September 3rd Mayor and Council Meeting Notes

September 4th, 2024

The Dalton Mayor and Council held their first scheduled meeting of the month on Tuesday night. The meeting was moved from Monday due to the Labor Day holiday. Tuesday's agenda included a pair of mayoral proclamations as well as the first readings of a number of rezoning requests. You can click here to watch the meeting in its entirety on the City of Dalton's YouTube channel. 

Mayor Sams opened the meeting's agenda by reading a proclamation declaring September as "Hunger Action Month" in Dalton. Mayor Sams' proclamation noted that more than 13% of people in Georgia face hunger and one in five children in the state do not know where their next meal will come from. The proclamation also stated that the City of Dalton is committed to working with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank in educating the public about the role of food banks to address hunger and awareness of the need to devote resources to fighting hunger. Mayor Sams presented the proclamation to Jeannine Carpenter from the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. You can click here to read the text of the proclamation and click here to watch this portion of the meeting. 

Caption: Mayor Sams (left) presents a proclamation declaring World Duchenne Awareness Day with members of local families who are affected by the disease

Mayor Sams then presented a proclamation to declare Saturday, September 7th as World Duchenne Awareness Day in the City of Dalton. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a fatal genetic disorder that is diagnosed during childhood and affects one out of every 5,000 male births each year. The disease primarily affects boys because the gene that causes it is found on the x-chromosome. The disease results in a progressive loss of strength and muscle weakness which leads to a number of health problems, particularly associated with the heart and lungs. On September 7th, organizations associated with the fight against the disease will work to raise awareness for people around the world who are living with the illness. Mayor Sams presented copies of the proclamation to three Dalton families who are fighting the illness. You can click here to read the text of the proclamation and click here to watch this portion of the meeting. 

One Dalton resident spoke to the Mayor and Council during the public comment period. Wayne Russell of Brighton Way spoke about concerns that he and his neighbors in the area of the North Oaks community share about rumors of businesses that could soon open in the North Oaks plaza. Russell said that the businesses could include a new gas station which he fears could cause traffic issues in the neighborhood. Russell asked the Council to consider the neighborhood's wishes in any decisions they make regarding the area. You can click here to watch this portion of the meeting. 

Caption: Mayor Sams (right) presents a proclamation declaring September as "Hunger Action Month" to Jeannine Carpenter (left) from the Chattanooga Area Food Bank

The Mayor and Council moved to approve two alcoholic beverage license applications. The first of the two, a pouring beer, wine, and liquor license for De lo mio Dominican Restaurant at 116 West King Street was approved by a 4-0 vote of the council with the stipulation that the approval is pending the completion of an inspection of the business by the City's code enforcement unit. The license for BigTime Billiards and Cafe at 1129 S. Thornton Avenue for pouring beer, wine, and liquor was approved by a 4-0 vote of the council. You can click here to watch this portion of the meeting. 

The Mayor and Council also voted to: 

• Approve the renewal of a floor cleaning contract for Public Works - The contract with Spectra Floor Cleaning continues a partnership for the cleaning of floors in the Public Works Department's facilities for both carpet and tile cleaning and costs $5,562 from the general fund budget. The agreement includes a possible two year renewal. The cost for the service is the same as in previous years. The Council voted 4-0 to approve. You can click here and here to view the agreements and you can click here to watch this portion of the meeting. 
• Approve a temporary construction easement for the Walnut Avenue North Stormwater Project - The construction easement at 622 McFarland Avenue is needed to complete elements of the third phase of the Walnue Avenue North Drainage Basin project in the area of Franklin Street and Valley Drive. The easement was approved by a 3-0 vote of the Council (Councilmember Steve Farrow recused himself from the matter because property owned by a family member is involved in the project area. You can click here to view the construction easement and you can click here to watch this portion of the meeting. 
• Approve contracts for obstruction removal at the Dalton Municipal Airport - GDOT funds for the removal of trees and other obstructions from the approach to runway 32 at the airport were approved at an August 2022 meeting of the Mayor and Council. The allocation of $311,389 from GDOT required a local match of $16,389. The Council voted 4-0 to approve three separate contracts related to that work on Tuesday night. You can click here, here, and here to view the three contracts. You can click here to watch this portion of the meeting. 
• Approve an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority - The IGA with the JDA provides for the City's portion of funding for the design and construction of a residential infill community for workforce housing. The development will be constructed on land donated by the City of Dalton at 900 S. Hamilton Street with funding from a $1.5 million grant from the OneGeorgia Rural Workforce Housing initiative. As part of the development of the project, the City pledged $622,3000 toward infrastructure design and construction. $600,000 of that funding is still owed. The IGA outlines the terms for the disbursement of City funds for the project which can only be used for public infrastructure in the development (such as roads, sidewalks, curbs, water and sewer utilities, and stormwater conveyance systems in the right of way). The IGA provides for the City to pay out the remaining funds on a pro rata basis as construction is performed. The Council voted 4-0 Tuesday night to approve the IGA. You can click here to view the IGA document. You can click here to watch this portion of the meeting. 

The Mayor and Council also heard the first readings of three ordinances dealing with rezoning requests. Those ordinances were:

• Ordinance 24-29, a request to rezone a tract of land at 908 Elk Street - The rezoning request from Edgar Rincon would rezone the land from transitional commercial (C-4) to general commercial (C-2). Mr. Rincon hopes to use the property as an event space. The Council can act on the ordinance after a second reading at a future Mayor and Council meeting. You can click here to watch this portion of the meeting.
• Ordinance 24-30, a request to rezone a tract of land at 709 McAfee Street - The rezoning request from Eloy Moreno, Jr. would rezone the land from high density residential (R-7) to general commercial (C-2). Mr. Moreno hopes to create a storage building and a possible future convenience store. Planning staff and the Planning Commission each recommended a denial of the request due to the size of the tract because it would be difficult to meet requirements for setbacks and buffers from surrounding residential properties. The Council can act on the ordinance after a second reading at a future Mayor and Council meeting. You can click here to watch this portion of the meeting.  
• Ordinance 24-31, a request to rezone a tract of land at 509-511 N. Hamilton Street and 107 Waterworks Street - The rezoning request from Octavio Perez would rezone the land from medium density single family residential (R-3) to high density residential (R-7). Mr. Perez hopes to bring the properties into conformity with zoning ordinances because a duplex in the tract is not allowed in the current permitted uses. The Council can act on the ordinance after a second reading at a future Mayor and Council meeting. You can click here to watch this portion of the meeting.

Mayor Sams closed Tuesday's meeting with a reminder of the public information meeting detailing proposed changes to the City's alcoholic beverage ordinance. that is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. at Dalton City Hall Council Chamber.

The next Mayor and Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 16th at 6:00 pm. 

Click "Play" in the window below to watch Tuesday night's meeting.