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August 16, 1999 Council Meeting August 16, 1999 ... 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 Howard Smith, City Clerk Melinda Dameron, City Attorney Chuck Camp and City Attorney J. Al Cochran, Fire Chief Larry Williams, Finance Director Claudia Edgar, Public Works Director Scott Stokes, Police ,Chief Stan Hook, Library Director Michael Seigler, Parks and Recreation Director Steve Ciaccio, Keep Smyrna Beautiful Coordinator Ann Kirk, Human Resources Personnel Officer Jay Joseph, City Engineer Ken Hildebrandt, Community Development Administrative Assistant Carol Cowan, Community Relations Director Maryclaire Andres and representatives of the press. Invocation was given by Reverend Elijah Jones, Greater Zion Hill Baptist Church, followed by the pledge to the flag. CITIZENS INPUT: Mr. Al Rudd, deacon of Greater Zion Hill Baptist Church, offered their thanks for the council's action on Monday, July 19, concerning the issue of the land gift to their church. Reverend Elijah Jones, pastor of Greater Zion Hill, presented the Mayor and Council with a token of the church's appreciation. Mayor Bacon recognIzed Gary Harvil who announced the l2-year old Smyrna Little League team won the district championship in Rome recently and won the state championship in Valdosta in July. Coach Harvil individually recognized the players and presented a trophy to the city. Rick Hanson read an August 16 letter to the city and the Parks and Recreation staff, and particularly Lee Cook, in appreciation for the city's support. Mayor Bacon thanked them for the letter and trophy and stated it will be placed in the Community Center. ... Mayor Bacon recognized Wayne White who, on behalf of the Junior All Star team, thanked the Mayor and Council for the opportunity to be present tonight and then introduced the players from the 13 and 14 year old Smyrna Little League team and presented the city with the following trophies: District II Championship, Mid-summer Classic and the Youth USA Double A State Championship. Mayor Bacon thanked him for the presentation and congratulated the team members. Mayor Bacon recognized Keep Smyrna Beautiful Coordinator Ann Kirk who presented Ellen Burts with a crystal jonquil in appreciation for her years of service on the Keep Smyrna Beautiful Commission. Mayor Bacon expressed his appreciation to Ms. Burts and all the volunteers who work so diligently for the City of Smyrna. Mayor Bacon recognized Mr. Ronald Johnson, city resident, who stated he had experienced problems at the community center and complaints about the community center. Mayor Bacon referred him to Mr. Ciaccio. PUBLIC HEARINGS: (A) Charter Amendment - Section 6(b) - Increase Salaries of Mayor and Council Members Mr. Smith stated this is a proposed Charter amendment to increase the salaries of the Mayor and Council for the new term beginning January 1, 2000, and will provide for an incremental increase. Mr. Smith stated this has been advertised and this is the first reading on this subject. Mayor Bacon stated this issue will be handled by the Finance and Administration Committee Chairman Councilman Lnenicka and then public comment will be heard. '- Councilman Lnenicka stated no council can pass a salary increase for themselves. He continued that typically what is done is that a council can vote for a salary increase for whatever council would take office after the next election. Mr. Lnenicka stated that requires a change in the Charter of the City of Smyrna and they require two public hearings and readings and this is the first of those two. Mr. Lnenicka stated to change the salary of the Mayor and/or Council also requires that this be done prior to qualifying for any new elections. Councilman Lnenicka stated this has been done the last several terms he has been in office and each council trying to pass the pay for the succeeding council, whoever that shall be. Mr. Lnenicka stated August 16, 1999 meeting - continued the Charter amendment specifically would delete Section 6(b) in its entirety and replace it with the following section: "Be it ordained by the Mayor and Council of the City of Smyrna, Georgia, that the Charter of the City of Smyrna, Georgia, be amended by revising a section to be numbered Section 6(b) to read as follows: Section 6(b). Salaries of mayor and councilmen; salaries of other city officials and employees. Effective January 3, 2000, the Mayor of the City of Smyrna shall be paid a salary of $1075 per month and each councilman of the said city shall be paid a salary of $825 per month. Thereafter, the salaries of the Mayor shall be increased by $75 and the seven councilman $50 per month each year effective the first Monday of January each year through the term of office ending December 31, 2003. The compensation of all other officials and employees of the City of Smyrna except as otherwise provided by law, shall be determined by the Mayor and Council of the City of Smyrna. " .... Councilman Lnenicka explained this means that each year during the next four-year council term, the salaries of the council will increase by $50 per month each of those four years and of the Mayor - $75 per month. Mr. Lnenicka stated in the current term the previous council had voted $50 per month increase each year and this is very much in line with what was done four years ago. He stated the above is the proposed amendment. Mayor Bacon asked if there was any public comment concerning this issue. There was none. Councilman Hawkins commented that the city had done a salary and benefits survey for elected officials in Georgia for municipal elected officials the same as was done for the employees and the proposed salary that is being recommended is about in the middle. He stated the City of Smyrna officials will still be paid less than cities like Marietta and Atlanta but will be making more probably than the city of Acworth and they are about where they should be. Councilman Hawkins stated for the record this is based on a salary survey that compares them with other municipalities of similar size. Mayor Bacon stated this will not go into effect until the next term of office and no action is required at this time. .... (B) Special Land Use Permit - Jonquil Drive - 150-Foot Telecommunications Tower Mayor Bacon stated this item was tabled from the previous meeting and asked the applicants to come forward. Mr. Smith stated this is a special land use permit for a telecommunications tower and believes it is still a proposed 150-foot tower. Mr. Smith stated the applicant is Nextel. Mayor Bacon stated this is a public hearing and asked if anyone was present who would like to make any comment concerning this issue. There was no one present to make any comments concerning this issue. Councilman Newcomb stated the applicant, Nextel, was present at the last meeting and the issue was tabled because the proposed location is literally at the property line dividing Ward 2 and Ward 6. He stated that because the residents on the Ward 6 side of the railroad track would be the ones most affected by the proposed tower, the issue was tabled in order to allow Mr. Lnenicka an opportunity to meet with his folks and let them know about it and find out any concerns and address them to the extent that they could be addressed. Mr. Newcomb stated that meeting has taken place. Mr. Newcomb stated the proposed site is right next to the railroad tracks and can not be seen from the Jonquil Drive side but can be seen from the back of Vinings Forest and Cumberland Vail. Mr. Newcomb stated the proposal is for a 150-foot tower and this height will allow three users to share the tower and if the tower were a lower height only Nextel could use the tower. Ms. Pat Chapman, representing Nextel and property owner Mr. Crowe, stated that based on discussions with the residents that took place last Thursday night, over the weekend they put up a balloon to determine the visibility of the proposed structure from various vantage points and did a visual analysis. Ms. Chapman stated the results of that visual analysis were provided to the Mayor and Council today. Ms. Chapman stated they also held discussions with Mr. Crowe during that period of time. Ms. Chapman stated at the current location there are a couple of options that are represented in the visual analysis - the height of the structure could be lowered to 120 feet, which is Nextel's requirement and it could be done as an alternative design resembling a light fixture and that was reflected in the visual analysis. Ms. Chapman stated that would limit its use to only one WIllI .~~'c_ August 16, 1999 meeting - continued carrier. Ms. Chapman stated that based on a more definitive survey of the flood plain area from Mr. Crowe's engineer they have determined there is a spot - moving the site approximately 600 feet due north to the edge of the flood plain - that will work with his future development plans for this property and they are proposing that as an alternative to the current location. Ms. Chapman further stated they would like to ask that if the city does approve the change in location that it is done as a ISO-foot standard monopole so that additional users could take advantage of the site and allow Nextel a little flexibility since their engineers have not had an opportunity to evaluate that alternate location. ... Councilman Lnenicka stated he had a very good meeting with both Chris Palomba and Steven Bush last Thursday night at Vinings Forest and stated it was a joint meeting with Vinings Forest and Cumberland Vail. He stated they had explained the proposal and showed them the proposed location. He stated there has been a lot of willingness on the part of all involved individuals to work with him and the city and residents to find a solution that would be appropriate and good for everybody. Councilman Lnenicka stated he did receive a letter this evening from Christopher Bethel opposing the originally proposed site but thinks he is agreeable to the proposed new site. Mr. Lnenicka stated there had been some concerns about the energy level that would be present from the tower either from signals coming or going to and from the tower and Nextel responded with a letter addressing that. He continued that basically the electromagnetic energy exposure does not exceed 1 % of the Federal Communications Commission limit for electromagnetic energy. He stated he feels the site Mr. Newcomb is going to propose is certainly agreeable to him and he thinks it is agreeable to the people he represents and expressed his appreciation to Nextel and TLC Communications, LLC, for working with the city and the property owner for working with the city and the assistance, patience and cooperation of the Ward 6 residents for working with him on this issue. He stated he appreciated Mr. Newcomb's help as well. Councilman Newcomb asked Ms. Chapman to again clarify the height of the proposed tower and she responded they are requesting a ISO-foot tower. Ms. Chapman stated at the old location they could reduce the height to 120 feet to meet Nextel's needs but the original request had been for a ISO-foot tower. ... Councilman. Lnenicka asked Ms. Chapman and Mr. Palomba if under the relocated proposal are they still willing to put the camouflage alterations that were proposed with the light-fixture type look. Ms. Chapman responded that at that distance, because it is so much farther away, that the characteristics could not be distinguished so there is no need to do that when you can not really see what they look like. Councilman Lnenicka asked if they planned to paint the tower some type of earth tone so it would blend in and Ms. Chapman responded the galvanized finish blends fairly well and the upper part of the tower would not need any other color in order to blend it with the sky as a background. Ms. Chapman stated the lower part of the tower, because of the topography, can not be seen anyway and she does not see the need to paint it for those reasons. Mr. Lnenicka asked if they would consider that because the one complaint that he heard about the existing BellSouth tower on Spring Road is that the silver finish makes it stick out over the tree line. Mr. Palomba stated they try to stay away from painting because it becomes a maintenance nightmare. Councilman Hawkins asked that since Nextel is going to allow for additional users if the city grants approval for a ISO-foot tower, how many other users could be accommodated on the pole. Mr. Palomba responded a total of four other users - Nextel and three additional users. Mr. Hawkins stated he feels the city's landscape will be inundated with towers. Ms. Chapman stated that the earlier equipment cabinets were huge modular buildings - 10' by 20' in some cases - and now the equipment can go into a little cabinet that looks like the land line telephone cabinets seen on the side of the road. Ms. Chapman continued that the antennas are getting smaller and she feels there is a trend toward miniaturization and a long-term trend toward more of these things attached to other parts of the physical environment. -- Councilman Newcomb stated he wants to be sure the new site is no closer to the residences to the east of there and that it does not get any closer to them than it is now and indicated that will be a stipulation with his motion. He stated he feels the proposed new site will meet that stipulation but is going to ask the City Engineer as the actual site is indicated by a stake in the ground and measures it to the nearest residence that it is no closer than it currently is. Mayor Bacon recognized Jay Hughes, 405 Vinings Forest Circle, who expressed his appreciation to Councilman Lnenicka and the representatives from Nextel for their cooperation and stated it will be a big help to them if the tower is moved 600' to the north. Mr. Hughes August 16, 1999 meeting - continued stated he is concerned about the skyline and if a 120-foot tower will still work at this proposed site he would like to ask the council to consider granting the tower with a 120-foot height. Councilman Hawkins reminded Mr. Hughes that if permission is granted for a 150-foot tower, it will prevent the possibility of three future users to put towers in there and what you are getting for 30 feet is the elimination of three more towers. Councilman Newcomb stated that Nextel appears to meet the city's requirements in the Special Land Use Permit section. He stated the new proposed location will shift the location of the tower 400' to the north and slightly to the west and would put it at a distance of about 600 feet from the Vinings Forest and Cumberland Vail folks. He stated the site plan and all the requirements have been submitted - shared usage is an option which they are requesting. He stated the accessory structures are only limited to the actual purpose of the tower and the plans call for a fence with barbed-wire at the top as an anti-climbing device to keep people from getting over there and climbing the tower. Mr. Newcomb stated the tower will meet the regulations of the FAA and the FCC and any other federal regulations and all the proper plans have been submitted. Mr. Newcomb stated the location is not in a residential area and is in a Light Industrial area. Councilman Newcomb asked Ms. Chapman to describe how they plan to get the utilities to the new site. Ms. Chapman responded there will be a gravel access drive initially until Mr. Crowe develops a street through there. Mr. Newcomb stated it did not appear to be practical to ask Nextel to paint the tower nor to have the special lights on the tower. Councilman Newcomb made a motion to approve the application of Nextel, TLC Communications, LLC, at the second site which is 400 feet north and slightly to the west that shall put it at the edge of the flood plain but not in the flood plain, and in between the flood plain and the proposed road and at a distance no closer than it currently shows at the original location to any residences. Councilman Cramer seconded the motion. Councilman Hawkins asked how far the new site will be off the CSX railroad track will be and Councilman Newcomb responded approximately 450 feet. Councilman Lnenicka stated he feels it is protection for the property values of the folks in his ward to move that site directly away from their homes and more into the middle of that field area and expressed his appreciation. Motion was approved 7-0. -...II FORMAL BUSINESS: (A) Set Qualifying Dates for November Election ..... Councilman Lnenicka stated 1999 is an election year for the City of Smyrna and State law specifies the city has to set the qualifying dates. Mr. Lnenicka stated the proposal is to set the qualifying dates to begin on Monday, September 13, 1999 beginning at 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 1 :30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the qualifying dates would run for three days. He then indicated the dates would be September 13, 14 and 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and qualifying would close at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 15, 1999. Councilman Lnenicka made a motion that the qualifying dates be established as September 13, 14 and 15, 1999, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 :30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Councilman Wood seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. (B) Approval of DMG Maximus Classification and Compensation Study Mr. Smith stated DMG Maximus had been awarded the bid to complete a Classification and Compensation study and efforts of that study are brought forward tonight for approval by the Mayor and Council. Mr. Smith stated this has been thoroughly reviewed by the Human Resource Committee and Mayor and Council have also reviewed it in some depth in Work Sessions. He stated this comes before Mayor and Council tonight as a revised pay and classification plan for the City of Smyrna. Councilman Wood stated DMG Maximus is a national financial human resources management consultant firm with their southern region headquarters in Atlanta. Mr. Wood stated the City of Smyrna study was conducted under the direction of Ms. Sheryl Dallas, Manager in charge of the Human Resources Management Division Operations in the Southern Region. Personnel Officer Jay Joseph stated the study concentrated on three major points - bringing employees to the minimum of the pay grade; internal pay equity; pay compression. Ms. Dallas stated they were asked to look at internal equity and external equity to ensure that the classifications within the City of Smyrna were paid equitably compared to the competition - primarily cities and counties throughout this area. Ms. Dallas indicated they met with all the employees and handed out a questionnaire, had an extensive interview process with those employees and met with all department directors to ensure that they understood the concerns and things that are going on ."." '," . - ~ ...... ,............. 1, .1 .. .. .. August 16, 1999 meeting - continued within each department. Ms. Dallas stated that as a result of employee satisfaction surveys retu~ned, the employees were very much concerned about and aware of compression. Ms. Dallas stated they employed the Archer System to evaluate each of the jobs. Ms. Dallas stated one of the things they looked at was what it would cost to bring employees to the minimum of the pay range and to address the compression issue. Ms. Dallas stated the implementation options have also been presented to the city tonight. Ms. Dallas stated the final part of the study will be when the employees are given notification they will be given another opportunity to look at the job and make sure they feel their issues were properly addressed as far as classification is concerned. Ms. Dallas continued that in a request for review process, the employees will be able to tell them, in writing, if in fact there was something they thought still needed to be addressed as far as their classification is concerned. Ms. Dallas stated they will respond to the employees individually in writing during that process. Ms. Dallas stated there were also new class descriptions that resulted from this study. Councilman Cramer stated this study was done very impartially with no input from the Mayor and Council. Mayor Bacon reminded folks that the Mayor and Council made a commitment when they made the salary adjustment last year that it was time for an outside, independent company to come in and look at all the jobs and what the employees do and to see if they were being paid what the market said they were supposed to be paid. Mayor Bacon then stated that is what has been done. Mayor Bacon stated if the city accepts this plan tonight it will be accepted as it was done by DMG without any changes. Mr. Smith asked Ms. Dallas to explain the basis by which the city will award the merit increase and the recommendation to use the mid-point as the basis and what the rationale for that would be. Mr. Smith continued that that is not a part of the adoption of the motion if it is successful but it is a recommendation that DMG made that Council asked her company to look at that point. Ms. Dallas responded the mid-point of a pay range is the level that you want as many employees to get to as possible. It is the fully functional competitive rate of pay and is something people in her profession use to make good comparisons and the mid-point is used for many purposes. Ms. Dallas continued that one of those purposes as part of the implementation plan is used to ensure that people are properly placed within the plan. Ms. Dallas stated another excellent way is, and one she always recommends, to use the mid-point as the focus of how performance increases, how merit increases are given to employees. Ms. Dallas stated in this way, if you have two employees who have been in the job varying numbers of years - one maybe two years and one eight years - and they are performing exactly the same way in that job and they receive the same performance appraisal they will in fact receive the same dollar figure using a percentage of the mid-point rather than adding a percentage to their individual salary. She stated that obviously a person who has been there longer is going to have a higher salary and therefore their percentage increase will be that much greater but when you use the mid-point as a basis for awarding a dollar figure they will be rewarded in the same manner for the same level of performance and she thoroughly recommends that. Mr. Wood stated the mid-point represents market from the standpoint of the ranges themselves and is considered the market range. Ms. Dallas stated that is their basis for comparison for the market and that is what they look at throughout other organizations. Councilman Cramer stated at the annual retreat for the Mayor and Council and Department Heads they committed to upgrade the pay and classification for the city. He stated that last year the police and fire department employees were committed a huge portion of money for them and a better retirement. Mr. Cramer continued that that amount was nearly $900,000 that the Mayor and Council dedicated and did for the city employees and now here again the city is going to vote on another commitment of almost $300,000 that will be put in for the city employees. Councilman Hawkins asked Ms. Dallas if she would provide the employees with a list of the other government entities that they surveyed. Mr. Hawkins stated he was pleased with the way the city's pay scale came out and feels it is comparable to other entities and is almost identical to the way Cobb County's employees are granted their pay raise. Councilman Hawkins stated he wanted to repeat what has been said earlier that the Mayor and Council did take a firm agreement among themselves that nobody would champion any individual employee's causes. Councilman Newcomb stated that he concurs that this study has been done very fairly and they all want to do what is right and fair. Mr. Newcomb stated that one issue the city has run into in the past when the ranges are adjusted and the minimum comes up, the city ends up in a situation where somebody who has been here a while ends up making the same amount of money as somebody who just comes in and gets hired. Mr. Newcomb asked Ms. Dallas to discuss how that will be adjusted so that if somebody is "x" distance up the current pay range they will end up that same "x" distance up the new pay range so that won't occur. Ms. Dallas stated what is important to them in the compression issue that has just been described is to spread the employees out based on a common factor which in this case is how long they have been in that classification. Ms. Dallas stated what they have done in the implementation process is that they have 1 % for an employee in a particular grade, they used 1 % of the mid-point of that grade, per year of service and added that to the minimum for that August 16, 1999 meeting - continued classifi~ation to see if the employee, in fact, was making less than that amount and in which case they would recommend that the employee be brought to that amount, or more than that amount in which case they would say that the employee did not need any more added to their pay in order to be properly placed. Ms. Dallas explained that what that does is if you have an employee who is newly on the job is most likely to be right at or near the minimum - maybe a little bit above - but it's going to be right in that minimum area. She continued that an employee who has been here for a while is going to have that calculation performed based on the years they have been in that classification and then wherever that places them which is going to be further out - depending on each percentage for year of service in that classification _ they will be properly spaced. She stated the person that has been here for two years will be making less than the person who has been here for four years and so on. Mr. Newcomb said the last time they tinkered with this that they ended up with some folks that had been around a few years, their salary ended up being the same as somebody coming in and asked if they would be included in this spacing out? Mr. Smith responded they are and there may be some issues and of course that is what the appeals process does - the last step of this gives the employees or the department heads that want to discuss it with employees - one last chance to see if there is still some issue out there. Mr. Smith asked Ms. Dallas if that was a 30-day process and she responded that was correct but it is a classification issue only. Mr. Newcomb stated he did not think the city wanted to dig up ancient history but recent history he thinks they do to try to fix some things and again leave the council out of it. Mr. Newcomb stated he also agrees with her recommendation about using the mid-point as the multiplier in the application of the merit raise. Mr. Newcomb stated he thinks this is the way to go as it accelerates salary growth for those folks below the mid-point that are, and frankly could use the extra help in terms of pay wise, and then slows down, decelerates the salary growth after they reach the mid- point and among folks that can certainly - it's all a matter of perspective - but certainly can afford a little better than folks on the bottom end of the scale. Councilman Lnenicka asked Mr. Wood about the approximate cost of implementing the proposed recommendations and if they were going to be retroactive back to the beginning of the fiscal year. Mr. Wood responded the estimated cost is approximately $250,000 and of course the city has already made the merit adjustments for the current year which were effective July 1 so this is an approximate additional $250,000 to implement this program as recommended by DMG and the people who will be affected as far as being increased to the minimum for their grade structure will be retroactive to July 1, 1999. Mr. Wood stated if an employee is under the minimum for the new range for their job they will be making at least the minimum in that classification. Councilman Hawkins asked if a person is topped out in their classification now and according to DMG's internal structure it is determined they need to be two grades higher if when that person is moved two grades higher will they automatically top them out or do they fall in there at their present salary but you put them in a place on their two scales higher where they can go or how does that work. Ms. Dallas responded that she wanted to make it clear first of all that if an employee was at one particular grade in your current system and they are in another particular grade in the new system there is no connection. Ms. Dallas continued that this is throwing out the old and putting in the new. She continued that if someone finds that they are two grades higher or even two grades lower it is not a matter of a promotion or demotion. She stated that what is important is that the employee is properly placed and if they have determined that they are properly placed and perhaps are making more than what that proper place would be and are topped out they do not recommend that the employee have a pay cut but they are in fact making an appropriate amount for the job that they are in and they do not recommend that they make more than that so their salary according to DMG's recommendation the salary would stay at the level they are currently at. Councilman Hawkins asked if he was topped out at $30,000 and you are saying that I need to be two grades higher and that the top out of that classification is $35,000 would he go to that new range making $30,000 or would he go to that new range making $35,000. Ms. Dallas responded that if the new range is at $35,000 and you are making $30,000 which was the top out in the old plan that is being thrown away, then what DMG would do is the calculation that is done for all employees - the I % of mid-point added to the minimum for each year of service. She continued that if that amount comes up to less than the $30,000 you are earning then $30,000 is where you stay but if that amount comes up to more than the $30,000 you are earning then the recommendation is that you be moved to that amount but no higher than the maximum. Mayor Bacon asked when the adjustments would go into effect. Mr. Wood responded July 1,1999. Councilman Lnenicka asked Ms. Dallas if the city could feel pretty comfortable that any equity issues whether they are gender related or racial related or ADA related or whatever related, that these have all been addressed and settled in a fair and equitable manner. Ms. Dallas responded that the studies that they conduct are going to treat all employees the same. Ms. Dallas responded she does not know generally the gender, race or anything of any particular employee and is of no interest to her. She stated what is of interest to her is that the classifications that all employees are in have been fairly and ...., ...., .... August 16, 1999 meeting - continued - objectively evaluated and that the employees are fairly and objectively placed in those classifications and pay ranges. Councilman Lnenicka asked Ms. Dallas to summarize if she thinks the City of Smyrna was pretty much with the market with some exceptions or way below or way over. Ms. Dallas responded the City of Smyrna in most cases had kept up their pay ranges relatively close to the market. She indicated there were some exceptions on either side but what was, even if she set up the same level/ranges of pay, very often the employees needed a little extra boost to be properly placed. Councilman Lnenicka stated one of the areas the city has been focused on the last couple of years has been public safety - particularly police and firefighter positions - and asked how the city was in those positions and where will the city be with the implementation of this. He also asked if the city would be with the market or ahead of the market or behind the market. Ms. Dallas responded that based on what the city had done previously, the city is ahead of the market and you're doing just as well within this plan and the pay range is in fact a bit higher. Mr. Lnenicka stated he thought that was a deliberate decision by the council to try to be not just competitive but more than competitive in those positions and further stated he feels those pay grades have come a long way and he is proud of that. "!Ij' .. Councilman Wood asked Ms. Dallas if the plan that DMG Maximus structured for the city is structured so that it can be updated annually and is not something that the city would need to do every year. Ms. Dallas responded that was correct. Mr. Wood then asked if this study can be used for a number of years just by updating it annually and Ms. Dallas responded that was correct. Ms. Dallas stated the plan could be updated annually or every two years depending on the desires of the council and they will also work with the city in the future if there are new jobs that need to be evaluated and placed in the plan. Councilman Wood commended Ms. Dallas, her staff and the city's Human Resource Department who worked very closely on this study. Councilman Wood stated that he felt the Mayor and Council clearly indicated that the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel in all city departments is a top priority and toward this objective it is recognized that adequate compensation is a crucial factor in recruiting and retaining top people. Councilman Wood continued that the purpose of this study was to ensure that the city maintains a competitive position in the area market for equitable compensation for its employees. Mr. Wood stated on August 2, 1999, the Mayor and Council met with Ms. Dallas to discuss the results of this project and the overall recommendations and he would say that was a very fruitful meeting. Councilman Wood made a motion to approve the recommended Classification and Compensation study conducted by DMG Maximus. Councilman Cramer seconded the motion. Councilman Lnenicka stated he wanted to point out that in the proposed budget for this year the city set aside $250,000 as the estimate of the staff as the cost of changes not knowing whether it would be more or less and it turned out to be right on. Mr. Lnenicka then stated he also wanted to commend the Human Resources Department, the department heads and all the employees for helping the city with this and he is very satisfied to vote for this increase. Motion was approved 7-0. (C) Amend Court Bond Schedule Councilman Newcomb stated at the last meeting the Mayor and Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with Cobb County and also adopted and incorporated into the city's ordinances some state code as well as Cobb County Health Regulations that when the County makes a case on any health or sanitation code within the city, they will bring it to our municipal court. Mr. Newcomb continued that now the city needs to adopt a bond schedule and the proposed bond schedule is for Section 66-18 of the Cobb County Board of Health and Georgia Department of Human Resources Rules and Regulations that were incorporated at our last meeting. Mr. Newcomb stated the following bond amounts for Rules and Regulations: .. On-site Sewer Management Systems Ordinance concerning nuisance Regulations concerning trailer parks Food Service Rules and Regulations Rules and Regulations for Swimming Pools Rules and Regulations for Tourist Accommodations O.C.G.A. 16-12-171 Selling Tobacco to Minors $600.00 $500.00 $600.00 $500.00 $500.00 $300.00 $250.00 Councilman Newcomb made a motion to approve the above listed bond schedule in those amounts. Councilman Cramer seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS: There were none. ,.,.. August 16, 1999 meeting - continued BID AWARDS: (A) Bid Award (Bid #99019) - Garbage Truck - Public Works Department Councilman Hawkins stated five bids were solicited for a new garbage truck and three vendors responded - Carl Black GMC, Fouts Brothers GMC and Thompson GMC. Mr. Hawkins stated all the bids were extremely close but the Fouts Brothers GMC can deliver their truck within 60-90 days and they were the second low bidder. He continued their bid was only $27.60 above the lowest bidder and they are a local vendor. Councilman Hawkins stated the committee recommends the bid be awarded to Fouts Brothers. Councilman Hawkins made a motion to award the bid for a garbage truck to Fouts Brothers GMC for $91,361.60. Councilman Wood seconded the motion. Motion was approved 6-0 with Councilman Scoggins abstaining. - Councilman Hawkins made a motion to suspend the rules for the purpose of adding an item to the Bid Award portion of the agenda. Councilman Newcomb seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. Councilman Hawkins made a motion to add Bid A ward #99024 - Asbestos Removal for the Old Library, Museum and MUST Ministries buildings to the agenda. Councilman Cramer seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. (C) Bid Award (Bid #99024) - Asbestos Removal for the Old Library, Museum and MUST Ministries Buildings Councilman Hawkins stated the staff and purchasing have reviewed the bids and are recommending the bid be awarded to Allied Environmental Remediation for $22,355. Councilman Hawkins stated there were five bids taken and Allied was the low bidder. Councilman Hawkins made a motion to award the bid for asbestos removal for the Old Library, Museum and Must Ministries buildings to Allied Environmental Remediation for a total cost of $22,355. Councilman Wood seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. CONSENT AGENDA: -- (A) Approval of August 2, 1999, Minutes (B) Approval to Request bids - Detector Loops for Signal Intersections (C) Approval to Request Bids - Pavement Markings (D) Approval to Use Contract Unit Pricing - Replace and Upgrade Water Main on Lake Drive (E) Approval to Extend and Renew Current Street Resurfacing Contract (F) Approval of Amendments to the FY 1999 Budget Councilman Lnenicka made a motion to approve the consent agenda. Councilman Cramer seconded the motion. Motion was approved 7-0. COMMITTEE REPORTS: Councilwoman Capilouto stated she had no report this evening but wanted to say hello to her Aunt Sue, resident of Delmar Gardens. Councilman Newcomb asked Chief Stan Hook for a Police Department Report. Chief Hook reported on the first six months of 1999 statistics for the Police Department as follows: 1 homicide, 6 rapes, 33 robberies, 46 aggravated assaults, 281 other assaults, 132 burglaries, 756 thefts, 131 stolen cars and 2 arsons. Chief Hook further stated the police department has received 29,688 calls for service, 1625 accidents, no fatals, 515 injuries as a result of those accidents, issued almost 10,000 citations for vehicle and traffic violations, 62 for violations of the ordinances, made 1772 criminal arrests, arrested 89 juveniles and made five referrals, an overall reported Part I Crimes of 1387, 155 DUI arrests and issued a total of 7,000 citations for moving violations, 3,000 for non-moving violations, 110 violations of ordinances. Councilman Newcomb stated at his Ward 2 meeting last week, there was some concern expressed concerning speeds that people drive on Campbell Road and asked that the police department continue to work that area. Councilman Newcomb stated the city has the usual problem of folks running the red lights at Glenroy and Spring Creek Place. Councilman Newcomb stated ..... August 16, 1999 meeting - continued he wanted to reassure folks that the police department is working the Campbell Road area as ili~~. . ... Councilman Newcomb asked Chief Williams for a report from the Fire Department. Chief Williams stated they were very pleased with ilie turnout for the dedication of the new Fire Station ~~adquarters on August 7 and with the building. Chief Williams stated there are three new t. engines in service. Chief Williams stated they have not begun operation out of the new fii:~ station fully even iliough a couple of calls have been answered there but estimated by the first of next monili they will be fully operational from the new facility. Chief Williams reported there have been some recent promotions within the Fire Department. Chief Williams reported the University of Georgia prepared and administered the test, prepared an assessment center and brought in an outside group of assessors to independently evaluate the personnel and place those names on a list in order of eligibility and selections were made from the list based on eligibility. Councilman Newcomb asked City Clerk Melinda Dameron for a report from the Court Services Department. Ms. Dameron reported the first six months statistics as follows: 15,000 cases on the docket, closed 7,500 of those cases, 314 cases bound over to Cobb County State Court, and collected fines and fees in the amount of $1,387,000. Ms. Dameron furilier reported they are working on ilie new computer system trying to get the conversion ready and getting everyone trained and hopefully that will be ready in a few weeks. Ms. Dameron announced the Deputy Court Clerk Betty Longdin will be retiring September 3, 1999, and has been with the city for a number of years, has done a good job and will be missed. Councilman Newcomb asked City Engineer Ken Hildebrandt about the striping on Campbell Road between the bridge and Spring Road. Mr. Hildebrandt stated that striping was included in the approved pavement markings on the Consent Agenda this evening and should take place sometime this fall. Mr. Newcomb ilien asked about ilie median landscaping bids for Spring Road. Mr. Hildebrandt stated that is out for bid now and the work is scheduled to be done in September. ... Councilman Scoggins asked Maryclaire Andres for a report from the Community Relations Department. Ms. Andres announced that Charlotte Keenoy has been the Welcome Center Coordinator for the last three months and has done an excellent job and then reported on statistics from ilie Welcome Center as follows: total visitors since May - 610 with 43 Georgia towns represented, 18 different states and 1 foreign country (Russia); total volunteer hours - 588; total volunteer hours trained by Ms. Keenoy - 48; and total sales revenue of $1,537. Ms. Andres announced the Taste of Smyrna event is scheduled for September 11 from 4 - 10 p.m. Ms. Andres announced Mayor Bacon will give his state of the city address on Wednesday, August 18, at 7:30 a.m. at the Smyrna Community Center. Ms. Andres thanked the Parks and Recreation Department for their efforts in making the birthday celebration such a successful event. " ... Councilman Scoggins asked Michael Seigler for a report from the Library. Mr. Seigler reported on the July statistics from the Library as follows: 14,151 items circulated, 15,881 attendance, 441 patrons signed up for the Internet and visited 41,000 sites, the summer reading club was concluded with 486 children signed up for the program and 895 children attended those programs and the average cost per child for ilie whole program was $1. 37. Mr. Seigler reported ilie new Borders Book Store ran a fund-raising program for the Library and as a result donated $170 to ilie city library and $170 to ilie Literacy Council, the GLA Executive Board meeting was held at ilie Smyrna Library recently. Mr. Seigler reported that beginning next week the city library will have access to the Galileo Databases which will allow college students to have the same research capabilities as if they were at UGA, Kennesaw State University or Georgia Tech. Mr. Seigler announced there is an art display by a 12-year old prodigy - Dillon Pierce - in the Library through the end of the month; Claire Isanhour is exhibiting her collection of Royal Doulton miniatures. Councilman Newcomb asked Mr. Seigler what is being done about the odor in the Library. Mr. Seigler responded that the best he has been able to do is to put in air fresheners to mask the odor. Mr. Seigler continued iliat the real problem according to ilie report they received from ilie architect did not guarantee that sealing the beams with polyureiliane would fix the problem and ilie only iliing that would absolutely guarantee correcting the problem is sealing it wiili either glass - between the wood and the rest of the building which would be expensive - or replacing the wood which would be a nightmare. Mr. Newcomb asked about the cost of sealing the wood with polyurethane and asked about iliat cost is approximately $14,000. August 16, 1999 meeting - continued Mayor Bacon and Councilman Scoggins commended Mr. Ciaccio and his staff for the excellent birthday celebration. Mr. Ciaccio expressed his appreciation to his staff and the Police and Fire Departments for all the work that went into the planning of and the actual event. Mr. Scoggins then asked Mr. Ciaccio for a report from the Parks and Recreation Department. Mr. Ciaccio reported that registration for instructive classes sponsored by Parks and Recreation will be going on now through September 14 and there is a new schedule for the fall for the aquatic center. Mr. Ciaccio stated that the Advanced Orthopedic Services has prepared a brochure that basically is about what is going on in the Smyrna Aquatic Center. Mr. Ciaccio reported day trip registration for seniors will be held Thursday, September 2, at the Community Center. Mr. Ciaccio announced the 14 and Under Smyrna Stars Basketball, coached by Gary Graham, Les Smithson and Steve Matthews, team won a national championship. Councilman Hawkins asked Ann Kirk for a report from the Keep Smyrna Beautiful Department. Ms. Kirk stated she has just completed the Keep America Beautiful Report and a N ational Awards and Grants Application. Ms. Kirk reported the following statistics: 1,145 volunteers who gave 9,582 hours of service and they have compiled a value of volunteer time and goods and services donated to the city over the past fiscal year in the amount of $196,420 or $2.34 for every dollar that the city spends on the program; recycling statistics - curbside program has a 12% return on recyclables and a 71 % participation rate; recycled 1,206 tons of material saving the city $36,000 in tipping fees and this amount does not include the cost to the city if the city had to pick up the materials and handle them as solid waste. Ms. Kirk reported that for the month of July the city recycled 89 tons at a savings of $2,689 to the city and thanked the citizens for their participation in the curbside program. Ms. Kirk reported the Work Glove luncheon was held last week and expressed her appreciation to all the volunteers who assisted with the event. Ms. Kirk expressed her appreciation to all the businesses that donated prizes for that luncheon and announced there were over 180 prizes. Mr. Kirk announced the date for the Teacher Supply Storehouse open house as August 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. - Councilman Hawkins asked Carol Cowan for a report from the Community Development Department. Ms. Cowan reported on the statistics for the month of July as follows: $6.6 million in estimated construction costs for thirty-nine single-family houses; estimated total construction cost - year to date $8,300,00 compared to $11,100,000 last year; and the current cost of construction - year to date is $97,261,000; $28,194 in actual dollars taken in for building permits for the month of July and a total number of building permits of 77 for the month of July compared to 47 last July and a total year to date figure of $345,800. ..", Councilman Hawkins asked City Engineer Ken Hildebrandt about the status of a study on the Wills Street cuI de sac. Mr. Hildebrandt stated that the Quarles Avenue closure study should begin next week. Mr. Hawkins then asked about the request from citizens for a study to be conducted on Dunn Street and the county's actions on that issue. Mr. Hildebrandt stated the county is in the process of conducting that study now and assimilating that data. Mr. Hawkins asked Mr. Hildebrandt to notify him of the results of that study. Howard Smith congratulated Ken Hildebrandt on his efforts in securing the ISTEA Grant for $588,000. Mr. Smith asked for a timetable on those projects. Mr. Hildebrandt stated the bids are out for the landscaped median to enhance what is there now and that will be done this fall; the $588,000 grant is for the linear park on the north side of Spring Road and the money will not be available until late this year and realistically the work will not be done until the year 2000. Councilman Hawkins asked Scott Stokes for a report from the Public Works Department. Mr. Stokes reminded everyone of the changed sanitation schedule due to the upcoming Labor Day holiday, September 6. Mr. Stokes reported the heat has taken a toll on the Sanitation Department with five employees that have suffered from heat exhaustion. Mr. Stokes announced the department has freshly ground mulch available with free delivery to city citizens. Mr. Stokes stated his department has finished the water project on Hill Street, work will begin next on Bell Drive to make the loop between Afton Downs and Spring Road; the loop on Kings Springs Road has been finished. Mayor Bacon asked Mr. Stokes to check with the residents on King Springs Road to be sure the quality of the water has improved for those residents or to determine the source of their reported water problems. Mr. Stokes stated the city is also under an outdoor water ban from 4 - 10 p.m. seven days a week. ..... August 16, 1999 meeting - continued Councilman Cramer announced the Veterans Memorial Committee is moving forward and Mr. Bill Lnenicka is directing the committee and notices for the next meeting - August 26 - will be mailed soon. Councilman Lnenicka asked Claudia Edgar for a report from the Finance Department. Ms. Edgar announced the city tax bills will be mailed the first week in September and due and payable sixty days from that date. Ms. Edgar announced the Finance Department has again won the GFOA award for budget presentation and financial reporting and there will be a presentation when both plaques are received. Ms. Edgar reminded the citizens of the outdoor water ban. In closing, Ms. Edgar stated the auditors will be here tomorrow and will probably be here for two to three weeks. ., Councilman Lnenicka congratulated the Parks and Recreation Department staff for their great job on the city's birthday celebration on August 6. Councilman Lnenicka expressed his appreciation to the fire department for the work they did in preparation for the August 7 dedication of the new fire headquarters and station. Mr. Lnenicka expressed his appreciation to Scott Stokes and Ken Hildebrandt for the work they did on the drainage work at the end of Ann Road cuI de sac. .. Councilman Wood asked Jay Joseph for a report from the Human Resources Department. Mr. Joseph announced the current job openings. Mr. Joseph reported on the public safety promotional process. Mr. Joseph stated the Fire Department Assessment Center held its assessment center on Monday, July 19, through Thursday, July 23, 1999 at the Community Center and was administered by Dr. Mark Foster, Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. Mr. Joseph stated a total of thirteen candidates sat for the exams for the Fire Engineer and Fire Lieutenant - 8 for the engineer and 5 for the lieutenant. Mr. Joseph stated the success rate percentage for the fire lieutenant candidates was 100% and for the fire engineer - 88 %. Mr. Joseph announced the candidates promoted to Fire Lieutenant as follows: Scott Riddle, Randy Shepherd, Stephen Westbrook; promoted to Fire Engineer as follows: Roy Acree, Allen Goble, Brad Johnson, David Loudermilk, Bill Combs and Kenny Jones. Mr. Joseph reported on the Police Department Assessment Center held last week for the position of Police Lieutenant as follows: seven candidates sat for the assessment and six of those seven passed with a success rate of 86%. Mr. Joseph stated the candidate promoted to lieutenant is Randy Black. Mr. Joseph congratulated all the candidates who sat through the assessment center and wished them well in their new endeavors. Mr. Joseph expressed a special thanks to DMG Maximus and all of their efforts in the recent classification and compensation study. Mr. Joseph thanked the staff of the Human Resources Department on the implementation of the new retirement plan on July 1, 1999, the recently held assessment centers and the newly proposed health insurance plan, the current entry level public safety recruitment process and various other projects. Mr. Joseph then announced that Kristy DeSautell will be leaving the Human Resources Department on September 3 to assume the position of Deputy Court Clerk. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10: 15 p.m. .. .~ August 16, 1999 meeting - continued .' A. MAX BACON , MAYOR a.J;;~ ~~ MELI DA DAMERON, CITY CLERK n' (\. ~. :. ~ (= 1~'Ll \-. eVe) t' 0k~J CHARLENE CAPILOU 0, WARD 1 ~'HLJ~ RON'NEWCOMB, WARD 2 .... o ~~?d .... --