Second of two articles on the Catoosa Board of Commissioners planning retreat.

Catoosa County Board of Commissioners and members of the county staff pondered a hill of big issues at Red Top Mountain State Park Lodge Jan. 24-25.

Impact fees

Chairman Bill Clark said he hope to bring impact fees up again to allow the current board to do whatever it wishes on the subject.

A county or city can charge impact fees to developers and builders to offset the costs of infrastructure (roads and sewers) or services (library, police, 911) required by a residential or commercial development. Developers and builders generally pass residential fees on to the homebuyer or business.

A measure to implement impact fees died last February with Clark being the sole supporter.

The road to implement impact fees in Catoosa County began construction more than two years ago.

Commissioner Jim Emberson said for impact fee to work it requires Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe to participate.

“If we could get them on board, I’d start changing ideas,” he said. “I am concerned about it being applied only to the unincorporated parts of the county.”

Fire services

Clark also shared his vision about seeking better cooperation between the Catoosa County Fire & Rescue and Post Volunteer Fire Department.

He said by bringing the leadership of the two organizations together for in-depth discussions in the coming months, the county should find some common objectives to improve the overall fire rating and enhance the services currently provided.

Economic development

According to Economic Development Director J. Olney Meadows, should Toyota choose Chattanooga to become the site for a new Toyota plant, its presence will greatly affect Catoosa County.

He said Catoosa could expect to see an increase in traffic, more customers for housing, and an impact on area schools.

“All are good for business,” he said. “It puts more money into the economy.”

He said tier suppliers, companies that provide support to the larger plant by providing goods they require, are more likely farther away from Chattanooga than Catoosa. The reason is so the companies do not compete with the main industry for area resources such as employees, he said.

In the event opportunities do come, it is likely that areas such as Exit 345 off I-75 could be prime sites, if and when the county provides sewer service.

Meadows estimates that Catoosa will see four major commercial/industrial developments in the next few years that are already in discussions.

Commissioners briefly discussed the advantages of a Freeport tax exemption, which excludes companies from paying a property tax on inventories within the county.

According to Dale McCurdy of the Catoosa County Tax Assessors Office, the county loses about $220,000 annually as a result of the exemption. Schools lose about $600,000, according to Catoosa Chief Financial Officer Carl Henson.

Commissioners discovered any change in the tax exemption requires a voter referendum and up to five years to implement.

Roads and bridges

According to County Manager Ron Brown, Catoosa County is receiving LARP, Local Assistance Road Program, funding for more roads than ever before — 8.15 miles for $335,841.

He said trips made to Atlanta helped to entice additional funding.

Roads which will receive some amount of paving include: Alder Circle; Battleview Drive; Bell Avenue; Brown Wood Lane, Debbie Lane, Harbour Lane, Lance Drive, Lee Drive, McCraw Street, Meadow Green Drive, Mineola Avenue, Murphy Lane, Nawaka Avenue, Nituna Avenue, Old Lakeview Drive, Park Street, Parkview Circle, Parkview Drive, Pin Oak Road, Stateline Road, Sutton Drive, T.J. Arnold Circle, Talley Circle and Winifred Drive.

Commissioner Jim Emberson said the county does not choose the roads contractors will pave.

Joe Dickson of Catoosa County Public Works said he lists the roads needing improvement as the year progresses; commissioners provide any roads they think need paving. The county then submits the list to the Georgia Department of Transportation. The DOT staff evaluates the roads and then designates those that will receive any paving.

“The hardest thing is trying to explain to the public how roads are done,” Brown said.

Local officials have no influence on what road is paved, Brown said.

Commissioner Hill asked about two roads in his area rejected because they are not wide enough (18 feet), Hullender Road and Nellie Head Road. He asked if the county could look at seeking funding to widen the roads so they might be eligible for paving in future.

While the county succeeded in getting that amount of state support, Catoosa will still be required to pay approximately $500,000 for the 8.15 miles of roads.

Henson said the county may need to pay future road projects from its general fund once SPLOST funding from the current cycle is depleted.

“Until the petroleum thing gets under control, we are all suffering,” Brown said.

Chairman Clark pointed out that the state has many of the roads in the county on its drawing board for improvements but are waiting on funding to become available.

The state DOT is currently working to widen U.S. 41 from the Tennessee line to the Wooten Road area.

Dickson said the state is expected to begin work to raise the Cloud Springs Road I-75 bridge in March; make improvements to intersections on Battlefield Parkway from I-75 to Lowe’s in May or June; and add a traffic light at Battlefield Parkway and Pine Grove Road among other projects.

Brown said he anticipates improvements on Colbert Hollow Road, including raising the bridge, will begin soon.

The next SPLOST

The current SPLOST, Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax, is only two years old but county leaders are already looking to get another one passed to begin in 2009 when the anticipated $43 million from the 2004 SPLOST runs out.

Thus far, from the 2004 SPLOST, the county received $19,989,671, with $1,071,000 in bond and loans on future receipts and $692,251 in interest income.

Henson said the state sent the lowest sales tax receipts in two years to the county for December, $558,250, and January, $625,694. He said he is having the state audit its records; the drop from November to December was $375,180.

County Manager Ron Brown said the SPLOST will need to go on the ballot in 2008.

“Now is the time to start planning,” he said. “The staff will need tremendous help from commissioners in kicking this off. We’ve got to make sure this will pass.”

Henson said if another SPLOST does not pass, it will take a 7 mill increase in property taxes to make up what is lost annually.

Among the anticipated inclusions will be roads and bridges, and stormwater and sewer, according to Brown.

Discussions from the meeting showed that many of the items presented on the last SPLOST will likely be revisited in the next one: recreation; emergency equipment; public works vehicles, public building repairs, library books and equipment and retiring debt.

One of the public buildings that will need funding for repairs is the Catoosa County Courthouse. Leaders wanted to use some of the current SPLOST monies for repairs but improvements of the old jail and the Justice Building addition took most of the funding.

“We still have not done anything to the front of the Courthouse,” Henson said.

Brown said several county building repairs will need to be addressed including Catoosa Hall.

According to Henson, $2 million from the Governmental Building will be included in retiring debt, as will $300,000 from the new emergency communications system.

Chairman Clark expressed concerns about whether the items placed in SPLOST will play a role in helping the measure pass or be defeated.

“Roads and bridges will pass; stormwater may; recreation won’t pass,” he said. “The problem is sewer — those that can’t get it are not going to vote for it; those that have it are not going to vote for it.

“We better hold it down to things people will vote for,” he said.

Commissioner Ken Marks said the key is putting in a little for everybody.

“…From recreation to public safety,” he said. “I think people will see they are getting something. If you leave recreation out or sewer out, I’m afraid it won’t pass.”

The county is getting started soon enough that if voters do not pass the measure, it still has time to try again before the sales tax money stops coming in.