Lighting for Bill Conn Jr. Parkway and an update about the new wastewater treatment plant were highlights of the City Council’s meeting of all committees.
Gray Mayor Ed Barbee called the May 20 meeting to order, and the first report was from the finance committee.
Councilman Terrell Fulford serves as the chairman of the committee, and he reported $1,151,017 in 2023 property taxes had been collected. That represents 90.89 percent of the tax digest.
Fulford said the outstanding balance remaining to be collected was $10,995.
City Superintendent Cheyenne Morgan reported for the Water and Sewer Committee. He gave an update on the city’s wastewater treatment plant currently under construction.
Morgan said the original plant, number one, would be restarted in July. He said the holdup has been the replacement of the clarification filter unit, which was not a surprise. The superintendent said in the meantime they will concentrate on yard piping.
He said there was still an issue with the flow report, but when the additional plant comes online, it will increase the city’s capacity to 800,000 gallons.
Morgan said Carter and Sloope is planning a ribbon cutting and luncheon to celebrate the completion of the plant.
Plan and Main Street
Plan Committee Chairman and Mayor Pro Tem James Collins asked Main Street Director Ashley Roberson to report for the committee. She said the Georgia Downtown Association has asked Main Street Gray to host the association’s Meet Up event Sept. 17. She said the event will include a walk around Downtown Gray that will start at Butler Hall.
Roberson said this Month’s Friday on Main event will take place May 31. She said it will start at 11 a.m. with food trucks and at 1 p.m. the “Downtown Debut” of the new location for Allure Aesthetics would take place.
“This will be a different way to welcome downtown businesses,” the director said.
Roberson said the Gray Downtown Development Authority would like the city to look at the possibility of a new ordinance that would not allow big, industrial storage containers in the city. She said Zoning Officer Tim Pitrowski prepared a sample of the wording needed for the ordinance.
“We would like to encourage other storage options,” Roberson added.
City Attorney John Newberry said there would have to be a vote by council at the next meeting to start the process. He said the ordinance would not allow future containers.
Newberry said council members would have to decide if the ordinance would be citywide or just cover the downtown area. He said he would get with Pitrowski to discuss it.
Lighting and TSPLOST
Morgan also spoke for the Streets Committee. He said the council had been discussing lighting for the area of Bill Conn Jr. Parkway and Highway 18 East. He said Georgia Power would have to set three poles. It would cost a total of $240 per month for three lights and $185 for one light.
Councilman David Tufts asked the question of the lighting be placed on the June agenda. Barbee said thinking of future development in the area, he suggested the three-light option.
Collins said Landmark was interested in working with the city for a turning lane back to downtown Gray from the businesses.
Morgan said he would talk to Gray Police Chief Adam Lowe and reach out to the Georgia Department of Transportation for options.
The superintendent asked council to consider the purchase of an excavator for the city. He said estimated the cost at $65,000, and it could be paid from the public works portion of the SPLOST.
Morgan also asked council to confirm the use for the LMIG supplement received from the state to finish the paving project on Dolly Street.
Roberson asked if they could get quotes for curbing at the main intersection in downtown Gray. Morgan said he had been waiting to find out if the Transportation SPLOST was going to move forward.
Newberry said he had spoken to Jones County Administrator Jason Rizner about a new law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp that could extend the TSPLOST for another year, which would allow it to be collected for six years.
The attorney said he thought the intergovernmental agreement would need to be redone and the project list updated.
The next meeting for Gray’s City Council is scheduled at 6 p.m. June 3.
