Auburn City Employee Resigns, Council Delays Vote on Subdivision Annexation

Tommy Duncan, Auburn's Parks and Leisure coordinator, has resigned.

With his family by his side at the Auburn City Council's meeting Thursday night, Duncan announced he would be moving out of the city to pursue a new job opportunity.

"I've enjoyed working here the last 18 months and working with the citizens," he said. "I not only live in a great place to work but a great city to live in."

According to Duncan, the decision to move was based on many factors, including the chance to manage a staff and the opportunity to live closer to family and friends.

"We just want to say thank you," Mayor Linda Blechinger told Duncan. "We're going to really miss you, but we care more about you and your family … We send you off with blessings."

The council decided to reschedule voting on the name for the future cultural arts center on College Street. A "Name that Building" contest was held to encourage community involvement in the process. The council agreed that no consensus had been reached on a winner as of Thursday's meeting.

Also discussed was the annexation of a subdivision. As of Thursday, all 25 land owners had consented to the subdivision being annexed into the city. Under the agreement, the city would waive the $3,500 water tap fee, install a 12 inch water main, waive the $150 water meter fee and install fire hydrants, for a total cost of $50,000. The council postponed voting on the matter to a later date.

The following items were approved Thursday.

Sales tax collection assistance

Auburn passed a resolution to partner with the Georgia Department of Revenue to help the state collect sales tax. The city will amend its business license application to include the business's sales tax identification number, and the city will provide this information to the department of revenue.

Architectural services for Hawthorne House

In a split decision with Mayor Blechinger casting the deciding vote, Morrison Design LLC was chosen as the architectural firm for Hawthorne House. The firm will provide a design for the building, which will be used to apply for a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Submittal of CDBG grant

The city will submit an application for a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant, which would be used to renovate the RR/Perry Rainey Building. The Northeast Georgia Regional Commission is grant administrator, and Carter Watkins Associates Architects Inc. is the project architect.

Tennis court reservation fee

The council approved a $5 reservation fee for the city's tennis courts. This reserves both courts for two hours. Each additional hour will cost $2.50. The courts are still free to the public when not reserved.

Sale of Ford bucket truck

An inoperable 1990 Ford diesel bucket truck owned by the city will be posted on the auction site E-Gov. The starting bid will be $2,000. The truck has already been replaced.

Approval of new funds for Saddle Creek and Blackberry subdivision repairs

Robert M. Anderson Inc. is currently making repairs to both Saddle Creek and Blackberry subdivisions. Saddle Creek required additional work for proper drainage, and Blackberry required additional footage for repaving. The combined cost is $15,868.20, and the council approved the funds to be taken from Gwinnett County SPLOST.

Renewal of water quality assessor contract

The council renewed the city's contract with Robert Fox as water quality assessor. The agreement is for three years at a rate of $19.76 an hour. This hourly fee is unchanged from the previous contract.

The Auburn City Council will meet again at 7 p.m. March 17 at .