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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - MGG - 06-11-2015ILTON ROWS REEK MILTON GROWS GREEN COMMITTEE JUNE 11, 2015 MINUTES [ACCEPTED] D orfmimij Date: June 11, 2015, 6:30 PM-8:35 PM Place: Executive Conference Room, Milton City Hall,13000 Deerfield Parkway, Milton GA 30004 Attendees: Lynna Lee, Jack Lindon, Vice -chair, Francia Lindon, Barbara Peck, Marc Arrington, Margaret Ann Lootens and Joe Lamp't . Agenda: It was posted on the City's web site. L Minutes: No minutes were approved. 11. Updates & Old Business: Adopt -A -Road: Have a good number of requests. Most of adoptee groups doing a great job. Problem is that bags of garbage are being thrown out along the roadside. Not central to one particular area but all over the City. That's the main complaint from the cleanup groups. They do their part and work very hard and a week or two later, bags of garbage or thrown in the areas just cleaned up. Not enough advertisement about our litter laws. Morris Road a particular problem. On Rt. 20 going towards Augusta, the fine according to the signs is $1200 for throwing litter. Angela Thompson is going to do an article on this to publicize the program better along with the fines and who to report these to. Barbara is working with Kathy Field to better identify adoptable roads particularly in northeast. Making progress on getting old signs down. She's checking to be sure groups with signs are active. Jack suggested that we put up an "available" sign where the work isn't being done. Need to see that we have money in next year's budget for signs. Marc wondered about having a City dumpster to accommodate litterbugs without abusing the system. Having trash collection included in our assessment would solve the problem. Questions came up, "How is the code being interpreted and enforced? And what about signs being put in round -about and along roads — members felt it was just more trash to look at. City calls the number on the sign and says, "By the way, here's your fine." Should find out if MARTA has something in their budget for trashcans. If not, maybe the City should. When list of concerns is developed, please send it to Marc Arrington. He was on the trash committee when the city was formed. • Open MGG Liaison Position: It was going to be offered to someone this week according to Chris. City took its time trying to decide what the job description would be. Cindy's job is being offered as a part-time position. • Earth Day: A long plus -delta meeting was held but neither Margaret or Teresa were present to give a partial report. They were waiting for updated budget information to complete it. • Conservation Subdivision Ordinance: Community Development Dept. has been holding a series of meetings to explore the possibility of allowing these in Milton. Different concerns have been raised from diverse groups. Developers are concerned that they won't be able to develop their subdivisions to their full potential for profits. The Hopewell Alliance is concerned that allowing community septic systems will open up the floodgates of higher density development. There is a huge amount if detail related to this. The City's consultants wrote an 18-page ordinance then City Development whittled that proposal down to 8 pages, in the process, exaggerating the problems being brought up. As an example, the original ordinance allowed an HOA to put a 6-ft. walking trail in the buffer. The City's revised version allowed for a 20-foot trail. ("Why so wide? So you can drive on it?") The City wanted to simplify the consultant's version so it would actually be used. They didn't want it to be too cumbersome for developers. The preserved 50% of the land has to be high, dry and buildable. It can't be wetlands or steep slopes, etc. Milton Grows Green Committee Meeting Minutes, June 11, 2015 fACCEPTEDJ ALL MILTON GROWS GREEN DocumEms ARE PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER wITH AT LEAST 35% POST - CONSUMER CONTENT. What Jack, Laura Rencher, Kathy Johnson and Charlie Fisher put together was something to address some of the concerned that are being raised and give examples of the optional possibilities. Jack showed an example of a standard AG-1 development, which fills up entire space vs. a Conservation Design on the same parcel, which preserves 50% as open space. Lots in the CSO were about .4 acres. All lots had at a minimum one side that faced open land, some had 2 sides facing open space. There are buyers out there who don't know all the possibilities but there is evidence of a market for CSOs. Serenbe in GA is a good example, which was doing very well even in the down market period. Questions were asked on the procedure to pass one of these. It would have to be adopted by a vote of City Council. There was speculation that some City Council members are opposed to the idea and that's one of the reasons the ordinance was changed from being mandatory to being optional. A CSO isn't considered a "taking" of development rights because any developer can develop to the same density as AG-1. The yield plan for AG-1 would be the base line for a CSO. The open space can be granted to an HOA or given to a land trust but the title requires that it remain open in perpetuity. There were questions about the zoning board of appeals granting variances to anyone who challenges their order of conditions. A CSO would only affect 17-acre or larger parcels. Kathy Graham from YMSL: Has asked for a schedule for our events for them to schedule volunteers. The next big event is Rivers Alive. Want to get this on our schedule soon so YMSL can be included. Margaret Ann asked them to come to her creek Jack asked her to be the contact person in her neighborhood. She talked about the trash in the Federal wetlands by her house and wanted to know who to contact about it. Gates aren't locked. Usually we do streams by public roads and don't enter private property. Lynna asked about having a "Swamp Rat Day" to clean up Margaret's wetlands for YMSL or having a day in Birmingham Park. Also on volunteers - Milton Chapter of the National Charity League wants to tap into our events. Barbara and Jack are getting together with them on June 24-. • Household Chemical and Paint Collection: Rick Mohrig has gone to bat for us to get more money for another similar event. The last collection event cost the City $12,000. Not all who signed up actually came, a problem we need to address. • MGG Recruitment: Picnic and/or hike of Birmingham Park could be a recruitment event. We need a postcard of what we're doing. Dates we looking at are late August or early September. Rivers Alive beginning of October. Meeting Adjourned at 8:05 PM Francia Lindon, Secretary June 11, 2015 [ACCEPTED]