May 19th Mayor and Council Meeting Notes
Tuesday, May 20th, 2025
The Dalton Mayor and Council met on Monday night for their second session of May. Aviation enthusiasts would have been right at home in the City Council Chamber with six of the agenda's ten action items dealing with ongoing construction, renovations, and repairs at the Dalton Municipal Airport.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF MONDAY NIGHT'S MEETING
The meeting opened with a public commentary period. Two residents rose to address the Council. The first, Harry Patel, identified himself as the owner of a Dalton liquor store. He told the Council that in the past four years, four new package liquor licenses had been approved in Dalton which brought the number of liquor store businesses in Dalton to 16. He told the Council that he believed that there were already too many businesses with package liquor licenses for a community of Dalton's size, and he urged the Council not to approve additional licenses for more businesses. The second, Allyson Coker from Believe Greater Dalton (BGD), rose to tell the City Council about the BGD Investor Update publication which was issued recently. The Investor Update includes information about different projects in the greater Dalton area which BGD has helped usher along. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
The Council heard the second reading of Ordinance 25-12, which rezones a tract of land at 1213 Hair Street from medium density single family residential (R-3) to transitional residential (R-6). The land owner, Roberto Silva, requested the change to convert the residence on the property into a duplex by adding a firewall in the middle of the structure. There is already an existing duplex at the site. The Dalton-Whitfield Planning Commission and staff both recommended approval of the rezoning request. To read the staff analysis, click here. To read Ordinance 25-12, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the rezoning request. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
The Council also voted to:
- Approve an engagement letter with a CPA firm for auditing services - The engagement letter for Estes & Walcott, CPAs, is the standard engagement letter with the firm to audit the City of Dalton's Finance Department which takes place on a yearly basis. The current letter outlines the scope and terms of audit services for the year ended December 31st, 2024. The cost of the services is $85,000 which is paid from the general fund. To read the engagement letter, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the engagement letter. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve the Memorandum of Understanding With Georgia Classic Main Streets - The agreement renews annually. The 2025-26 plan year MOU with Georgia Classic Main Streets provides funds for the downtown district in exchange for active partcipation within the program. The agreement calls for the City of Dalton to appoint a board to oversee the Main Street program, which is the Downtown Dalton Development Authority. It also calls for the city to provide for the Main Street program's solvency and a number of other requirements. To reach the MOU, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the MOU. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Release A Lien On 1505 W. Walnut Avenue - The City of Dalton's Code Enforcement Unit and Public Works Department assisted with the demolition of signage at the former Pizza Hut location at 1505 W. Walnut Avenue under a City program. As part of that process, a lien was placed against the property for reimbursement of the City's costs in the effort. Code Enforcement Inspector Dan Lewallen told the Council Monday that all of the City's costs had been repaid by the property owner, eliminating the need for the lien. To read the lien release, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to remove the lien. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve Change Order #2 For The Airport's Hangar Development Project - The Dalton Municipal Airport is in the process of constructing new hangar facilities for aircraft storage. This change order for the project is being made to change plans to accomodate a 55' door opening for the 60' by 60' hangar which will require the building to be widened by two feet to 62' x 60'. The cost of the change order is $13,018, which will be paid from cost underruns left from the previously approved Change Order #1 which reduced the cost of the project by $105,000 from the original budgeted amount. To review the change order, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the change order. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve Change Order #4 For The Airport's Runway Rehab Project - The Dalton Municipal Airport's runway repaving and rehabilitation project previously came in under budget, so the airport requested additional safety markings be painted on the runway. The cost of the additional markings was $3,960 which was paid by cost underruns on the project. The Council's ratification of the change order was needed for record-keeping purposes. To review the change order, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the change. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve GDOT Supplemental Agreement For Hangar Development Project - Bids for the Hangar Development Project at the Dalton Municipal Airport exceeded the initial project funding. After the transfer of funds from the under-budget Runway Rehabilitation Project, the Airport was still short $500,000 to cover the full cost of the three new hangars. The Airport was already in an agreement with GDOT for funding on the construction of the project, and requested an additional $500,000 from GDOT for the construction of the third hangar, which includes a local match of $166,667. That local match will be paid from the general fund. To review the supplemental funding agreement, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the agreement. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve GDOT Contract For Taxiway And Electrical Rehab At The Airport - The tentative allocation of funds for this project were approved in Fall 2024. Federal and state airport aid funding in the amount of approximately $3.6 million dollars to cover the repaving/rehabilitation of taxiways and replacement of airfield lighting, wind cone, PAPIs, beacon and replacement of all electrical components would include a $717,611 local match which is $189,333 less than the original local match approved last year. To view the GDOT contract, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the contract. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve A Construction Contract For The Taxiway And Electrical Rehab Project - The contract with TCA Contractors, Inc. is to perform the electrical portion of the work at the Airport which will swap all existing lighting to LED technology. The $1.272,175 cost of the contract will be paid from GDOT grant funding. To view the contract, click here. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the contract. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
- Approve A GDOT Funding Contract For MALSR Approach Light Rehab At The Airport - GDOT has agreed to fund 75% of the project to replace the MALSR approach lighting system which provides 2400' of high intensity lights at 200' intervals to guide aircraft safely to the runway in inclement weather. The airport's current system is 20 years old and has 5 strobe lights that are out of service and cannot be repaired. The local 25% match is estimated between $150,000 and not to exceed $300,000 and will be based off of the actual project cost at completion. The project cost is not yet locked in because bids have not yet been received, but GDOT wrote the funding contract ahead of time due to the end of the fiscal year. To review the contract, click here. The Council vote 4-0 to approve the contract. To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
The next Mayor and Council meeting will be held on Monday, June 2nd, at 6:00 pm in the City Council Chamber at City Hall.
Click "Play" in the window below to watch Monday night's meeting
