Fayette County employees will work a full day Dec. 23, the day before the day before Christmas, three Fayette County commissioners decided during the Dec. 10 regular meeting.
As a result, Chairman Paul Oddo’s recommendation to close county offices early Dec. 23 will not be happening.
Commissioner Steve Brown said he didn’t see a need to shorten the workday Dec. 23, which is Wednesday, since county employees already have a four-day weekend.
The county’s calendar is modeled after the federal holiday calendar, which lists Christmas Eve as a holiday as well as Christmas Day. A similar measure was considered last year when Dec. 23 was on a Thursday.
There was discussion about whether the move would be to minimum staffing, but Oddo specified that his motion was for a “hard close” with all non-essential offices shutting down early. Commissioner David Barlow was on board with Oddo’s idea, but Brown, Ognio and Commissioner Charles Rousseau were not. The measure failed 3-2.
The board approved a staff recommendation to contract with Georgia Power for easement clearing along the fence line at the South Fayette Water Treatment Plant, a task that county officials said is too big for in-house staff and equipment. The cost is approximately $20,000. The commissioners also ratified just over $14,000 in change orders with Southeastern Pressure Grouting for work recently completed in the Lake Peachtree spillway.
Consideration of a staff recommendation to transition the county’s defined benefit retirement plan was tabled until the Jan. 28 meeting.
A new ordinance was approved regarding the use of purchase cards and credit cards by county elected officials, action made necessary by new legislation which passed the Georgia General Assembly earlier this year.
County finance director Mary Parrott said the legislature passed House Bill 192 which requires local governments to take three actions: to pass specific regulations regarding use of the card; to take a public vote designating who can use the purchase card and appointing a purchase card administrator; and to enter into an agreement between the board and each elected official who uses the card. These requirements are effective Jan. 1.
Brown pointed out that the commissioners only have purchase cards when traveling to out-of-county function where transportation costs are incurred and then returns them to staff promptly after each use.
County administrator Steve Rapson said they are closely monitored and a process is already in place for him to review them as well as Parrott’s staff, and anything unusual is flagged.
Brown asked if a new resolution was required every time a seat on the board changed, and Rapson said that is correct.
Two agenda items saw no action or discussion. The proposed resolution from Fayetteville regarding a tax allocation district was removed from agenda at the city’s request, and a discussion concerning the county’s ethics ordinance was tabled until the Jan. 28 meeting.
In other business, three committee slots were filled by the commission, two of which are returning members and one who is new.
The board approved the recommendation to place Page McDonald on the Library Board for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1 and expiring Dec. 31, 2019.
McDonald is a 39-year resident of Fayette County, a member of the Friends of the Library and has worked with the Library’s book sales. She has also been a member of the Fayette County Book Club for 28 years.
Commissioner Randy Ognio, who interviewed McDonald, said she “has all kinds of knowledge” and “told me the history of the library” during their conversation.
“She is gung-ho about doing this,” he said. “This is one more situation where we had several really good applicants but could only pick one.”
Chairman Charles Oddo joked that anyone who spells her name “Page” belongs in the library.
Alvin Gilbert and James Graw were reappointed to the Planning Commission for three-year terms beginning Jan. 1 and expiring Dec. 31, 2018. Their current appointments are set to expire at the end of 2015.
“They have years and years of combined experience,” said Oddo. “This kind of continuity is one of the things that keeps Fayette County like it is.”
All three appointments were approved 5-0.
