CITY COUNCIL
Final water, sewer rate increase coming to fund new plant
Gray City Council members agreed to help the school system with a project for school buses, approved its water and sewer budget and amended the city code for the size and number of homes permitted on a lot.
The Nov. 7 meeting was called to order by Gray Mayor Ed Barbee. All council members were present with the exception of councilman Benny Gray.
In his mayor’s report, Barbee announced the receipt of a $400,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for the Gray’s next Community Home Investment Program (CHIP) project.
The first item of business was a planning and zoning hearing to discuss the proposal to amend the city’s ordinance to establish a minimum square footage requirement for dwellings and to limit the number of homes on a single lot.
The amendment established the minimum of 750 square feet for homes and limits the number of the structures to one for a single lot up to 10 acres. Additional buildings would require a conditional use.
Following a brief discussion, the hearing was closed and meeting reopened. Mayor Pro Tem James Collins made the motion to approve the amendment, and the vote to approve it was unanimous.
Council had a first reading of an ordinance to increase the water and sewer rates for city customers. City Clerk Cindy Yancey stated that the increase was the third and final increase required for the financing of a new wastewater treatment plant for Gray.
The second reading and adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for the Dec. 5 meeting.
Councilman David Tufts made the motion to adopt the resolution to appropriate funds for the city’s water and sewer functions. The amount of the department’s budget is $2,432,950, and the vote to approve it was unanimous.
The approval of the city’s workers compensation renewal was next on the agenda. The proposed premium from Bitco was $47,027, which is a reduction from the last year’s premium of $61,581.
Councilman Terrell Fulford made the motion to approve the renewal, and it was approved unanimously.
Easement for JCSS
Jones County School System Transportation Director Wendy Vaughn spoke to the council about the need to install a new propane tank system at the bus lot located next to the city’s water tower. The water tower sits on the corner of the Bill Conn Jr. Parkway and Georgia Highway 18.
Vaughn explained that she was asking permission to utilize a portion of the property for a required easement for the propane system.
“The fire marshal needs city approval for clearance for the tank,” she said.
Vaughn said nothing is on the property now, and nothing will be on the property. She said the tank would go inside the gate, to the right of the bus lot.
“This would be a benefit to residents of both Jones County and the City of Gray. It will be a supply depot. Now the closest one is in Monroe County,” the director said.
Vaughn said there are currently seven propane school buses on the way to Jones County.
Collins made the motion to approve the easement, and the motion was unanimously approved.
“Anything we can do to help the school system,” he said.
Trey Murray with the Gray Jaycees brought the request to close the street from the Bill Conn Jr. Parkway to the Railroad tracks Dec. 13 for the Christmas Parade. Murray said the closure would be from 6-8 p.m.
He added that he had already filed all the paperwork with the Gray Police Department.
Collins made the motion to approve the closure, and the motion was approved unanimously.
Councilmen agreed to a plan from Georgia Safe Sidewalks to improve city sidewalks at a cost not to exceed $16,780. The agreement was in the form of a resolution and the motion to approve was made by Tufts. Councilmembers voted unanimously to approve the motion.
The next resolution was authorization for an agreement with Georgia Probation Management for probation services. Fulford made the motion to approve the contract, and it was approved unanimously.
The city accepted an RFP for services provided by Waste Management of Georgia. The actual contract will be presented to the council next month. Collins made the motion to accept the RFP, and council members agreed unanimously.
The final agenda item was a resolution to approve the performance evaluation forms for department heads and employees. Collins made the motion, and it was unanimously approved.
With no more business to be considered, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting of Gray’s City Council is the Nov. 21 All Committees Meeting that will be held in the conference room of City Hall at 6 p.m.
