A location for Gluckstadt’s first city hall has been selected and the mayor and alderman are in the process of hiring the first employee who will work there.
A city clerk should be in place soon, said Gluckstadt Mayor Walter Morrison.
“We’ll conclude interviews by the end of the month and have a city clerk hired shortly thereafter,” he said.
The city has leased a building located at 343 Distribution Drive from Kelly Dabbs for $6,000 a month, Morrison said. Distribution Drive, located off Gluckstadt Drive, is on the west side of I-55.
“The landlord agreed that we could take possession of the building, but we don’t have to start paying rent until November, so that will allow us to receive tax revenue,” Morrison said.
The city had numerous buildings to consider but the one selected met many requirements, Morrison said.
“This building met our needs, and it was the best deal financially for the city, provided a lot of space and is in a good location, so it checked off all of the boxes,” he said. The lease requires six months’ notice to terminate it.
The 6,800-square-foot building that once housed the parent company of the Georgia Blue restaurant chain was in good shape and pretty much ready to occupy, he said.
“Half of it is built out as an office and the rear is a warehouse,” Morrison said. “The half of the building upfront will suffice for our use.”
The office portion of the building has 10 private offices, a large conference room, two restrooms, a break room area and a small commercial kitchen. The warehouse portion has two roll-up doors, a loading dock and storage space upstairs.
The mayor and aldermen are in the process of working on two budgets for the city, Morrison said. The 2020-2021 budget that is for the months of August and September and the other budget is for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
Neither budget has been adopted yet, Morrison said. They must both be adopted by Sept. 15, a deadline set by state statute.
Gluckstadt is expected to receive an estimated $3.5 million in tax revenue for next year, Morrison said, which the city will use to provide basic services.
“We’ve been talking about the priorities for the city and all of the things we have to do such as hiring a city clerk, setting up a police department and a municipal court,” Morrison said. “Our intent is to achieve all of that well within the budget. Our goal is to have a significant cushion going forward.”
Gluckstadt has not received funds from sales tax that the state collects from businesses, but it should soon. “Our first sales tax collection diversion payment should be received any day,” Morrison said.
