Citizens Speak Out Against Annexation During Town Hall Meeting

City Council
annexation

Last night, the Blue Ridge City Council opened up the floor to discuss annexation publicly, and allowed the citizens of Fannin County to voice their thoughts, opinions, and concerns to the council directly. 

Mayor Whitener began the meeting by explaining the annexation only annexes in the state roads and the state right of way, but if someone wanted to annex their property, they would have to do it using  an application process through the council.

The running theme of the evening was citizens felt the city rushed annexation and overall a bad idea for Blue Ridge. However, many speakers relayed that they weren’t opposed to annexation, just to how it’s been handled.

Resident John Suave says, “I’m not against or for annexation.” He added that it “could be good” for Fannin.  He also proposed that the developers pay for the sewer and not the taxpayers. 

Mary Taylor’s concern laid with the future of Blue Ridge after annexation. She stressed the city needs to be weary of overgrowth. 

Everyone supported growth, but it must be controlled and executed the right way. This annexation occurred the wrong way.

Paul Miguire declared, “back up and do it right.” 

The speakers pushed for inclusion of city residents in annexation discussions. The Hwy 5 and Hwy 515 annexation took place without any public input until this town hall. 

Additionally, residents of Blue Ridge and Fannin wanted to know how and who would be paying for extending sewer services, transportation, and security associated with this annexation. 

According to Mayor Donna Whitener, the city will pay through grants. Currently, the city doesn’t have these grants. The city would apply for them after the annexation. 

When asked by speaker Kirk Williams if the city could secure these intended grants, Whitener said, “Nothing is for sure.”

Williams continued, “Annexation is almost always a poor investment” and asked the council to not “Burn the taxpayers.”

Rene Sylo was anxious about the devaluation of her property and the thought of people living right on top of her. She didn’t support the “stack ‘em and pack ‘em” method of some developers. 

Councilwoman Haight agreed with a lot of the speakers as she listened to their concerns. Many residents were concerned that with annexation the taxpayers would have to pay for the sewer, transportation, and security costs, if the city wasn’t able to get the grants. 

Haight assured, “I will not as a city council member increase taxes to give sewer to private business.”

Nearing the end of the meeting, Council Member Mike Panter discusses his thoughts on the issue. Panter states that he’s for controlled growth. 

Panter finishes by saying, “If you go five years from now and want to put sewer and water all the way out to Mercier’s; what’s the cost of that five years from now digging up the new highway versus doing it now? That’s something you’ve gotta think about.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhLvP9VLaLU

Blue Ridge Mayor Whitener calls special council meeting

Announcements, Community

Blue Ridge Mayor Donna Whitener has called a special council meeting for Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 at 1 p.m. An agenda for the meeting is as follows:

Re-Elect Donna Whitener Mayor of Blue Ridge ~ Commitment * Leadership * Results

Politics

 

Commitment                Leadership♦                 ♦Results

Mayor Donna Whitener

I am asking for your support as I seek a third term as Mayor of the City of Blue Ridge. I am a lifelong resident of Fannin County and the proud mother of three children: Brandon, Eric, and Kristan. I am ‘Grammy’ to two beautiful granddaughters, Lily and Claire. I am the owner of Town & Country Furniture where I employee 25 people. My parents started the store in 1961, and I proudly carry on their legacy today.

I am committed to the City of Blue Ridge. I have an open door policy, an ear ready to listen, and my hope is that you find me approachable and reachable.

Throughout my eight years of service, I have learned that developing positive relationships with city, county and state leadership is critical to community growth. I have also learned that businesses need confidence not uncertainty in order to succeed. You deserve a stable, supportive local government, and I want to provide that stability.

In 2010, I inherited a city impacted by an economic downtown. It took over a year and a half for the city to recover financially. We lost jobs and construction projects, but the tourism industry grew steadily year to year. Today, we have a vibrant downtown, which has resulted in increased tourism, a growing economy, and job creation. There is no better place than our quaint mountain town to enjoy Mother Nature and to shop, dine, explore, relax, and live. I am proud that approximately 4,500 people are employed in our city. I am grateful to the business owners who have invested their time and money in Blue Ridge.

During my term, taxpayers received a reduction in the millage rate four times. We received over $7 million dollars in grant money allowing us to make improvements that would have otherwise been impossible. We received two Community Development Block Grants used for street, water, and sewer improvements in residential areas. We also accomplished three Streetscape Projects and will be starting our fourth one. Roads have been paved, water and sewer lines replaced, two new water storage tanks built, and we’ve had a complete overhaul of our water plant.

Moving forward, I support the development of a master plan that manages city resources while anticipating future growth. Other priorities include updating the city’s infrastructure and the development of a comprehensive parking plan.

In addition to my responsibilities as mayor, I believe it is important for me to give back in service to other organizations. I am a member of the Governing Board of Highland Rivers Health and serve on the Board of Directors of the Appalachian Children’s Center. I am in my second year of service on the Legislative Policy Council of the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). I served for three terms on GMA’s District Board, including service as District Board President. I also serve on the Board of the Fannin County Health Department. I am a proud supporter of Special Olympics, Feed Fannin, Snack in a Backpack, and many more organizations that serve our community.

Without proper management, a city can find itself upside down quickly. This is why I want to continue working for you. Re-elect Donna Whitener, Mayor of the City of Blue Ridge.

Downtown City Park Ready for Afternoon Strolls

Downtown Blue Ridge, News

On Saturday, the City of Blue Ridge completed the first stage in renovating the downtown city park.  The section of the park which is closest to Church Street now has sod and plant and tree installations.  There is still no playground at the park.  Construction of the new playground will begin in summer.  Eventually, a sidewalk will ring the park so that park-goers can walk along West Main and Church streets without stepping into the street.

One vision of the renovated park is to be an arboretum for native plants and trees and include signs which will tell about the plants.  Pam Marr of Tree City Nursery & Landscaping, which is designing and installing the park, is “tickled pink” to be working on a project benefiting the entire community.  She has chosen a mixture of native and hybrids crossed with native plants to put in the landscape.

A final decision on playground design and equipment has yet to be made. There are, though, some very clear goals about features the playground will have.  First, there will be innovative playground equipment that all children can use, even those that are differently-abled.  Some equipment will be from the old playground and other equipment is being donated.  Second, the plans call for one playground for older kids and one for younger kids.  To the relief of parents monitoring kids that like to dart out of the playground; there will be one gate, the fence will be higher and be plastic-coated.  The playground will be around the restrooms between the stage and the arboretum.  In front of the stage, there will still be an unfenced, grassy lawn area where people can sit and enjoy stage events.

Adults will have playground equipment of their own as well.  Mayor Whitener hopes to bring in exercise equipment to make an outdoor adult fitness park.

A new grill area which is suitable for the Good Samaritan’s Labor Day Barbeque and family grill-outs is also being built.  Toby Minter, who helped draw up the original grill structure, is working with the Good Samaritans to design the new structure.  All member of the City Council and Mayor Whitener have listened to input from Good Samaritan’s Carlie Hammond and have promised to build a grill area which is a consensus between the needs of the city and the Good Samaritans.

There is no word yet about Blue Bear, when he is coming out of hibernation or where in the park his throne will be.  Hibernation is being very good to Blue Bear because he is getting those pesky termites cleaned out and his fur re-finished.

In the upcoming weeks, the Mayor hopes to have a press conference where she can present a visually-clear and easily-understandable design layout of the park.  The current design doesn’t have all the features drawn in.  She also wants to print the design on a banner and place it in the downtown park so that people can keep up with the park’s progress.

 

 

Jarrard and Davis Investigation Phase Continues

Downtown Blue Ridge, News

The Jarrard and Davis investigation into the City of Blue Ridge’s City Council and Mayor continues.  The first stage, the inquiry was released on Feb. 2nd  (read inquiry findings here). The inquiry found strong evidence for further investigation, which the law firm is now undertaking.  A date has not been set for release of the investigation’s findings.  There is a possibility that the investigation will uncover criminal wrongdoing and grounds for legal action.  Council Member Angie Arp instigated the Jarrard & Davis investigation, which began in December 2015.  She contacted the the firm, which specializes in providing legal services for counties and municipalities, to investigate the legality of Mayor Whitener being the Mayor of Blue Ridge.  Mayor Whitener agreed to the investigation and recommened to open the scope of the investigation to all Council Members and city government departments.

The most recent developments are that in mid-April, Jarrard and Davis interviewers met with several people, either City Council members or city employees, about allegations of questionable finances in one city department and use of city resources for personal gain or close associate’s personal gain.  Sources inside City Hall would not elaborate on who is being questioned or for what.

As recommended in the inquiry findings, the Mayor has, once again, provided numerous documents that she has legally declared her apartment above Town & Country Furniture as her place of residence since 2006.  In addition to the Certificate of Occupancy which was signed by the City of Blue Ridge, the Mayor also had to document legal residential occupancy when she had applied for Small Business Administration loans for her company.  During the course of establishing residency and occupancy for her apartment, there were many chances for authorizing government offices to declare her apartment illegal and none did.  In fact, she also had an apartment above her store when it was at 5821 Blue Ridge Drive.  Mayor Whitener said that prior to becoming Mayor, one part of her business was buying and remodeling homes.  But, she always wanted to have a permanent address and a permanent sense of home, so she built residences which she lived in above her stores.

In an earlier interview with FetchYourNews, Ken Jarrard of Jarrard and Davis, said that the investigation phase will take approximately six weeks, which calculates to a late May, early June release of findings.  When asked about the cost for the investigation phase, Mr. Jarrard said, “It will depend on what is discovered.  I would conservatively estimate that it will be an additional $10,000 to $20,000; but those numbers could vary significantly (more or less).”

Council Member Angie Arp instigated the Jarrard & Davis investigation, which began in December 2015.  She contacted the the firm, which specializes in providing legal services for counties and municipalities, to investigate the legality of Mayor Whitener being the Mayor of Blue Ridge.  Mayor Whitener agreed to the investigation and recommened to open the scope of the investigation to all Council Members and city government departments.

 

Related Posts:           Jarrard and Davis’ Blue Ridge Phase One Investigation Report (this is the report

                              that Jarrard and Davis gave to the City Council)

                             Jarrard and Davis Release Blue Ridge City Council  Inquiry Report

                             Score-Settling Has No Place in Government

                             Feb. 2 Council Meeting:  Council Inquiry, Water Bills and Street Repairs

              Alicia Stewart Praised in Jarrard & Davis Inquiry

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Ridge City Council: Citizen Comments, Construction Calendar, SPLOST Pie and Grill

News

At the monthly Blue Ridge City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 12th, the City Council decided on a new procedures for citizen comments during the City Council meeting.  These procedure changes actually make it easier for a person to make comments at the meeting.  Now, if a person decides to speak during the course of a meeting, a person can have two minutes during the public comments section.  People who wish to speak for five minutes must still sign up a week prior to the meeting.   The Council also asks that people who are speaking for five minutes send a short bullet list of points to Kelsey Ledford, the City Clerk.  Mayor Whitener said that one’s sending information about the topic ahead of time will allow the Council to prepare information and answer questions that may come up during the comment.  These changes presented by Council Member Arp and Mayor Whitener are quite different from the ones that Ms. Arp suggested back in February, when she wanted all citizen comments to be two minutes and no citizen be allowed to speak without signing up five days prior to the meeting.  (See related article “Angie Arp Instigates Changes in Citizen Comment Rules.)

Caesar Martinez, on behalf of the Downtown Business Association asked Mayor Whitener about East Main Street renovations timeline and porta-potties for downtown events.  Mayor Whitener promises a time line will come out this summer.  The city can’t release one now because neither the designs nor the builders have been finalized.  The plans are still on for early August through early September construction.  A luxurious portable restroom trailer for events downtown will still have to be a thing of the future.  For now, the city will stick with the typical porta-potty facilities present at downtown events.  There is some talk of placing a few of the units at Robert’s Way.

The Downtown Business District has a new building and zoning ordinances coming out.   The ordinance changes are to accommodate Lehigh Homes and Developments’ multi-residential building complex that is coming to the old Temple Baptist property on West Main Street.  The new ordinances do the following:

  • Building height can be to four stories
  • Urban dwellings can be on the 2, 3 and 4th
  • A mixed-use building can be up to 50% residential on the floor at grade.
  • In a multi-residential complex, dwellings must have an average of 1000 sq. feet.
  • There is a minimum of two parking spaces per unit.
  • Only public commercial buildings can front East or West Main.
  • Off-premise parking is subject to review by city administrator.
  • Trash receptacle area must be screened in material similar to the building’s.
  • No density limitations for urban residential units.
  • 10% of lot area for stand-alone residential developments must have green space

Fannin County Public Library Branch Manager Clare Barton asked the Blue Ridge City Council to support the library’s request for SPLOST 2016 money.  Ms. Barton told the council that a major improvement a new library will have is large meeting rooms and these would be available for any Fannin government entity to use.  Mayor Whitener said that that would be hard to do as Blue Ridge wants a slice of the SPLOST pie too.  Mayor Whitener said that large bills for repairing aging infrastructure will be coming up within the next six years and for which the city will need SPLOST money.

The owners/publishers of Destinations magazine, an event magazine for Blue Ridge tourists, spoke during the Citizen Comments section.  The owners were concerned about the Blue Ridge’s new sidewalk ordinance which requires a five-foot wide obstacle free pathway along the street.  They had also heard rumors that the sidewalk ordinance may come with permits for magazine stands.  Mayor Whitener assured them that, as long there was a five-foot wide pathway in front of their stands, their stands could say.  She also said that the permits were to make a record of who owns which magazine stand, so that if the stand is abandoned the city can contact the owner before scrapping the stand.

The Mountain Tennis Association asked to rent the tennis courts at the city park this summer in order to give tennis classes to customers.  When Council members realized that Mountain Tennis Association was asking for the tennis courts every morning June through August, they were reluctant to discuss the matter more.  The Council Members felt that the tennis courts belong to all of Blue Ridge.  And, that a private organization making a profit cannot monopolize a community amenity.  The Council decided to table the tennis, so to speak, until later.

Wilds Pierce’s 1930’s era working firetruck and equipment seems to finally have found a home.  Mr. Pierce offered the fire truck to the city in January.  Since Blue Ridge doesn’t have a fire department, the city suggested giving the truck to the county.  The county did not want to pay for storing the truck.  Mayor Whitener is glad to have the truck back.  She hopes that the city and the Baugh House can come to a storage arrangement for the truck at the Baugh House where it can become part of its exhibit.  Along with the truck and equipment, Mr. Pierce is donating the calliope that was once used on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad.

Carlie Hammond spoke about the design for the downtown city park, specifically where the grill pit will go.  The Council patiently listened to her distress about how moving the pit will affect the Good Samaritan’s Labor Day Bar-B-Que.  Mayor Whitener reminded Ms. Hammond that she had asked Ms. Hammond several times what the ideal location would be and that she (Ms. Hammond) had yet to make it clear.  All Council Members assured Ms. Hammond that they would meet her at the park and walk off where she (Ms. Hammond) thought a good grill location is.  Ms. Hammond had several of her fellow Good Samaritans there to support her.  After the meeting, they told Ms. Hammond that the Council is working in good faith to place the grill where it will be useful to the city and the Good Samaritans.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad resigned its annual lease on the depot for $43,176.48

Blue Ridge Council Member extends apology for behavior

News

The Blue Ridge City Council held its regular meeting today, March 1st, which was actually a rescheduled meeting due to winter weather in February.  The meeting ran approximately 2 hours and close to the end, just before executive session, council member Angie Arp asked to say something.  Arp stated she had not planned to speak however after hearing citizens’ comments she was moved to make a statement.  She went on to say she wanted to apologize for prior behavior, saying, “for the way I’ve acted and the things I’ve done,”  and explained how she had talked with several people lately and had come to realize she may not have “handled things the right way.”

https://youtu.be/fEXf_3_CHiQ

Although Ms. Arp’s apology may be heartfelt what does it really mean?  Since she has been on the City Council she has sent multiple emails to City Attorney Syfan, there’s been conflict, back-biting, drama, and a large amount of money spent on legal fees.  A pending lawsuit hangs in the balance.  Not to mention over fourteen thousand in legal fees racked up in the last few months to Jarrard & Davis, LLP for the investigation initially instigated by Arp.  Today’s meeting saw approval to pay the $10,060 of the latest invoice from the attorney firm in phase 2 of its investigation of the Mayor and City Council.

So while it may give her and some others a feel good moment let me tell you what it doesn’t do.  It doesn’t give the taxpayers of Blue Ridge a refund of the needless dollars wasted on the aforementioned legal fees.  It doesn’t restore the reputation of a dysfunctional city council who has become widely watched by not only Blue Ridge residents but neighboring counties.  How do you measure the loss of revenue from potential investors / incoming businesses who took their business elsewhere because the local officials do not conduct a professional cohesive face of local government.  What has it cost local businesses who wished to invest in the area only to be faced with dealing with the whims of the unpredictable council.

While we all can benefit from self evaluation and review it would seem there are certain times when sorry doesn’t erase consequences.  Arp should understand that elected officials take the oath of office and are held to a higher standard than the average citizen.  Perhaps her new found perspective on how her actions have impacted others should result in more than “I’m sorry.”  One would wonder, with as contentious as Arp has been for several months, what could have possibly prompted her acknowledgement of culpability in the recurring issues on the council.   It will be interesting to see what the phase 2 of the self initiated investigation reveals.  FYN plans to continue to follow the investigation and will update as new information becomes available with this aspect.  See the last invoice from investigating firm below:

 

Jarrard-&-Davis-Invoice-800

Fannin Water Main Fixed

News

After a long night’s work, Blue Ridge City Water Dept. has the water main fixed. As of 5:00 a.m. the city started turning back on the valves and pressure checking the system.
(more…)

Fannin Takes Steps to Beef Up Security

Featured Stories, News

Since the tragedy in Newtown, CT, it is no secret that schools across the nation have tried to increase security measures in an effort to minimize the risk of an event of the sort taking place in their town and Fannin County has proven to be no exception. As promised, FYN has followed the ongoing issue of keeping our children safe and making Fannin’s schools a safer place. And our latest findings revealed that things have came a long way since December. (more…)

Feral Cats on the Prowl in Blue Ridge

Community

The City of Blue Ridge is seeking to curtail its feral cat problem. (more…)

Blue Ridge Approves New Water Tank

Featured Stories, News

The Blue Ridge City Council passed a resolution last week to approve and designate the location of the Sunset Mountain Water Tank. (more…)

Blue Ridge to Move Forward With DDA

Featured Stories, News

It was an exciting day on Tuesday, May 7th, as Blue Ridge city council members approved a motion to begin the process of starting a new Downtown Development Authority for the city of Blue Ridge. (more…)

Blue Ridge Hosts 2011 Relay For Life Event

Community

Downtown Blue Ridge hosted the 2011 Fannin County Relay for Life event Friday. A huge, lively crowd came out to celebrate cancer survivors, remember lost loved ones, and to raise money for research. (more…)

Back to Top