Gray’s Mayor and Council began their December meeting by commending Main Street Gray on a successful kick off to the holiday season with its Hometown Christmas Market.
Mayor Ed Barbee called the Dec. 2 meeting to order and in the mayor’s comments talked about the Nov. 30 festival that included more than 90 vendors, food trucks, a wrestling match and concluding with a tree lighting.
“It was a great event, and everyone really enjoyed the snow. Job well done,” Barbee said.
The mayor thanked Main Street Manager Ashley Roberson for her hard work and leadership. The snow was a surprise that followed a second countdown.
Snow was sprayed from the top of the tree to the delight of children and adults alike.
New business started with a vote to opt out of the statewide floating homestead exemption (HB 581) that was on the Nov. 5 ballot. Mayor Pro Tem James Collins made the motion for the city to start the process to opt out, and the vote to approve was unanimous.
Collins also made the motion to adopt the proposed 2025 budget for the City of Gray Water and Sewer Department. The vote to approve the motion was anonymous.
Councilman David Tufts made the motion to authorize Barbee to sign the city’s 2025 LMIG application for the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Collins made the motion to reappoint Tufts to the Design Review Commission and to appoint Sherri Rollins and Vickie Ethridge to replace Chap Nelson and Cecil Ethridge, whose terms expire Dec. 31. 2024. The motion was approved unanimously.
Councilman Terrell Fulford made the motion to reappoint Rollins and Rick Childs to the Gray Downtown Development Authority, and the motion was unanimously approved.
Collins made the motion to amend and adopt changes to the city’s employee and insurance policy.
The change will allow retiring employees to keep their medical and dental insurance at a cost of 50 percent of the premium until age 65. Collins made the motion to adopt the change in policy, and it was approved unanimously.
Fulford made a motion to add the city’s membership in a fund of Georgia Interlocal Risk Management in order to provide PTSD benefits to the city’s eligible fire responders. The motion was approved unanimously.
The final motion was made by Collins, which was to approve Christmas bonuses for City of Gray employees. The motion was also approved unanimously.
The only comments at the conclusion of the meeting were made by the mayor pro tem. He asked for a consensus from council represent them at the Jones County Board of Commissioners meeting to show support of the board’s decision to remove the three remaining members of the Jones County Board of Tax Assessors.
Council members voiced their approval and support.
“I’m glad the commissioners started the process,” Collins said.
With no more business on the agenda, the meeting was adjourned.
The next scheduled council meeting is a meeting of All City Committees Dec. 16.
