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Fort Oglethorpe council agrees city will appeal jury verdict
by Dennis Norwood
Oct 02, 2012 | 2894 views | 3 3 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend | print
At the conclusion of its Sept. 24 meeting, Fort Oglethorpe city council members went in to executive session to discuss pending litigation and other issues. But according to council member Louis Hamm, that discussion did not include the recent jury trial that saw the city assessed with an $80,000 levy for attorney fees in their case against a citizen over the 2007 construction of a cricket pitch on the Polo Field at Barnhardt Circle.

The jury's decision to award attorney's fees, along with an order to remove the 10-foot-by-30-foot cement slab, is being appealed by the city.

According to Hamm, "This (the appeal) is the right path to follow. The legal system allows for it and that's the right thing for us to do."

Hamm said the entire council is in agreement with this measure.

Prior to the meeting a public hearing was held regarding the city's 2013 budget, which was given its second reading during the council meeting. There were no citizens present who wanted to discuss the budget, and the hearing was adjourned after a matter of minutes. The budget will receive its third and final reading at the Oct. 8 council meeting.

The 2013 budget is set at $13,559,394, with $4,425,701 included from water and sewer.

In other business:

· Council members heard from Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School student Logan Brown, a member of the school's Student Government Association. He spoke to the council regarding the school's 2012 homecoming activities.

· During his scheduled time, mayor Lynn Long reminded all in attendance that early voting would take place from Oct. 15 through Nov. 3.

· The council approved a zoning request on second reading involving property owned by Randy and Lisa Bailey at 1475 Cross St. It was rezoned from residential-3 to commercial-2.

· An annual contract with the Catoosa County tax commissioner to process city property taxes was approved. This contract is in the amount of $9,750.

· City maintenance requested $3,000 for an excavator rental from Mashburn Equipment, along with a not-to-exceed amount of $9,000 for dirt removal by Wright Construction at the new city shop site. Both amounts were approved unanimously.

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Comments
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Desafiamos
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October 08, 2012
Fort Oglethorpe has a population of approximately 9000 people. On any given election day, only 8 to 12% vote (10% of 9000 potential voters = 900 voters). The largest block of voters in Fort Oglethorpe is a private recreation association. If you want to be mayor or a city councilman in Fort Oglethorpe then you must elicit their vote and support whatever the recreation association wants. In 2001 the recreation association wanted a Pavilion (concrete pad with a roof over it) to facilitate their concession stands (which is probably a misuse of public property). Despite the city ordinance and the city charter the city council approved the pavilion (and who wouldn’t if you had a part time job that paid you $10,000 a year and only required you to work for one hour, twice a month [24 hours @ $10,000 a year = $416 an hour]. However, residents concerned about the integrity of the historical district opposed it and finally the County School Board stepped in and stopped it. I guess it is only a coincidence that the concrete cricket pad is exactly the right size and shape to make a pavilion out of.
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Frankenchrist
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October 03, 2012
Hey, entire council and Ron Goulart. What do you know that us citizens don't? Just because the legal system allows for an appeal does not mean you should appeal. The legal system also allows the winners (so far NOT Fort O) to collect legal fees. Do you love losing our tax treasure on a HORRIBLE case? I'd much rather see you play the Lotto than appeal this. I vote, and every name with the (I) next to it will be missing my vote from now on. How's that pride working for ya now?
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geno36
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October 02, 2012
Just what they need to do. Waste more of the city tax payers money. No body uses it or has in years. I don't remember anybody ever really wanting it in the first place.
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