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City Council votes to revoke business license
The City Council held their August meeting on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. After the invocation and approval of minutes, Administrator Al Lawson presented a request from the Pin High Golf Association for a grant of $500 in support of their annual Golf Tournament on Sept. 13, 2008. The request, a budgeted item, was approved by the Council.
Denise Register, a representative from the Red Cross, addressed the Council and requested permission for the Red Cross to hold a “bucket drive” on August 9, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corners of Patriot Square and at the intersection of Hwy 1 and Lambs Bridge Rd. This fundraiser is to help the Red Cross be self-sufficient and keep them from having to hold fundraisers during emergencies to help cover costs. She said that the Red Cross has, over the past four years, spent $57,080, and, as of the end of fiscal year 2007-2008, they have spent $15,265 in Emanuel County. They plan to use this fundraiser to get the community more involved in the Red Cross’s efforts in the county. The request to hold a fundraiser was approved by the council, as was the Red Cross’s request for the council’s annual donation of $500.
The council also considered the alcoholic beverage request, for advertisement only, of Ashok Patel, doing business as Andy’s Quick Stop #8 at 350 E Main St. for beer and wine package only. The request to advertise on this matter was granted.
Police Chief Johnny Shuman addressed the council in the matter regarding Clayton Dixon’s business license for 501 Harris St., commonly known as the Bama Club. Chief Shuman explained that the club has been used as a place to “violate the law” in the past. The club has been closed down before, but Chief Shuman recommended revoking Dixon’s business license to keep the club from being opened again. GBI Agent Alan Watson, Commander of the East Central Georgia Drug Task Force, also spoke on this matter, citing 125 cases over the last five years in sale, purchase, and possession of drugs at the “Bama Club.” He said the narcotic trade at the club was evidenced by the bags left outside the club, and that there was a huge volume of people from outside the area that came to the club to buy drugs. Almost all undercover drug buys took place in the area, and, when the club was open, most of the calls to his office were about the club and the surrounding area. Chief Shuman said that Dixon is being used, and that he has no direct relationship to the drug activity in the area, but that his club needs to be closed due to his patrons. Agent Watson added that most of their time is spent in the area of the club and, if it were closed for good, they would be able to focus their efforts elsewhere. Dixon then addressed the council, saying that drugs are everywhere and he cannot check the pockets of every one of his patrons. He stated that he just wanted to sell sodas and potato chips and run a little game room, but everything that happens from New St. down is blamed on the club.
Chief Shuman recommended to the Council that the business license issued to Dixon for the “Bama Club” be revoked to stop it being used as a gathering place and infrastructure for drug-related events. The Council made a motion to revoke Dixon’s business license and it passed 5 to 1, with Councilperson John Parker voting against.
The Council then voted on the new webpage design, voting again on the issue from last meeting of going with Kask Creativity, as recommended by the Downtown Development Association and the Georgia Rural Economic Development Association. After a review of what the company can do and has done with webpages, the Council re-voted on the issue and approved the request to use Kask Creativity for the new webpage.
Downtown Development Authority Director Anthony Faris also presented a request to apply to have a quality growth resource team come to the community to help put a plan in place for the downtown area. The application process is highly competitive, and the Council voted to start the process as soon as possible in hopes that the community will be selected for the program.
The 2009 budget was presented for consideration and, after a short review, it was decided that the Council will meet again on the 18th to discuss the budget in full and to approve it. This would give the Council more time to review the full budget and to make their suggestions and a final decision.
In other business, the Council was presented with the idea of switching the water department’s usage of liquid chlorine to gas to save costs. The city spends around $8,000 a year for liquid chlorine, and the switch to gas chlorine would save them around $7,000. To make the switch, they must purchase audible alarms in case of gas chlorine leaks. Councilperson Edenfield had bids on hand for these alarms, and, after hearing them, the Council voted to switch to gas chlorine and to go with the lowest bid, submitted by Hugo Jahnz systems.
Councilperson Edenfield also requested that there be some way to enforce the water ban that is currently in place, as there are still people watering under the ban. Mayor Schwabe appointed a committee to examine how to handle water ban violators.
Before the conclusion of the meeting, the Council opened bids for lawnmower supplies and, after receiving three, voted to go with the low bid subject to a review of compatibility with the items requested.
Fire Chief Mike Strobridge also addressed the council to inform them that the Fire Department had received a grant from the Mill Creek Foundation for $5,000 for training firefighters, and he offered his sincere thanks.
Denise Register, a representative from the Red Cross, addressed the Council and requested permission for the Red Cross to hold a “bucket drive” on August 9, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corners of Patriot Square and at the intersection of Hwy 1 and Lambs Bridge Rd. This fundraiser is to help the Red Cross be self-sufficient and keep them from having to hold fundraisers during emergencies to help cover costs. She said that the Red Cross has, over the past four years, spent $57,080, and, as of the end of fiscal year 2007-2008, they have spent $15,265 in Emanuel County. They plan to use this fundraiser to get the community more involved in the Red Cross’s efforts in the county. The request to hold a fundraiser was approved by the council, as was the Red Cross’s request for the council’s annual donation of $500.
The council also considered the alcoholic beverage request, for advertisement only, of Ashok Patel, doing business as Andy’s Quick Stop #8 at 350 E Main St. for beer and wine package only. The request to advertise on this matter was granted.
Police Chief Johnny Shuman addressed the council in the matter regarding Clayton Dixon’s business license for 501 Harris St., commonly known as the Bama Club. Chief Shuman explained that the club has been used as a place to “violate the law” in the past. The club has been closed down before, but Chief Shuman recommended revoking Dixon’s business license to keep the club from being opened again. GBI Agent Alan Watson, Commander of the East Central Georgia Drug Task Force, also spoke on this matter, citing 125 cases over the last five years in sale, purchase, and possession of drugs at the “Bama Club.” He said the narcotic trade at the club was evidenced by the bags left outside the club, and that there was a huge volume of people from outside the area that came to the club to buy drugs. Almost all undercover drug buys took place in the area, and, when the club was open, most of the calls to his office were about the club and the surrounding area. Chief Shuman said that Dixon is being used, and that he has no direct relationship to the drug activity in the area, but that his club needs to be closed due to his patrons. Agent Watson added that most of their time is spent in the area of the club and, if it were closed for good, they would be able to focus their efforts elsewhere. Dixon then addressed the council, saying that drugs are everywhere and he cannot check the pockets of every one of his patrons. He stated that he just wanted to sell sodas and potato chips and run a little game room, but everything that happens from New St. down is blamed on the club.
Chief Shuman recommended to the Council that the business license issued to Dixon for the “Bama Club” be revoked to stop it being used as a gathering place and infrastructure for drug-related events. The Council made a motion to revoke Dixon’s business license and it passed 5 to 1, with Councilperson John Parker voting against.
The Council then voted on the new webpage design, voting again on the issue from last meeting of going with Kask Creativity, as recommended by the Downtown Development Association and the Georgia Rural Economic Development Association. After a review of what the company can do and has done with webpages, the Council re-voted on the issue and approved the request to use Kask Creativity for the new webpage.
Downtown Development Authority Director Anthony Faris also presented a request to apply to have a quality growth resource team come to the community to help put a plan in place for the downtown area. The application process is highly competitive, and the Council voted to start the process as soon as possible in hopes that the community will be selected for the program.
The 2009 budget was presented for consideration and, after a short review, it was decided that the Council will meet again on the 18th to discuss the budget in full and to approve it. This would give the Council more time to review the full budget and to make their suggestions and a final decision.
In other business, the Council was presented with the idea of switching the water department’s usage of liquid chlorine to gas to save costs. The city spends around $8,000 a year for liquid chlorine, and the switch to gas chlorine would save them around $7,000. To make the switch, they must purchase audible alarms in case of gas chlorine leaks. Councilperson Edenfield had bids on hand for these alarms, and, after hearing them, the Council voted to switch to gas chlorine and to go with the lowest bid, submitted by Hugo Jahnz systems.
Councilperson Edenfield also requested that there be some way to enforce the water ban that is currently in place, as there are still people watering under the ban. Mayor Schwabe appointed a committee to examine how to handle water ban violators.
Before the conclusion of the meeting, the Council opened bids for lawnmower supplies and, after receiving three, voted to go with the low bid subject to a review of compatibility with the items requested.
Fire Chief Mike Strobridge also addressed the council to inform them that the Fire Department had received a grant from the Mill Creek Foundation for $5,000 for training firefighters, and he offered his sincere thanks.
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