March 7, 2009

Well there you go. I must hit the correct buttons to upload my blogs. Here is what I have said over the last two weeks.

February 27, 2009

I must say I enjoy the dialog I have with the citizens about what is going on in Flowery Branch, Hall County, Georgia, and in America. I enjoy the emails, the phone calls, and the face-to-face conversations. Please keep it up. The one thing I must comment on are those who comment on how I structure my sentences. Please get over the fact that I am not a writer or an English teacher and that my writing ability is not perfect. If I were a writer, then comment away.

March 4, 2009

Well we did not have quorum for our council meeting today, and that takes 4 members. Councilman Lutz and myself both work and it appears our jobs dictated our absence as well as the Mayor was not feeling well. This is why we should have our meetings at night to ensure we can have a functioning government. Here are the minutes from 2008 and 2009. Remember in November of 2009, you can change the meeting times by replacing the three who voted against changing the time to the evening or anyone they support. All three of their seats are up for the elections this year.

I have a new acronym: TGIEY – Thank God It’s Election Year

March 5, 2009

I thought this was a country of freedoms. We are free to do what we please so long as it does not deprive someone of life, liberty, or property. So the great Georgia legislator, once again, took it upon themselves to not allow grown legal adults to purchase alcohol on Sundays. I really like Governor Perdue’s excuse – people need to plan better. Does that mean the state needs to plan better to ensure the homeowners of this state get the Homeowners Tax Relief Grant every year?

I guess I need to ensure my blogs get on the site to ensure I keep you all informed of the goings on in Flowery Branch.

February 15, 2009

Well I believe I have grasped my new duties at work and look forward to the new challenges I face performing them. I believe now I will be able to get back to putting my thoughts down for you to read. I truly apologize.

Wednesday is our next council meeting and the agenda seems light.

One item is repealing the bond requirement of a 20% increase in the water and sewer rates for those who use Flowery Branch water and/or sewer. I hope this allows the city to get rid of the stupid inside and new inside residential rates based on when you moved into the city. Oh, by the way – the date is June 2000 and previous councils, have protected, or saved, certain users who are some of the largest users large sums of money, set that date. Well, I cannot wait until the day I can be part of correcting this very, very, very wrong plan.

Well today is the Daytona 500 and I am stoked and will be waiting for the “Big One”

January 19, 2009

It appears our next meeting, this Wednesday, will have a little bit of everything. I guess the one divide might be setting the times restaurants sell liquor and beer. We may set it to Monday through Saturday from 7:00 AM – 2:00 AM and Sunday from 7:00 AM – 12:00 Midnight. I believe if a business can make a profit, serving customers, then they should do so.

I know there are always opinions on the sale of alcohol, but sometimes there is too much government oversight on businesses.

I have also heard there is a certain elected official who is trying to find ways to disqualify or force another elected official to resign their post prior to running for another position. I say if you are not confident to run on the issues because someone else may be better than you and beat you – then you may not be the person for the job and you should exit at the expiration of the term.

Just my thought.

January 8, 2009

VICTORY for South Hall County!!!!

Before I go on, I must first set the record straight. On my December 12, 2008 blog I said that Commissioner Banks motioned for the first reading of the sewer rate ordinance on December 11, 2008. Commissioner Banks informed me, this evening, that I had made a mistake with my comments and that they, the commission, do not motion a first reading. As I said on my website, if I make a mistake on a comment I will retract it, and so I am doing so now. I will say – Commissioner Banks, I apologize for my mistake.

Now I will say that I am deeply disappointed in Commissioner Banks. He had made no official comment of his opposition of the sewer rates, that I am aware of, until the January 5, 2009 work session where he said he had never supported the proposed sewer rates. I would like to point out Commissioner Banks never mentioned that he did not support the rates at the first reading on December 11, 2008, which had the rate in it and you can view here. You can also see where he voted for the Resolution for a loan application to GEFA for CWSRF Part 2 Loan and authorize the Chairman and County attorney to execute the agreement here. Now for full disclosure, I will post a copy of the loan application when I get a PDF copy.

So, Commissioner Banks may not support the rate after the South Hall County residents showed up and voiced their opinion. You can read here and here how the meeting went.

Now I must explain this evening.

First, the three ordinances passed, and so did the resolution for the rates. What most citizens must understand is the resolution can be changed at any time with one meeting. That is a better way for a government to change the rates based on economic condition and the Commissioners will be able adjust the rates, lower, as needed, perhaps equal to the City of Gainesville rates.

Second, a show of force by the people will always help to show a community is united for a cause.

Lastly, we want the best community in Georgia and letting our elected officials know our thoughts is what we should always do.

As an elected official myself, I tip my hat to our elected county official because it is a tough job. I do thank you all.

I would also like to thank Phyllis Mercer, from Deaton Creek, and Craig Lutz, from Sterling on the Lake, because you both represented your/our communities well.

Keep the passion and fire, this is not over yet.

January 5, 2009

Today the Hall County Commissioners had their work session, and yes, the sewer rate issue was on the agenda. Unfortunately I was unable to attend, but Councilman Lutz was able to and please read here what he has to say about what went on, and then read the rest of my blog.

After reading what Craig had to say, I would like to say the State of Georgia has Sunshine Laws to protect the people to prevent elected officials from conducting business without clarity to the people. Here are two excerpts fro the Sunshine Laws that are particularly important as it pertains to executive session. The first is the explanation of executive session or a closed meeting and the second is explanation of what the Georgia Supreme Court ruled as the meaning of attorney-client discussion of actual or
potential lawsuits or claims.

The Open Meetings Law provides exceptions for certain closed meetings
and some confidential actions, and a government entity may close a meeting
only if a specific statutory exception applies26, see O.C.G.A § 50-14-3 in the
Appendix. Like the exceptions to the Open Records Law, exceptions to the
Open Meetings Law should be narrowly construed so as not to undermine
the general purpose of the Law.27 The most commonly used exceptions are
for personnel matters (but only for discussion and deliberation by the
governmental entity, not for votes); attorney-client discussion of actual or
potential lawsuits or claims28; and acquisition of real estate.

28. The Georgia Supreme Court has determined that the attorney-client exception
to the Open Meetings Law applies to discussions of potential litigation in limited
circumstances. The Court has stressed that “potential litigation” does not
include an “unrealized or idle threat of litigation.” Rather, to close a meeting to
under the attorney-client exception to discuss potential litigation, the
government entity must show “a realistic and tangible threat of legal action
against it or its officer[s] or employee[s], a threat that goes beyond a mere fear
or suspicion of being sued.” The Court provided a non-exhaustive list of factors
for determining whether a tangible threat of litigation exists, including (1) a
formal demand letter or other writing showing an intent to sue; (2) prior or ongoing
litigation between the parties; or (3) proof that a party has retained an
attorney and expressed an intent to sue. Decatur County v. Bainbridge Post
Searchlight, Inc., 280 Ga. 706, 707 (2006) (quoting Claxton Enter. v. Evans
County Bd. of Comm’rs, 249 Ga. App. 870, 873 (2001))

When I go into executive session with the whole council, I take it serious to follow the law as it pertains to our meetings because that is the trust I was given by the people and I refuse to abuse their trust.

January 4, 2009

There are several things I have to talk about.

 

First, the January 8 Hall County Commissioners meeting sewer issue is really beginning to pick up momentum.  I have been talking to several of you on the phone and by email to answer specific questions and if anyone else wants to contact me for more information, please do so.

 

To give you a perspective on the future rates, if this passes, I stole this chart from my counterpart Craig Lutz’s website for because I was lazy and he already had it.

 

If you look at your last City of Gainesville water bill you can use the table below to see what your new rate could be (This does not include the City of Gainesville Rate change effective January 2009):

CCF Used	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Total Sewer	$17.13	$27.00	$36.87	$46.74	$56.61	$66.48	$76.35	$86.22	$96.09	$105.96
Total Water and Sewer	$27.85	$41.56	$55.27	$68.98	$82.69	$96.40	$110.11	$123.82	$137.53	$151.24

 

I also have the agenda for our first meeting on January 7, 2009.

 

One item agenda is 2009 Meeting Dates and Times and there is a change to the ordinance that will put one meeting per month on Mondays at 6:00 pm.  I hope the other three who voted no last year to move the meeting to the evening can vote yes for this because we must have meetings at times when you, our bosses, can make the meetings.  If they vote no, there will be no change to the 2009 meeting times of 9:30 am.

 

Another item is the approval of the December 10, 2008 meeting when Craig and I were beating the drums hard about not signing the Intergovernmental Agreement with Hall County, which has now allowed Hall County to charge our citizens of Flowery Branch, who are on Hall County sewer those outrageous rates in the chart above.  As soon as it is on a pdf, I will post it on my site. Craig and I held no punches back.

 

I will continue the fight for you all.

January 3, 2009

I would first like to congratulate the new District 4 Hall County Commissioner Ashley Bell.  Since he won the Democratic nomination over incumbent Debra Mack, he automatically won the November election because he ran unopposed by any Republican.  I am fortunate to have been able to get to know Commissioner Bell through some political functions, and I will say straight up – I really like him personally.  He is charming, polite, funny, and has the enthusiasm I have as an elected official. 

 

Now before you all tongue lash me because I like a Democrat, because I am a Republican, as well as the direction politics has gone in the last several years, I have to tell you what a wise man told me this past year.  “At our level of government, city and county, partisanship does not really matter because we are the core of serving the people and we, as elected officials, make laws that directly affect all of us not just a certain group as does many other levels of government.”

 

If you read the articles (here and here), Commissioner Bell made some strong statements about clarity in government and zero-based budgeting.  He also talked about getting the corruption out of government.  There may be a little Republican in him and I may have to try and convert him to the other team.  That may be my New Years resolution.

 

I look forward to working with Commissioner Bell in the future as well as the other Commissioners on a number of important issues this coming year.

January 1, 2009

Happy New Years to all!!

 

There is a lot to talk about.

 

First, I received my letter yesterday about the sewer rates.  So that means the word is getting out.  I keep harping about this to hall I see and talk to because as I always say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  There are some rumblings the sewer rate is getting some commissioners to think twice about, but I will not rest until the January 8.  We need to keep the pressure up and have a strong show of force January 8 at 5:00 PM at the Georgia Mountain Center in Gainesville.

 

Lastly.  I stumbled across the Lake Superior State’s 2009 list of banished words, something they do annually, and I think the missed a few words that should have been added.

 

Change.

Change we can believe in.

Yes we can.

Obamania.

 

And then we can start a list of new words we better get used to with the new incoming president.

 

Socialism.

Higher taxes.

Welfare state.

 

Just my thoughts.

December 26, 2008

Now that Christmas is over, and yes there are only 364 days shopping days left until next Christmas.

 

It is time to get ready to let the Hall County Commissioners we are not happy with the proposed new sewer rates they will vote on at the January 8, 2009 meeting.  Craig Lutz has a letter we will pass out ready soon and I will post it on my website and blog for you to pass along and email to everyone.

 

We need a strong showing January 8, 2009 at the commissioner’s meeting. 

 

December 19, 2008

LOCAL

I thought I was going to have a few weeks to spend with my family during Christmas without a lot of distractions, but the Hall County sewer rate situation affecting 500 homes in Flowery Branch as well about an addition 1000 other homes, mainly in Reunion and Deaton Creek, has kept me busy.

 

We are planning a meeting shortly before the January 8, 2009 County Commissioners, on the sewer rates issue, to tell you what the county has failed to inform you on.  As we have all been discussing, this directly affects your pocketbook and there is an easy solution.

 

As I told one commissioner in a private conversation, after I mentioned that I believe Hall County is not very happy with Councilman Lutz and myself, it is my job to protect the current 500 homes of Flowery Branch, on the Hall County sewer, as well as the future 1500 homes that will be built.  If I must take on big brother, then I will.