“Citizens Are Wanting Answers To Some Issues about Nash Farm”
With all the issues that have come before about this piece of land in the 2nd district of Henry County from the way it was purchased to all the other issues that have been connected to this property, here are more questions that need answering. Why would a couple who work for the county be granted a token rental deal on the cottage home at Nash Farm? Why would the local farmer who has had farmers market sales at Nash Farm for a sweetheart deal and sits on a county board be allowed to do this? It legal wranglings this is called nepotism. Also, why should the taxpayers of Henry County be put upon to pay for a company to put an ice skating rink on the property? That company will make money at the expense of the people of the county. They are not paying the county the county is paying them and there are several concerns about the rink itself. The following is a FOIA information by local citizens.
“Caretaker’s Cottage” on the Nash Farms property at 24 Babb’s Mill RD.
According to the Henry County records the house is being rented for $200.00 per month to two Henry County Parks and Recreation Employees, a Supervisor II with a salary of $45,659.83 and a Program Administrator, with a salary of $40,430.00 that is a combined income of $86,089.83.
This lease was implemented in 2008 and it appears to have not been reviewed and adjusted since then.
Which brings me to several questions:
1. Why hasn’t the rental rate been adjusted to today’s market values?
2. How is this house marketed for rent?
3. Who determines who qualifies to rent?
4. Who sets the rent value? (BOC)
5.Why are we renting to these County Employees with a combined income greater than $86,000.00 annually? In my opinion this creates a conflict of interest due to the fact not all Henry County employees have the option to rent this property.
6. Why isn’t this property with rent this low offered to a person on Social Security with an income level of less than $12,000.00 a year?
It appears to me that this is an unrealistic rental rate to County employees with their income levels is political motivated in nature.
Let me state, if the current rental price remains the same for 2020, my sister that has lived in Henry County in a trailer park for 30 years and has an annual income of $12,000.00 in social security has a desire to rent this property for $200.00 a month upon the renewal of the lease in 2020.
Since, obviously you have not checked into this issue, I will supply this information I have checked and found for an average house rental in Henry County is approximately $1,299 for 3 beds and that's $170 below the national average rent of $1,469.
So, $200.00 rental a month is $1,099.00 below the fair market value. That is a $145,068 savings for the tenant over the eleven years as a tenant. (sweet deal no wonder we have a Corvette in the carport).
Now the issue of the Ice Skating Rink
1. Henry County entered into a Contract with Ice Days LLC to erect an Ice Skating Rink at a cost of under number 5 of the Contract Header Terms. “The initial term of this Agreement is for the 2019-2020. County agrees to pay Company the sum of $35,000 due upon contract acceptance for the first season. Each consecutive season up to 4 pending approval by the Board of Commissioners will cost $20,000. Each consecutive season must be approved no later than 45 days after the completion of the previous season and payment made by August 1st to guarantee our ability to return at that rate.”
My question is: Who was appointed to make the decision to negotiate this terrible deal for the citizens and why? Why aren’t they paying us?
2. Contract Header number 10 Rental Fee. “County and Company agree no rental fee is to be paid by Company for use of the premises for the duration of this contract. In exchange Company agrees to provide 4 dasher wall spaces for advertisement to the County.”
My question since, the Board of Commissioners has no product or business and is not in the Advertising business, what would we be advertising? Who would be authorized to advertise and by whom? Who with the County will review the Advertisers ad to make sure it is not Political advertising? Who will get all the proceeds from all the other advertisers on the walls? The most important question of all why aren’t they paying us?
I was on site and observed the installation of the floor for the rink and have some serious question concerning the safety of this installation. The floor deck consists of 4X8 sheets of plywood panels with concrete block support for leveling. I observed no interlocking devices connecting the panels together to keeping them from separating during peak usage by the public.
Was the installation inspected by any Professional Engineers? If so, where can I get a copy of the report?
Before any public us of this platform and due to the high liability, it should without question be inspected by a Certified Registered Professional Engineer to certify the safety of this structure.
I was on site Friday November 22, Saturday 23, Sunday 24 and the construction of the structure was still not complete, nor where there any installation personal on site. That breaches this contract by violating paragraph “3” in the agreement grand opening date for the term shall be Friday, November 22, 2019”. The power Company had made their connection to the new 3 phase electrical panel that cost the citizens $8,000.00 on Friday.
Why didn’t the Vendor pay for this installation? Who will pay the additional power bill associated with the extra power usage?
Contract Header number 3 “Use of County Property by Company for Ice Skating Rink. County shall make available to Company the use of the Premises consistent with the Operating Agreement for installation and operation of the Ice Skating Rink on the Premises during the Season in which this Agreement is in effect. County shall make such space available to Company for installation of the Ice-Skating Rink Twenty Eight calendar days in advance of the agreed upon opening day of the term. Barring unforeseen weather and or construction delays out of Company control the grand opening date for the term shall be Friday, November 22, 2019”
These are just a few of my concerns and ask that the BOC reexamine and cancel this contract. Please respond with any resolution that you will take to rectify my safety concerns for the citizens that will be unknowing use the venue without knowing if it is safe or not.
No real answers have been provided by the BoC in these matters which continues the pattern of past BoC members.
John Wesley McDermont
