Jane Butler made a motion to approve the minutes, and Nancy Jimenez seconded the motion, passing unanimously.
The Board voted on the lease agreement to hold the elections in the welcome center. Butler made a motion, Jimenez seconded the motion, passing unanimously.
City Clerk Jessie Rees addressed the Board with information about a USDA Grant.
“I have to take pictures of our bathroom and our parking lot to make sure that we are handicap accessible. Our bathrooms do have a rail beside the toilet seats, and they are big enough for a wheelchair to get into. When I get the pictures sent tomorrow morning, after that, we will set a closing date.”
Rees also reported on Pineland.
“I did send in the approval for the second phase of Pineland.”
Mayor Mathew Daniel discussed the Humane Society contract.
“Apparently, somewhere down the line, a contract was made with the humane society that only the police chief or a police officer could bring animals from Leslie to the humane society. We are renewing the contract where a sheriff’s department employee can take an animal for us.”
Rees addressed the Board about zoning map updates.
“I’ll have to start off originally with a map from the County for the properties that are in the city limits of Leslie and see what they have been deemed as zoned. Then I have to come and compare it to everything that’s been changed, the records that I have for the properties, and make sure they have been updated to be changed on the county map also. Then I can go to Beverly and have her put me out a map.”
Daniel then addressed the Board with information about the community survey.
“Out of 165 surveys that were sent out, 24 were completed. A lot of what’s on here are things that I have heard from a lot of people. The condition of the downtown, streets and sidewalks, properties not maintained.”
He listed positive responses.
“Caring community atmosphere, low crime, helpful employees, good churches, good location.”
He addressed the negatives.
“There are some things we can do and some things we can’t do. What used to be a gas station, I don’t know what you would really want to call it now, I know every time it’s come up for a tax sale somehow he figures out a way to pay his taxes.
I’m not saying anything shouldn’t be done, but like you said, you can fine them, put a lien on it, but at what point does it become the city’s responsibility? Then the city has to pay to maintain it or upkeep it.”
Rees addressed issues with the property.
“You can’t do anything on that piece of property, due to the fact that there are buried gas tanks in the ground. It is a phase one environmental hazard.”
Bob Smith, Chief of police, addressed the Board concerning the property.
“The taxes has not been paid on that property in eight to twelve years now, and Wilkie will not bring it in front of a tax sale, from my understanding, due to the fact that there is something up with some other liens against that property that he says that under Georgia law he is not allowed to do it at a tax sale until that gets cleaned up.”
Daniel commented.
“I think that might be a situation where the Land Bank Authority might be able to do something.”
Daniel addressed other concerns.
“I do think a walking trail is an attainable goal. We could probably do that around the Civics Center here.”
Rees addressed the Board.
“There are some things we can look into as far as a playground grant.”
Rees commented on tax credits.
“I was informed that there was a tax credit that was issued this year from Governor Kemp and that those who had homestead exemption would qualify for the tax credit and it was taking them longer to compile all of our information and apply the given tax credits to our residents in Leslie. This is going to cut our tax digest by $13,000 dollars this year. This money I can apply to get back from the State. I do not know how long that will take.”
Butler made a motion in response.
“I make a motion that we remove the money from the CD so that it can be used before the end of the year.”
Jimenez seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. The Board adjourned shortly after.