The Blairsville City Council and Mayor Buddy Moore discussed a variety of business in their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 8, including an update to the city sign ordinance Moore described as fixing a couple “oversights.”
First, Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce President Steve Rowe offered an invocation, and former mayor Jim Conley returned for his second straight meeting since retiring at the end of February to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
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The revised sign ordinance will allow for more than one free-standing sign and wall sign for businesses with multiple street frontages, which solves an issue faced by businesses with double frontage, such as those between Georgia 515 and Young Harris Street.
Council members held a first reading of the revised ordinance that evening, with a draft to be available in time for a second reading and enactment in the May city meeting. A hearing for public comments will take place beforehand at 6 p.m. on May 13 at City Hall.
In other news, a couple of the city’s certificates of deposit are maturing this month to the tune of $1.7 million invested from the General Fund, and Moore asked the council to vote on reinvesting this money.
The council voted yes to taking out two $1 million CDs with Bank OZK, which offered the most favorable rates. An additional $300,000 will be added to the maturing amount to increase the investment total to $2 million. One CD will be for seven months and the other for 13 months.
An issue came to the city’s attention recently in which both Fellowship of the Hills Church and River City Bank were charged nearly a thousand-dollar minimum bill for a gallon of water going through their sprinkler systems’ fire-line meters. The council voted to adjust off these amounts.
Separately, the council approved a change to the city’s Master Fee Schedule to alleviate this problem for water customers with fire sprinkler systems, which, additionally, will act as further incentive for businesses to install potentially life and property-saving sprinklers.
Speaking of water, Blairsville Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Danny Dillard told the council his department was investigating a major leak in the system.
“The plant is running well, but we’re losing a tremendous amount of water,” Dillard said, asking that everyone keep on the lookout to report water running where it shouldn’t be, potentially from the square area to south of town.
Moore said the city was considering investing in zone metering, which would allow the Water Department to narrow down the location for such leaks “so you don’t have to search the whole system.”
Water/Sewer Maintenance Superintendent Curtis Corn said he would be contacting the Georgia Rural Water Association for help locating any leaks.
Over at the Wastewater Treatment Facility, Superintendent Jody Cook said the plant continued to operate well even with the increased flows from recent torrential rainfall.
Airport Manager Dan Firebaugh reported that airport activity was up year-over-year – a welcome trend – and he said the Experimental Aircraft Association Blairsville Chapter 1211 would be hosting a pancake breakfast to benefit the Young Eagles Program on April 26.
The breakfast will run from 7-10 a.m. at the airport that Saturday, with a suggested donation of $15 for the meal, and all-comers are welcome. People can stick around until about 10:30 a.m. to watch Young Eagle flights, which foster enthusiasm for aviation among youths ages of 8 to 18.
Firebaugh also made “a big announcement” for Thursday, May 8, which is when the Georgia Airports Association will be honoring the Blairsville Airport by including it in the annual State Legislator Airport Tour.
Around 10:30 that morning, six state lawmakers will be flying in as part of the tour, and Firebaugh will be making a presentation with information such as history, recent and future projects at the airport, and regional economic impact.
City Attorney Marvin Harkins gave a legislative update, noting that a bill limiting financial liability for cities involved in lawsuits did not pass out of the Georgia General Assembly this month, but he said the bill “made it most of the way through” and could be passed next year with further refinements.
Revisiting unfinished business from last month, the council continued its consideration of a potential sewer expansion east of city limits on Georgia 515, which would be a considerable expense to the city.
“If we decide to do it, it will benefit everybody out through there, including the (Blairsville Cinema),” Moore said. The discussion remained largely unchanged from the March meeting, with no action taken, and Moore said, “We’ll keep looking at things.”
Mayor Moore called on Matt Leonard of Lucky Dog Restaurant Group and Mike Cook of the Union County Historical Society to preview a unique fundraiser for the Historical Society: the Blairsville Music & Seafood Festival.
A family-friendly affair geared toward children, the festival will feature historical re-enactments, peach cobbler cooked in the 1861 Payne Cabin, gold panning, potentially ongoing construction of the Collins Cabin “so the kids can learn how these cabins were built,” lots of live music, a bouncy house, guest speakers and, of course, plenty of seafood.
The festival will roll out over three days at the Butt-Mock House in Downtown Blairsville: Friday, April 25, from 4-8 p.m.; Saturday, April 26, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 27, from 12-4 p.m. Entry will cost $5 for adults, with children getting in free.
Contained within the consent agenda of items allowed by ordinance but needing final council approval, council members voted to approve a Temporary Special Event License for Blairsville Restaurant Grits & Greens to operate a beer garden during the festival April 25-26.
The Blairsville City Council meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. inside City Hall at 62 Blue Ridge Street. The public is encouraged to attend.
