City Council Meeting Minutes
January 9th, 2012
Special Council Meeting
December 15th, 2011
City Council Meeting Minutes
December 12th, 2011
Elected Officials
Becky Smith, Mayor
Dan Boling, Ward 1
Kay McCathen, Ward 2
Joe Will, Ward 3
Howard Jones, Ward 4
Alfred Carpenter, Ward 5
Donnie Griffin, Ward 6
Bessemer City Elected Officials
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City Council Meeting Minutes
January 9th, 2012
The Bessemer City Council met in regular session on January 9, 2012 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers of City Hall.
Members Present
Mayor Becky Smith; Council Members: Dan Boling, Donnie Griffin, Alfred Carpenter, Joe Will, Kay McCathen and Howard Jones. Also attending were Attorney David Smith and Janice Costner, Interim City Manager.
Call to Order, Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance
Mayor Smith called the meeting to order and Kay McCathen led in prayer. Mayor Smith led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Adjustment and Approval of Agenda
Upon motion by Joe Will and unanimous vote, the January 9, 2012 Agenda was approved with the following amendments/changes:
Consent Agenda – Item B. Kiser Center Budget Ordinance Amendment was pulled and added as item 7b; Proclamation Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King added as Item 3b; Resolution Declaring Certain Items Surplus added to Consent Agenda as Item H.
Special Presentation – Student Appreciation
Students from Bessemer City Primary, Bessemer City Central, Bessemer City Middle, Bessemer City High School and Bessemer City Early College School were recognized by their principals and City Council as part of the Student Appreciation Program for the months of October, November and December, 2011 and January 2012.
Principal James Montgomery, Bessemer City High School and Early College Principal, Sheila Wyont presented certificates to Darielle Fair, Lindsey Huffman, Ashley Young, Chris Conrad, Austin Nixon, Codey Kirkpatrick, Kelly Donnelly and Chris Davis.
Principal Rebecca Wilson, Bessemer City Middle School, presented certificates to McKenzie Miller, Obadiah Tyler, Hannah Swift, Gabby Franklin, Logan Hamby and Jessica McArdle.
Principal Mary Byers Hall, Bessemer City Central School, presented certificates to Sophie Foster, Wesley Moore, Hailey Meeks, Nick Sigmon, Zack Varnadore, Matthew Washington, Justice Davis, LeDemion Butler, Ashley Green, and Nathan Burgess.
Principal Todd Dellinger, Bessemer City Primary, presented certificates to Jayda Owens, Destiny Hawkins, Malik Horton, Isaiah Eskridge, Carleigh Clark and Hannah Clark.
Mayor Smith congratulated the students, recognizing their accomplishments and presented them with a gift from the City.
Martin Luther King Day Proclamation
Mayor Becky Smith read a Proclamation recognizing the goals and mission of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., urging citizens to join with others in the community in tribute to Dr. King and his ideals. Motion to accept the Proclamation was made by Howard Jones and unanimously approved.
Approval of Minutes
Upon motion by Kay McCathen and unanimous vote, the minutes of the December 12, 2011 Regular Meeting and the December 15, 2011 Special Meeting were approved.
Request to Speak/Opportunity for Public Comment
Merchants Association Report: Ms. Angel Autry presented the 2011 report for the Bessemer City Merchants Association and briefed Council on plans for 2012. Successful 2011 projects were highlighted with Ms. Autry reporting that 98% of profits realized go to Bessemer City Schools and the BC Crisis Ministry. Ms. Autry advised that several projects were being planned on West Pennsylvania Avenue again including the Largest Yard Sale in April, Alive After Five in August and the Homeless Hunger Awareness night in November. A calendar of dates will be submitted to Council for approval at the February, 2012 Council Meeting.
Consent Agenda
The following items of the Consent Agenda were unanimously approved by motion of Dan Boling:
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A) Council approved overnight travel requests for Recreation Director Jo D Franklin to attend the NC Parks & Recreation Directors’ Conference in Durham on January 25-27, 2012; City Planner Kevin Krouse to attend the NC Main Street Conference in Clayton on January 25-27, 2012.
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B) Capital Project Ordinance – Kings Mountain 20 inch Water Transfer Main – Council approved a project ordinance for financing relating to the design and engineering for the 20 inch water transfer main to Kings Mountain. The amounts budgeted for Engineering Fees is $195,000, and the anticipated revenues to be available for completion of the project are as follows:
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Amount Budgeted for Project - Engineering Fees - $195,000
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Anticipated Revenue for completion: Transfer from Capital Reserve - $160,000; 2011-12 Water/Sewer Fund Budget Transfer - $30,000. (Copy on file in Resolution Book at City Hall).
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C) Council appointed Jamie Ramsey as Fire Chief for 2012 as nominated by the Fire Department members at their December 12, 2011 meeting.
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D) As required by NCGS 58-86-25, all certified fire departments must submit a complete roster of eligible firemen on an annual basis and the governing body must certify that the roster is a valid and accurate list of eligible firemen in accordance with the NCGS. Council approved the roster as submitted.
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E) Council approved a resolution regarding the relocation of the Early College School from the Bessemer City High School campus to the Gaston College Campus. Former Mayor Bob Hovis addressed the matter at the December School Board meeting and asked the City for support. Subsequently, a memorandum from Mark Upchurch, School Board Chairman, and Superintendent Reeves McGlohon, was sent to Mayor Smith pledging to work with BCHS to improve student performance at Bessemer City High School. (Copy of Resolution on file in Resolution Book at City Hall).
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F) Council approved an Ordinance to amend chapter 75: Traffic Schedules, relating to West Maryland Avenue between N. Mickley Avenue and North 14th Street, changing the speed limit from 35 MPH to 25 MPH. The change was recommended by the Gaston County Police following a radar assignment conducted in the area because of a citizen complaint regarding excessive speeding in the area. (Copy on file in Ordinance Book at City Hall).
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G) Surplus Property Declaration – Council approved a Resolution declaring certain properties as surplus, including a desk, 2 storage cabinets, a bookshelf and two computers. Items will be disposed of as allowed by statutes.
Voluntary Annexation Request – 3300 Bessemer City Road
A request for voluntary annexation of property located at 3300 Bessemer City Road, submitted by Mr. Ronnie Freeman, was reviewed by Planner Kevin Krouse. Mr. Krouse addressed Council, relating facts about the process for voluntary annexation, extension of utilities, etc. Questions regarding submission of a meets and bounds survey as required by ordinance were addressed and following discussion, motion was made by Dan Boling with unanimous vote authorizing the City Clerk to certify the petition for annexation.
Budget Amendment – Kiser Center
Council approved a budget amendment as recommended by the Finance Officer to account for additional funds needed for completion of the Kiser Senior Center project. Discussion on other expenditures to be incurred was held with staff advising that book shelving will be needed. Being no further discussion, the amendment was approved as follows:
To amend the Kiser Fund appropriations for the purchase and remodeling of the building located at 123 West Pennsylvania Avenue for the purpose of the new Kiser Senior Center as follows:
Department: Kiser Fund – Increase: $150,000
(Copy on file in Ordinance Book at City Hall).
Amend Natural Gas Service & Maintenance Policy
Gas Director, Todd Davis, recommended that an additional statement be added to the Natural Gas Service and Maintenance Policy regarding requests for upgrades in meter sizes above the AL-425 due to an increase in BTU requirements. Item #4 will read “in the event that a customer requests an upgrade in meter size above AL-425 due to an increase in BTU requirements, the customer shall pay the actual costs borne by the City for the meter and required regulator as well as the piping and fittings used to complete the upgrade.” Motion was made by Howard Jones and unanimously approved to accept the change as proposed.
ABC Board Appointment Request
The Bessemer City ABC Board submitted a request to the City to appoint two additional members to its board increasing the size of the board from three (3) to five (5) members. NCGS 18B-700 relating to Appointment and Organization of local Boards was reviewed. Upon motion by Joe Will and unanimous vote, the request was approved and the Clerk directed to advertise the appointments. The item will be placed on the February, 2012 Council Agenda for appointments.
Centralina Council of Governments Service Agreement
Council approved the Service Agreement for Centralina Council of Governments regarding the City Manager search process. The agreement includes the preparation of advertisement and the screening of applicants. The estimated cost for the services is $280 plus cost of advertisement. Other recruitment services offered by Centralina were detailed in a letter from Mr. Robert Henderson, IT Director, should Council need them.
Tree Removal Request
Mr. Jack Hovis, owner of Surf & Turf Restaurant, made an earlier request of the City to remove a number of pine trees on city property that border his restaurant property at 808 N. 14th Street. Mr. Hovis felt the trees posed a hazard by shading his parking lot and keeping ice from melting during inclement weather. City Planner, Kevin Krouse, met with Dustin Ellis, owner of a logging company, who advised he would remove the trees at no cost to the city, but that he would have to cut and gravel a 50 foot driveway onto the City property from Highway 274 to get to the trees. He also advised that he would leave the brush from the logging at the back of the city’s property and that he did not remove stumps. In addition, there are some hardwoods that will require removal to get to the pines. Discussion centered on how this could affect the current lease the City entered into with the Boys and Girls Club and concern about placing debris on the cemetery property line was held. Following discussion, motion was made by Joe Will and unanimously approved to deny the request to remove the trees.
Council General Discussion
The following items were discussed during Council General Discussion: broken board in bleachers at Central School Gym; Unified Logo design from Gaston Together, with Council agreeing on the final draft as submitted (Interim Manager Janice Costner will notify Gaston Together of approval); preparing site at cemetery for the Procession of the Cross; landscaping at I-85 exit on Edgewood Road; names for invitations to Kiser Center Open House; meeting notice reminders.
Being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 8:10 PM upon motion by Howard Jones and unanimous vote.
– Adora G. Alford, Deputy City Clerk
– Becky S. Smith, Mayor
