The Baldwin City Council will consider the animal control intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Habersham County during their Monday council meeting.
The formula that the county has established in the current IGA with the cities has been a source of contention with Baldwin elected officials for several months.
It has been stated by Baldwin’s Chief Administrative Officer Emily Woodmaster and several elected officials that the formula they discussed with county management nearly a year ago is not the same formula that is being currently used to provide the service to the cities.
Even with the contention, Baldwin citizens that live in Habersham County can use services provided by animal control but must go to the facility in Clarkesville for those services. Without the IGA, animal control personnel can not respond to calls in the city.
Animal control needed
During the council’s work session on Tuesday, Baldwin Police Chief Chris Jones may have convinced city officials to move forward with approving the IGA for animal control services.
Jones states, “Since I came to Baldwin, animal control has been a burden to us the entire time.”
He explained to the council that his officers are not certified nor do they have the equipment to handle animal control calls.
Council member Erik Keith asked the Chief if having a part-time animal control officer would be helpful. Jones explained that hiring a part-time officer would not be beneficial to the city. He stated, “Really, animal control is a 24/7, 365 job.”
Jones tells the council, “We really need this animal control badly.”
He also explained that once the animal control agreement is signed, animal control personnel will respond to calls inside the corporate limits of the city, including the corporate limits in Banks County.
After hearing from Jones, the council agreed to bring the animal control IGA forward to Monday’s meeting for possible approval.
Baldwin is the last city to consider approving the IGA as presented by the county this past January.
Variance request
The city council will consider approving the Otter Construction zoning variance request for a property on Professional Park Drive. The request is to allow a portion of a law office to be converted to a residential unit. The reasons for the request are for security and economic purposes for the property owner. However, the city changed the zoning variance request to a special use permit.
City Attorney Bubba Samuels explained during the public hearing that in this case, a variance request did not fit the type of request as applied for in the application. A variance, as he explained, was more for when the ordinance created a hardship for the property owner. Since no hardship existed, a special use permit was more appropriate in this case.
The city council approved the first reading of the variance request during a council meeting last month. The city held a public hearing on the matter during their work session on Tuesday. No one spoke in opposition of the request.
Other business
The council will consider an utility encroachment ordinance. The ordinance will require utility companies and contractors to receive a permit from the city before digging in the city’s right of ways to install any utility.
They will consider approving the meter reading update for Public Works.
The council will discuss abandoning the right of way for Park Avenue.
The Baldwin City Council will meet Monday April 13 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Baldwin Municipal Courtroom at 155 Willingham Avenue in Baldwin
