The Brooklet City Council met for a public hearing and regular session meeting on Thursday September 19, beginning at 6:30 pm
Haydon Rollins of Hussey Gay Bell Engineering spoke on behalf of the property owner, Shelton Hughes, during the public hearing regarding the sketch plan for the 77.63 acre track of property located off of Highway 80 East, where approximately 198 single and multi family homes are slated to be built.
The project intends to use Brooklet’s city water and sewer services once they are available. The agreement for the development, which was later voted on and approved (Item 18.5), allots no more than 50 residential unit connections to the city sewer system per calendar year.
The city's commitment to developing the system is contingent on EPD groundwater withdrawal approval and construction financing bonds to be issued. The finalized bond will be sent for review hopefully by the first week of October, so that bids may be opening in November and council can vote by December, the month of the final deadline.
At the suggestion of negative traffic impact, Rollins replied that there is a lot of right of way that can be utilized in the project and that the development would conduct traffic studies and seek to improve the roadway for both new residents and neighborhoods that sit adjacent to the property.
One member of the public prompted the question of how schools would be impacted with a potential influx of students, and then segued into the chief complaint for which he was addressing council: The illegal and dangerous use of ATV’s on the roadways, particularly how frustrated he was by the load music and child endangerment he claims to witness.
“I love it here and I fight for what I got here,” he said, adding that he is concerned about more “out of towners’ coming to Brooklet.
The council then discussed the text amendment to Section 1 and 2 of the Subdivision Ordinance, defining Major Subdivisions as any subdivision resulting in 50 or more lots, and Minor subdivisions as any subdivision of property resulting in more than three lots but less than 50 lots.
As decided by the approval of item 18.1, final plats for minor subdivisions are to be approved by the zoning administration, following review and approval from all necessary departments, including the building inspector and city engineer if necessary.
For major subdivisions, the final plat shall be submitted to city council by the zoning administrator for approval following review and approval from all necessary departments, including the building inspector and city engineer if necessary. No final plat for a major subdivision shall be acted upon by the city council without affording a hearing thereon, notice of time and place of which shall be provided to the subdivider not less than five days before the date of such hearing.
The council had no further input for the next item pertaining to the millage rate, which will be set at the rollback rate of 5.218 mills.
The council then closed the public hearing session and entered the regular meeting..
Guest speaker Joe Grooms (former Mayor) began with a complaint about the Auctioneer business adjacent to his property that is causing a litter problem, amongst other issues according to grooms.
“We have some businesses inside of city limits…in dire need of someone to take a look at it,” he said.
Grooms proposes that if the criteria for businesses coming into Brooklet is so strict, the standards for businesses already operating here should also be high.
The consent agenda was approved and Interim City Manager Carter Crawford presented the year to date financial report for the month of August. He says that while the general fund collection is low, this is a typical pattern for this time of year as the city waits to collect insurance premium tax.
Neither the Committee, nor the City, nor the planning and zoning administrator had any comment.
Police Chief Gary Roberts reported an increase in trespassing and vandalism during the summer time, and reminded residents to be aware of road closure due to the Peanut Festival this weekend. The Safety Coordinator Jim Stanoff was not present for comments.
City Engineer Wesley Parker reports that the pavement project is moving along nicely and continuing with Rhett Court and Spence Drive next. He also says that the wellhouse is underway and the design of the low pressure sewer system has begun.
Statesboro has agreed to allot a total capacity of 450,000 gallons of sewer, but the first phase of pumps will be designed for 350,000. This will save Brooklet money upfront and give the city of Statesboro about 10 years to improve their downstream system and prepare for the full capacity.
He educated the council that there is a Wetland rule stating that utility projects that disturb less than 1/10th of an acre do not require permits, and he predicts the city will save anywhere form $500,000 to $700,000.
Water and Sewer Consultant Matthew Morris said that the engineering and financial report is done, but cautions the city that time is running out, and the bid process must be completed by December 31.
View the details of the agenda below, as they were discussed in the meeting on Thursday September 19.
2. Public Hearing Item(s):
2.1. Planning and Zoning:
a. RZ2022-003: Sketch Plan Presenter: Haydon Rollins, Hussey-Gay-Bell Shelton Hughes submitted a sketch plan application for approval on the 77.63-acre track for the development of a single-family/multi-family subdivision. This property is located off Highway 80 East, a portion of parcel #136 000022 000.
• Discussion with the Mayor and City Council.
• Discussion and questions from the Public who have requested to speak
b. Text Amendment TA2024-020: An ordinance by the Mayor and City Council of Brooklet to amend the Brooklet. Georgia Subdivision Ordinance: to provide for notice: to provide for severability: to provide an effective date: to repeal all ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict herewith: and for other purposes.
• Discussion with the Mayor and City Council. • Discussion and questions from the Public who have requested to speak
2.2. 2024 Millage Rate: Input on the proposed 2024 rollback millage rate for property taxes at 5.218.
• Discussion with the Mayor and City Council.
• Discussion and questions from the Public who have requested to speak
3. Consideration of a Motion to Close the Public Hearing and enter into the Regular Session.
APPROVED 4. Consideration of a Motion to Approve the Agenda
5. Recognition of Guest(s) who have Signed Up to Speak
6. Recognition of Guest(s) Requested to be on the Agenda
APPROVED 7. Consideration of a Motion to Approve the Consent Agenda:
7.1. Agenda/Meeting Protocol
7.2. GDOT- North Cromley Road Tap Project Payment of $95,795.03 Funding Source -TSPLOST
7.3 JCB Low Country Invoice for repairing and maintaining the Hydro Dig for $2,205.90
7.4 Georgia Equipment CO Invoices for renting an excavator to repair water leaks & install tap-ins for $2,225.00 and $1,705.00 totaling $3,930.00
7.5 Motorola Solutions Quote to purchase an In-Car Video System for the new Police Durango for $6,263.00
N/A 8. Consideration of a Motion to Approve the Minutes for the following Meetings:
APPROVED 9. Consideration of a Motion to Approve the August Financial Reports as presented.
10. Report from the City Manager
a. Carter Crawford
11. Reports from Committee Members: NO COMMENTS
a. Councilwoman Wentz
b. Councilman Anderson
c. Councilwoman Kelly
d. Councilman Harrison
e. Councilman Roughton
12. Report from City Clerk: NO COMMENT
a. Lori Phillips
13. Report from Planning & Zoning Administrator: NO COMMENT
a. Melissa Pevey
14. Report from Police Chief
a. Gary M. Roberts
15. Report from the Safety Coordinator
a. Jim Stanoff
16. Report from the City Engineer
a. Wesley Parker, Parker Engineering, LLC.
17. Report from the Water/Sewer Consultant
a. Matthew Morris
18. Discussion Item(s):
APPROVED 18.1. First Reading and Consideration of a motion to approve the Planning & Zoning Commission's recommendation to approve TA2024-020.
APPROVED 18.2. Consideration of a motion to approve Resolution 2024-19:A Resolution of the City of Brooklet, Georgia to reserve sanitary sewer taps and to impose a limitation on the number of sanitary sewer taps that may be issued per year.
Currently, the city has an agreement with Statesboro to provide 1000 sewer taps, and this motion approved that 272 taps will be reserved for the Brooklet Proper area.
APPROVED 18.3. Consideration of a motion to approve Resolution 2024-20:A Resolution setting the millage rate for ad valorem (property) taxes for the 2024 calendar year for the City of Brooklet, Georgia at 5.218.
18.4. First Reading TA2024-021: An ordinance by the Mayor and City council for the City of Brooklet, Georgia amending the Code of the City of Brooklet, Georgia at Zoning Appendix B, Article V, to amend and restate the table of permitted uses at Section 5- 1, and to add Section 5-3 and Subsections 5-3.3 through 5-3.7 which provide for minimum standards in the R-3 zoning district; to provide for notice; to provide for severability; to provide an effective date; to repeal all ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict herewith; and for other purposes.
This ordinance changes R-3 zoning classifications of permitted uses and development standards. Rollins asked that the city consider his suggestion about foundation height and garage protrusion from a housing unit, and the city agreed to this verbiage for the second reading
APPROVED 18.5. Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve the Water and Sewer Agreements with Shelton Hughes and Weyerhaeuser.
AMENDED AND APPROVED 18.6. Consideration of a motion to approve the Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation to approve RZ2022-003: Sketch Plan for the Shelton Hughes Brooklet Subdivision.
APPROVED 18.7. Discuss and consider a motion to approve the quote from Terry Mikell Concrete, LLC. to repair sidewalks on Railroad Street and Julius Circle for $5,100.
APPROVED 18.8. Consideration of a motion to approve a Proclamation in support of Georgia Reads Day, proclaiming September 30, 2024, as City of Brooklet READS DAY and encouraging all residents, businesses, and community partners to help promote and elevate literacy as a community priority.
APPROVED 18.9. Consideration of a motion to approve a Proclamation proclaiming the week of September 17 through 23 as CONSTITUTION WEEK; September 17, 2024, marks the two hundred and thirty-seventh anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:50 pm.
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