Toccoa City Commission To Meet Tonight, March 25

The Toccoa City Commission will meet at 5 p.m. today for a regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting will take place at City Hall, 92 N. Alexander Street. 

On the agenda is approval of the minutes from the March 11 City Commission meeting; included in the minutes is the city’s recap of the discussion regarding an agenda item consideration of the project award for Eastanollee Creek WPCP Phase II project, in which commissioners approved a bid from Heavy Constructors and authorized the completion of Phase II. The bid amount from Heavy Constructors is $13,555,292 – exceeding the funding budget of $8,501,000. Negotiations were instituted to eliminate construction of a maintenance building, and asphalt paving, for a cost savings of $1,501,917. All other items in the project are necessary to stay in compliance with Georgia Environmental Protection Division permits. The city will request a modification of the $8.5 million Georgia Environmental Financing Authority, or GEFA, loan to cover the expenditure increase. The annual payment on the loan is expected to be $489,525, in addition to the origination fee of $38,164. Combined with the payments on the loan for Phase I work, the city’s annual loan payment will be approximately $700,000.  

On the agenda for tonight’s meeting is consideration of a rezoning request for a property located on Parkway Drive from single family residential to multi family residential to bring the parcel in line with neighboring parcels and allow the construction of two four- or five-plexes on the parcel.

Also being considered is ratification of the Historic Preservation Commission’s recent nomination, by vote, of Brenda Carlan to fill the seat left vacant by the passing of Thurston Estes. If appointed, her term will expire June 30, 2027. 

Commissioners will consider extending the existing moratorium, originally enacted in August 2023, on the issuance of alcohol beverage Control licenses for package sales of distilled spirits through June 1, 2025. 

Commissioners will be asked to consider the relocating SPLOTS funds in the current budget, replacing the purchase of a Tandem Dump Truck that was included in the Splost Budget, with a Hydraulic Water Model project to provide detailed GIS and mapping of our water system. According to agenda documentation, $100,000 was budgeted for the dump truck and the bid for the Hydraulic Water Modeling project is $102,500; the additional $2,500 will be covered with funds out of the city’s reserve account, if approved. 

Commissioners will also decide on a requested change of the budget meeting and commission meeting calendar, moving the second commission meeting in April to Tuesday, April 16. 

Commissioners will also discuss and decide upon a 12-month lease agreement to lease the boat house and fishing/boat dock at the southwest corner of Lake Toccoa to local business Currahee Outdoors, LLC for a lease payment of $500 per month. Among stipulations of the lease are an agreement to have boat rentals open from April through October and to rent out paddle boats for $10 per hour per boat, and enforce a no swimming restriction on the lake, and lessee will not rent out standup paddleboards.

Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting, and are welcome to address commissioners during the Public Comment section of the meeting.  The Next meeting of the Toccoa City Commission will be a 3 p.m. work season on April 8, followed by the regular meeting at 5 p.m. 

 

	Gail Fry	Mayor	706.599.0205	[email protected]
	Terry Carter	Vice-Mayor	706.491.2550	[email protected]
	Evan Hellenga	Commissioner	706.491.0527	[email protected]
	Michelle Jamieson	Commissioner	706.491.7418	[email protected]
	Ron Matheson	Commissioner	706.244.0498	[email protected]