CITY OF BERKELEY LAKE, GA

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
September 15, 1999

Present: Mayor Cooke, Council Members Arakawa, Goff, Kitchens, Levinson and Ruys
              4 Citizens

The Mayor called the meeting to order at approximately 8:20 p.m.

She announced that the purpose of the meeting is to ensure that all the council members are in accord with the year 2000 budget as proposed by the Financial Affairs Committee and herself.

Mrs. Ruys had a concern regarding the Mayor's proposed salary and moved that it be reduced to $500 a month.

Mr. Levinson seconded, "to enable discussion." He moved to amend the motion that the Mayor's salary be decreased by $2,000 per year from the current salary and that council members salary, including the Mayor pro tem, be increased by $2,000 per year.

Mr. Arakawa seconded, "to enable discussion."

Mrs. Ruys said she was "trying to reduce the budget."

Mr. Levinson said: "I'd like to see things more in proportion, that's all."

Mr. Goff said that he thought more of an equalization would be very practical.

Mr. Kitchens stated he's opposed to it.

Mr. Arakawa stated, "We're all in this to give to the community. It's not for the money."

Mr. Levinson stated that he would like to withdraw his amendment.

The Mayor allowed him to do so after first ascertaining that it was fine with Mr. Arakawa who seconded it, and that the Council had no objection to that.

Mr. Levinson then moved that the Mayor's salary be changed to $600 per month, the Mayor pro tem's $150 per month, and the council members to $100 per month.

Mrs. Ruys seconded.

Mr. Goff said that he was in favor of redistributing the money, but not lowering it (i.e. the combined total).

Mrs. Ruys clarified that this motion pertains to the 2000 Budget beginning January 1, 2000, and Mr. Levinson agreed.

The Mayor called for a vote on the amendment. Mr. Levinson, Mrs. Ruys and Mr. Goff were in favor. Mr. Kitchens and Mr. Arakawa were opposed. The amendment passed.

Discussion followed.

Mr. Kitchens thinks the Council should drop their salaries to zero and the Mayor should make $7,200.

Mrs. Ruys said that maybe we should take all the salaries away.

Mr. Goff then said to leave it the way it is. "At this point, there's such a difference of opinion, just leave everything the way it is."

The Mayor called for a vote on Mrs. Ruys main motion, as amended: that the Mayor's salary be lowered to $600 a month and the Mayor pro tem's salary be increased to $150 a month and the other council members salary to $100 a month.

Mr. Levinson and Mrs. Ruys were in favor. Mr. Arakawa, Mr. Kitchens, and Mr. Goff were opposed. The motion was defeated.

Mrs. Ruys then suggested that the Mayor leave the Mayor's salary at $9,400 a year for the 2000 budget. The Mayor ascertained that the Council was in agreement with this.

Mr. Levinson moved that the ordinance that established the Emergency Management Committee be changed to read that the name is Berkeley Lake Emergency Management Agency, instead of Emergency Management Committee.

Mr. Kitchens seconded and there was no discussion. The vote in favor was unanimous.

Mr. Levinson moved and Mrs. Ruys seconded that we put on 1st read an ordinance to repeal all those sections of our city code providing exemptions from or credit against ad valorem taxes. The state law prohibits it now.

There was some brief discussion with the City Treasurer, Mrs. Zielazienski, about this. Then the Mayor called for a vote. The vote in favor was unanimous.

Mr. Levinson moved to put on first read to delete the existing section 4-204, paragraph 6, in our city code book and replace it with "contingent expenses in an amount not more than 10% of total expenses, excluding debt service and excluding capital outlay. Mr. Kitchens seconded.

Mr. Goff proposed to amend the motion to read "contingent expenses in an amount not to exceed 10%," instead of not more than 10%. There was no discussion and all the Council Members voted in favor of the amendment.

There was no further discussion and the Mayor called for a vote on the main motion, as amended. It passed unanimously.

Mr. Arakawa handed out a proposal from Street Smarts and announced that the county will do a traffic pattern survey for us starting this Friday. "This will allow us the opportunity to do a very clear comparative analysis between what the county can recommend and do for us versus what we can get from other avenues." He asked the Mayor to put it on the agenda for the next council meeting.

Mr. Arakawa then asked about distribution of a flyer he wrote that summarizes the events of the last public hearing. The council members volunteered to help him distribute it.

There being no further business, Mr. Levinson moved and Mrs. Ruys seconded for adjournment. The motion passed unanimously, and the meeting was adjourned at 9:20 pm.