January 21st Mayor and Council Meeting Notes
Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025
The Dalton Mayor and Council held their second meeting of the month Tuesday night. The meeting was postponed from its usual date on the third Monday of the month due to observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The Council had a relatively short agenda for the meeting which included the second reading of an ordinance to annex a property into the City of Dalton and also a procedural measure for the Dalton Police Department's equitable sharing agreement with the US Department of Justice.
CLICK HERE to watch the video of Tuesday night's meeting
Tuesday's meeting opened with a presentation from Dan Lewallen, the supervisor of the City's Code Enforcement Unit. Lewallen recapped the unit's activities and achievements from 2024 and presented the City's code enforcement goals for 2025. Lewallen reported that his unit opened 667 cases in 2024, and that less than 5% of the unit's closed cases resulted in citations.
"That's something that we take pride in," Lewallen told the Mayor and Council.
Lewallen noted that the Code Enforcement Unit's "Spring CLEAN 2024" initiative in partnership with the Public Works Department was a qualified success. The effort to focus the City's code enforcement efforts on the area surrounding the Mack Gaston Community Center led to a number of violations being addressed with help from the community and restored the shine to one of Dalton's founding neighborhoods. Lewallen told the Council that his unit is planning another "Spring CLEAN" later in 2025 with a focus on the neighborhoods around Lakeshore Park.
Other goals for the Code Enfocement Unit include developing a comprehensive property maintenance ordinance to modernize the City's current ordinances. Lewallen also hopes to work with the Municipal Court to create a civil nuisance complaint process that would allow residents to make code violation complaints through the court instead of relying on individual inspectors to resolve issues that often stem from neighborhood disputes. To watch the full code enforcement presentation, click here.
On Tuesday night, the Council voted to:
- Enact Ordinance 25-01 To Annex A Property On Covie Drive - The ordinance annexes a single family residential property at 1223 Covie Drive into the City of Dalton. The property is currently bordered by other City properties. The Dalton-Varnell-Whitfield County Planning Commission recommended the change as did planning commission staff. Click here to read the staff analysis of the annexation request. The first reading of the ordinance was held at the Mayor and Council's meeting on January 6th. Click here to read Ordinance 25-01. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the annexation. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve the DPD Equitable Sharing Agreement With The US DOJ - The Dalton Police Department is engaged in an agreement with the US Department of Justice to share asset forfeiture funds. As part of the agreement, the DPD is required to submit a report with the approval of the Mayor and Council annually detailing the amount of funds received and how they were used. To read the equitable sharing report, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the report.To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve An Alcoholic Beverage License Application - The application by Naren Patel on behalf of Blue Star Hospitality is for a new pouring beer and wine license for the Holiday Inn Express at 934 Market Street. The license application was approve by a 4-0 vote of the Council. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve An Appointment To The Joint Development Authority - Frank Robertson was re-appointed to the Joint Development Authority for another one year term which will expire on January 31st, 2026. His current term was set to expire on January 31st, 2025. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the re-appointment. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
The Mayor and Council's next meeting is set for Monday, February 3rd, 2025 at 6:00 pm in the City Hall Council Chamber.
Click "Play" in the window below to watch Tuesday night's meeting
