J.C. Irby is sworn in as mayor of Cornelia by City Attorney Steve Campbell on January 6, 2016.
The Board of Commissioners of the City of Cornelia met Tuesday night and elected its leadership, beginning in January, 2016. Re-elected as Mayor is J.C. Irby. As Mayor, Irby has been serving the unexpired term of the late Mayor Margaret Ballard. Re-elected in 2015, his swearing-in Tuesday begins a four year term of office.
Also elected Tuesday was the Mayor Pro Tem, to serve in the place of the Mayor in instances when he is unable to attend. The Mayor Pro Tem will be Ward 4 Commissioner Tony Cook. Cook was also sworn in as Ward 4 Commission member for the 2016-2019 term. Another Commissioner sworn in Tuesday was Wesley Dodd, Ward 1 Commissioner for 2016-2019.
In other business, the board heard reports from City Manager Donald Anderson, including his recommendations for construction on the city’s North Fire Station, located on Hwy. 441 in the area of the K-Mart shopping center. The board voted to accept Anderson’s recommendation of RG Williams Construction at a cost not to exceed $345,260 for construction of new fire engine bays. Anderson also recommended accepting the bid in the amount of $636,969 from E-one company for a new 75-foot aerial fire truck which will be bought with SPLOST VI funds (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax of one penny per dollar spent as collected by the county.)
The Mayor also signed a document presented by Anderson for the $1,000 cost for the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission to apply for an Assistance for Firefighters Grant (AFG) to replace firefighter breathing equipment that is expiring, and to install an exhaust removal system in the North Station. A non-traditional term loan from South State Bank was approved by the Mayor and Commissioners for “lease/purchase of public safety equipment and improvements to public safety facilities” with the amount “not to exceed One Million dollars.”
In other business, the Commissioners and Mayor heard from Anderson that the Habersham Chamber of Commerce budget projects a 2016 collection of $53,900 from the city. The city is obligated to pay 22 percent of the Hotel-Motel Tax, collected monthly, to the Chamber. If the annual total doesn’t reach $53,900, the city is not obligated to pay the balance to the Chamber, Anderson said.
The next regularly-scheduled meeting of the Commission is on February 2, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall.
