Brooklet Mayor Nicky Gwinnett opened the meeting by leading the council members in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by an invocation at Thursday evening's work session. The sentiment included Councilman James Harrison, who was absent from the meeting due to a death in his family.
A motion was made by Councilman Hubert Keith Roughton to accept the evening's proposed agenda, which was seconded by Councilwoman Rebecca Kelly and unanimously approved by the council.
Mini Excavator
Councilman Carter Crawford explained that the city of Brooklet uses Sourcewell, which is an entity that gathers the best quotes and bids for local government. Using the specifications that the City of Brooklet requested, Sourcewell determined that the Yancy Brothers was the most cost-efficient quote out of the quotes collected. The Yancy Brothers added their own discount of $8637.00, which brought the cost of the mini excavator down to $52,692.00, which came in below the original estimate.
Crawford recommended that the council approve the Yancy Brothers bid and explained that the need for the city's own mini excavator has been determined several times. Rather than renting one or using a backhoe that is larger than the jobs require, Crawford suggested the purchase of the city's own mini excavator. All council members were in agreement.
New Appointments for Planning & Zoning Committee
Terms were discussed and it was determined that the new appointments would be two-year terms. Bradley Anderson agreed with a committee member from the Planning & Zoning Commission who was sitting in the audience that the training is costly for these positions and considering something longer than a two-year term would be beneficial for all involved. Roughton added that a three-year term would be a wise idea.
Funding Sources for Georgia Water & Wastewater
The goal is cost reduction for residents to tie into the sewer system. Crawford discussed the grants and loans that are available and explained that the only one that may apply is the Block Grant, which is for low and moderate income people. He suggested determining a tap fee and the idea of the city purchasing necessary equipment and the homeowner would hire a plumber and pay the city back over a proposed five-year period. Council members talked about the need for the pumps to be identical, different tap fees, possible credits, particularly a service credit for long-term customers.
Crawford suggested since the City of Statesboro is purchasing the pumps as well that the City of Brooklet might glean suggestions from their experience and possibly buy the pumps from them. Kelly questioned if the city or the homeowner pays to tear up the street and that there is a variable cost depending on the location of the homeowners' septic tanks. Gwinnett mentioned that boring is more cost effective than tearing the roads and Roughton suggested possibly purchasing a boring machine for the city to do its own boring. Crawford will continue to investigate options and report back to the council.
Change Order #1 for Brooklet to Statesboro Sewer Project
Gwinnett said that the contract will increase by $168,100.00, which will bring the contract total to $5,016,057.00. The increase include adding an 18" casing to the directional bore at the roundabout per the City of Statesboro and an additional bore near the Ingram Street/West Lane Street intersection to go underneath a septic drain field. The addition will come out of grant money and will be sent through a separate payment. All were in agreement.
Proposed Operating Fiscal Budget Policies
The proposed policies come from GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles). Under these principles, state and local governments are required to include a budget-to-actual comparison statement for governmental funds with annual appropriated budgets as part of their basic audited financial statements. All council members agree to adopt these policies.
GMA Mayor & City Council Planning Retreat
The council determined that Saturday, March 1, 2025, would be the tentative date for the retreat.
Suggestions for Future Items
Recommendation for Brooklet Police Chief via email by next week
HB311 - Homes in Brooklet's jurisdiction that were deemed damaged or destroyed, appeals can be made at the county level, but it is up to the county. If they pay back, it will come out of this fiscal year. The county has two more meetings and information will be forthcoming within the next month or two.
The motion to adjourn was made by Anderson, seconded by Kelly, and approved by all.
