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CITY GOVERNMENT
OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS OF CITY COUNCIL
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
PRESENT: Mayor Eddie W. DeLoach, Presiding
Aldermen Carol Bell, Brian Foster, Bill Durrence, Van Johnson, Tony Thomas, John Hall, Estella E. Shabazz
Rob Hernandez, City Manager
Brooks Stillwell, City Attorney
Williams Shearouse, Assistant City Attorney
Lester Johnson, Assistant City Attorney
ABSENT: Julian Miller
The regular meeting of Council was held this date at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison followed by the Invocation by Pastor Timothy Sheppard, Central Missionary Baptist Church in Thunderbolt.
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF SAVANNAH AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AFFIDAVIT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah as follows:
At the meeting held on the 7th day of December, 2017 the Council entered into a closed session for the purpose of discussing Real Estate, Litigation and Personnel. At the close of the discussions upon this subject, the Council reentered into open session and herewith takes the following action in open session:
- The actions of Council and the discussions of the same regarding the matter set forth for the closed session purposes are hereby ratified;
- Each member of this body does hereby confirms that to the best of his or her knowledge, the subject matter of the closed session was devoted to matters within the specific relevant exception(s) as set forth above;
- The presiding officer is hereby authorized and directed to execute an affidavit, with full support of the Council in order to comply with O.C.G.A. §50-14-4(b); 17
- The affidavit shall be included and filed with the official minutes of the meeting and shall be in a form as required by the statute.
ADOPTED AND APPROVED: DECEMBER 7, 2017 upon motion of Alderman Bell, seconded by Alderman Shabazz, and unanimously carried.
Mayor DeLoach and Council recognized Officer William Eng for saving the life of 29 day old baby Bella who was unresponsive on December 1, 2017. Cpl Hilary Nielson stated Officer Eng raced up three flights of stairs and began chest compressions to restart baby Bella's breathing. When paramedics arrived they took her to the hospital and it has been documented that because of Officer Eng's bravery he saved the life of baby Bella. Cpl. Nielson stated the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (SCMPD) has been receiving positive attention across the globe because of this, in an incident Chief Joseph Lumpkin is describing as a heartfelt life saving performance. Tina Adkins, mother and family members of baby Bella were also present. In addition, Assistant Chiefs Kerry Thomas and Robert Gavin were also present.
Chief Lumpkin stated Officer Eng is representative of the fine young men and women the City has protecting it.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Bell, seconded by Alderman Shabazz, and unanimously carried.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Bell, seconded by Alderman Shabazz, and unanimously carried.
St. Joseph's/Candler Health Systems (SJCHS) President/CEO Paul P. Hinchey, along with fellow SJCHS leadership executives, are presenting a check for $15,000 to the Mayor and Aldermen for deposit into the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF) in continued support of the St. Joseph's/Candler Home Ownership Program. They are accompanied by Vera Williams, a pharmacy technician and SJCHS employee, who purchased her first home through the program. SAHF Advisory Committee and Community Housing Services Agency, Inc. (CHSA) officials are also participating in the presentation.
During the previous three years, SJCHS has invested $45,000 in the SAHF for down payment assistance to its modest wage employees interested in purchasing homes in Savannah. The Hospital's investment has helped 13 SJCHS employees purchase their first homes since the program started. SAHF and SJCHS officials hope this partnership will lead to similar partnerships with other Savannah area employers. The SAHF is a local fund that leverages significant private investment to help address local workforce and affordable housing needs and opportunities. A motion to formally accept this donation appears in the resolution section of the agenda.
Hearing closed upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Foster, and unanimously carried.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Thomas, and unanimously carried.
Hearing closed upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Foster, and unanimously carried.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Thomas, and unanimously carried.
Hearing closed upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Foster, and unanimously carried.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Thomas, and unanimously carried.
Hearing closed upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Foster, and unanimously carried.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Thomas, and unanimously carried.
Hearing closed upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Durrence, seconded by Alderman Johnson, and unanimously carried.
Marcus Lotson, Metropolitan Planning Commission, appeared to briefly describe the petitioner's request. He stated the property is the former Savannah Christian School which is now owned and operated by St. John Baptist Church. The church's intent is to establish an adult daycare as a part of their campus.
Alderman Bell asked Mr. Lotson for clarification of the multi-family designation use. Mr. Lotson replied multi-family could technically be permitted under this use. However, because the zoning density is so low at 6 units per acre which is the same as the single family classification which currently exists, it is highly unlikely that it would ever be used for multi-family.
Alderman Hall asked Mr. Lotson to describe the definition of an adult daycare. Mr. Lotson replied the way it is described in the zoning ordinance is a service for the elderly who need assistance during the day.
Alderman Hall then asked if any additional traffic will be on DeRenne Avenue in the area. Mr. Lotson stated the MPC looked at it and did not believe there would be any additional impacts to the area.
Hearing closed upon motion of Alderman Hall, seconded by Alderman Shabazz, and unanimously carried.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Hall, seconded by Alderman Shabazz, and unanimously carried.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Thomas, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Johnson, seconded by Alderman Thomas, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
No Action Necessary
Alderman Thomas asked if this is consistent with the new Animal Control ordinance the City is being asked to pass. Attorney Stillwell replied there are some minor changes to the ordinance the County is asking the City to adopt but the substantive part is identical. The City and County will have a mirrored ordinance more or less.
Alderman Thomas asked Attorney Stillwell if he or a member of his staff met with the County Attorney to discuss the issue he raised in reference to the little old ladies that feed stray cats. Attorney Stillwell stated Jennifer Herman has been working on this ordinance and he will have an answer for him by the next meeting.
Josh Wigsner, Executive Director of Fix Georgia Pets, appeared asking Council to reconsider adopting the ordinance as there is a portion of the ordinance related to stray cats that concerns him and other organizations. He stated the language in the ordinance provides a barrier for his organization to invest in reducing the cat population over time.
Michelle Thevenin, Humane Society of Greater Savannah, also appeared stating the adoption of the ordinance would be a step backwards. She stated the clause that criminalizes cats is problematic and unenforceable. There is an absence of language to support a community cat program, as there is clearly a community cat problem in Savannah. She is asking that the ordinance be amended to include a community cat program.
Alderman Bell asked if the suggested changes were given to the City. Mr. Wigsner replied yes and he has also been asked to provide the suggestions of another organization Best Friends.
Alderman Thomas asked Attorney Stillwell, as he understands it under the current ordinance the City has a 5 cat/5 dog cap on city residents. Attorney Johnson replied yes. Alderman Thomas expressed his concerns stating under the new ordinance, it suggests for every 500 square feet you can have a dog, just using his own property as an example he can legally have 66 dogs. He stated he's not trying to beat up on the cats and dogs but he doesn't want someone living next to him with 66 dogs, as there is not a cap on the number legally allowed. He stated before taking any permanent action these concerns need to be addressed. He concluded stating he wants the City to be mirrored with the County, and wants it to be as easy, seamless and humane as possible, working with the agencies that are present and others that have been mentioned.
Attorney Stillwell stated staff will set up a meeting prior to the next Council meeting to address the concerns of Council.
Ordinance read for the first time in Council December 7, 2017, then by unanimous consent of Council read a second time, placed upon its passage, adopted and approved upon a motion by Alderman Bell, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Durrence, seconded by Alderman Shabazz, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Bell, seconded by Alderman Hall, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Durrence, seconded by Alderman Foster, and carried per the City Manager's recommendation with the following voting in favor: Mayor DeLoach, Aldermen Bell, Foster, Durrence, Johnson, Thomas and Shabazz. Alderman Hall voted against the motion.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Bell, seconded by Alderman Foster, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Durrence, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
City Manager Hernandez stated this is just a minor budget clean up transferring some capital funds from miscellaneous projects. There are five projects on the list representing approximately $980,000. The attachment shows where those funds are being moved from and where they're moving to. Two of them are at the Civic Center, one is at the Water Treatment Plant, one deals with the Visitor's Center on Louisville Road, and the last will move funds out of a paving project into the East Savannah water line replacement project.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Thomas, seconded by Alderman Bell, and unanimously carried per the City Manager's recommendation.
Approved upon motion of Alderman Bell, seconded by Alderman Shabazz, and unanimously carried.
Alicia Blakely thanked the Mayor and Council for allowing her the opportunity to speak. She expressed her concerns about the crime issues in Savannah involving preteens, teens and adults and asked Council to go back through the budget to find funding to support them. Ms. Blakely referenced the discussion about the community centers being open for extended hours and informed Council that there is a group of citizens that do not mind volunteering to help the young people. In closing, she stated there were discussions about the Eastside and Westside and asked that Council doesn't forget the Southside.
Alderman Thomas clarified one statement for Ms. Blakely and informed her that the discussions about the extended hours for community centers would only be for two locations in the City.
Linda Wilder-Bryan appeared stating she has a non-profit organization LB4, which is named after her son who was murdered in Savannah in August 2015. She has a new found respect for many of the Council members that fought diligently during the Budget Retreat. She commended the Mayor for wanting to partner and create a program with preschool kids which is awesome as we need to start while children are small before they become indoctrinated into the community. She asked that the young adults in the community be considered, youth ages 15 to 24 because they need leaders who are not going to fail them, and she suggested creating supervised free activities. She concluded stating mothers are not to blame alone, we are all to blame.
Keisha Gibson-Carter, Executive Director Rape Crisis Center appeared stating their budget has been cut by the City of Savannah. The grant application process was so rigorous this year; she is surprised any non-profit organization received funding. She asked that funding be reinstated for the sexual assault nurse examination program and award a full allocation to tackle alcohol consumption as it facilitates rape.
City Manager Hernandez stated in reading the description of what was submitted in this funding request, it was to provide prevention and education programs to youth in the public school system.
Ms. Gibson-Carter replied there is full content within this application. In addition to providing prevention and education in the school system, it was also to launch a strategic prevention education program for the bar and liquor serving establishments in the Savannah area because more than half of their cases involve alcohol consumption by one or both parties. She continued stating the only reason she had to create an opportunity for the grant application is because of the way the application was written, in that she could no longer apply for the same program.
Alderman Shabazz stated no one wants to discuss rape or the backlog of kits. She suggested revisiting this issue and a reconsideration of the decision.
Alderman Bell asked what can Council do to assist with the backlogs. Ms. Gibson-Carter replied hold the police department accountable and requests that numbers are increased; and reinstitute the funding needed for the Rape Crisis Center.
Alderman Thomas asked Ms. Gibson-Carter how much funding was received from the County. Ms. Gibson-Carter replied $60,000. Alderman Thomas asked her if she receives funding from the other municipalities. Ms. Gibson-Carter replied yes, between $100-$500/year.
Alderman Thomas asked Chief Lumpkin to come forward to dispel some of the accusations. Chief Lumpkin stated the department is reporting and working rapes significantly better than when he first arrived to the City. One of the challenges is once alcohol is involved from one or both parties as Ms. Gibson-Carter indicated in many cases it is no longer a prosecutable offense. The definition of rape has expanded significantly in the past two years. He concluded stating can the department get better and have additional staffing, yes but officers are working the cases and getting better.
Alderman Thomas asked Chief Lumpkin if we are 1600 cases backlogged. Chief Lumpkin replied, the State may be but SCMPD is not.
City Manager Hernandez stated he wanted to clarify a few statements which were made and doesn't want his comments to seem adversarial towards Ms. Gibson-Carter or the Rape Crisis Center. We feel the agency had an opportunity to submit their existing plan under the community partnership program categories, under community intervention and prevention which talks about providing assistance during crisis events. The agency did not submit an application under that category, nor did the agency attend the workshop held with non-profit organizations explaining the process this year. There was a process that was put into place this year and if agencies are unhappy with their rating they can appeal to Council which is what this agency and others will likely do as well. If Council does not like the process and is asking staff to go back and amend their recommendations simply because one agency or several agencies appear before Council and eloquently speak and defend their case, he recommends the entire process be thrown out. City Manager Hernandez replied, staff had a process, applications were reviewed objectively, they were scored and funding recommendations were made accordingly.
Ms. Gibson-Carter stated she feels the organization is being picked on, the meeting was not mandatory and she is a veteran grant writer. She understood the RFP as it was written and the grant proposal was so convoluted that it precluded her from being able to apply for the same program. She stated if he acknowledges that, that was an opening or a foothold that she did not take advantage of she will take full responsibility but that was not the case. She concluded stating she just received acknowledgement of their grant award via email yesterday and she was not at liberty to know her score.
City Manager Hernandez stated staff will reach out to her to let her know why her agency received the score that it did.
Roger Moss, Savannah Children's Choir, appeared and began by thanking the City Manager for his strategic plan. He stated when he received the application for cultural arts services this year he was struck by the challenge to fit his request with the City's strategic plans. His proposal was to work with the school system in preparing music teachers to make a difference in the lives of children and bring more poor children into the Savannah Children's Choir. He continued stating the Savannah Children's Choir has a proven track record with children; they are encouraged and held to high standards, because ultimately they believe children influence children. He concluded by asking that Council reconsider the application from the Savannah Children's Choir.
City Manager Hernandez stated again his comments should not be viewed as adversarial at all as he is familiar with Mr. Moss and the work he does. We had a process in place for our cultural arts contributions where staff used Council's appointed Cultural Affairs Commission. They constituted the review panel, sat down and reviewed all the responses, scored the proposals and made their recommendations for funding.
Alderman Bell replied so you didn't participate. City Manager Hernandez replied it was not staff; it was the Cultural Affairs Commission.
Patrick Kelsey, Arts and Cultural Alliance of Chatham County, appeared to thank the Mayor and Council for reinstating funding. He stated he hopes the funding made available for arts and culture service contracts using the recommended recommendations from the Cultural Affairs Commission will provide a great return on investment in 2018 and beyond.
Wayne Dawson, Executive Director of the Savannah Chatham County Fair Housing Council, appeared stating he recently found out their application was zeroed out this year. The City of Savannah has a legal obligation to make sure that people have equal housing opportunities in our community but to take those extra steps. With this cut, it could be the end of the agency because they are a small organization. He concluded stating he understands there was a process in place but asked that the application be reconsidered as next year is the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and it would be a shame if the housing council goes out of business on a commemorative year. He stated he can submit other comments in writing if necessary.
City Manager Hernandez replied during a round of RFP's under the Community Partnership Program the City received well over $1M in requests, that's to include the homeless continuum of care. However, there is only funding for $838,000 of those requests.
Mayor DeLoach asked how much funding was provided last year. City Manager Hernandez replied it was somewhere around $700,000. For FY 18 Proposed the total is $838,000 for the community partnerships. However, that also includes $200,000 for the Homeless Authority. Therefore, the direct contributions to non-profit agencies under community partnerships are funded around $638,000.
Paul Fisher, President Savannah Early Childhood Foundation, appeared stating he just learned the two grants his agency requested were denied. He hopes there's still an opportunity to have discussion because they believe they can credibly argue as their success is showing that the parent centric program is truly headed in the direction to be the true long term strategic solution to breaking the cycle of poverty and crime.
City Manager Hernandez stated for the purpose of educating Council and the members of the public, and to provide a better understanding of the process staff went through, he wanted to share the following information: under the Community Partnership Programs there are two categories, the first provides funding support for community services activities in the following areas directly related to your strategic plan. Neighborhood revitalization under this priority staff identified about five areas that they were interested in funding; Poverty reduction and economic strength there were six areas under that priority; and Community Intervention and Prevention and there were four service areas under that.
Jen Singelsen, Executive Director of Step Up Savannah, appeared stating as they started to go through this process of an RFP it became something different than what had been done in the past. Historically, funding did not come out of the Social Service fund; it had always been out of the General Fund. While two of the applications were accepted and we're thankful for that support, funding has been cut to some of the most important of their work specifically their collaborative work, benefits screening work, work with Summer 500 and the VISTA Program all equal to approximately $107,000, funds which are used as leverage to other entities. Ms. Singelsen continued stating if Step Up Savannah is awarded completely with the $365,000 they asked for basing that on the 5 to 1 ratio they would be able to take that and leverage it into over $1.3M. She asked at a minimum for Council to consider a restoration in their funding of $200,000 which they have received historically for the past 12 years.
City Manager Hernandez stated his comments are not to be construed as adversarial to any one particular agency but wanted to explain in part the rationale for requiring Step Up to go through a competitive process. There are several non-profit organizations, Step Up happens to be one of them, that were either assisted at one point or seeded by the City and those non-profits have remained on the City's books year after year after year. In fact it's a convoluted relationship because some of the non-profits' employees are actually on the City's personnel register, receive City benefits, among other things even though they are not City employees. City Manager Hernandez continued stating he did not like the practice of having non-profits ingrained in the City's organization. Additionally he does not believe that the process in which non-profits automatically receive an allocation from the City, year after year without having to compete for them like other non-profits is fair. Therefore, in 2018 we began the process and again it was not a surprise to the non-profit community that we were going to do something different going into the future. He believes Council made that abundantly clear last year. There are several non-profit organizations that were affected by this Step Up, Crimestoppers, Healthy Savannah and the Savannah Development Renewal Authority (SDRA). All of these organizations will have to compete for funding just like other non-profit organizations and ultimately they have to be self-sustaining and they need to be on their own; not on the City's personnel roster, pension plan, or the City’s benefit structure because they are independent non-profit agencies. This process was started this year and Step Up is one of several agencies that are affected by this.
Linda King, President Savannah Area Realtors, appeared stating the Rape Crisis Center is one of their pet projects as well as the Fair Housing Commission. As realtors they take a special interest in fair housing. Next year on the 50th Anniversary of that historic legislation there are many different programs and initiatives planned and she personally finds it embarrassing that the City of Savannah has chosen to gut that program in the anniversary year.
Hearing closed upon motion of Alderman Bell, seconded by Alderman Shabazz and unanimously carried.
Assistant City Attorney Lester B. Johnson appeared to receive a Resolution honoring the life of his father Dr. Lester B. Johnson, Jr. The resolution was presented by Alderman Shabazz.
Attorney Johnson thanked Council on behalf of his mother, Constance M. Johnson, brothers, sisters and all other family members for honoring his father. He stated his father loved God, loved his mother and all his kids, and most importantly loved Savannah. He asked that everyone continue to keep his family in prayer.
Alderman Johnson stated to Attorney Johnson that his father was a renaissance man and exemplified so much of Savannah. He concluded stating you can tell a man by the legacy that he leaves, he was a prince, and you have made him proud.
Alderman Bell commended Attorney Johnson and his family for recognizing his father about a year ago while he was still living. She stated she is sure his father is proud of each of them.
Alderman Bell made a motion which was seconded by Alderman Foster.
Alderman Johnson stated he is going to vote against this and not for any reason regarding Ms. Spracher who he has great respect for as he thinks she is a talented City employee. He believes the City has two Certified Clerks that can handle the matter in the Interim.
Alderman Shabazz stated she is going to vote against the motion, not against any person but the process.
Alderman Hall stated he was hoping this would not get political, and believes every member of Council needs a clear understanding of why this is being done. He stated he understands it and it is not a reflection on the people who were there and realizes this does not look well, as there are two African American women in the office and the white female from across the hall is being appointed. He asked that Council postpone action on this today, until everyone is briefed on how we got here.
Alderman Hall then made a motion to postpone the appointment to the meeting of December 21, 2017. Alderman Bell rescinded her previous motion.
Alderman Johnson stated not being person specific but we do have two individuals that have been designated as Deputy Clerks to act in the Clerk's absence. Mayor DeLoach stated in the intervening period the person he appointed will continue to do that job.
Attorney Stillwell stated the Mayor and Aldermen would have to vote to confirm the appointment made by the Mayor. The Code states the Mayor can appoint until the next Council meeting and action needs to be taken one way or another.
Alderman Johnson stated he hates that he found out about the situation in an email related to City business and he wasn't briefed. Just as other members were briefed he should be as well as it relates to the thought process and circumstances of how this came to be. He suggested that Council revert back to its current operation until this is resolved.
Alderman Thomas stated let's clarify this a bit, no one on Council has ever dealt with this situation before, we had a Clerk that served the City for 42 years. The Mayor has the discretion to name an Acting Clerk of Council, that under the Charter at the next meeting of Council we are to take up his choice of the Acting Clerk in the meantime. Attorney Stillwell replied correct. Alderman Thomas stated today we can take up the action or be right back in the situation at the meeting on December 21, to either ratify the Mayor's decision or not to ratify his decision. In the meantime, a search will be done for a permanent Clerk of Council, in which the two Deputy Clerks referenced by Alderman Johnson will have the opportunity to apply for the position. The choice of the permanent Clerk will be made by the Mayor and Aldermen collectively and would be named by the Mayor and Aldermen to become the official Clerk of Council. The Mayor is suggesting Luciana Spracher to be the Acting Clerk, if the decision is delayed until December 21, she will continue to be the Acting Clerk until December 21, unless Council makes a decision today otherwise.
Attorney Stillwell replied that is correct.
Upon motion of Alderman Hall, seconded by Alderman Bell, and unanimously carried the appointment of Luciana Spracher as Acting Clerk of Council was continued to the meeting of December 21, 2017.
Jean Lemon, President Hudson Hill Neighborhood Association, and Ronald Williams, President West Savannah Neighborhood Association, appeared to invite the Mayor and Aldermen to the 12th Annual Christmas Parade. Mr. Williams stated the line up will begin at 9 a.m. at the Moses Jackson Community Center and the parade will begin at 10 a.m.
Alderman Johnson was the Past Grand Marshal and presented the Grand Marshal sash to Rev. Dr. Matthew Southall Brown, Sr.
Rev. Brown thanked the communities for this honor and stated any honors he receives must be shared by a lot of people because over the years they have allowed him to be their leader. He concluded by wishing the Mayor and Council God speed and stated his prayer is that they will do the right thing and not put politics over morality.
No Action Necessary
No Action Necessary
No Action Necessary
Linda King, President Savannah Area Realtors, appeared stating they don't have an opinion on the Fire Fee as of yet but they have concerns with the way the situation was handled. They are concerned that whenever there is a shorfall the knee jerk reaction is to take it out on property owners, they feel there are other ways that are more equitable rather than continuously hitting property owners. The proposal is going to shift the financial burden solely onto property owners, additionally the financial burden is amplified since at that point when it becomes a fee it's not tax deductible.
City Manager Hernandez stated a Fire Fee is something imposed in many parts of the country. While Ms. King is correct the tax fee is not tax deductible, the IRS has looked the other way for many years. As long as it is a part of your tax bill and it was paid by the property owner and out of the escrow account the IRS has allowed that fee to be tax deductible. I know this from experience because I've put it on my taxes and every year the IRS has accepted it. Certainly, it's up to the IRS as to whether they're going to enforce this in the full spirit of the tax code to determine whether they're going to reject that deduction or not.
Solana Plains appeared to express her concerns related to the Fire Fee and the impact it would have on the senior citizens and low income families. Many of which are on fixed incomes or disabled. She stated she doesn't believe it's fair and asked that seniors are considered.
Mayor DeLoach stated there will be $400,000 set aside to assist individuals that are in situations where they can't aford to pay the fee. They would need to apply, for a hardship case, if the proposal is approved.
Ms. Plains asked how will the seniors be notified because everyone doesn't have a computer, watch televison or have a smart phone they can go on to do so.
Alderman Hall replied there will be some outreach from the City and they will do everything they can to keep citizens informed, if the Fire Fee passes.
Donald Dyches, President Dyches Construction Company, appeared in opposition of the Fire Fee. He stated he assumes Council has made up their minds. He expressed concerns about his property taxes on various properties he owns which have increased in the past four years with no major improvements made on them. He concluded asking Council to find a different way to generate the funds.
Alderman Foster replied I have been complaining about my taxes because I believe they are way too high. I live in the city and have been here in my particular house where I live now since 2001, and my property taxes have gone up 30% and I don't like it. I think taxes are way too high in this community but in analyzing the numbers I think it's important to point out, I went back and looked 10 years. In the past 10 years, the City of Savannah has lowered its millage rate. In the past 10 years Chatham County has raised their taxes by 10% and the School Board has raised taxes almost 21%. The City has no control over taxes, as he has contested his numerous times. He is in complete agreement with his concerns about taxes and would never even consider the fire fee unless there was a corresponding millage rate reduction and believes that was in the proposed budget that the millage rate would be dropping by at least 1 mil.
Ivan Cohen appeared in opposition of the Fire Fee.
Thomas Danos, Vice President Savannah Area Realtors, appeared stating first time home owners are very important to realtors because they help them open the door to home ownership. He asked Council to reconsider the fee and find an alternative that everyone shares the burden.
Linda Wilder-Bryan asked if there was currently an impact fee on hotels/motels and if not, why? She stated there is a large population of homeless individuals in the City of Savannah; if the fire fee is imposed those individuals wouldn't be able to afford renting a home. Landlords are going to impose the fee on their renters and it will potentially create more homelessness and ultimately impact the cost of living.
City Manager Hernandez replied that is in fact a very good question. Impact fees are possible in Georgia although they are somewhat difficult to do as they have to be tied to your long term comprehensive plan. My experience with impact fees is because you're assessing it only on a new development, that typically impact fees can be used to fund new infrastructure development associated with that construction project such as the expansion of roadways, fire stations and things of that nature. However, they cannot be used to fund our normal operations and maintenance based on my experience. Georgia is different than places that I've worked. But it can be done and it is something that I'm going to explore for next year.
Ms. Wilder-Bryan replied that's reasonable but what will be done until next year? City Manager Hernandez replied to answer that question until next year, he has submitted a proposed budget to City Council that includes the possibility of imposing a fire fee.
Hearing closed upon motion of Alderman Durrence, seconded by Alderman Foster, and unanimously carried.
No Action Necessary
Announcements
Mayor DeLoach recognized today being Pearl Harbor Day. He thanked the brave individauls that sacrificed their lives defending our great Naion.
He informed Council and citizens there is an exhibit in Council Chambers recognizing George Gannam, Savannah's first World War II casualty.
Alderman Hall announced his District 3 town Hall meeting on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Town Hall meeting will be held in the auditorium at Johnson High School which is located at 1312 Sunset Boulevard. The topic of discussion will be the proposed fire fee featuring City Manager Hernandez, the Sanitation and Property Maintenance departments will also be in attendance.
Alderman Bell stated in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration a team of five people from Savannah to include herself along with Adam Walker, St. Joseph/Candler, Jonas Sabbar, SCMPD, Liz Anne Roberts, Interim Director Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition, Judge Lisa Colbert, Juvenile Court, presented on a panel in New Orleans. She believes they are somewhat closer to the institution of a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) which will be a collaborative effort between the City of Savannah, Chatham County, the School Board and the Juvenile Court if they are successful. The purpose of the MARC is to provide wrap around services and keep juveniles out of the juvenile justice system who are actually engaged in acts that are not a threat to public safety.
Mayor DeLoach also thanked the City Manager and staff for all the effort put into the Fire Fee and the Budget, although it's a thankless job and has to be done, he wanted to show his appreciation. He continued stating Council does not take raising taxes and fees lightly but due to the current situation the City is in he is glad the City has City Manager Hernandez to keep everything in place, as well as all the staff that has contributed endless hours in an effort to get our citizens the best services possible in this United States.
City Manager Hernandez announced the City will have its 5th Budget Workshop Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. in the Media Room at City Hall.
There being no further business, Mayor DeLoach declared this meeting of Council adjourned.
The recorded City Council Meeting is located on the City of Savannah website www.savannahga.gov
