Gray City Council members concluded what they started at their all committees meeting during their June business meeting, increasing employee salaries and assisting with Downtown Development Authority projects.
Mayor Ed Barbee called the June 6 meeting to order and started down the list of seven resolutions on the agenda.
The first item to be considered at the meeting, however, was to reschedule the city’s July meeting that would fall on the Fourth of July. Mayor Pro Tem James Collins made the motion to move the meeting to the following Monday, July 11. The motion was approved unanimously by council members in attendance. Councilman Benny Gray was not at the meeting.
Adoption of the joint Comprehensive Plan with Jones County was the topic of the first resolution. Updating the plan every five years is a state requirement for local governments. Councilman Terrell Fulford made the motion to approve the resolution, and it was agreed to unanimously.
Three of the resolutions considered at the meeting involved payments to employees. The first was a resolution to reapprove salary caps for exempt positions and the second to readopt the City of Gray pay scale and to reapprove city positions by grade.
The last of the employee payment resolutions was a four percent cost of living increase.
The resolutions were the result of an effort by council members to help offset the effect inflation is having on city employees.
Collins brought up the issue at the May 16 committee meeting, inspired by action taken by Jones County Board of Commissioners to help county employees. City Clerk Cindy Yancey pointed out at the meeting that the increase would throw off the city’s pay scale if not done in the correct increments.
The resolutions appeared to be the necessary steps to get to the four percent cost of living raise. One caveat to the acrossthe-board increase was that it was only for employees who had not received a pay increase this year.
The three resolutions were approved unanimously.
The next two resolutions placed moratoriums on city permits. The first was a continuation of the moratorium for sewer connections due to the city’s lack of sewer capacity. Council also agreed to a moratorium for permits for homes less than 601 square feet and multiple homes on one lot until the city’s ordinance for the small houses is completed. The moratoriums were
The moratoriums were approved unanimously.
Collins made the motion to approve the resolution amending the city’s hiring policy to include background checks and drug testing. The resolution was approved unanimously.
A vote was approved to authorize the mayor to sign a lighting service contract with Georgia Power. The contract adds four lights to the parking area off Ross Street that serves Butler Hall and several downtown businesses. The cost of the additional lighting is $204 per month.
Fulford made the motion to approve the authorization.
The final agenda item was the approval of a general appropriation resolution that allotted $20,000 to the Gray Downtown Development Authority to help with the paving of the parking lot off Ross Street. Councilman David Tufts made the motion, and it was approved unanimously.
The meeting adjourned to go into closed session to discuss real estate.
