by Janice Daniel

The Mayor & Council of the City of Villa Rica met for their Regular Work Session on Tuesday, August 13th, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. They prepared a Consent Agenda for a one-vote approval at the following (same day) regular meeting as follows:

  1.  Amendment to Ordinance Section 2-30, terms for members of boards, commissions and authorities, to exclude the Villa Rica Development Authority, since the state law has changed regarding DDA members, limiting their “hold-over” period to six months following the expiration of a director’s term.
  2. Appointment of two new members to the Villa Rica Development Authority,Joseph “Jody” Folsom for a term of 8/1/24 through 9/31/28, and Thomas Scott Wilson for a term of 2/1/21 through 1/31/25.
  3. Amend the WIC lease to update to the new address of 25 E. Church Street.
  4. Amend the Intergovernmental Agreement with Carroll County for Municipal AD Valorem Tax Collection Services, same as the current agreement but extending the terms to December 31, 2028.
  5. Approve the purchase and installation of nine (9) Baseball/Softball Scoreboards, and one (1) Football Scoreboard at the Villa Rica Civic Center & Sports Complex at a total cost of $73,594 to come from the 2021 Carroll County SPLOST.
  6. Approve temporary signage for the Don Rich Ford Villa Rica Frontiers’ Rodeo being held on August 26th.  Carroll County Commissioner Clint Chance reported that the Villa Rica Band Boosters will handle the parking as a fund raiser for the band.
  7. Approve renewal agreements for the partially self-funded medical insurance and ancillary programs at a 9.63% increase, a budgeted item costing $206,986 for October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. Wendell Strickland of Strongside Solutions said that Villa Rica has one of the best health insurance plans in the State of Georgia, and is an attractive benefit for potential employees.
  8. Approve the new insurance rates of the Medical and Ancillary programs for October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.
  9. Appointment to the Villa Rica Library Advisory Board of Marilyn Glass for the term of 1/1/23 through 12/31/25.
  10. Approve FY2025 Three Rivers Commission grant contract for senior services
  11. Purchase of five (5) Ford Utility Interceptors (Explorers) for full-service patrol vehicles for the VRPD from the State contract vendor, Wade Ford.  Fully fitted vehicles are at an FY25 budgeted cost of $377,656.01.
  12. Purchase of one (1) Ford Utility Interceptor (Explorer) for VRPD from Wade Ford, fully fitted vehicle using money left from the FY24 budget at a total cost of $79,137.17.
  13. Purchase of one (1) new 2024 Ford Escape FWD for the VRPD Criminal Investigation Division from Hardy Family Ford at a cost of $30,875. Lights and siren will be purchased and installed in-house.
  14. Approve sale on Gov.Deals for old military golf carts and an old generator which have been in the lot behind the Police Department for several years and need to be moved to make room for the incoming WIC building.  The military is fine with selling or scrapping the golf carts.
  15. Purchase of a replacement pump for the Cowans Lake raw water transfer station, from Hydra Service at a Budgeted cost of $17,350.
  16. Approve 2024 Budget Amendments #250-261 to move approved expenditures to correct accounts.
  17. Approve Audit and Single Audit Services with Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC for FY 2024 at a budgeted cost of $32,000 plus $4,500 for each Single Audit needed.
  18. Renew contract with Placer Labs, Inc., d/b/a Placer.ai to provide research data and other materials useful for marketing, retail, and positive publicity for the City of Villa Rica.
  19. Utililize the Foresite Group for professional services in the execution of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Award from the Federal Highway Administration, at an unbudgeted cost of $9,400.

Every year the Mayor appoints members of the City Council to head Committees of different departments in the City, and has asked these Council Members to give an update on these meetings to the full Council.

  Council Member Stephanie Warmoth, with the assistance of Tracie Ivey, gave the following report of the Parks & Recreation Department. 776 kids participated in the Spring Sports registration. There were 31 opportunities for kids to attend either half-day or full-day camps in gymnastics, dance, ball playing, and others.  859 kids registered for Summer Ball Sports, forming 74 teams – 39 soccer, 7 football, 7 cheer squads, 18 baseball and softball, and 3 volley ball.  The Football and Cheer Homecoming will be held on September 27th.  Staff is also planning its Fall Movie in the Park, date TBD, 4th Annual Power Wheels Challenge on September 14th, Mother/Son Camo Camp September 28th, Breakfast and Lunch with Santa, dates to be announced, and adding 3 more classes at the beginning of September.  The Splash Pad had 2,416 attendees and 54 rentals.  In the Senior Center 310 members were served 4,911 congregate meals.  The Senior Center is fully staffed and now planning many fun things for the Villa Rica Seniors.

Council Member Shirley Marchman, chair of the Housing Authority, said she couldn’t give a full report, but she did say that some tenants were being moved to other apartments in order for their apartments to be refurbished, and there are no plans to tear down any more apartments at this time. Land has been cleared for Phase II of the Walton Communities, but construction dates are not yet known.

Council Member Anna McCoy, chair of the Transportation and Traffic Department, said she has talked with Hal Burch, the Public Works Director, about scheduling a meeting later this month. Burch told her that one Public Works project has been finished in-house and came in under budget. The Conners Road sidewalks came in this summer, but they were not ready for landscaping, so they sent the landscaping crew to Stockmar Road.  Lots of things are going on in the Mirror Lake side which she will give more details later this month.

Council Member Matthew Momtahan said that he got mixed up and thought he was on the Transportation Committee and that he had a conversation with Interim City Manager Jeff Reese and Consulting Engineer Bobby Elliott about three projects:  (1) the turning lane installation at the new Publix development, (2) improvements at the intersection of South Carroll Road behind Walmart and the Hickory Falls Apartments, and (3) the intersection improvements at Commerce Drive and Bankhead (Hwy. 78)  He said the “no left turn” lane onto Commerce will eventually be a roundabout.

Council Member Momtahan’s report on the Public Safety Committee which he is Chairman of, was that Chief Mansour and Council Member Marchman had helped him with the information.  Chief Mansour said that the VRPD’s criminal investigation of a 2022 rape case resulted in an arrest of the guilty person who got life without parole, and that an arrest for exploitation of children was well underway and an arrest is expected soon.  He said there were two promotions, one Detective and one Corporal, and that one person has rejoined the PD at his/her former rank.  The PD also hosted a Management Level II training.

Council Member Momtahan said that if Department Directors know things ahead of the time of the meetings, they should advise the respective Council Member

Council Member Danny Carter, chair of the Finance Department, said they mostly worked on the June 30 Budget review, and that is the main thing this committee does.  Council Member Carter said there needs to be an advertisement of these Committee meetings and it needs to include how many Council Members must be present.

  The City’s Consulting Engineer, Bobby Elliott, gave an update on street paving in the city.  Carroll Vista was a “total disaster” he remarked, and that this road was built in the 1970s and the sub-grade was wet.  A soil-cement mixture had to be laid to make a concrete slab under the asphalt, and in 2020 the Portland Cement supply chain closed, so the road has continued to deteriorate and two storm cross-drains were also broken down. Therefore a priority list had to be prepared because there is not enough money now to do paving on the entire list originally prepared.  The new list is based on priority from worst to best, based on lack of lighting or striping, narrowness, being “in shambles” or “in terrible shape”.  He said they will work on this list until the money runs out.

   1.       Edge Road to where Peach State Trucking will join

2.       Old Town Road

3.       Old Stone Road from Hwy.61 to Walker Street

4.       Shoreline Parkway

5.       Maple Valley Drive

6.       Tyson Road

7.       Thomas Dorsey Drive

8.       South Dogwood from Hwy. 78 to South Carroll

9.       About 2,000 feet of Daniel Road

10.      East Wilson

11.      Parts of Harmon Springs

12.      Parts of East Industrial Court

13.      Hickory Level Road from the City limits to Hwy. 61

14.      Ridge Lake Drive

15.      Neighborhood Walk

16.      Bridgewater Pointe

Elliott said that Shoreline Parkway and other streets in Mirror Lake have not been paved since around 1998.  He said he thinks the other local streets and subdivision streets will be okay until next year.  He has been told that the contractor will be in Villa Rica for the next three weeks. Elliott said he is trying to line up their work so they don’t have to move all their supplies and equipment every time.  In response to a question by Council Member McCoy, Elliott said that Shoreline Parkway was the most-traveled road in Mirror Lake, and that the speed humps will be put back after paving.

Elliott also said the “School Zone” signs have come in and they are working on stop bars (which have to be driven 3 feet into the ground to avoid utilities) in order to install the signs, and it is the same for the “Stop” signs in the Cleghorn area.  For Commerce Drive and Hwy. 78 intersection, they are waiting on sketches for the right-in, rightout lanes.

Utilities Director John Bain gave an extensive report on the urgent need for the re-direct of the Shoreline Lift Station, but since it is such a high-dollar project this item was moved to the Regular Meeting at 6:00 p.m.

In Public Comments, Greg Roberts of 2142 Brookdale Street, said he had not intended to speak, but so many questions came up while he was listening to the work session, he now had a whole list of issues.  He said that one work session per month is not enough for all that has to be done, and it is hard to citizens to understand so much information at one time.  Particularly, he mentioned that people who come to the podium to speak should give their names and position with the city or whatever entity they represent.  He said that half the time the people don’t even know who they’re listening to because the council doesn’t require them to introduce themselves or give their addresses when they fail to do so, (especially in Public Comments). Many times, these people are well-known to the mayor and called by the first name only.  He also thought that there should be “a little less conversation and more attention to the meat of the matter being discussed,” one of the things which causes the meetings to be so long.  Roberts’ three minutes were over and he still had many things to say, so he said he would send an e-mail to the Mayor and Council Members.