When Gray Mayor Ed Barbee called the May meeting of the City Council to order, he did so from behind the bench at the front of the D.V. Childs Civic Center for the first time since the May 1, 2023, meeting.
Barbee went into septic shock May 4, 2023, following a routine procedure to remove kidney stones. He spent two weeks in ICU, battling for his life, and suffered severe damage to his extremities as a result.
The mayor returned to lead City Council meetings in October but had been sitting behind a floor-level table until last week’s meeting, when he was able to navigate the steps of the platform to get to his normal position behind the bench.
Barbee called the May 6 meeting to order and delved into zoning issues during Old Business. The first item was a request for a rehearing of a zoning request that was previously denied by council in March.
The zoning request was from Cedar Creek Land and Development owned by Scott Jackson. The request was to rezone property at the corner of Allan Green Road and Highway 18 East from R-1A for the purpose of building multi-family housing.
Jackson’s letter requesting the rehearing cited the limited the options of future development of the property due to location of the city’s new well, which was not discussed during the first hearing.
Councilman Terrell Fulford made the motion to grant the rehearing, and the motion was seconded by Councilman David Tufts. The vote to approve was split 2-2 with Mayor Pro Tem James Collins and Councilman Terry Favors opposed.
Barbee can only vote when there is a tie. The mayor cast his vote in favor of the rehearing, making the vote 3-2 and allowing the rehearing.
A preliminary plat extension for Piedmont Lakes Phase 2 was the next item. The approval of the extension came before council at its April 1 meeting. Tufts was not at that meeting, and Favors opposed the motion. The vote was 2-1 to approve, but it takes three votes for a legal vote.
Fulford made a motion to approve the plat extension at the May 6 meeting, and this time it passed with a unanimous vote.
The last Old Business item was final plat approval for Windsong of Nature’s Walk. According to the Planning and Zoning staff report, the site was approved for construction of 19 townhouses in 2009 as an amendment to the approved Planned Unit Development.
Approval of the plat was recommended.
Fulford made the motion to approve, and Tufts seconded. The vote was again split with Collins and Favors in opposition. Barbee cast the deciding vote in favor, and the final approval of the plat approved.
The two votes were the first the mayor cast during his seven years in the position.
Barbee moved on to the first item of New Business but was interrupted by an audience member who questioned if he understood what he had approved.
Following several questions from audience members about the previous vote, City Attorney John Newberry stated it was not the appropriate time to ask questions.
New Business
The motion to approve a beer and wine pouring license for Marco’s Pizza in Gray was made by Collins and unanimously approved. An ordinance to amend the retirement plan for city employees was also unanimously approved following the motion made by Fulford.
Resolutions to supplement the budget for budget amendments – Flock Safety, LMIG supplement and fund streetscape lighting – were all approved unanimously.
The streetscape lighting also required a resolution authorizing an agreement with Georgia Power. That motion was made by Collins and approved unanimously.
Council members also unanimously approved the consumption of alcoholic beverages at the May 11 Main Street Gray event ‘Mother’s Day Sip and Shop’ and the May 31 ‘Fridays on Main’ event.
Comments
The president of The Pines Homeowners Association, Don Johnson, presented his objections to the plat approval for Windsong of Nature’s Walk subdivision. He cited what he believed to be differences in the plan originally presented and said the application should be required to be resubmitted.
“There are so many things that were not done. The approval without discussion is very disappointing,” he said.
Greg Singleton, Andrew Harris and Genelda Harris also voiced their objections.
