December 16th Mayor and Council Meeting Notes

Tuesday, December 17th, 2024

The Mayor and Council met on Monday night for their final scheduled meeting of 2024. The meeting started with a packed house as members of three state champion volleyball teams from the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department were recognized for their accomplishments. The players and their families filled the audience before filing out after their recognition. 

Caption: Mayor Annalee Sams reads a proclamation honoring the state champion soccer teams from the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department while members of the 10-and-under team stand in the Council Chamber

The volleyball teams each won the state championship in their age division last month in dominant fashion. The 14-and-under, 12-and-under, and 10-and-under girls from DPRD were each recognized by Mayor Annalee Sams with a proclamation honoring their championships. Victor Rodriguez, the athletic coordinator for volleyball, also recognized their parents and families for all of their support and hard work during the season. 

The Mayor and Council also approved a large block of alcoholic beverage license renewals. There were 132 license renewals made without any changes to the license and also eight that included changes. You can click here to see the list of applications. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the licenses. Mayor Sams typically only votes in the event of a tie. 

The Council also heard the first readings of two ordinances concerning zoning. Ordinance 24-35 would rezone a tract of land at 1112 Riverbend Drive from heavy manufacturing (M-2) to rural residential (R-5). The rezoning request was made by Ed Staten. The property was originally developed for residential use and the rezoning would bring the parcel into conformity. Planning and Zoning Commission staff and members recommended the rezoning. To read the staff analysis, click here. To view a presentation on the rezoning, click here. To read the text of Ordinance 24-35, click here. The Council can take action on the ordinance after a second reading at a future meeting. 

The second zoning ordinance, Ordinance 24-36, concerns a request from the City of Varnell to amend the Unified Zoning Ordinance (UZO) that would only affect Varnell. Changes to the UZO must be approved by all of the different participating governments. The request would set a new, lower maximum building height for buildings zoned in the general commercial (C-2) zone. The change would lower the maximum height from 140 feet to 50 feet to preserve the special character of the Varnell commercial districts. The Planning and Zoning Commission staff and members recommended the change. To read the staff analysis, click here. To read the ordinance, click here. The Council can take action on the ordinance after a second reading at a future meeting. 

The Council also voted to: 

• Approve the purchase of 604 Olivia Drive - The City is buying the residence at 604 Olivia Drive for $117,000. The residence will be demolished and the property will be used for a stormwater management improvement project. The project will mitigate flooding hazards in the area and restore the previous flood plain. To view the sales agreement, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the purchase. 
• Approve the purchase of a permanent stormwater easement - The purchase of a 20-foot permanent easement on North Elm Street is part of the North Glenwood Avenue Stormwater Improvements Project. The purchase price is $2,600 which is the fair market value. To view sales agreement, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the purchase. 
• Approve a temporary right-of-way encroachment at 1031 S. Hamilton Street - The owner, Wright Construction of Chattanooga, is performing renovations to the old Boylston Mills building at the property and is installing, curb, gutter, sidewalk, and tree planting on the site which encroaches on the right-of-way. To view the agreement, click here. To see an illustration of the affected area, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the encroachment. 
• Authorize participation in an amicus brief with the City of Milton - The City of Milton has been sued after a masonry planter located in the right-of-way but off of a roadway was hit by a vehicle. The City has lost the suit and an appeal. Other cities in Georgia are concerned about the liability that could arise from the case if property located off of roadways is considered a road hazard. To read the resolution authorizing participation in the brief, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve. 
• Authorize an exchange of land with Pentz Legacy, LLC - The old City Hall property on Pentz Street is no longer in use and is in disrepair. The Pentz Legacy, LLC group wants to acquire the property to repurpose it. In exchange, the group has offered to give a property adjacent to soccer fields that can be used to expand their use. To read the resolution, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the exchange. 
• Approve an agreement with Confluence Design for gateway signage design - The Confluence Design firm has created a new logo and brand identity for the City of Dalton. This agreement for $16,700 to be paid from hotel/motel tax funds is to engage the firm to design signage that would be posted at gateways to the City of Dalton. To see examples of other gateway signage designed by the firm around Georgia, click here. To view the proposal, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve. 
• Approve 3 staff re-appointments - The Council voted 4-0 to re-appoint Robert Cowan as the Municipal Court Judge, Fire Chief Matthew Daniel as Fire Marshall, and Jonathan Bledsoe as City Attorney. The term for each appointment is one year. 

The Mayor and Council's next meeting will be January 6th, 2025 at 6:00 pm in the City Council Chamber.