Gray City Council members had a brief called meeting prior to their regular Meeting of All Committees last week.
Mayor Ed Barbee called the April 15 council meeting to order. The only item on the agenda was approval of an intergovernmental agreement with the Jones County Board of Commissioners regarding a proposed Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax.
Council members had approved the city’s project list for the TSPLOST at their April 1 business meeting. The intergovernmental agreement states that the TSPLOST would be subject to approval in the Nov. 5 election. If approved, the tax would begin April 1, 2025, and is expected to raise a total of $17 million. The county will receive 75% of the collections, and the city will receive 25%.
Council members in attendance at the meeting were Mayor Pro Tem James Collins and councilmen Terrell Fulford and David Tufts.
Collins made the motion to approve the resolution authorizing Barbee to sign the agreement, and the vote was unanimous among those in attendance, 3-0.
The called meeting was adjourned.
Committees
Fulford, Chairman of the Finance Committee, gave the first report. He said 89.73% of 2023 property taxes had been collected in the amount of $1,042,624 with $24,481 outstanding.
City Clerk Cindy Yancey asked permission to begin transferring $33,000 per month to the Wastewater Treatment Plant account to cover the estimated monthly payment for the loan. Council agreed by consensus to the transfer.
City Superintendent Cheyenne Morgan reported for the Water and Sewer Committee. He said site preparation work was still being done at the treatment plant.
“We are close to creating a punch list,” he said.
Morgan said the next progress report meeting was scheduled Thursday.
Tufts asked if there had been any surprises. The superintendent said the old plant was pretty much shut down, and they expect the aerator needs to be replaced.
Collins spoke as chairman for the PLAN Committee. He commended Main Street Director Ashley Roberson for a great event. The Mayor Pro Tem said his family thoroughly enjoyed the Spring Hometown Festival Saturday.
Roberson said she had received good feedback about the event from vendors and local businesses. She said there was good attendance at the Dallas Rogers concert.
Collins said he especially enjoyed the great food.
“Thank you for your hard work and dedication,” he added.
Roberson thanked Morgan, Public Works Manager Chris Neal, city employees and Gray Police officers for their help and support.
Tufts suggested direction arrows for routing traffic around the event when the highway is shut down.
Streets
Yancey said she and Morgan had been discussing how to pay for the decorative lights along West Clinton to the Courthouse. She said they found there would be enough ARPA funds remaining to purchase the lights.
Morgan said there was $167,000 remaining, and Roberson said the estimated cost to purchase the lights was $163,000. Yancey the funding for the lighting project would be placed on the May agenda for a vote.
The superintendent said he also checked into a streetlight for the intersection of Bill Conn Parkway and Highway 18 East. He said there was no cost to install the streetlight, and the monthly cost would be $35 a month like the other streetlights.
Roberson said work had been completed planting new ferns and redoing the planters on both sides of the streetscape, again with thanks to Neal and public works employees.
Other reports
Barbee asked about the plat approval on the agenda for Piedmont Lakes Phase 2. Collins said Favors asked for the plat approval to be discussed by the committee. He said the councilman was concerned about prior flooding issues in Phase I, but those had been addressed.
Collins asked for the plat approval to be placed on the May agenda.
The mayor said he was approached about Gray becoming a Civility and Ethics Community, but he was not familiar with the designation.
Collins said he received an email it and would look into it. He said he believed County Administrator Jason Rizner was also looking into it for the county.
The meeting was adjourned to go into closed session for personnel.
The next scheduled meeting for Gray’s City Council is May 6.
