May 06, 2025 Board of Commissioners Work Session

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:07]

MORNING. GOOD MORNING. WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO OUR. TUESDAY, MAY 6TH, 2025 BOARD WORK SESSION. IF Y'ALL WILL GIVE ME JUST A MOMENT, I'LL GIVE AN INDICATION BEFORE WE START OUR MEETING AGAIN. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. WE CAN WAKE UP THIS MORNING IN THIS, IN THIS WORLD, AND ENJOY ALL THAT YOU HAVE CREATED. AND WE'RE IN THIS SPRING SEASON WHERE WE CAN JUST LOOK AROUND AND SEE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DID. AND LORD, AS WE GATHER HERE THIS MORNING AS LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND CITIZENS AND EMPLOYEES OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE JUST ASK THAT YOU BE WITH US NOW DURING THIS TIME OF DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR BUSINESS AND AS WE CONDUCT BUSINESS FOR ALL THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH US HERE TODAY. WHEREVER WE GO. WATCH OVER YOU, GUIDE OUR STEPS AND WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN.

AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE COUNTY MANAGER. MR. CHAIRMAN, COMMISSIONERS, FIRST

[1. The Richard English, Jr. Strongest Link Award of Excellence for April 2025(Chardonnay Scott)]

HE NEVER SAYS NO AND ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO JUMP IN TO ASSIST. NO MATTER THE SACRIFICE HE HAS TO MAKE. HIS IMPECCABLE WORK ETHIC IS SECOND TO NONE. WITH ALL THE ASSIGNMENTS, PROJECTS AND COMMITTEES HE IS ASSIGNED TO. IT IS MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE RICHARD ENGLISH JUNIOR STRONGEST LINK AWARD OF EXCELLENCE RECIPIENT FOR APRIL 2025. TRAINING CAPTAIN SLASH SAFETY OFFICER WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RODNEY EVANS.

THANK YOU.

WHAT? I SEE YOUR FAMILY IS HERE. WHETHER YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THEM COME UP AND. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. RODNEY. RODNEY, WE TRULY APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AND LOYALTY THAT YOU HAVE PUT INTO TROUP COUNTY. YOU HAVE PROVEN THAT YOU ARE THE STRONGEST LINK. CONGRATULATIONS. I WILL ALSO LIKE TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU AT THIS TIME TO CREATE A COLLINS IN CEDAR CREEK RANCH BOUTIQUE, AS THESE COMPANIES GRACIOUSLY DONATE ITEMS FOR THE GIFT RECIPIENT BAG FOR THE MONTH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS

[2. DiscussTCFD Dive Team Recognition(Captain Rodney Evans)]

LATE LAST SUMMER, MR. MOSLEY AND I WERE COMING BACK FROM A MEETING WITH DOCTOR HAZEL AND THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT SOME DIFFERENT WATER RESPONSES AND, AND HOW WE MIGHT COULD FIND SOME FUNDING FOR A DIVE TEAM. AND WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THAT TOGETHER AND KIND OF A QUICK MANNER WE WERE ABLE TO, TO SECURE SOME ARPA FUNDING THAT WAS ABLE TO PAY FOR THE TRAINING AND USE SOME SPLOST FUNDING THAT WAS ABLE TO FUND ALL THE EQUIPMENT IN THERE, AND FOR TO PUT 12 PEOPLE THROUGH DIVE SCHOOL WAS JUST A LITTLE LESS THAN $50,000 FOR THE EQUIPMENT AND THE EDUCATION TRAINING THAT WE'VE GOT ON THAT. BUT WE CAME BEFORE Y'ALL GOT THE APPROVAL FOR IT, AND THESE GUYS HAD TO GO THROUGH AN EXTREMELY PHYSICAL, TAXING

[00:05:05]

AND AS YOU WELL KNOW, THEY WENT THROUGH ANY DIVE TRAINING IN WEST POINT LAKE, SO THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T SEE WHEN THEIR HAND WAS RIGHT THROUGH HERE IN THEIR FACE. BUT WE AVERAGED 3 TO 4 DROWNINGS A YEAR IN THE WEST POINT LAKE. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF WATER RELATED CALLS THAT'S INCREASING. YOU KNOW, AS LAKE LANIER AND ALLATOONA BECOME EXTREMELY BUSY, WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE BOAT TRAFFIC, LAKE TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, WATER SPORTS, WAKEBOARDING, INNER TUBING, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT'S HAPPENING ON WEST POINT LAKE. SO WE WANT TO DO WAS IMPROVE THAT THE BEST WE COULD A COUPLE YEARS AGO, PROBABLY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO NOW, WE TOOK A BOAT FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, REFIT IT AND PUT IT INTO USE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BOAT. IT'S ABOUT A 17 FOOT CAROLINA SKIFF, SO WE'RE INCREASING OUR WATER PRESENCE OUT THERE. AND THAT'S ONE THING PUTTING THIS DIVE TEAM WE'VE DONE, WE'D LIKE TO DO A SWIFTWATER TEAM IN THE FUTURE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE ACTUAL RESCUES AND MORE ALONG THE LINES OF ACTUAL RECOVERY IN THIS. SO WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD THE WHOLE TEAM WITH US TODAY. SO IF YOU GUYS WANT TO COME UP AND BE INTRODUCED TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, JEFF BOYNTON, JAKE SHADOWS, GUY, DYLAN STEVENS, KENNY MADDOX, DAVID MILLER, JACOB FELDMAN, AND OWEN TYREE AND SOME OF THEM HAVE COMPLETED IT. THESE GUYS WORKED EXTREMELY HARD TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THIS. WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THEM. THIS OFFERS TROUP COUNTY RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ANOTHER RESOURCE FOR US TO BE PRESENT OUT THERE. WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE SPOTS WE'RE GOING TO SEND TO THE NEXT CLASS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE CURRENTLY BUILDING A TRAILER TO HAVE ALL THEIR DIVE EQUIPMENT ON SO IT CAN BE DEPLOYED OUT AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE, AND WE'RE WORKING ON SPECKING OUT, FINDING A USED BOAT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT BIGGER TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THE OPERATIONS FOR THIS, BUT WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THEM. AND THIS IS A GREAT RESOURCE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE UTILIZING WEST POINT LAKE. SO ON BEHALF OF CHIEF STRICKLIN AND MYSELF, WE COMMEND YOUR HARD WORK AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO USING THIS RESOURCE IN TROUP COUNTY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS. YEP. APPRECIATE IT GUYS. GOOD. I JUST WANT TO SAY SOMETHING. I SAW SHERIFF SNUCK IN THE BACK THERE. SHERIFF. THANK YOU. BECAUSE YOU WERE THE. YOU STARTED THIS BECAUSE YOU GAVE US THE BOAT. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR HELP. THANK YOU. AND THIS WILL BE A BIG, HUGE HELP FOR US. IS SORRY. A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE TO CALL FROM COLUMBUS TO GET THEIR DIVE TEAM TO COME UP HERE, AND WE'RE STILL GOING TO UTILIZE THEM ON AUTOMATIC AID, MUTUAL AID RESOURCE OR OR EVEN THROUGH THE STATE WARNING POINT THROUGH JIMA. HAVING A SMALLER TEAM HERE WILL ALLOW US TO GET STARTED ON THESE INCIDENTS, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE TRAINED BY THE SAME PEOPLE, THEY CAN WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH EACH OTHER. SO IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE OUR OWN RESOURCE THERE. BUT WE CERTAINLY WANT TO RETURN THE FAVOR TO. SO IF COLUMBUS WAS TO CALL US OR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT NEEDS SOME ASSISTANCE, WE WANT TO BE WILLING TO SEND OUR PEOPLE, BECAUSE WHEN WE MAKE THAT PHONE CALL, THEY NEED ASSISTANCE. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE NEED IT, WE NEED HELP THEN. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RETURN THAT FAVOR AS WELL. SO

[3. Discuss Part-Time Seasonal Position(Sandra Taylor)]

IT'S BEEN GOOD. WE HAD A VERY POSITIVE PROBLEM THAT AROSE FROM IT THIS YEAR. I HAD SIX APPLICANTS THAT WERE AMAZING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM HERE. ONE WAS A STUDENT AT PRINCETON WHO GREW

[00:10:01]

[4. Discuss Annexation Request - Gary & Richard Cheely- Simms Rd(Ruth West)]

[00:15:03]

RIGHT. YES. HEARING DONE BY DCA. THAT'S CORRECT. THE NEXT APPLICATION IS THE

[5. Discuss Preliminary Plat - High Pointe Subdivision - BC Stone Homes - Greenville Rd(Ruth West)]

TOTAL PROPOSED LOT 17. WE HAVE THREE THAT WILL BE COMING OFF OF GREENVILLE ROAD AND THE REST WILL BE IN INTERNAL LOTS. THE PROPOSED LOT RANGES FROM 2.004 ACRES TO 5.625 ACRES. ALL. ALL SERVICES, ALL PARCELS WILL BE SERVICED BY PUBLIC WATER AND SEPTIC. THE POINT RATING SYSTEM, THEY GOT 11 ON THAT SCORE. THE TROUP COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID REVIEW THE LEVEL THREE SOIL REPORT PROVIDED. THIS IS FOR YOUR REVIEW AND COMMENTS. ONE THING I NOTICED IS THE DRIVEWAYS. IT APPEARS ON ONE OF NINE. THOSE ARE NOT SHARED DRIVEWAYS. THEY EACH. THERE IS ONE THAT IS SHARED DRIVE. NOT REALLY A SHARED DRIVEWAY BUT ACCESS ONE. YES. YEAH. AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS INTERNAL. AND NOT. BUFFERING BETWEEN THE CEMETERY PROPERTY AND THE LOT ONE. THE CEMETERY DOES REQUIRE A TEN FOOT BUFFER. SO. AND IF YOU. WELL, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY DID TRANSFER THAT PIECE. IT WAS LIKE A QUARTER ACRE AND THEY NEVER ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. A QUARTER ACRE THAT HAD CEMETERIES ON THEM THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TRANSFER OVER TO THE CHURCH. AND AS YOU NOTICE, THERE'S THEY'VE ONLY PUT AN OUTLINE. THAT QUESTION HAS NOT BEEN ANSWERED YET EITHER. AND I THINK THAT DISCUSSION IS GOING TO BE BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE DEVELOPER AS TO WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO ON THERE, BUT THEY CANNOT. THEY CAN ONLY BRING THIS ACTUAL PARCEL DOWN TO TWO ACRES TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS IF THEY ARE GOING TO TRANSFER THAT QUARTER ACRE. SO MY NEXT QUESTION PROBABLY BE DIRECTED TO THE COUNTY ENGINEER. JAMES, THE STATE HAS AT THIS POINT, HAVE THEY REVIEWED THIS PLAN. AND AS FAR AS THE ACCESS TO THESE LOTS ON ONE OF MY THEY'RE OKAY. AND I THINK WE GOT NOTIFICATION FROM THE STATE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK AT THE SPEED, THE SPEED LIMITS IN THAT AREA OF ALL ALL THROUGH MANVILLE. SO. WE'RE GOING MORE THAN WHAT IT IS, 4 TO 5 MILES AN HOUR. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BRING THAT. WELL, I THINK THEY ALL I KNOW AT THIS POINT IS THEY'RE GOING TO REVIEW THEM BECAUSE I THINK OUT HERE ON THIS SIDE, IT'S 55 WHERE THESE LOTS ARE. AND THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS BROUGHT UP.

THERE WAS A 35 MILE AN HOUR IF YOU'RE COMING GOING EAST I THINK. YEAH. WEST GOING EAST.

YEAH. AND THEY WERE JUST GOING TO LOOK AT ALL OF THAT. THEY SAID THEY JUST LOOK AT IT AND

[00:20:02]

RIGHT. BASED ON THE. INTERSECTION I GUESS THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY SPENDING THEIR TIME WARNING TIME. MORE ON THE WEST SIDE OF MOUNTVILLE. BUT THEY'RE NOT BREAKING THE SPEED THAT WOULD FORMER TRANSPORTATION ONLY 35 MILES AN HOUR. COMING FROM THE MANVILLE BIG SPRINGS ROAD, IS THAT 35 MILES AN HOUR ALL THE WAY FROM THERE TO UP TO FRANKLIN? BECAUSE IT TURNS THAT 45 MILES AN HOUR. SO WHEN YOU SAY 35 FROM THAT POINT OF WHAT? THAT 35. SOMETIMES IN THE MORNING SUN. OKAY. WHAT SPEED. YEAH. THIS IS JUST BASICALLY SAYING IF YOU'RE GOING TO TURN AND IF BECAUSE OF, I GUESS, TRAFFIC ISSUE. RECOMMENDED SPEED I GUESS, OR ANYTHING, RATHER THAN AN ACTUAL SPEED LIMIT REGULATED BY LIKE LAW ENFORCEMENT. ALL RIGHT. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY, COMMISSIONER GILLETTE, YOU KNOW, THIS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS AND PLANNING COMMISSION ON THURSDAY FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE PRELIMINARY PLAT. BASED ON THE ACCESS FROM THE. FOR THE REMAINING PROPERTY. AND COUNTY DOESN'T ALLOW. ADDITIONAL, YOU NO. ONE DRIVEWAY PER PARCEL IS CERTAINLY ALLOWED. WE DON'T WE DON'T LANDLOCKED PROPERTY RIGHT. IF THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR SUBDIVISION THOSE ARE TYPICALLY DENIED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS RUTH. THANK YOU. HAVE A

[6. Discuss Change Order Expense - Airport Taxiway "A" Design(Troy Anderson)]

AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO REHAB THOSE SECTIONS, WHETHER IT'S FULL RECLAMATION AND REPLACEMENT OR SIMPLY TILL THE TOP LAYER AND THEN REPLACE WITH THAT. THE DESIGN WORK WAS COMPLETED TO THE RECOMMENDATION BY BANESH. THE STATE AGREED TO THAT IN DECEMBER, HOWEVER, CAME BACK TO US AND RECOMMENDED MANDATED CHANGES. SOME OF THOSE CHANGES WERE REMOVAL OF A SHORT TAXIWAY TO PRECLUDE AIRCRAFT LEAVING THE APRON AND GOING DIRECTLY TO THE RUNWAY. SO IT'S A SAFETY MEASURE. THERE WAS A NEW PROCESS. THEY WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT, MAKING SURE THAT THE FORMULATION OF ALL THE BIDS WERE PUT TOGETHER PROPERLY AND UNDER A NEW STANDARD, AND THE LAST SECTION I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. JAMES, COULD YOU GO DOWN OR BACK UP? I'M SORRY. IN THE IN THE SUMMARY, THERE WAS ONE OTHER SECTION. MY APOLOGIES FOR WHAT WAS MANDATED FOR THE CHANGE THAT AMOUNTS TO $25,616. THE SUMMARY, THE DOWNGRADE. I'M SORRY, THE

[00:25:02]

HOWEVER, AN OVERLAY IF YOU LOOK AT OUR OUR TAXIWAY MOVES FROM 150 TO 200FT, OFFSET FROM THE MAIN RUNWAY INTO ABOUT 75FT. THAT IS A PROBLEM FOR DOT AND FAA. AND SO WHAT THEY'VE RECOMMENDED IS TO REDUCE THE WIDTH OF ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF TAXIWAY FROM 50FT WIDE, DOWN TO 35FT AS PART OF THIS PROJECT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? ESSENTIALLY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO READILY TAKE LARGER AIRCRAFT ON THE SIZE OF 737, 73. AIRCRAFT IS ABOUT 100,000 POUNDS, AND WE DO TAKE THEM FROM TIME TO TIME. HOWEVER, BASED ON FUNDING, BASED ON OUR CONFIGURATION, OUR OUR AIRPORT IS BEING DOWNGRADED TO SUPPORT THE COMPLIANCE, IF YOU WILL, OF THE SEPARATION OF TAXIWAY FROM THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. SO THOSE ARE THE THREE ITEMS THAT DOT WANTED US TO USE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, MAKE SOME MANDATED CHANGES. THAT CHANGE ORDER REFLECTED IS $25,616. SO MY PITCH TO THE COMMISSIONERS TODAY IS AN APPROVAL FOR THAT CHANGE ORDER SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS PROJECT RUNNING. THE FUNDS WILL BE PULLED DIRECTLY FROM THE AIRPORT ENTERPRISE FUND, WHICH WE CAN COVER, AND IT WILL BE REIMBURSED AT 100% FROM DOT ONCE ALL THE PAPERWORK IS COMPLETE. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANKS. THANK YOU FOR

[7. Discuss Resolution to Establish Estimated Rollback Rate Pursuant to O.C.G.A. §§ 48-5-32.1 AND 48-5-306.2, AS]

I CAN'T AS A AS A LAWYER AT THE RATE ITSELF, THE CALCULATION. THAT'S NOT A LEGAL QUESTION.

THAT IS A MATHEMATICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE KIND OF CALCULATION. SO I CAN'T GIVE ANY ADVICE AS TO THE CORRECTNESS OF THE AMOUNT. I MEAN, I THINK THE DUTY FOR THE COUNTY IS TO MAKE A GOOD FAITH ATTEMPT TO COMPLY WITH THAT, THAT STATUTE AND COME UP WITH SOME ESTIMATE. AND I THINK AS FAR AS THE EFFECTS OF. NOTICE AND THOSE KIND OF ISSUES AND TIME CAN PROBABLY BE TIMING ISSUES CAN BE ADDRESSED BY THE TAXING OFFICIALS WHO ARE HERE TODAY TO KIND OF EXPLAIN IT. MY

[00:30:01]

THE SECOND MEETING IS THE 23RD. YES, SIR. SO THAT WOULD NOT BE WITHIN THE 15 DAY WINDOW. THE CAVEAT I WOULD HAVE IS. NO GUIDANCE HAS COME DOWN. IT IS THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE THAT SOMETHING WILL COME DOWN BETWEEN NOW AND AFTER TODAY. AND, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BECOME NECESSARY FOR THE BOARD TO READDRESS THE RATE. I THINK PART OF IS THAT THE WHAT MAY COME DOWN COULD CONTRADICT WHAT WE'VE DONE, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY. GUIDANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE AT THIS POINT. RIGHT. THE DOOR COULD COME BACK WITH A SPECIFIC WAY TO DO IT, WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED YET. IT COULD ALSO THEORETICALLY, THEY CAN LOOK AT WHAT WE DO DOWN THE LINE AND SAY, WE DON'T THINK YOU DID IT RIGHT. SO AND AGAIN, THAT MAY DELAY DELAY THE PROCESS. SONIA DID I WELL I THINK YOU ALSO ON THAT POSITION AND WE ARE. RIGHT WHICH IS 9.702. SO LET ME ASK I GUESS A QUESTION JUST OUT OF IGNORANCE. WILL WE HAVE ANY. INTERACTION. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE ARE WE ARE THE, THE LEVERAGING AUTHORITY FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AS WELL. MARK, WILL WE HAVE TO HAVE ANY. OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THING, I ASSUME. I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE DOING THE SAME PROCESS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE IN THAT PROCESS. I THINK SHANE HAS BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH NOT ONLY THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT ALSO THE OTHER. TAXING AUTHORITIES ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO EITHER TO DO A ESTIMATED. ROLLBACK RATE OR IF THEY DON'T ACT, THEN THE LAW PROVIDES CONSEQUENCES FOR NOT DOING THE ESTIMATED ROLLBACK RATE PRIMARILY IN TERMS OF NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. AND WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT IN THE PAST WHEN WE HAVE BEEN SETTING OUR MILLAGE, WORKING WITH THE TAX COMMISSIONER TAX ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, THAT THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC STEPS AND GUIDELINES THAT YOU MUST FOLLOW IN ORDER TO MEET, MEET THEIR GUIDELINES. AND SO AND IT'S IT IS VERY, VERY SPECIFIC. AND IT'S UNUSUAL FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAVE VERY LITTLE TO NO GUIDANCE SUGGESTED BY THE STATE. NORMALLY AT THIS TIME WE'VE ALREADY GOT A COMPLIANCE PACKAGE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE THAT HAS ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS, BUT THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE YET. THAT WAS PUT ON IN APRIL THAT THEY WOULD BE GETTING COMPLIANCE PACKAGE, BUT WE'VE NOT SEEN IT YET. WHY WOULDN'T THEY HAVE HAD ALL THIS MATERIAL IN ORDER? IF THEY'RE PUTTING SOMETHING ON THE ON THE BALLOT FOR THE PEOPLE TO VOTE ON AND PEOPLE DON'T? I MEAN, YOU MEAN THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE. I'M NOT SAYING THAT I HAVE A FEELING THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT FEEL THE SAME WAY THAT YOU'RE THINKING RIGHT NOW. THEY DON'T. I THINK THEY PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. THEY'RE TRYING TO HANDLE IT. IN DRAFT RESOLUTION THAT LAYS OUT. SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS PUTTING A BINDING ON THE COUNTY. YES. YES. BUT THERE'S BLOOD RIGHT THERE ON. THREE. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US.

[00:35:05]

[8. FY26 Budget Requests(Sonya Conroy)]

ISSUES IN THAT ORDER. JUST A. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN. COMMISSIONER, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF A BREAKDOWN OF OUR OFFICE, WE HAVE NINE EMPLOYEES, TEN INCLUDING MYSELF, SIX OUT OF THOSE NINE EMPLOYEES HAVE A 130 YEARS COMBINED SERVICE. SO I'M BLESSED TO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE A RETENTION. YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE COME TO YOU AND HAVE ATTRITION. I HAVE RETENTION, AND I FEEL LIKE IN THE COMING YEARS, BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE EMPLOYEES IS CHIEF DEPUTY, I MEAN, I HAVE ONE WITH 40 YEARS, I HAVE ONE WITH 22, I HAVE ONE WITH 20 AND THEN THREE WITH 19. SO IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS, IT'S GOING TO BE A LARGE TURNOVER IN TAX COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. AND SO I FEEL THAT I NEED TO GET READY FOR THAT. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, I LOOK BACK AND IN 2002, THE COLLECTIONS WERE $40 MILLION IN THAT OFFICE. TO THIS DATE, WE'RE AT $123 MILLION. SO THAT'S HOW FAR IT'S GROWN. I ALSO LOOK BACK AT ALL THE NOTES THERE'S NOT BEEN. AN EXTRA EMPLOYEE ADDED THAT I KNOW FOR 25 YEARS FROM THE TIME THAT GARY WOOD CAME IN, I STILL HAVE ALL THE NOTES FROM THEIR. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE WHEN I FIRST CAME IN, WE WERE COLLECTING 83 MILLION AND NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT 123, SO THAT'S 39 MILLION.

JUST IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. WHEN I CAME IN THE PARCELS, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 33,245 PARCELS. I CALLED ALAN A COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE NOW. BUT A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE WERE RECEIVING OVER 80,000 PHONE CALLS. WE DO OVER 92,000 TAG AND TITLE TRANSACTIONS, AND ABOUT 33,000 TAX TRANSACTIONS. SO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THERE, YOU KNOW.

AND SO I JUST FEEL THAT AT THIS POINT, AND I WOULD TELL YOU THAT THE OLDEST PERSON IN OFFICE, 61 YEARS OLD, IS STILL YOUNG, BUT AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE NEW PEOPLE, INCLUDING TAX COMMISSIONER, IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS, YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT OFFICE, THE LAST THING I WOULD WANT TO DO IS FOR US NOT TO BRING BRING PEOPLE IN AND HAVE THEM TRAINED FOR THE COUNTY, FOR US TO KEEP GOING AND DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHY I'M COMING FOR YOU. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT JUST DUE TO THE NOTES BACK FROM GARY WOOD WRITING TO BILL GAY, WHEN HE FIRST CAME IN, THERE WERE EIGHT. THERE WERE THE SAME EIGHT EMPLOYEES THAT WORKED THE LINE AND THE CHIEF DEPUTY. SO I KNOW FOR SURE ON PAPER THAT THERE'S NOT BEEN SOMEONE ADDED IN 25 YEARS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING IN $83 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WE DID 25 YEARS AGO. YOU MAY WANT TO TELL YOUR OFFICER THERE'S ONLY A FEW OF US. YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER BILL, BUT YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, I FOUND A LOT OF NOTES BACK THEN, AND THAT'S HOW I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM ALL THIS. AND WE EVEN TALKED TO SONIA WHEN WE WENT IN AND THE COUNTY MANAGER ABOUT OUR BUDGET. YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LARGE TURNOVER ONLY BECAUSE OF RETIREMENT, YOU KNOW, NOT BECAUSE OF PEOPLE NOT BEING HAPPY. WE ONLY HAD THREE PEOPLE LEAVE. ONE, YOU KNOW, HAD TWO BABIES, YOU KNOW, AND ONE TO

[00:40:04]

I WISH WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED IT BECAUSE AT FIRST WE SET IT TO BE BY MARCH. EVERYBODY HAD IT AND THEN WE MADE IT APRIL. AND THEN WHEN THEY COME OUT WITH HOUSE BILL 92, THE CLEANUP IS DATED 15 DAYS PRIOR BEFORE THE NOTICES WENT OUT. SO WE'RE REALLY ON STRICT TIMELINE BECAUSE WHAT THAT DOES, IT WOULD ALLOW US YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO SOME OTHER COUNTIES EVEN BEFORE THIS PROBLEM COME ALONG. IF WE DON'T GET A THROUGH Z DONE BEFORE, THOSE TAX BILLS WILL NOT GO OUT AND WE CAN COLLECT THEM BY NOVEMBER 15TH. I'VE HAD SOME COUNTIES THAT HAVE JUST SENT OUT, YOU KNOW, IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH, THEY NEVER EVEN GOT AROUND TO THEIR THEIR FISCAL YEAR OF EVEN COLLECTING TAXES. SO PRETTY HARD CORE ON GETTING ALL THIS STUFF DONE. ANY QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE IT. COMMISSIONERS I'M HERB CRANFORD OF THE COWETA CIRCUIT. NICE TO SEE YOU ALL. I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL BETTER THAN OTHERS. HOPE TO GET TO KNOW EVERYBODY UP THERE EQUALLY WELL. BUT WE DO HAVE A BUDGET REQUEST FOR THIS YEAR. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SPEAK TO CIVIC GROUPS AND STUFF, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND REALLY WHAT THE DA'S OFFICE DOES. AND I OFTEN COMMENT, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST SPEAKS WELL OF YOU IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT MY OFFICE DOES. BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF I GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND, YOU KNOW, ABOUT JUST JUST KIND OF WHAT WHAT THE DA'S OFFICE DOES, WHAT OUR KIND OF DAILY LIFE IS LIKE. BUT JUST TO GET INTO IT REAL QUICK. I TRY NOT TO ASK FOR THE MOON AND I UNDERSTAND. I PROBABLY I'M NEVER GOING TO GET WHATEVER I ASK FOR, YOU KNOW, THE FULL THING I'M ASKING FOR. BUT BUT IN A NUTSHELL. I'M ASKING TO ENGAGE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION IN MOVING AT LEAST ONE EMPLOYEE FROM OUR KIND OF OFFICE PAYROLL ONTO THE COUNTY PAYROLL. AND WHAT THAT WILL DO IS ALL OF MY PEOPLE ARE TREATED AS STATE FUNDED PERSONNEL AND OUR EMPLOYER COSTS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ARE 70%. SO FOR EVERY DOLLAR I GIVE SOMEBODY IN SALARY, I HAVE TO ALLOCATE $0.70 TO PAY FOR BENEFITS. AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, TALKING TO BUSINESS OWNERS AND OTHER COUNTIES THAT WE SERVE, THOSE ARE REALLY HIGH EMPLOYER COSTS COMPARED TO COUNTY EMPLOYER COSTS OR LOCAL BUSINESS EMPLOYER COSTS. SO PART OF MY ASK IS LET ME MOVE AT LEAST ONE PERSON FROM MY OFFICE PAYROLL TO THE COUNTY PAYROLL WITHOUT REDUCING MY OVERALL ALLOCATION. SO, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE THE COUNTY TAKING ON THIS PERSON'S SALARY AT A LOWER COST OF BENEFIT THAN I'M SPENDING. THAT'S KIND OF ASK ONE A AND THE, THE MONEY THAT I'M CURRENTLY SPENDING ON THAT EMPLOYEE I COULD SPEND YOU KNOW, MAYBE ON RAISES OR A PART TIME PERSON. THEORETICALLY IF I COULD GET SOME. RESUMES, MAYBE I COULD HIRE ANOTHER PERSON. RESUMES ARE PRETTY THIN, BUT BUT WOULD FREE UP SOME MONEY ON MY END AND LET ME TRY TO USE IT IN SOME WAYS THAT I THINK MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL TO THE OFFICE. REQUEST ONE BE IF

[00:45:03]

CARROLL AND HEARD ARE NOW THE WEST GEORGIA JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT FOR A LOT OF YEARS. WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL CREDIT. TO BE HONEST, THIS COMMISSION WAS THE FIRST OF THE FIVE COMMISSIONS TO COME OUT PUBLICLY AND SAY VIA A RESOLUTION, WE NEED TO SPLIT THIS CIRCUIT. AND AS I BECAME DA BY APPOINTMENT IN 2018 AND CAME OUT IN FAVOR OF IT IN 2019, AND THAT WASN'T IT WASN'T A POPULAR POSITION WITH SOME PEOPLE. AND THIS COMMISSION WAS WAS COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO DO WHAT MADE SENSE. AND NOW IF YOU ASK ANYBODY, EVERYBODY SAYS IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND YOU KNOW, BUT BUT AT THE TIME WHEN THIS COMMISSION GOT OUT THERE, IT WASN'T ALWAYS THAT WAY. SO I WANT Y'ALL Y'ALL DESERVE CREDIT FOR THAT. BUT SO I'VE GOT A MORE MANAGEABLE OFFICE, RIGHT? I'VE GOT 140 LESS THOUSAND PEOPLE WHEN I READ STUFF IN THE PAPER, YOU KNOW, JUST THE TYPICAL THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN ANY COMMUNITY HAPPENING IN CARROLL AND HEARD COUNTY, IT DEFINITELY OCCURS TO ME THAT'S SOMETHING I'D BE DEALING WITH THAT MIGHT TAKE UP 2 OR 3 DAYS OF MY TIME, YOU KNOW, A SERIOUS CRIME OR, OR SOMETHING GOING ON. SO IT'S MADE OUR OFFICE MORE MANAGEABLE. I CAN USE THE RESOURCES WE HAVE IN THREE COUNTIES, WHICH ALLOWS FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME MORE EFFICIENCY, PRODUCTIVITY. SO THINGS ARE BETTER FOR THAT REASON. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE STILL DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE NEED TO HANDLE THE CASELOAD.

FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW I LOOK LAST NIGHT, WE HAVE I BELIEVE IT WAS 31 OPEN MURDER CASES IN TROUP COUNTY ALONE. THAT'S COMPARED TO, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, 12 IN COWETA COUNTY.

SO WE RECEIVE LESS OVERALL FELONIES IN TROUP COUNTY, ABOUT A THOUSAND A YEAR, COMPARED TO ABOUT 1500 FELONIES A YEAR IN COWETA COUNTY. BUT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD EXPLAIN IF I WANTED TO TRY. WE HAVE MORE VIOLENT CRIME IN TROUP COUNTY, AND AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, VIOLENT CRIME IS MORE COMPLICATED, REQUIRES MORE RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, AS ANY VICTIM OF ANY SERIOUS CRIME WOULD TELL YOU, THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE SOMEBODY VERY EXPERIENCED HANDLING ONE OF THOSE CASES THAN SOMEBODY THAT'S ONLY BEEN IN THE OFFICE FOR A COUPLE YEARS OR DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH TRIAL EXPERIENCE. SO, YOU KNOW, I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY, I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU ALL A SENSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE WE'RE DEALING WITH. TURNOVER IS STILL A HUGE PROBLEM FOR US. IT IS ACROSS THE STATE.

BUT I HIRED TWO PEOPLE OUT OF LAW SCHOOL LAST YEAR, ONE IN TROUP, ONE IN COWETA. THEY BOTH ALREADY LEFT TO GO TO OTHER OFFICES TO GET MORE MONEY, YOU KNOW, SO YOU KNOW IT. WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING EVEN THOUGH WE'VE SPLIT AND THINGS ARE MORE MANAGEABLE. AND SO RATHER THAN COME IN AND, AND ASK FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY TO, TO MATCH SALARIES AND, YOU KNOW, METRO ATLANTA OR SOMETHING, I'M HOPING BY MOVING THIS ONE PERSON OVER TO THE COUNTY PAYROLL AND FREEING UP SOME MONEY, I'LL HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY TO MAYBE BE A LITTLE MORE ATTRACTIVE, MAYBE ALSO USE SOME OF THAT MONEY TO KEEP SOME OF THE PEOPLE WE DO HAVE TO. TO BE CANDID WITH YOU.

THERE ARE SO MANY JOBS FOR LAWYERS AND THEY'RE PAYING WELL THAT PEOPLE COMING OUT OF LAW SCHOOL, THEY WANT TO BE CLOSE TO ATLANTA, THEY WANT TO LIVE IN A METRO AREA. SO IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT A KNOCK ON TROUP COUNTY. I THINK IT'S JUST A FUNCTION OF PROXIMITY TO ATLANTA THAT IT'S MORE DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT PEOPLE INTO TROUP THAN, YOU KNOW, PLACES CLOSER TO ATLANTA. AND SO

[00:50:03]

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TOOLS IN OUR BELT AND A LOT OF DISCRETION TO TRY TO GET JUSTICE FROM EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, SENDING SOMEBODY TO REHAB AND MAYBE DISMISSING THEIR CASE IF THEY'VE NEVER BEEN ARRESTED BEFORE, TO TRY TO GET HELP WITH A DRUG ISSUE ALL THE WAY TO, YOU KNOW, SEEKING A LIFE SENTENCE FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S KILLED SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE LITERALLY HAVE EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO EXTREMES. AND, YOU KNOW, JUSTICE IS NOT SENDING EVERYBODY TO PRISON, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT GIVING EVERYBODY A SLAP ON THE WRIST AND HOPING THEY DON'T DO IT AGAIN. AND TO DO THAT, WELL, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T DECIDE WHAT WE SHOULD DO ON EVERY GIVEN CASE. THERE'S TOO MANY. I'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO HIRE GOOD PEOPLE, TRAIN THEM AND THEN GIVE THEM THE DISCRETION TO DO WHAT THEY THINK IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND THAT'S THAT'S HOW I TRY TO RUN THE OFFICE. BUT WITH THE AMOUNT OF TURNOVER WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFICULT.

YOU KNOW, WE WE'VE GOT A WE'VE GOT ISSUES JUST LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA, HONESTLY. SO THE, THE ASK I'M MAKING OF Y'ALL THAT'S THAT ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATOR WOULD FRANKLY HELP US HELP LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN WE HAVE VIOLENT CRIMES IN COMMUNITIES. YOU KNOW, THERE'S MULTIPLE SMALLER LOCALITIES IN TROUP COUNTY THAT IF I CAN HAVE SOME MORE INVESTIGATOR BANDWIDTH IN MY OFFICE, WE CAN HELP SOLVE SOME OF THOSE VIOLENT CRIMES AND GET CONVICTIONS. AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, MOVING ONE PERSON ON THE COUNTY PAYROLL, THAT'S JUST ABOUT FREEING UP THE MONEY I'M CURRENTLY SPENDING ON THAT PERSON TO USE. FRANKLY, I'M DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, I COULD DO A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS WITH IT THAT MIGHT HELP THE OFFICE, AND I DON'T WANT TO PIGEONHOLE MYSELF UNTIL, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL DECIDE IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE INTERESTED IN DOING, BUT BUT USING IT FOR POTENTIALLY FOR RAISES, POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, FOR HIRING ANOTHER ASSISTANT D.A. IF I COULD GET A RESUME, MAYBE TRYING TO BRING IN A LAWYER TO WORK PART TIME TO HELP US OUT WITH APPEALS. YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE AMONG THE OPTIONS I'M CONSIDERING. SO HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL HEARING ME OUT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU ALL. WE APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS IN GETTING CERTAIN BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN TOO. YEAH. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY.

Y'ALL WANT TO HEAR THAT? I'LL REPEAT. I WOULD POINT OUT THAT I APPRECIATE ALL THAT THE COMMISSION HAS DONE SINCE I'VE TAKEN OFFICE IN 2019. AND WE HAVE TRIED TO WORK VERY HARD AND STAY CURRENT. BUT A LOT OF WHAT HERB JUST SAID IS VERY TRUE. AND EVEN MORE STRONGLY TRUE IN JUST OUR TROUP COUNTY POSITION. WE'RE ALL ACROSS THE STATE FACING THE SAME HIRING DIFFICULTIES. AND SO THAT THAT CHALLENGE IS THERE AND IS REAL. AND I HATE TO ASK FOR A POSITION. I HAVEN'T ASKED FOR ONE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, BUT WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GOVERNMENT IS, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER HIGHER CALLING THAN PUBLIC SAFETY. AND UNFORTUNATELY, TODAY I THINK THERE'S A PRETTY HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY HIT ON FOR PUBLIC SAFETY THROUGH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AS WELL AS THE PROSECUTION. AND I HONESTLY HAVE NOT SPOKEN WITH HERB ABOUT WHAT HE SAID, BUT A LOT OF WHAT HE SAID IS EXACTLY THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING. MY

[00:55:01]

[01:00:01]

COMING OUT OF LAW SCHOOL. YOU COULD MAKE MORE MONEY THEN IN ATLANTA, BUT I HAD NO DESIRE TO BE THERE. I WANTED TO BE A PART OF A SMALL COMMUNITY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN VERY BLESSED TO BE HERE AND BE A PART OF TROUP COUNTY FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER. BUT THE ASSISTANCE THAT WE HIRE CAN FIND OUR OFFICE. IF I IF I HAVE AN ASSISTANT IN COURT, MAKE A DECISION JUST LIKE HERB REFERRED TO, WE GOT TO BE ABLE TO TRUST THEM TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT REPRESENT TROUP COUNTY WELL. AND THE POWER OF THE STATE IS POWERFUL, AND I. I DON'T TAKE THAT LIGHTLY. I'M NOT GOING TO JUST HIRE ANYBODY AND PUT IN THAT POSITION. I'D RATHER WORK DOUBLE TIME. AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR MARK, HE HAS TO WORK DOUBLE TIME TO KEEP IT SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BE SELECTED. MY SEARCH IS ONGOING. I HAVE A FUTURE CANDIDATE WORKING IN OUR OFFICE. I MENTIONED STEVEN TO YOU EARLIER. HE IS WORKING IN A CLERICAL POSITION NOW. CAME TO ME WITH KNOWLEDGE OF HIS DISTRICT, WORKED WITH US FOR A FEW YEARS AND WANTED TO COME. HE THOUGHT HE WANTED TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL, SO I PUT HIM IN A LEGAL SECRETARY POSITION AND HE HAS STAYED THERE. HE'S OVER TWO YEARS IN NOW AND HAS FINISHED HIS FIRST YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL.

HAS IS FINISHING HIS IN FINALS RIGHT NOW FOR HIS SECOND SEMESTER OF LAW SCHOOL, HAS ALREADY GOTTEN AN ACADEMIC AWARDS FOR HIS GRADES LAST SEMESTER. SO HIS INTENT? HE'S MARRIED TO A GIRL FROM TROUP COUNTY. THEY GOT MARRIED WHEN THEY WERE 19. HER FAMILY'S HERE.

HIS FAMILY'S HERE. I HAVE GREAT HOPES IN BEING ABLE TO KEEP HIM WITH US. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF THAT AND TRYING TO ADDRESS IT REALISTICALLY, THE MONEY'S BEEN THERE. I'VE HAD TO TURN IT. IT'S GONE BACK TO THE COUNTY BECAUSE WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I KEEP THEM BECAUSE I NEED TO BE ABLE TO ACT QUICK. IF I DO GET A CANDIDATE THAT'S INTERESTED. BUT AS AS HERB SAID, ALSO, WE STILL HAVE TO BE READY TO TRY CASES. WE GET CASES FROM SHERIFF'S OFFICE, LAGRANGE POLICE DEPARTMENT, HUNTSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WEST POINT POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS STATE AGENCIES IN THE GEORGIA STATE PATROL. THE MOTOR CARRIER COMPLIANCE DIVISION, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND GAME WARDENS, AS WELL AS THE MARSHALS OFFICE OF TROUP COUNTY. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER SOLICITORS BECAUSE, AS HERB SAID, EVERYONE'S FACING THE SAME CHALLENGE OF FILLING POSITIONS, AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM OTHERS IS THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF BRIDGE THE GAP WITH INVESTIGATORS LOCALLY AND CHECKING AROUND. CARROLL COUNTY HAS AN INVESTIGATOR. SPALDING COUNTY'S OFFICE HAS ONE, COWETA COUNTY HAS TWO, AND THEIR SOLICITOR'S OFFICE. SO JUST LOCALLY, MOST OF THE OTHER SOLICITOR'S OFFICES THAT I'VE SPOKE WITH HAVE AT LEAST ONE IN THE DA'S OFFICE. THERE ARE CURRENTLY TWO, BUT AS HERB SAID, THEY GOT PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED BY THE CIRCUIT SPLIT. AND THEY'RE DOWN TO TWO THERE NOW. BUT THEY HAVE TWO IN THE DA'S OFFICE. WHILE OUR CASES MAY NOT BE AS COMPLEX AS SOME OF THE MURDER CASES, AS HE SAID, 4 OR 5 MURDERS A YEAR, RAPE CASES OR A THE GANG TRIAL CASES, OTHER CASES HAVE TO BE PROVEN BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, AND THERE'S JUST AS MUCH TRIAL TO MOST OF THEM AS THERE ARE TO THEIRS. AND WE FILE ALMOST DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF CASES THEY FILE. WE'VE FILED 20, 16 AND 1800 CASES A YEAR, SOMETIMES AS MANY AS 2000. ANOTHER MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FELONY CASES AND THOSE THAT COME TO US. AND I'M TRYING TO BE CAREFUL HOW TO SAY THIS, BECAUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT IS OUR PARTNER AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM. MISDEMEANOR CASES DO NOT RECEIVE THE LEVEL OF INVESTIGATION FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT. ANY OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT THE FELONY CASES DO, OBVIOUSLY. AND OFTEN OUR CASES ARE INVESTIGATED, THAT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE REPORTS ARE DONE, AN ARREST IS MADE, AND THAT'S ALL THE INVESTIGATION THAT HAPPENS. IT NEVER GOES UP TO THE INVESTIGATORS WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR ANY FURTHER WITH THE STATE PATROL, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE OF THOSE. YOU KNOW, WE

[01:05:03]

THAT'S WHERE AN INVESTIGATOR WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT WORK OFF OF ME AS A LAWYER. INSTEAD OF ME CALLING SHANNON AND RUNNING DOWN THAT INFORMATION. THAT STUFF CAN BE HANDLED BY A TRAINED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. THAT HAPPENS WITH US FAIRLY REGULARLY ON THESE CASES, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY WRECKS HAPPENING IN TROUP COUNTY NOW, SO MANY FATALITIES HAPPENING, THAT THOSE OFFICERS ARE MOVING FROM CASE TO CASE SO FAST THAT A LOT OF TIMES THAT INFORMATION IS NOT GATHERED AT THE SCENE SIGNIFICANTLY. ALSO, ARE DOMESTIC CASES. OFTEN THERE'S PEOPLE STANDING AROUND, THERE ARE NEIGHBORS THAT SAW WHAT HAPPENED. THERE ARE OTHER FOLKS THAT MAYBE THAT NIGHT JUST DIDN'T WANT TO TALK. THAT TOO MUCH HYSTERIA GOING ON. AND THAT'S WHERE IF WE HAD AN INVESTIGATOR, THEY COULD GO BACK OUT QUICKLY AFTER THE CASE AND FIND OUT WHO ELSE WAS THERE. I MEAN, MAYBE THE VICTIM DOESN'T WANT TO COME TALK. MAYBE SHE DOES STILL LOVE HIM. MAYBE SHE THINKS SHE NEEDS TO STAY WITH HIM. BUT I BET YOU HER MAMA DOESN'T THINK SHE NEEDS TO STAY WITH HIM. AND IF WE CAN FIND THOSE MOTHERS AND FIND THOSE NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE SEEN THINGS HAPPENING, THAT'S THE EVIDENCE WE NEED TO BUILD CASES. BUT I HAVE ALSO WITH ME TODAY, NIKKI BRATTON, WHO IS MY VICTIM ADVOCATE. YOU CAN TELL BY LOOKING FOR HER AT HER. I DON'T THINK IT'S SAFE TO SEND HER OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO INVESTIGATE THESE CASES. WE NEED AN OFFICER THAT'S TRAINED AND ABLE TO CONDUCT THESE INVESTIGATIONS SAFELY ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY, AND TO GET US THE INFORMATION SO THAT MARK AND I, AND HOPEFULLY ANY FUTURE ATTORNEY WILL BE ABLE TO TRY THOSE CASES WITHOUT HAVING TO DO ALL THE EVIDENCE GATHERING OURSELVES. ANOTHER COMMON PROBLEM. WE HAVE THAT INVESTIGATOR BE VERY HELPFUL WITH IS WE'VE HAD A LOT OF AND IT HAPPENS WITH THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES. IT HAPPENS WITH THESE MOTELS WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVE IN AND STAY IN. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HAPPENS IN THE ROOM. IT SPILLS OUT INTO THE HALLWAY OR THE WALKWAYS. THERE ARE YOU CAN IMAGINE, JUST LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL, THE GATHERING THAT TAKES PLACE WHEN THAT SORT OF THING HAPPENS AND OFFICERS ARE THERE TRYING TO CALM THE SITUATION DOWN. AND THEY THEY IN FAMILY VIOLENCE CASES, MAKE ARRESTS. SO ONCE THAT PERSON'S GONE, THE SITUATION'S CALMED DOWN AND THEY'RE GONE. IT'S OFTEN AT NIGHT. THESE HOTELS, THESE MOTELS HAVE GOT CAMERAS THAT VIDEO MOST OF WHAT GOES ON. AND WE NOT ONLY KNOW IT, BUT JURIES KNOW IT. AND WHEN THEY GO TRY TO GET THOSE, THE VIDEO THAT NIGHT, THE MANAGER'S NOT THERE. IT TAKES A MANAGER TO GET IT THE NEXT DAY. THOSE OFFICERS THAT WORK THAT NIGHT ARE NOT WORKING. SO WHEN THE MANAGERS ARE THERE, THEY'RE NOT THERE. AND IF I HAD AN INVESTIGATOR THAT COULD GET THOSE VIDEOS BEFORE THEY LOOP OVER AND FILM OVER THEM, IN A LOT OF CASES WE'D HAVE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF WHAT HAPPENED. BUT, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SEND LAWYERS AND MY VICTIM ADVOCATE OUT INTO THOSE SITUATIONS THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO GO INTO. SO THAT IS AND IT'S JUST NOT ONLY AN UNSAFE PRACTICE, IT'S JUST NOT WISE. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE NEED AN OFFICER THAT'S TRAINED IN INVESTIGATING SAFELY. IN ADDITION TO INVESTIGATION OF CASES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN

[01:10:02]

SO WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. OKAY. ONE MORE QUESTION.

[01:15:08]

PLUS IT'S AN ADDED COST. SO NOW IT'S ALL PAPER FILING. WE DO MORE THAN JUST EVICTIONS AND SMALL CLAIMS CASES. THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES ON IN THAT OFFICE. EVERY PIECE OF PAPER IS TOUCHED BY DOZENS OF HANDS BEFORE ANYTHING, AND NOT TO BESMIRCH ANYBODY ELSE. NOTHING CRIMINALLY IN THIS COUNTY HAPPENS UNTIL WE'RE THROUGH WITH IT. IT STARTS WITH US. WARRANTS, HEARINGS BEFORE IT GOES ON TO ANYBODY ELSE. SO IF ANY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICES ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH THEIR NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED, WELL, THEY STARTED WITH US. WE'RE THE ONES THAT SIGNED THE WARRANTS AND HAVING THE HEARINGS AND DOING ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF. WE'RE THE RED HAIRED STEPCHILD, I GET IT. BUT WE'RE ESSENTIAL TO HOW THIS WORKS. THE WHOLE COUNTY'S SYSTEM OF JUSTICE DEPENDS ON THE MAGISTRATE COURT DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. AND WHEN IT GETS TIGHT, WE HAVE TO PUT THINGS IN PRIORITY. SOME THINGS REQUIRED WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO BY LAW WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. OTHER THINGS ARE GOING TO SIT THERE UNTIL WE GET TO THEM. SO WHEN WE GET BOXES FROM FEDEX OF FROM COLLECTION LAWYERS AND COLLECTION AGENCIES, THEY HAVE TO GO ON THE BACK BURNER UNTIL WE HAVE SOMEBODY FREE ENOUGH TO DO IT. AND THAT'S GOING TO RESULT IN MONTHLY CHECKS. THEY'RE GOING TO SEEM LOWER BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T GOT AROUND TO PROCESSING ALL THESE CIVIL SUITS BECAUSE WE GOT TO GET DISPOSSESSED OUT. WE HAVE TO GET SUBPOENAS FOR CRIMINAL HEARINGS OUT. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THOSE HEARINGS. WE'VE GOT TO SPREAD OURSELVES TOO THIN. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WE NEED ANOTHER PERSON, AND WE NEED

[01:20:05]

SINCE WE HAVEN'T ASKED FOR ANYTHING ELSE. AND I HOPE TO BE HERE ANOTHER 30 YEARS. ASKING Y'ALL AGAIN TO SAY, Y'ALL REMEMBER, IT'S BEEN 60 YEARS SINCE WE'VE ASKED FOR ANYTHING.

SO I'M GOING TO ASK Y'ALL TO PLEASE APPROVE NOT ONLY THE NEW POSITION, BUT LET US FUND IT EARLY. WE'RE TALKING THREE PAYCHECKS BEFORE NOW. AND JULY 1ST. IF WE GET SOMEBODY HIRED ON BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND HAVE TO SPEND ALL THAT TIME TRYING TO TRAIN SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND TAKE OVER AND DO THINGS. SO. THANK YOU ON THAT QUICKLY. I THINK I CAN. ALREADY HAVE SOMEBODY IN MIND, SIR, I DON'T. BUT THERE THERE ARE RUMBLINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS IT'LL BE A LATERAL MOVE FROM ANOTHER OFFICE. SO I AIN'T ABOVE POACHING NOBODY. IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTY. YOU KNOW, I GOTTA TAKE CARE OF ME AND MINE. AND BY TAKING CARE OF ME AND MINE MORE MINE, IT TAKES CARE OF EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE COUNTY. I. YOU KNOW, I AM NAIVE ENOUGH TO BELIEVE WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THE SAME JOB. NOW, I AM CYNICAL ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT I'M NAIVE, BUT I YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT'S WEIRD. IT'S PHILOSOPHICAL, DOCTOR MCKINNEY. BUT WE ARE REALLY FUNCTIONING FOR PUBLIC SERVICE IN A PUBLIC SERVANT. HAS TO KEEP THAT ABOVE THEIR THEIR OWN SELVES. AND THE WAY I CAN GUARANTEE THAT THESE PEOPLE, THE PUBLIC, ARE GOING TO GET SERVED. I HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO GO INTO PUBLIC SERVICE WHICH, REMEMBER, PAYS LESS THAN THE PRIVATE MARKET IS WILLING TO STAY THERE. LOOK, I'VE GOT EMPLOYEES FOR 30 YEARS, 25 YEARS. SO I HAVE LONG STANDING EMPLOYEES WHO BELIEVE IN PUBLIC SERVICE, AND THEY'RE GETTING WORN THIN. I'VE NEVER BEEN WORN THIN, AS YOU CAN TELL, BUT. I RESEMBLE THAT. BUT I APPRECIATE Y'ALL AND PRETTY PLEASED. ALRIGHT, IF Y'ALL NEED ANYTHING, HOLLER. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CAN YOU PRESENT

[01:25:05]

GOOD MORNING. ALMOST LUNCHTIME WILL BE KIND OF QUICK. SO WITH ALL THE GROWTH COMING TO TROUP COUNTY, LAGRANGE, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, IS COMING. AND WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE INFRASTRUCTURE. I KNOW EVERY DEPARTMENT PUBLIC SAFETY IS NEEDING EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST WANTING. WE NEED THEM. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 24 DISPATCHERS AND WE HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST FIVE MINIMUM TO COVER EACH SHIFT. WE HAVE FOUR SHIFTS, SO CURRENTLY THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE SHARES A RADIO CHANNEL WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THEY DON'T CHECK OUT WITH US ON EVERY CALL THAT THEY SHOULD BE CHECKING OUT WITH US ON. AND THEY SHOULD BE NOT ONLY FOR THEIR SAFETY, BUT ALSO FOR THE DATA AND THE NUMBERS, AND TO RECORD RADIO TRAFFIC, TO PROTECT THEM AND TO HELP COVER THEM. THEY AVERAGE CURRENTLY ABOUT 16 1700 CALLS A MONTH, WHEREAS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THEY AVERAGE AROUND 2500 CALLS A MONTH. IF THAT TELLS YOU THAT WOULD TAKE A WHOLE DISPATCHER AND I NEED TWO ONE FOR EACH ROTATION ON EACH DAY SHIFT TO COVER THAT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY THEY STARTED TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO HAVING A NORTH SIDE AND A SOUTH SIDE ZONE. SO WHEN WE GOT THE NEW RADIO UPGRADE, THEY WENT AHEAD AND PROGRAMED IN OUR RADIOS A NORTH SIDE AND A SOUTH SIDE. IT'S COMING THAT WE WILL BE HAVING TO HAVE A NORTH SIDE DISPATCHER AND A SOUTH SIDE DISPATCHER. THEY SEE IT COMING, WE SEE IT COMING. SO WE WENT AHEAD AND HAD THAT ADDED INTO THE RADIO. SO THESE TWO POSITIONS THAT WILL HELP US DOWN THE ROAD TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT WHEN IT COMES, PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. WE NEED THESE AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS STARTED IN JULY, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE AT LEAST SIX WEEKS TO GET SOMEBODY TRAINED ON THAT RADIO. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. HOW ARE WE ALL GOOD. FIRST THING I'M GONNA HAND YOU MY PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU. SHERIFF, ALL THE LAW. IS DIFFERENT. ALL RIGHT. I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF AND TO THE POINT. I KNOW YOU'RE ALL BUSY AND HAVE A LOT OF DECISIONS TO MAKE, SO I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF AND TO THE POINT, BUT BASICALLY, WE'RE COMING TO YOU THIS MORNING ASKING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO ADD POSITIONS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE'RE LOOKING FOR POSITIONS IN BOTH OPERATIONS, WHICH IS THE FIREFIGHTER EMT POSITIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS TO HELP

[01:30:05]

I HAVE RIDDEN A FIRE TRUCK PERSONALLY MYSELF OVER MY CAREER, AND IT IS NOT A POSITION I WANT TO PUT ANYBODY IN. IT'S YOU'RE ASKING A LOT OF ONE PERSON TO DRIVE A HALF MILLION DOLLAR FIRE TRUCK TO A HOUSE FIRE AND EXPECT TO ADEQUATELY FUNCTION SAFELY FOR THAT FAMILY THAT'S SITTING THERE WATCHING THEIR HOUSE BURN. SAME CAN BE SAID FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT WITH ENTRAPMENT. YOU HAVE ONE PERSON PULLING UP ON A FIRE TRUCK WITH TWO CARS INVOLVED. FIVE PATIENTS IN TRAPPED. IT'S ON FIRE. YOU'RE ASKING A LOT OF ONE PERSON. YOU'RE ASKING A LOT OF TWO PEOPLE. THAT'S WHY IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF WHEN NEEDED FOR THESE, FOR THESE HIGH PROFILE INCIDENCES YOU MENTIONED. YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT THE EMS CALLS. YOU KNOW, IF WE RUN AN UNRESPONSIVE PATIENT OR A PERSON IN CARDIAC ARREST, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA HAVE SOMEBODY DOING CONSTANT CHEST COMPRESSIONS, PUMPING ON THE CHEST TO GET THE PUMP BLOOD TO THE HEART OR OUT OF THE HEART, SOMEBODY BAGGING OR BREATHING FOR THE PATIENT. IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO DO CPR. IT IT'LL IT'S A IT'S A WORKOUT FOR TWO MINUTES IF YOU'RE DOING IT CORRECTLY. SO YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO ROTATE PEOPLE IN AND OUT TO KEEP SOMEBODY FRESH DOING THAT. SO AS WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY INCREASE OUR EMS SERVICE DELIVERY AS A FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I'LL TOUCH ON THAT BRIEFLY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO UTILIZE OUR SQUAD PICK UP TRUCKS MORE, WHICH IS OUR OUR F250. WE'RE TRYING TO PUT ON THE ROAD AND OUTFIT THEM WITH EMS EQUIPMENT THAT WE CAN PUT TWO FIREFIGHTERS ON TO RESPOND TO MAJORITY OF THE CALL VOLUME. WE GO ON THE EMS CALLS, THE LIFT ASSIST, THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT'LL SAVE THE WEAR AND TEAR AND FUEL ON THE LARGER APPARATUS AND BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY MAINTAIN THE LIFESPAN OF THOSE TRUCKS AS LONG AS WE CAN. BUT WE STILL GOT TO HAVE THEM STAFFED TO RESPOND TO CALLS AS NEEDED. SO MY VISION IS TO ADD FOUR FIREFIGHTERS TO EACH SHIFT TO HOPEFULLY HAVE A MINIMUM OF 20 PEOPLE WORKING A SHIFT. SO WE HAVE THREE STATIONS DESIGNATED OUR SQUAD STATIONS COUNTYWIDE. WE HAVE STATION FOR THE LONG CAN AREA. WE TRY TO KEEP A SQUAD IN THE AIRPORT STATION, STATION 14. WE TRY TO KEEP A SQUAD AT AND STATION 11 IN HOGANSVILLE. SO AS WE'RE TRYING TO RAMP UP OUR EMS SERVICE DELIVERY WITH INCREASED NUMBERS OF EMT EYES AND ADVANCED LEVEL EMTS AND ULTIMATELY PARAMEDICS, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PUT THE ALS EQUIPMENT ON THOSE SQUADS AND IN SOME FIRE TRUCKS TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND RUN THESE EMS CALLS AND LET OUR FIRE TRUCKS STAY BACK AND RESPOND TO THE FIRE CALLS, THE GROUND COVER FIRES, THE VEHICLE FIRES, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IN THE PACKET I GAVE YOU, THAT'S KIND OF ON THE ON THE SECOND PAGE, I JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF OUR CURRENT STAFFING OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE'RE CURRENTLY AUTHORIZED FOR 66 FULL TIME POSITIONS IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND THAT INCLUDES 61 FIREFIGHTERS THAT WORK IN THE FIRE STATIONS AND WHAT WE CALL THE OPERATIONS DIVISION. WE HAVE FOUR PERSONNEL IN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, WHICH CONSIST OF MYSELF, DEPUTY CHIEF STEELE, CAPTAIN EVANS AND FIRE MARSHAL NORWOOD. AND WE HAVE A FULL TIME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. WE ARE AUTHORIZED FOR 12 PART TIME FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, ONLY FIVE OF THOSE ARE FILLED. WE HAVE SEVEN OPENS, PART TIME POSITIONS. WE TRY TO ADVERTISE THAT. WE TRY TO FILL THAT AND HOW WE UTILIZE THE PART TIMERS AS THEY COME IN FROM THEIR THEIR HOME DEPARTMENT, SO TO SPEAK. THEY WORK FULL TIME AT ANOTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY COME HERE TO WORK PART TIME TO SUPPLEMENT OUR STAFFING. SO THAT WILL ALLOW OUR FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS TO HAVE THEIR VACATION DAYS, THEIR HOLIDAYS, THEIR SICK TIME, THINGS LIKE THAT, TO TRY TO MEET THAT 17 GOAL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MEET. WE ALSO HAVE, YOU KNOW, AROUND 15 VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS. THEY'RE STILL ACTIVE WITH THE DEPARTMENT THAT THAT ARE A GREAT HELP TO US. THEY RESPOND TO SCENES, DRIVE THE TANKERS TO THE SCENE FOR WATER SUPPLY, WORK THE SCENES TO CHANGE OUT CYLINDERS, SET UP REHAB. WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO

[01:35:06]

THAT'S JUST GOING TO HELP, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES FASTER. IF WE'RE WAITING ON AMR TO SHOW UP, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DAYS THEY'RE IN WHAT THEY CALL SYSTEM STATUS, MEANING THEY DON'T HAVE A TRUCK AVAILABLE OR THEY ONLY HAVE ONE TRUCK. AND AS BIG AS TROUP COUNTY IS, IT TAKES THEM A WHILE TO GET FROM LAGRANGE UP TO HOGANSVILLE, OR DOWN OR DOWN TO PINE MOUNTAIN OR THE ROSEMONT AREA. SO IF WE CAN GET A FIRE TRUCK OR A SQUAD THERE MUCH FASTER, THEY CAN INITIATE THOSE TREATMENTS AND REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THAT PATIENT. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. ULTIMATELY, WE WANT TO WE WANT TO GO UP TO ALS LEVEL SERVICE IN OUR DEPARTMENT. BUT THE PARAMEDICS ON THE SQUADS AND THE AND THE FIRE TRUCKS, WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT, THEY CAN FUNCTION. THEY CAN PUT SOMEBODY ON A CARDIAC MONITOR AND DIAGNOSE IF THEY'RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK GOING ON. THEY CAN. IF SOMEBODY'S NOT BREATHING, THEY CAN PUT THE TUBE DOWN THEIR TRACHEA TO BREATHE FOR THEM. THE ADVANCED LEVEL SERVICES, ALL THE, THE MEDICATIONS OR DRUGS, THEY CAN GIVE THEIR LEVEL OF SERVICE TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE OUTCOME OF THAT PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILY. SO WE HAVE WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH EACH ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND TALK THROUGH IT. BUT JUST JUST SO JUST JUST JUST JUST BE PATIENT AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THIS, SOME OF THE STUFF, SOME OF THIS STUFF. THE NEXT PAGE IS KIND OF JUST SUMMARIZE KIND OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING. ONCE AGAIN, LIKE I SAY, WE TRY TO KEEP 17 PEOPLE AT ALL OUR FIRE STATIONS AT ALL TIMES

[01:40:05]

[01:45:01]

WE'RE OUT THERE FOR TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE SAFE AND KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE IF THEY IF THEY NEED US. SO WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE AS WELL AS BEING REACTIVE OUT THERE. BUT JUST TO JUST TO SUMMARIZE, YOU CAN SEE OUR CALL VOLUME IS GREATLY INCREASED. THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS ARE GROWING UP, AND THAT'S GOING TO PUT MORE OF A TAX ON OUR DEPARTMENT AND SPREAD OUR RESOURCES EVEN MORE THIN. WE DO THAT. WE'RE LIKE EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT. WE DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH, AND WE MAKE IT WORK EVERY DAY. OUR FIREFIGHTERS WORK HARD.

ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES WORK HARD TO WORK HARD EVERY DAY TO SERVE THE CITIZENS. SO, YOU KNOW, JUST JUST WE'RE TRYING TO STAY AHEAD. I CAN SEE THE GROWTH COMING FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, AND I'M TRYING TO PUT OUR DEPARTMENTS IN A POSITION TO WHERE WE CAN ADD HERE, INSTEAD OF ME HAVING TO COME TO YOU IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AND ASKING FOR 35 PEOPLE OR SOMETHING INSANE LIKE THAT, BECAUSE OUR CALL VOLUME HAS GONE THROUGH THE ROOF AND WE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH IT. THE LAST PAGE I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON REAL QUICK IS THE LAST ISO SURVEY THAT OCCURRED IN 2018. NOW THIS THIS WAS HAPPENED BEFORE I GOT HERE, BUT THIS IS THE PAGE I FOUND WHEN THEY SENT THE LETTER TALKING ABOUT ISO RATING FOR TROUP COUNTY AND WHEN THEY CAME THROUGH IN 2018 AND EVALUATED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE COUNTY'S RATING LOWERED DOWN TO A FOUR FROM A FROM A FIVE, WHICH IS GOOD THE LOWER THE RATING. YOU MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE BETTER RESOURCES OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE LOWER INSURANCE PREMIUMS. HOMEOWNERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS WILL PAY FOR THEIR FOR THEIR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE. SO I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.

AND I'VE GOT KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED NUMBER ONE, NOT NOT NOT TO GIVE YOU AN ISO CLASS HERE BECAUSE IT'S VERY COMPLICATED. BUT BASICALLY THEY LOOK AT THREE DIFFERENT THINGS WHEN THEY COME IN TO LOOK AT A FIRE DEPARTMENT. NUMBER ONE, THEY LOOK AT THE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IN THE 911 SYSTEM. THERE'S TEN POINTS AVAILABLE FOR THAT. FOR THE MOST PART, WE GOT ALL TEN POINT. WE GOT 9.66 POINTS FOR THAT. SO OUR 911 CENTER, WE WORK WITH THEM VERY CLOSELY. THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB TO SUPPORT US, JUST LIKE ALL PUBLIC SAFETY AND TROUP COUNTY FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THERE'S UP TO 50 POINTS AVAILABLE WHEN IT WHEN WE GRADE IT OUT, WE GOT LESS THAN HALF THE POINTS AVAILABLE FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND A LOT OF THAT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO LACK OF PERSONNEL. CREDIT FOR LADDER SERVICE. YOU GET FOUR POINTS. WE GOT SOME CREDIT BECAUSE WE CAN GET A LADDER TRUCK ON AUTOMATIC AID. WELL, NOW, AS YOU AS YOU REMEMBER, WE PURCHASED OUR OWN LADDER TRUCK BACK IN 2021. SO NOW WE HAVE OUR OWN LADDER TRUCK SO THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THE MAX POINTS FOR THAT ON THE NEXT SURVEY. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CREDIT FOR COMPANY PERSONNEL, THERE'S 15 POINTS AVAILABLE. WE GOT A LITTLE OVER THREE POINTS. SO WE WERE DEFICIENT BACK THEN.

AND UNLESS WE ADD SOME MORE FIREFIGHTERS, I'M AFRAID WE'RE GOING TO BE DEFICIENT AGAIN WHEN THEY SHOW BACK UP, WHICH IS GOING WHICH IS GOING TO COME PRETTY SOON. THEY TRY TO GO AROUND ABOUT EVERY FIVE YEARS. IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN SEVEN. SO WE'RE EXPECTING THEM

[01:50:01]

BUT WHEN YOU START FLOWING THAT WATER TO PUT THE FIRE OUT AND IT RUNS OUT OF WATER AND YOU GOTTA STOP AND GO FIND A HYDRANT A COUPLE OF MILES AWAY, THAT FIRE IS JUST GOING TO GO BACK UP. SO THAT THAT'S ONE OF OUR HINDERING FACTORS IS JUST LACK OF ACCOUNTING. WHAT COUNTYWIDE WATER SUPPLY. BUT WE DO THE BEST WE CAN. BUT YOU KNOW, WE LOOK FOR THE THINGS THAT THAT WE CAN KIND OF CONTROL HERE. YOU KNOW, MOST MOST OF THE CATEGORIES IN IN THE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WE CAN CONTROL, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE OUR TRAINING IS GOOD AND CURRENT. MAKE SURE OUR EQUIPMENT IS GOOD. MAKE SURE WE'RE WE'RE DOING OUR PRE PLANS AND PRE INCIDENT SURVEYS. BUT YOU SEE THAT YOU KNOW PERSONNEL IS A BIG COMPONENT OF THE ISO SURVEY. AND THESE THESE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WOULD GREATLY HELP TOWARDS SATISFYING AND HOPEFULLY LOWERING OUR ISO SURVEY THE NEXT TIME THEY COME, WHICH IS PROBABLY VERY SOON. SO I & APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AS ALWAYS.

I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR A PHONE CALL OR A MEETING IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THIS MORNING. I GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU RIGHT NOW FOR HOW MANY TANKER TRUCKS DO WE TANKERS DO WE HAVE? WE HAVE WE HAVE THREE IN THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE TWO, TWO 2000 GALLON TANKERS AND ONE 3000 GALLON. YOU'RE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IF WE CAN YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TRUCKS SHOULD GO UP. SINCE WE GOT A LOT OF WE SHOULD GO UP ON THOSE FORMS. YES, SIR. AND THE OTHER PERSON MAY HAVE LOOKED. IF YOU'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE OUT OF RANGE OF FIRE STATIONS AND ALL OF THESE NUMBERS WHEN THEY COME UP, IS THAT GOING TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE WITH A 9 OR 10 OUT THERE? NO, UNFORTUNATELY NOT. NOT UNLESS THEY THEY THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING ABOUT. YEAH. SO TO GET THE FULL CREDIT FOR THE ISO, THE BEST SCORE THEY'VE HAD, WHICH IS A FOUR, THEY HAVE TO BE WITHIN 1000FT OF A FIRE HYDRANT AND FIVE ROAD MILES OF THE CLOSEST FIRE STATION. RIGHT. AND IT USED TO BE AS A CROW FLIES. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT.

LOOKING AT ALL THESE NUMBERS. YES, SIR. RIGHT. AND TO GO ALONG WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WHERE WE'RE PUTTING OUR FIRE STATIONS, YOU KNOW, AS WE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.

WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT FIRE STATION LOCATIONS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE IN THE BEST PLACE POSSIBLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT FIVE ROAD MILES. YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO TRULY COVER EVERY MILE OF TROUP COUNTY ROAD, WE PROBABLY HAVE TO ADD 10 OR 15 FIRE STATIONS. AND THAT'S JUST NOT REASONABLE. WE JUST TRY TO PLACE THEM WHERE WE GET THE MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK, SO TO SPEAK.

SO WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT FIVE ROAD MILES. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S THERE MAY BE SOME AREAS AND POCKETS THAT ARE THAT ARE OUTSIDE THAT FIVE MILE ROAD REACH. WE JUST HAVE TO TRY TO DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE PLANNING FOR IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

CHIEF. LET ME ASK A QUICK QUESTION. LOOKING AT THE CALLS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND WE'VE WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE. THERE'S A PERCENTAGE OF THOSE CALLS. IS IT STAYING ABOUT THE SAME WITH MEDICAL VERSUS. YES SIR. YES, SIR. IT IS I MEAN OUR OUR EMS CALL VOLUMES GENERALLY RUNS PROBABLY ANYWHERE BETWEEN 75 TO 85%. OKAY. SO LET ME ASK YOU, I THINK THAT I SAW A STORY THE OTHER DAY WHERE ONE OF THE COUNTIES IS KIND OF USING MAYBE TELEMED WITH THE QUICK RESPONSE TYPE VEHICLES THAT THEY COULD, THEY COULD GO AHEAD AND BE COMMUNICATING EITHER WITH THE AMBULANCE SERVICE OR MAYBE EVEN THE HOSPITAL. HEY, I THINK I REMEMBER SEEING THAT THE OTHER DAY. WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME PROGRAM THAT WOULD HELP US COMMUNICATE EARLIER WITH THE EITHER THE HOSPITAL OR OR. I'M JUST I'M TRYING TO I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER IF I SAW THE SAME STORY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A COUPLE OF DEPARTMENTS ARE TAKING, YOU KNOW, SOME DEPARTMENTS ARE ARE PUTTING A PARAMEDIC AND A NURSE ON AN AMBULANCE AND SENDING THEM OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, KIND OF PARAMEDICINE KIND OF THING TO CHECK ON SOME OF THEIR PEOPLE THAT FREQUENTLY CALL 911 TO REDUCE THE CALLS FOR NINE ONE, ONE FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS AND THE AMBULANCES. I KNOW COWETA COUNTY IS DOING THAT. CLAYTON COUNTY IS DOING THAT. SOME OF THE LARGER DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING THAT THERE. THERE'S ACTUALLY APPLY FOR GRANTS, SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT. WE'VE ACTUALLY TEXT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND A COUNSELOR TO GO OUT AND APPROACH

[01:55:03]

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. I'M SHANNON JOHNSON. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE ARCHIVES. IF MAGISTRATE COURT STARTS EVERYTHING, I THINK THE ARCHIVES ENDS EVERYTHING. SO WE HAVE SOME NEW COMMISSIONERS. AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT HAPPENS AT THE ARCHIVES. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T FULLY KNOW WHAT WE DO. AND THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO DO THAT IS TO GIVE YOU A QUICK HISTORY LESSON. SO AS EARLY AS THOMAS JEFFERSON AND JAMES MADISON, THERE WAS A BELIEF AND CONCERN THAT RECORDS BE MAINTAINED AND PROVIDED TO THE CITIZENS SO THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE TRANSPARENT AND HONEST. AND OF COURSE, WHEN THEY WERE TALKING IN 1802, THEY HAD NO IDEA THE AMOUNT OF RECORDS THAT WE WOULD BE PRODUCING. NOW, YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE ALMOST 40,000 BOXES IN OUR COLLECTIONS, AND 30,000 OF THOSE BELONG TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. AFTER WORLD WAR TWO, SEVERAL FEDERAL ACTS REGARDING THE RECORDS WERE WRITTEN. THE BIGGEST. IT WAS IN 1966 WITH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. YOU MIGHT KNOW OF NO FOIA. IN 1971, THE GEORGIA RECORDS ACT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SUNSHINE LAWS, WAS SIGNED INTO LAW, AND THAT MADE A LOT OF CHANGES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. AND PRETTY QUICKLY THAT THAT SAID THAT ALL RECORDS AND WHATEVER FORM THEY ARE MAINTAINED BOOKS, MAPS, EMAILS, YOU NAME IT, WHICH ARE CREATED OR RECEIVED IN THE COURSE OF OPERATION OF A PUBLIC OFFICE, ARE DEFINED AS PUBLIC RECORDS AND ARE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. AND THIS WAS A HUGE NEW BURDEN ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. SO PRETTY QUICKLY, THOSE RECORDS STARTED TO PILE UP IN THE BASEMENT OF THE OLD, OLD COURTHOUSE. IN 1982. THE ARCHIVES WAS JUST GETTING STARTED AS WELL. A NEW ARCHIVIST CAME IN, AND SHE WAS AWARE OF PROGRAMS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COMBINED THEIR ARCHIVAL NEEDS WITH A LOCAL NONPROFIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY. AND THAT WORKS REALLY WELL. IT PROVIDES A COST SHARING OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. AND SO THE FIRST CONTRACT BETWEEN TRIGG COUNTY AND THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY WAS WAS SIGNED IN 1982. WITH THAT, ALL SORTS OF RECORDS WERE TRANSFERRED INTO THE CUSTODY OF THE ARCHIVES. EVERYTHING FROM 1826. INFERIOR COURT RECORDS 1829 1829. LAND RECORDS. WE HAVE TAX DIGESTS, TRAFFIC CITATIONS, INCIDENT REPORTS FROM FIRES, EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY HAS TALKED ABOUT. WE HAVE THOSE DOCUMENTS. NOT ONLY IS IT THE LAW, BUT IT'S ALSO A VALUABLE HISTORICAL ASSET TO OUR COMMUNITY TO MAINTAIN ALL OF THOSE THINGS MORE THAN THE HISTORICAL VALUE IS THE FINANCIAL VALUE THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REQUIRES THAT THESE RECORDS BE CAREFULLY MAINTAINED. THE ARCHIVES PROVIDE SAFE, CLIMATIZED AND MONITORED STORAGE, REFERENCE AND RESEARCH SERVICES, DIGITIZATION FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EASE OF USE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE OFFER EXPERTISE. WE HAVE TWO DEGREED CERTIFIED ARCHIVISTS. WE HAVE TO ENSURE LEGAL COMPLIANCE. WE HAVE WORKSHOPS TO EDUCATE COUNTY STAFF ON BEST RECORDS PRACTICES AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S IN COMPLIANCE. THE ULTIMATELY THE FINANCIAL VALUE, BECAUSE OF THE CENTRALIZATION BETWEEN THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE CITY OF LAGRANGE, TROUP COUNTY, AND NOW HOGANSVILLE AS WELL, WE ARE ABLE TO SAVE OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WELL OVER $400,000 A YEAR, SPECIFICALLY TROUP COUNTY, OVER $200,000 A YEAR. SO WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANOTHER EMPLOYEE. WE ARE ASKING FOR A LITTLE OVER $13,000 SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE RUNNING INSURANCE FOR OUR LIABILITY PURPOSES. SO I'M TRYING TO BE AS BRIEF AS I CAN. I KNOW EVERYBODY'S READY TO GET OUT OF HERE, BUT DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? YOU MENTIONED INSURANCE. I GUESS YOU HAVE TO

[02:00:03]

SO AND ALL OF THAT HAS GONE UP CONSIDERABLY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. SO ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. OURS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. SO DAN'S GOING TO HAND EVERYONE OUT A LITTLE PACKET. AND IT'S COME TIME FOR US TO UPDATE OUR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY. SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO START AND LET HIM GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ON WHAT THAT WOULD ENTAIL. AND THEN WE'LL TALK THE COST AND FUNDING. GOOD MORNING GENTLEMEN. GOOD MORNING. THIS WILL BE OUR FOURTH YEAR SINCE OUR ARROWS WERE FLOWN AND IS BASED ON ALL THE INFORMATION YOU'VE RECEIVED EARLIER, YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE BUILDING PERMITS AND THE GROWTH WE'VE HAD IN THE COUNTY. OUR 911 SYSTEM, AS WELL AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS, HAVE AERIALS THAT THEY USE. IT'S OVER TEN YEARS OLD. THIS PAST ERA THAT WE FLEW WAS JUST FOR OUR WEBSITE FOR THE PROPERTY APPRAISAL OFFICE. SO THAT WAS NOT SHARED ACROSS THE COUNTY. SO WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR RENEWAL, WE TALKED TO OUR VENDOR LAST YEAR AT OUR CAVEAT IN ATHENS, AND WE SAID WE WANT TO LOOK AT THE 26 FLIGHT. SO HOW DO WE PREPARE? SO WE STARTED LOOKING AT THE COST OF WHAT IT WOULD DO AND THE BENEFITS IT WOULD BRING FOR THE COUNTY. SO WE REACHED OUT TO OUR CITIES, AND WE HAVE A VERBAL AGREEMENT FROM ALL CITY MANAGERS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FLIGHT THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN JANUARY. THEY ARE PRESENTING IT THROUGH THEIR COUNCILS NOW. THEY'LL BE THROUGH THE BUDGETING PROCESS AS LONG AS THEY SAID IT'S ALL DONE. BUT AGAIN, IT'S UP TO THEIR COUNCILS TO GET THE FINAL APPROVAL. SO ONCE IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE AND WE GET THAT AS OF JULY, WE'LL START OUR CONTRACT PROCESS. THAT CONTRACT WILL BE A TWO TIER PROCESS. WE'LL FLY IN JANUARY OF 26, IN JANUARY OF 29. DOING THIS, IT GUARANTEES NO INCREASE IN FEES. THAT WILL GUARANTEE US THE SAME FEE FOR 2026 AS WE DO IN 2019. THE GROWTH THAT YOU SEE COMING IS NOT SLOWING DOWN. LAST YEAR WE HAD THE LARGEST NUMBER ACROSS THE COUNTY, INCLUDING THE CITIES AND COUNTIES BUILDING PERMITS. YOU HEARD THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TALK ABOUT COUNTYWIDE. WELL, WE DEAL WITH ALL PERMITS. WE DEAL WITH ALL THE CITIES AND THE COUNTIES, JUST LIKE THEY DO WITH THEIR MUTUAL AID. WHAT WE DO WITH ALL OF THAT. SO THE PACKET I GAVE YOU TODAY IS JUST SOME INFORMATION FOR YOU TO CARRY WITH YOU. IT TALKS ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT WE DO. WE'RE GOING TO DO A THREE INCH FLIGHT. THE PAST TIME WAS A FOUR INCH. SO WE'RE GOING TO BRING IT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER IN. YOU'LL GET A BETTER PICTURE FOR US. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY, IF YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE'S FAMILIES THAT ACTUALLY GO OUT AND BUILD BUILDINGS WITHOUT PERMITS. SO IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FIND THESE, THE AERIALS DO HELP US. WE COMPARE YEAR TO YEAR. THERE'S A CHANGE DETECTION PART OF THAT THAT YOU COULD ALSO PURCHASE. WE'RE NOT PURCHASING THAT, BUT WE USE IT IN HOUSE. SO WE JUST FLICK ON OUR PUBLIC NET. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO OUR WEBSITE LATELY, PLEASE GO OUT AND VISIT OUR PUBLIC WEBSITE. THE AERIALS THERE ARE FOUR YEARS OLD AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THEM AND YOU CAN GO TO SOME NEIGHBORHOODS AND SUBDIVISIONS. THERE'S NOT A HOUSE THERE, IT'S JUST TALL TIMBER. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS PART OF THE AUTHORS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT UPDATING THE OBLIQUE IMAGERY. OUR BOARD OF ASSESSORS BELIEVE IN PRIVACY. SO WE DO AS MUCH AS WHAT WE CAN TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS. WE DO NOT PUBLISH PICTURES OF HOUSES. WE DO NOT PUBLISH BARNS OR FARMS FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. WE DO JUST THE FRONT PHOTO OF A PROPERTY AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT.

BUT WITHIN THE COUNTY, OUR DEPARTMENTS USE THE OBLIQUE IMAGERY. THE OBLIQUE IMAGERY IS PASSWORD PROTECTED. IT'S GIVEN ONLY TO CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS THAT'S NEEDED. BUT IT GIVES US A THREE DIMENSIONAL PICTURE OF THAT HOUSE. WE CAN GO AROUND THAT PROPERTY AND WE CAN SEE ALL THE WAY DOWN. WE CAN MEASURE FROM THE AIR. WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE EVERY SIDE OF THAT PROPERTY.

IT HELPS US TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING FAIR, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ASSESSING THESE PROPERTIES FAIRLY. PART OF THE PACKET THAT YOU'LL READ THROUGH THERE GIVES YOU THAT TALKS ABOUT THE AERIAL IMAGERY. THE ASSESSMENTS FOR 911 PURPOSES FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS. WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO PROVIDE WITH THIS PARTICULAR PACKET CITY OF LAGRANGE WHO ALSO HANDLES OUR IT DEPARTMENT. THEY WILL ACTUALLY BE UPGRADING OUR ARCGIS, WHICH OUR ROAD DEPARTMENT USES ON A DAILY BASIS. 911 WILL ACTUALLY BE GIVING THEM THE NEW AERIALS. ON TOP OF THAT, FOR THEIR BENEFIT, THEY'LL BLEAK IMAGERY. THEY CAN ACTUALLY SIGN UP WITH AN ACCOUNT THROUGH OUR OFFICE.

WE GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THAT, AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY OPEN UP EVERY PARCEL. AND THEY CAN SEE THOSE THREE DIMENSIONS OF EVERY PROPERTY. AS I SAID EARLIER, THE BENEFIT OF IT, DANA, IS GOING TO

[02:05:06]

WE'LL PROVIDE THAT TO ALSO TO ARCGIS TO PEOPLE AT THE IT DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY. PART OF THIS AGREEMENT THAT YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT LATER IS MARK PRESENTED A INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT THAT YOU'LL BE HEARING ABOUT LATER. ONCE ALL THE CITIES GO THROUGH THEIR PROCESS AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH OURS, WE'LL BE BACK FOR THIS AT A LATER DATE. BUT PART OF THAT AGREEMENT IS IT'LL I'VE PROVIDED YOU IN. HERE IS A PACKET THAT SHOWS THAT DANA YOU WANT TO HOW SHE BROKE THAT DOWN. IT'S THE LAST PAGE OF THE PACKET NEXT TO LAST. I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. NEXT TO LAST TO CHANGE IT AROUND. AND. BUT IT BREAKS DOWN THE COST OF THE ONE YEAR OF THE 2006 FLIGHT IS 128,500. AND SO THE CHART THAT YOU SEE BREAKS DOWN THE PARCEL COUNT BETWEEN THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COST THAT WOULD APPLY TO EACH ONE OF THOSE. AND AGAIN, THE TOTAL. SO FOR TROUP COUNTY, OUR OUR PAYMENT YEARLY FOR THREE YEARS WOULD BE 20,133 FOR A TOTAL OF 60,400. AND THEN AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BREAKDOWN FOR THE CITY OF LAGRANGE, THE CITY OF WEST POINT AND THE CITY OF HOGANSVILLE ARE LISTED AS WELL. AS DAN SAID THEY HAVE AGREED TO CONTRIBUTE THIS YEAR OR THIS FLIGHT AND ARE ALSO. WE REACHED OUT TO OUR VENDOR AND WEST POINT WANTED US TO CAPTURE THEIR ENTIRE CITY LIMITS, WHICH THEY'RE SPLIT IN HALF WITH HARRIS COUNTY. SO PART OF THIS QUOTE IS THEY'RE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE FLIGHT. SO THEY'RE WHEN THEY COME AND FLY, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO CAPTURE EVERYTHING FOR THE CITY OF WEST POINT. FIRST TIME THEY'VE EVER HAD THIS. THEY'LL ACTUALLY HAVE AN ENTIRE MAP OF JUST THEIR CITY THAT THEY CAN USE INTERNALLY, WHICH IS A HUGE, I THINK IS A HUGE PLUS FOR THEM. AND ANOTHER GOOD POINT IS WE'LL BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THIS OUT OF REVENUE THAT WE GET FROM OUR PILOT PROCESSING FEES EACH YEAR, AND SO WE WON'T BE ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO DO THIS. WE'LL BE ABLE TO PULL OUT THAT REVENUE. AND WHAT IS WHAT IS THE TIME IF YOU START IN JANUARY OF 2026, WHAT'S THE TIME SCHEDULE OF HAVING ALL THIS COMPLETED? SO THE AIRPORT WILL BE DONE IF THE WEATHER PERMITTED. WE SHOULD HAVE DELIVERIES BY MARCH. SO THAT'LL GIVE YOU TIME ENOUGH TO GET EVERYTHING DONE. PART OF THIS PROCESS, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THIS UPDATING TO MAKE SURE WE TRY TO SAVE THE TAXPAYERS MONEY IS IT IS FUNDED THROUGH OUR PILOT PROCESSING FEES. SO THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS. WE'RE ASKING AS FAR AS OUTSIDE THE BUDGET, BUT THE ONE PART OF THIS THAT WE HAVE NOT UPDATED SINCE 2009 IS OUR TOPOGRAPHY. WE'VE GOT WITH JAMES, WE HAD A JOINT MEETING OF ALL THE CITIES. THE CITY MANAGERS CAME, SOME ROAD DEPARTMENT INDIVIDUALS CAME, JAMES PARTICIPATED. AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS IT'S CALLED LIDAR OUR OUR TOPO. SO AND PART OF THIS PACKAGE THAT YOU HAVE IS ALSO A QUOTE FOR THAT THAT WILL BE ADDED ON TOP OF OURS. AND THE FUNDING FOR THAT IS OUTSIDE OF OUR OFFICE IN JAMES OR ERIC CAN SPEAK ON THAT, BUT IT'S AT THE SAME TIME. SO AS THEY'RE FLYING THIS, THEY ACTUALLY FLY THIS PLANE AND TAKE IN THESE PICTURES. THEY'RE ACTUALLY CREATING THE TOPOGRAPHY AS THEY FLY. SO IT'S EASIER AND LESS EXPENSIVE TO ALL DO IT AT ONE TIME. SO OUR PART OF IT IS ON THE FUNDING SIDE THAT YOU SEE HERE. WE'LL BE BACK LATER TO BRING YOU THE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITIES THAT MARK DREW UP FOR US. BUT AS FAR AS THE FUNDING, ON THE LIGHTER SIDE OF IT, I'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS, I THINK ERIC OR JAMES CAN ANSWER THOSE. YEAH, THERE'S A FIRST TIME THE FLIGHT FOR THIS TOOK PLACE IN 2009. THAT WAS THE FIRST AERIAL FLIGHT THAT WE DID. YES, SIR. AND WE'VE UPDATED IT IN 13, 13, 20, 23. OKAY. YES, SIR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

SIR. A LOT OF QUESTIONS TOO. I WAS GOING TO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT MAN. LOOK, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S

[02:10:06]

IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN A VERY BIG EYE OPENER. SOME OF Y'ALL KNOW I'VE TALKED TO Y'ALL SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT PEOPLE THAT'S CALLED IN COMPLAINTS, AND I'M TRYING TO ADDRESS MORE OF THAT TO BE MORE EFFICIENT. BUT I'M ASKING FOR TWO POSITIONS AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHY. ONE, I WANT TWO POSITIONS. THEY CAN BE ANIMAL CONTROL AND CODE ENFORCEMENT. WITH THE PROGRESS OF DEVELOPMENT, THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE IN. MY DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED. THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE STARTED IN 1990. I STARTED IN 94 WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. SO I'VE KIND OF SEEN WHAT THEY DO OVER TIME. AND IT'S INCREASED AND INCREASED AND INCREASED OVER THE YEARS.

BUT WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, WE DIDN'T HAVE A DISPATCH SYSTEM. YOU KNOW, WE WAS USING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WHICH WASN'T AS BAD BACK THEN. BUT NOW, LOOK, I, WE GET OUR CALLS OFF A GROUP TEXT WHERE IT COMES INTO OUR OFFICE. THANK GOD WE'VE GOT AMANDA INMAN NOW THAT WAS ABLE TO TAKE THAT. SHE HANDLES DATA COLLECTION. SHE HANDLES ALL THE CALL TAKING ANY KIND OF COMPLAINTS THAT COMES THROUGH. SHE MANAGES MY OFFICE. SHE IS AMAZING. I COULDN'T DO IT. I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT IT. SO THEN I'VE GOT GUYS OUT THERE THAT ARE. GOING TO THESE CALLS AND THEY'RE NOT BEING ABLE TO CHECK OUT ON THE RADIO WHEN THEY NEED TO. THERE'S SOME CALLS WE GO OUT ON THAT WE NEVER CHECK OUT AND NO ONE, NOBODY KNOWS WHERE WE'RE AT. IT'S OUT THERE SERVING CIVIL PAPERS AND EVICTIONS AND DISPOSE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR I REALLY NEED NINE ONE TO HELP ME GET SOME DISPATCHERS FROM. WE GOT OUR OWN RADIO CHANNEL WE CAN'T EVEN USE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE DISPATCHERS. SO I NEED THAT.

THAT'S FOR OFFICER SAFETY. NOW LET ME GET BACK TO MY LET ME GET BACK TO THE TWO. IN SEPTEMBER.

FROM SEPTEMBER 24TH TO DECEMBER 24TH, WE'VE ANSWERED 1059 CALLS. THAT'S JUST IN A FEW MONTHS.

CIVIL PAPERS ATTEMPTED WAS 2228 CIVIL PAPERS ATTEMPTED. THAT'S LIKE WHAT, SEVEN, EIGHT GUYS, LADIES, GUYS AND LADIES. AND IT'S OVERWHELMING. NOW YOU THINK ABOUT ALL Y'ALL, GET EM ALL THE CODE ENFORCEMENT CALLS THAT'S COMING UP. EVERYBODY'S GOT TRASH YARDS. THEY WANT EVERYTHING CLEANED UP. THEY WANT IT CLEANED UP YESTERDAY. AND IT'S BEEN GOING GOING FOR 5 TO 10 YEARS.

AND THEY WANT SOME ANSWERS AND I'M WANTING TO GIVE IT TO EM. BUT I CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE I'M GETTING OVERLOADED. BECAUSE NOW WHAT HAPPENS IS WE'RE ANSWERING THESE CALLS AND THEN I'M HAVING TO GO BACK AND FOLLOW UP, BUT WE'RE STILL GETTING CALLS IN. SO I NEED SOMEBODY. I NEED TWO MORE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT KIND OF VOLUME. AND HAVING TO GO BACK AND FOLLOW UP, WE DON'T GO BACK AND FOLLOW UP. THERE'S NO SENSE IN ADDRESSING THE ISSUE BECAUSE NOBODY'S GOING TO CLEAN IT UP NOW. ALSO, I HELPED PUSH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CITATION COURT BETTER WAY OF DOING CITATION COURT BY BRINGING IN JUDGE JAMES BAKER. THAT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS. WE'RE WE'RE ADDRESSING IT AS WE GO ALONG. WE'RE SEEING WHAT WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER, WHAT WE NEED TO CHANGE, YOU KNOW, TWEAK THE WHOLE THING. THAT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT. BUT THAT THAT RIGHT THERE IS THAT'S WHY I'M NEEDING THESE TWO OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE I'M, I'VE GOT THINGS IN PLACE WHERE I HAVE AN END GAME. I NEED PEOPLE TO HELP ME GET THERE, AND I NEED PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO I JUST NEED TO IT CAN I'M WANTING TO BE THEM TO BE CERTIFIED, BUT THEY DON'T

[02:15:01]

[9. Consideration of May 6, 2025 5:00 p.m. Business Meeting Agenda(Eric Mosley)]

[02:20:05]

[EXECUTIVE SESSION]

BUT THE FIRST STEP IS TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON A PERSONNEL MATTER. YOU WOULD HAVE TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THAT PURPOSE. STATUS, AND GO THROUGH SOMETHING AND MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. THAT'S WHAT I FEEL. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND HAVE PENDING LITIGATION AND PERSONNEL MATTERS. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? MOTION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THE MOTION IS CARRIED AND WE WILL ADJOURN.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.