition, the property owners permitted reconstruction of that building and that is what has delayed this action for a year. He further stated their year is up and his department decided to take the appropriate action to correct this situation. Councilman Hawkins then made a motion that the body of council uphold the decision of the Hearings Officer and that the property be condemned and destroyed. He then asked Noel McDevitt, attorney for Medlin Woods, if he wanted to speak on this issue. Mr. McDevitt stated it was his understanding that this piece of property was under contract for sale until recently and the contract fell through. He then stated they learned today there seems to be a slight problem with asbestos with the building. He further stated the company, Geo Environmental Services, has done an initial analysis of the asbestos problem and his client agrees the building needs to be torn down and has in fact received bids to have it done and have settled on a Smyrna company to have it done. He stated there is the issue of getting the asbestos removed and apparently Mr. Stokes advises today that they need to get these people to be a little bit more specific about what they need to do to get the asbestos removed. He stated Brassfield Grading & Hauling, Inc., is the bid they received for $21,000 to have the property demolished. He also stated what he thought Ms. Revere wanted to do was have the building demolished and he did not think that would take too long. He also stated he did not think it would take too long for the asbestos analysis to be completed and pinpoint where the asbestos is that has to be removed. He also stated he felt they could accomplish this fairly quickly and get the demolition done without the city having to pay for it. He stated they would not be able to do it within two weeks but still would require at least a $21,000 cash outlay by the city which his client is certainly willing to pay but he thought first for safety reasons the asbestos problem could be dealt with most efficiently by this group of folks who have done the initial survey. Councilman May 1 1995 meeting - continued Hawkins asked Mr. McDevitt why correction of this problem has been delayed for a year. Ms. Revere stated the reason for the delay was that the bank gave the owner an alternative o the property so he decided to put the property up for sale. She then stated that suddenly Medlin Woods was showing a profit, doing good, and the bank decided to allow Mr. Goransson to stay where he is and she thinks they are going to put money into the property and redo it and have agreed to allow them to take the building down. Councilman Hawkins then asked if the property was not going to be sold. She responded that was correct as far as she knows and the property is being taken off the market. Councilman Wood stated his concern was what has been going on since September 10, 1992, at this location. Councilman Hawkins stated they had a ruling from the Hearings Officer in May of 1993 which was a year and several months delay there and he then asked if there was insurance on the building when it originally burned to take care of it. Ms. Revere stated the building was a "down unit" when Mr. Goransson bought the building; it had been stripped, and she did not think the insurance covered the building because it was unoccupied. She stated when the building burned, the intentions were to go in and rebuild and when he came back in 1993, he knew he was either going to rebuild or demolish the building so he began taking bids to rebuild the building and the cost was far too much so they are back to demolishing the building. Mr. Hawkins stated he has spoken with Mr. Curtis, the Hearings Officer for the City, about it and Mr. Curtis had told him that as far as from May 1993 and prior to the hearing in May, 1993, it took about six months for the city to get an appraisal back on the building and part of the delay Mr. Curtis felt was the city's fault due to other natural disasters in the State. He further stated there was a letter of apology from Campbell and Associates for the delay in returning the appraisal. Councilman Hawkins then asked Mr. Stokes if he had any advice for the council regarding this matter. Mr. Stokes stated he feels Medlin Woods property owners want to do the demolition themselves and not have the city do it. He further stated if the City does the demolition we would have our own asbestos survey and they are basically doing the same thing the city would do. He also stated as far as he is concerned, if the council orders tonight the building be destroyed, he would start on it tomorrow and would have the building down in two weeks. He stated it is up to the council to decide if they want the city to take the building down in two weeks or bind the owner with a date to have it torn down. Councilman Hawkins asked Mr. Stokes if the city receives a report there is asbestos in the building there would be a significant cost up front, then we would then have to take a lien against the property and is this a correct statement. Mr. Stokes responded that was correct. Councilman Hawkins then stated if this is the case, the city might not get its money for twenty years. Councilman Hawkins then asked if the parties involved could agree on a reasonable time that the building could be taken down? Mr. McDevitt responded he thinks the property owners want to work with Mr. Stokes and have him "look over the shoulder" of the people who are doing the asbestos work and make sure the removal is done safely. Mr. McDevitt suggested the property owners be given a deadline to have the building taken down and also have Mr. Stokes involved in the process. Mr. Hawkins asked Mr. McDevitt when he thought the building could be taken down. Mr. McDevitt deferred to Ms. Revere. Ms. Revere stated the main thing she needs to do is to call the people and get the asbestos report and contact someone to remove the asbestos, other than the demolition crew, and what she needs to do is call and get the project going. Councilman Hawkins stated with the agreement of this body, he made a motion that this matter be tabled to the first meeting in June (June 5, 1995) and ordered Mr. Stokes to have a report by that date as to the progress and if it looks like we are well on our way to getting it down he thinks the city would be wise to let these folks take it down; however, if the city does not see much action or anything being done by June, he would then ask this body to give us the authority to take it down. Councilman Lnenicka asked if the same thing couldn't be done with a motion that would specify a start date and an ending date where this is to be done by the owner, and if not would require no further action. Mr. Hawkins stated he would rather hear a report back rather than give a definite start date on it because when you start fooling with asbestos there are some pretty heavy penalties and he would quite frankly prefer that these folks try to take it down since it is their building and if anything goes wrong they would be the ones to be fined. He further stated if we start messing with the property and something goes wrong, the city would be the one to be fined. He also stated he was not saying the city would not take the building down and if we come back June 1 and if there is not substantial progress and Mr. Stokes recommends June 5 that we take it down, then we will do so, but he wants to give the property owners every opportunity to remedy the situation. He feels the greater liability will be with the property owners. Ms. Revere stated that before she found that this asbestos report was not any good, her intentions were to have it down this coming weekend. She was told the building could be down in three days but that was before she got the report and Mr. Stokes told her they needed one on that particular building. She stated she was positive she could have it down in thirty days. May 1, 1995, meeting - continued Councilman Hawkins made a motion that this issue be tabled to the first meeting in June. Councilman Scoggins seconded the motion. Mr. Hawkins asked Mr. Stokes to give the council a report back at that meeting. Motion was approved 7-0. Mayor Bacon asked if there was anyone present who had any particular interest in this issue. There was none. (B) Bid Opening (95004) - Refrigeration and Ice -making Equipment for Parks Concessions Mayor Bacon asked if there were any bids in the audience. There were none. Mayor Bacon stated eight bids were mailed out but only one bid was returned. Mayor Bacon asked Steve Ciaccio, Director of Parks and Recreation, to briefly explain this bid request. Mr. Ciaccio responded the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program has provided funding for the concession stands to be located at Jonquil and Cobb Park and part of that contract was to provide refrigeration equipment for those buildings so that the sports programs could have concessions at those locations. Councilman Cramer opened and read the bid as follows: Sexton, Inc., in Forest Park, submitted a total bid price of $10,426.00 which includes a refrigerator, freezer and cuber for ice cubes. Councilman Cramer then made a motion the bid be turned over to the Parks and Recreation Committee with a recommendation to be brought back before council at the May 15, 1995, meeting. Councilman Hawkins seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. (C) Appointment to Parks Commission - Ward 7 Councilman Wood appointed Mr. Howard Betts, Richland Circle, in Ward 7 to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Mr. Betts' term of office will expire in September, 1997. Councilman Cramer seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. (D) Zoning Reversion on South Cobb Drive at Starline Drive from GC to R-15 Mr. Thomson stated the rezoning had a stipulation that if no construction was started within one year from the date of rezoning which took place at the April 18, 1994, council meeting, the rezoning would revert back to R-15, the single family zoning, which it had prior to the rezoning. Councilman Hawkins stated on April 18, 1994, the council heard a rezoning request for the property at 3670 King Springs Road to be rezoned from R-15 to General Commercial (GC). Mr. Hawkins stated that rezoning was approved after much discussion. He stated it was approved, however, with four binding stipulations to the zoning. Mr. Hawkins stated the fourth stipulation was as follows: "That if no construction begins within one year, the zoning would revert to its previous zoning providing the Council does not grant an extension of that zoning. Mr. Hammett, applicant for the rezoning, stated this was acceptable." Mr. Hawkins then stated a year has passed, actually a year and two weeks, and no construction has begun and he was not sure this item required a motion. He stated that since he has read this stipulation which stated the council could grant an extension, he would insist that the city make a motion that the property revert back to R-15, Residential zoning, effective at midnight, May 1, 1995. Councilman Lnenicka seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. (E) Ordinance Amendment - Alcohol Beverages Councilman Newcomb stated in the summer of 1993, the council passed revised Alcohol Beverage Ordinance Amendments and since that time have received input from license holders and from meetings here where Show Cause Hearings were held, and input from other sources. He stated there are amendments to the ordinance and for the most part they fine tune the ordinance. He stated several of the amendments clarify definitions and there are about forty paragraphs affected in the ordinance. He stated the amendments clarify definitions; information that is needed on the application; revises the category of applicants to acknowledge that there are private clubs that apply for an alcoholic beverage license; distinguishes privately held versus publicly traded corporations; reduces paperwork for license locations where the owner is still the same, the premises are the same but the manager has changed; adjusts distances for pouring licenses only in the central downtown area, public properties only, leaving the same distance requirements for churches and residences; changes the length of Cobb residency required from one year to being a Cobb County resident and must remain a Cobb resident while holding the license; May 1 1995 meeting- continued sets a responsibility on the part of the license holder for providing orientation and training for all their employees and to keep records of that; clarifies that Christmas Day begins at 12:01 a.m.; sets forth a table of penalties to guide the Mayor and Council for possible sentences and probation when violations occur. Councilman Hawkins stated the document contains several pages and will be available in the City Clerk's office at city hall for inspection or for anyone to obtain a copy of such document. Mr. Hawkins said most of the changes are positive and good and clears up some cloudy issues. He then stated this ordinance change tonight does not affect in any way or lessen the distance that the city requires between alcoholic establishments and churches and residences, both of those remain the same. He further stated that one of the problems the city is facing with the construction in downtown Smyrna is that there will be restaurants located here and most chain restaurants want to have pouring licenses, therefore the distance requirements as to public buildings - such as city hall, police station and those types of buildings, are being changed. He stated the city is still going to be very careful as to distance requirements where churches are located and he will support the changes. Councilman Lnenicka commented that he appreciates the businesses that came forward over the last couple of years with suggestions with ideas and the city has incorporated a number of those into this document and their input was good for the city. He expressed his appreciation to all those who helped make these changes. Councilman Newcomb stated he would be making two motions; one concerning the ordinance amendments and one concerning the schedule of fees. Councilman Newcomb then made a motion that the city adopt the amended version of the Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance listed as item 4-E on the agenda as well as the amended pages attached. Councilman Scoggins seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. Councilman Newcomb then made a motion that the city adopt the Alcoholic Beverage Fee Schedule which essentially remains the same except for one change. Councilman Cramer seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. (F) Appointment to Cluttered Carport/Yard Committee - Ward 3 Councilman Scoggins stated he would like to appoint Mr. Ron Davis, 1351 Roswell Street, to the Cluttered Carport/Yard Committee. Councilman Scoggins made a motion that Mr. Davis be a representative for Ward 3 to serve on this committee. Councilman Cramer seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS: There were none. BID AWARDS_ There were none. CONSENT AGENDA: (A) Approval of April 17, 1995, Minutes (B) Three-way Stop Sign on Pinehill Drive at Parkwood Drive (C) Speed Bumps on Glendale Place and Three-way Stop Sign on Glendale Circle at Glendale Place (D) Approval to use Council Chambers May 2, 1995, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. (E) Approve Lease of Building at 2620 Atlanta Road Councilman Wood made a motion the consent agenda be approved. Councilman Cramer seconded the motion. Motion was approved 5-1-1 with Mr. Lnenicka opposed and Mr. Scoggins abstaining. COMMITTEE REPORTS: Councilman Patrick asked Laurel Best for a report on the Library. Ms. Best reported the May exhibit in the gallery area is a series of pictures of kings and queens of Africa and the book discussion group meets tomorrow night to discuss "The Fifth Child" by Doris Lessing. Councilman Patrick announced regretfully that this is Laurel Best's last council meeting as she will be moving out of state in the near future. He complimented Ms. Best on the excellent leadership she has exhibited during her tenure as Library Director and wished her good luck in her new job. May 1 1995, meeting - continued Councilman Newcomb asked Mary Ann White for a report from the Human Resources Department. Ms. White reported the Police Department sergeant's written exam is on schedule and is going to be conducted on Saturday, June 24. She also announced there is a resource manual that is available to those eligible candidates for their use. Ms. White also announced there are two job announcements for the City; Library Director, with a closing date of May 12; SMURFs for the summer program with a closing date of June 1, 1995. Councilman Newcomb stated there is not a report from the Community Development Department. He also stated he has one comment on Spring Road and that is according to the DOT they are beginning now to acquire the rights -of -way on the eastern portion of Spring Road, which is Phase I of Spring Road between Cobb Parkway and Argyle School. He further stated the DOT is about to let the engineering contract for Phase Il, which is Argyle School on to Atlanta Road. He stated he has asked the Cobb DOT people to give him as definite timetable as they can on the section between Cobb Parkway and Atlanta Road and as soon as he gets that he will share it with folks. Councilman Scoggins asked Kathie Barton for a report on the Community Relations Department. Ms. Barton expressed her appreciation to everyone who attended the ground breaking ceremony held April 22 in spite of the rain. Ms. Barton encouraged everyone to read the inserts that will be in the next water bill mailing which will give the dates of the summer concert series. Mayor Bacon expressed his appreciation to those people who attended the ground breaking ceremony and thanked Chuck Madison, Chairman of the Downtown Redevelopment Task Force, for emceeing the event, Harold Smith, John Davis, SBA, Larry Wheeler, Cobb Chamber of Commerce, Commissioner Joe Lee Thompson and everyone else who attended. He also stated he wanted to clarify some rumors that had been circulating about the new buildings. He stated the new police facility and city hall will be built at the same time and will be completed at the same time. He also announced the citizens will be seeing construction along Atlanta Road as the old Parks and Recreation Building will be torn down and Stan Thomas has put two double -wide trailers, which is his new temporary office, on the property. Councilman Hawkins expressed his appreciation to Ms. Barton for staying during the entire ground breaking ceremony and taking pictures. Councilman Scoggins then asked Ann Kirk for a report on the Smyrna Clean and Beautiful Department. Ms. Kirk reported the Adopt -A -Mile Program was a great success on April 22 and stated they had forty volunteers as well as community service workers. She stated sixty-five bags of litter were picked up and twenty miles were covered in this program. She stated there are still five miles that need adopting and urged any business or citizens interested in adopting a mile to give her a call. Ms. Kirk thanked Mayor Bacon for his participation in this program. Ms. Kirk reported Smyrna Clean and Beautiful contributed nine books to the Smyrna Library this past month and have purchased a book on littering, "The Wartville Wizard" which is a wonderful children's book and every elementary school in Smyrna will have a copy of this book. Ms. Kirk reported Birney and LaBelle Elementary Schools tied for first place in the Environmental Bulletin Board contest for Earth Day; Teasley Elementary won second place and King Springs Elementary School won third place and each school will receive $25, $15 and $10 checks for their media centers. Ms. Kirk urged the citizens to be patient with the new handbill ordinance enforcement. She urged citizens who placed the no handbill sticker on their mailbox but still received handbills to give her a call or call the Smyrna Police Department non -emergency number. Councilman Hawkins stated there is no report from the Fire Department this evening. Councilman Hawkins thanked Ms. Best for the excellent job she has done as Library Director and wished her success in her new position. Councilman Cramer asked Steve Ciaccio for a report on the Parks and Recreation Department. Mr. Ciaccio announced on Wednesday, May 10, his department will host a Senior Health Fair from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; on Tuesday, May 16, the Braves will play the Colorado Rockies and that is Smyrna Night at the Braves and tickets are available at the community center for $15 each; May 19 is the first of the summer concert series with the Dixieland Jazz Band. Councilman Cramer also stated he was sorry to see Laurel Best leave the City of Smyrna but wished her well in her new job. Councilman Lnenicka reported the intersection of Ridge Road at Atlanta Road is now open, one week late, but it is now open. Mr. Lnenicka reminded everyone who uses Ridge Road that it is a residential area and urged them to drive with the same caution they would like their own neighborhood treated. May 1 1995 meeting - continued Councilman Lnenicka stated he had a meeting last week with the residents of Argyle Estates and it was very well attended. He expressed his appreciation to Connie Burchfield and Perry Daugette, residents of that neighborhood, who organized that meeting. He also announced there is another meeting Tuesday, May 2, for Argyle Estates residents. Councilman Lnenicka wished Laurel Best happiness in her career and stated he has enjoyed working with her during her tenure with the City. Councilman Wood stated Ms. Edgar does not have a report tonight on the Finance Department but he reported the budgeting process is proceeding and the city will adopt a balanced budget before June 30. Councilman Wood expressed his appreciation to Laurel Best for the outstanding job she had done for the CitX of Smyrna and wished her the best in her new job in Tennessee. Mr. Thomson wished Ms. Best success in her new job. Mayor Bacon again wished Ms. Best success in her new job and stated the city will miss her. With no further business a meeting adjourned at 8:38 p.m. A. MAX BACON, MAYOR JJ �HNtPATRICK, WARD 1 4 L SC GGINS, WAR ' �i &00,A.)_ ACK CRAMER, WARD 5 —�� —e��4 CHARLES PETE WOOD, WARD 7 MELINDA DAME , CITY CLERK RON NEWCOMB, WAR42