Commissioners approve Amended Alarm Ordinance
Board of Commissioners July 13, 2022
FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. — The Fannin County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt a new alarm ordinance. The commissioners also approved purchases for the Sheriff’s Office and 911 Center.
During their July 12 meeting, the commissioners voted to adopt the Fannin County Amended Alarm Ordinance. At a public hearing in February, it was noted that false alarms were becoming an issue for Fannin’s first responders. A Fannin County Fire Department representative had noted that responding to a call costs around $300 and that each of the 66 alarm calls received in the last year were false alarms. Sheriff Dane Kirby also emphasized hundreds of false alarm responses.
In response, the newly adopted ordinance states: “It is hereby found and determined that three or more false alarms within a permit year is excessive, constitutes a public nuisance, and shall be unlawful.” While first and second false alarms carry no penalty, the third violation will receive a $150 penalty. At their fifth, and any subsequent violation, an alarm user will receive a $500 penalty.
The ordinance will begin to effect alarm users, defined as “any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, governmental or educational entity or any other entity owning, leasing, or operating an alarm system, or on whose premises an alarm system is maintained for the protection of such premises,” beginning on September 1, 2022.
Other Business
The commissioners were also presented with the Annual Financial Report for 2021. Amanda Wilkson, with BatesCarter, presented the report. She noted that 2021 revenues had increased by almost $6 million compared to 2020 revenues, largely due to an increase in property and sales tax revenue. When asked, Wilkson suggested that the county utilize its large fund balance on capital projects.
Sheriff Dane Kirby spoke to the commissioners on behalf of Major Keith Bosen, who was unable to attend. He explained that three high speed cameras on a patrol car tag reader needed to be replaced. The commissioners approved the $8,400 purchase from the Public Safety SPLOST Fund.
The commissioners also approved $122,200 to be spent on upgrading the 911 Center’s phone system from 2014. Deputy EMA Director Patrick Cook explained that the prior system vendor no longer supports the system, meaning there was no one to service the system. While Cook noted there were no current problems, he said the upgrade will provide five years of hardware and labor maintenance. The addition of a fourth answering position and the possibility of hiring another deputy was discussed as well.
Commissioners name March as American Red Cross Month
Board of Commissioners March 9, 2022
FANNIN, COUNTY — The Fannin County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting on March 8. During the meeting they approved several purchases and proclaimed March as American Red Cross Month.
Chairman Jamie Hensley read and signed a proclamation during the meeting that named March 2022 as American Red Cross Month in Fannin County. “In Fannin County, the contributions of local Red Cross volunteers give hope to the most vulnerable in their darkest hour,” Hensley said. He continued, “Their work to prevent and alleviate human suffering is vital to strengthening our communities’ resilience. We dedicate this month of March to all those who continue to advance the noble legacy of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton.” Hensley also encouraged residents of the county to support The Red Cross’ mission
Purchases
Fannin County Public Works Director Zack Ratcliff attended the meeting to request purchase approvals from the board. Shallowford Bridge, which is currently closed, needs repairs to prevent it from being shut down, Ratcliff noted. The cost of the repairs would total $82,577.90, but the county was offered a grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation that will cover 70 percent of the total cost. The board approved the remaining cost, $24,773.37, to be taken from SPLOST funds for the project. The board also approved a $15,000 purchase of a rubberized asphalt distributor, and approved the purchase of three trucks for a total of $127,248.
The commissioners also discussed a piece of property the county purchased to use for employee parking. Chairman Hensley sought approval to move forward with developing the property. The board discussed and approved spending $7,800 to begin the process, including conceptual site plans and erosion control plans according to Hensley. Chairman Hensley discussed the same piece of property during a recent Blue Ridge City Council meeting on downtown parking.
Other Business
The board appointed Charles Donaldson to the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission on March 8. The commission, according to the NWGRC website, serves “to improve the qualify of life for every Northwest Georgia resident, through orderly growth, conservation of the region’s natural and historic resources, and care and development of the region’s human resources.” Donaldson will serve as a non-public member of the commission, which consists of 15 counties and 49 municipalities.
The board also approved a resolution that will allow the Fannin County Water Authority to refinance two loans. The county attorney noted the loans will be reduced from a 40 year payout to a 20 year payout, along with a reduced interest rate.
Fannin’s Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Patrick Cooke spoke at the meeting requesting the commissioner’s approval to join the Tri-State Mutual Aid Association. Cooke said joining the agreement would give the county greater access to emergency resources. “There’s a $100 per year fee,” Cooke noted, “but in the event we call in resources, there’s no cost to us at that point.” The Tri-State Mutual Aid Association says their mission is to “provide routine 2nd alarm through 5th alarm response and special calls to fire, haz-mat, specialized rescue incidents, and unusual events such as firefighter funerals and major water outages.”
A proposed Alarm Ordinance was also on the March 8 meeting agenda, but was tabled again.
Fannin Commissioners approve Excise Tax Ordinance
Board of Commissioners February 23, 2022
FANNIN, Ga. — The Fannin County Board of Commissioners held two public hearings and a regular meeting on Feb. 22 that continued discussions on Excise Tax and Alarm Ordinances.
During the board’s Feb. 9 meeting, the first readings for the proposed Excise Tax and Alarm ordinances were held. After input from citizens and county officials, the board brought amended ordinances back to the public for a second hearing.
Debbie Jackson spoke to the board about the changes the final ordinance would make.
The Excise Tax – Rooms, Lodging, & Accommodation Ordinance received no public comment during the first public hearing of the evening. Lodging Tax Administrator Debbie Jackson spoke before the commissioners voted, “The basic two changes that we’re asking for would be to raise the registration fee from $25 per year to $100 when they register, with a renewal fee of $100 [annually],” she noted, “The only other thing would be the collector credit. We’d be doing away with the collector credit, that’s just a potential for abuse.”
The Alarm Ordinance received lengthy commentary during the public hearing. Mr. Bates, who said he works in security, raised his concerns with the ordinance and its effectiveness. “I think we all need to sit down and bring all the companies effected, the actual installing companies in here to talk about this,” he said. The board spoke with Bates about what changes he believed would be the most effective and how to implement them throughout the county. After the public hearing, the commissioners tabled the ordinance for further discussion. Chairman Jamie Hensley explained the decision saying, “We don’t quite have this finished, just to be honest with you. We’re still trying to tweak it up a little bit … It’s a very important thing within our county. We want to make sure that we have it right before we do move forward.”
The Commissioners also took action to correct a leasing error from 2005. The land lease left the county with a long-term lease not only on the property where Fire Station #5 is located, but on the owner’s home as well. The board approved a motion to release interest except on the tract with the fire station.
After receiving additional public comment during the regular meeting, the Board of Commissioners told those in attendance that they were in the process of creating a noise ordinance to address complaints from county residents.