Laura Semanson

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – The Board of Commissioners discussed the future of the Forsyth County Development Authority during Tuesday’s meeting with regard to new appointments and whether the Authority should consist of seven, nine or possibly 11 members.

Commissioner Laura Semanson seemed to favor nine. She said she was disappointed there had been many times the Authority did not meet because they didn’t have anything to discuss. “They should be getting together,” she said. “They should be getting together to discuss how they can assist with big development. By having a different group it would lend itself to them being there and there being a level of enthusiasm. I would like to consider going to nine.”

Chairman Cindy Mills said reaching a quorum with nine members would be very difficult.

Commissioner Todd Levent said he believes the current 7-members is the right number. He said he has talked to commissioners in other counties and they said a nine-member Authority is “a nightmare.”

Todd Levent

Commissioner Alfred John said, “I suggest we start with seven and see what their workload and challenges are like and see if they might like to go to nine in about three of four months, depending on how active their Board chooses to be.”

After the discussion, commissioners unanimously approved the resolution calling for seven members for now and to appoint members at a subsequent work session.

In other decisions, the Board unanimously approved:

• A motion to adopt a resolution that will maintain the makeup of the Development Authority at seven members with nominations to be held at a future work session;
• A list of items as surplus with authorization for the Department of Procurement to dispose of accordingly;
• Bid 21-19-3150 for the reclamation/widening of Chamblee Gap Road to Blount Construction Company Inc. in the amount of $505,605.18, from SPLOST 8 funding, with $100,000.nt00 donation from the developer;
• Bid 21-37-5211 for the purchase of seven new zero turn mowers for the Department of Parks and Recreation to Terry’s Equipment Sales & Rental in the amount of $55,500.00;
• A Change Order with Blount Construction Company, Inc. on the 2020 Road Resurfacing Project in the amount of $270,500;
• A Task Order with CH2MHill (Jacobs) to update the Water Master Plan for the Department of Water and Sewer in the amount of $199,522;
• Temporary staffing needed at the vaccination site for the Emergency Management Agency to Staffing Options, Inc. in the not-to-exceed amount of $105,548.80 with the funding source of FEMA/Vaccine Grant for Professional Services;
• An Encroachment Agreement for Easement with Georgia Transmission Corporation for the installation, operation, and maintenance of a 16″ ductile water main crossing a GTC Easement on Browns Bridge Road;
• An Encroachment Agreement for Easement with Georgia Transmission Corporation for the installation, operation, and maintenance of a 16″ ductile water main inside a 24″ steel casing pipe crossing a GTC Easement on Keith Bridge Road at Dawson Crossing – Hammonds Crossing;
• Adoption of a Waterline Extension Policy to define a process for extending water service to existing, developed areas that do not currently have access to the Forsyth County public water system;
• Postponed consideration of a revised and updated Intergovernmental Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of Treated Water between Forsyth County and the Etowah Water and Sewer Authority;
• A request to apply for the State of Georgia FY2021 Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant Safety Action Plan (LMIG SAP) for an amount not to exceed $115,000.00 with a required match of up to $34,500 on a time sensitive basis;
• Ratification of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Emergency Grant Award to the Forsyth County Adult Felony Drug Court in the amount of $3,500 to support case manager services due to COVID;
• Ratification of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Pandemic Relief and Technology Grant Award to the Forsyth County C.A.R.E. Program in the amount of $2,479 to purchase additional technology due to COVID;
• Reappointment of Carla Radzikinas as the Republican Party member to the Forsyth County Board of Registrations and Elections;
• Creation of a Capital Projects Management Director position;
• Acdraft resolution of an Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Cumming, Georgia for creation of the Forsyth County/City of Cumming Land Bank and appointment of members;
• An emergency moratorium on any units applied for under Res6 Performance Standards that exceed four units per acre;

The Board then recessed into an Executive Session:

Following the Executive Session the Board approved a resolution to condemn property rights in connection with the Coal Mountain Connector Project:

(A) Parcel 10 – 2.024 acres of fee simple right of way and 79,940.12 square feet of temporary easement for construction of slopes (owners: Donald Jerry Gravitt, as Executor of the Estate of Bertie Mae Burgess Gravitt; Mildred Gravitt Williamson, individually and as heir of Rufus Gravitt, by and through Richard Neville, Esq., as her duly appointed Conservator; Donald Jerry Gravitt, individually and as heir of Rufus Gravitt; Charles Dennis Gravitt, individually and as heir of Rufus Gravitt; and Gary Allen Gravitt, individually and as heir of Rufus Gravitt)

(B) Parcel 11 – 0.021 acres of fee simple right of way and 3,185.01 square feet of temporary easement for construction of slopes (owners: Donnie Williamson and Mildred Gravitt Williamson by and through Richard Neville, Esq., as her duly appointed Conservator);

(2) Board consideration of a Resolution to Amend Condemnation of Property Rights in connection with the Ronald Reagan Boulevard Extension, parcel 7: 0.155 acres of fee simple right of way; 2,259.16 square feet of permanent easement for construction and maintenance of slopes; square feet of temporary construction easement; 9,473.11 and two (2) temporary driveway easements (owners: Anson Logistics Assets, LLC and Prudential Insurance Company of America);

(3) Board consideration of an acquisitions contract for the purchase of real estate, between 400 Pilgrim LLC (seller) and Forsyth County, Georgia (buyer), for land located along both sides of Freedom Pkwy, Cumming GA, otherwise known as Forsyth County tax parcel 219-113, comprised of 58.57 acres; but with the acquisition contract being only for acquisition of +/- 42 acres, and with a contingency for acquisition of an additional +/- 10 to 12 acres of the same tax parcel. Staff requests this Item be considered on a “Time Sensitive” basis.