Avondale Estates, GA — The Avondale Estates City Commission will hold a regular meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 5:30 p.m., followed by a work session. The meetings will be held at Avondale Estates City Hall, 21 N. Avondale Plaza, and via Zoom.

During the regular meeting, the city commission will consider purchasing an electric F150 Lighting for the police department.

To join the meeting via Zoom, click here.

To view the meeting agendas, click here.

Public comments can be made either by attending the meeting in-person or through Zoom.

In 2022, the city purchased three electric vehicles and charging stations for the police department. The department picked up the three Ford Mach-Es in August 2022, and they are reserved for administrative use.

Some agencies had ordered the F-150 Lightnings, but production of the truck took longer than anticipated, and those agencies canceled their orders. These trucks have now hit some Ford lots, City Manager Patrick Bryant previously said.

“Because of the excess supply than demand, we decided we would quote those vehicles to see if the cost was reasonably similar to that of a Mach-E and because the F-150 provides us with some additional capabilities that a Mach-E doesn’t, like the ability for the chief to go on-scene, especially scenes that are more difficult to access,” Bryant said.

In other business:

– During the work session, the city commission will discuss declaring the results of the special purpose local option sales tax election that was in November 2023. The commission will also consider issuing a SPLOST bond. Some cities bond their SPLOST proceeds as a way to gain revenue upfront rather than incrementally over the next six years.

The cities receive SPLOST revenue monthly, so it would take them six years to collect all of their SPLOST funding, Bryant previously told Decaturish.

“Because it’s pretty much guaranteed revenue, you can bond it, which means you essentially borrow against it,” Bryant said. “We could do a bond issuance of the amount that we are expected to get and as the revenue comes in on a monthly basis, you pay off that bond note. That way you get the money upfront instead of having to wait to collect it.”

– During the work session, the city commission will continue discussing plans for the city’s sanitation services. The city commission is considering contracting with Arrow to take over sanitation services for Avondale Estates. City Manager Patrick Bryant presented the option at the Jan. 24 work session.

If the city commission moves forward with the contract, that would also mean the city’s sanitation fee would be reduced, and there would be a 60-day transition period. At the work session, the city commission will likely discuss the contract with Arrow but is not expected to vote on the contract until March.

The city staff has recommended that Arrow Waste take over solid waste and recycling collection and that the city continue to do yard waste collection. The city would also contract out for landscaping services.

“What I’m understanding is that [city staff] are recommending that we go to outsource sanitation and recycling and the reason why is because it’s more economical and because it will also benefit other aspects of our public works department,” Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Shortell previously said.

If the contract with Arrow is approved, the total sanitation fee assessed to households would be about $373.28. This revenue would go to the sanitation fund. Avondale Estates would be Arrow’s first municipal contract. The company currently services several homeowner’s associations and commercial properties in the metro area.