GRAY
Gray City Council members took steps to address the ongoing issue of trash pickup at their November business meeting.
Councilmen voted unanimously to approve an agreement with Ryland Environmental for waste management for the City of Gray.
The Nov. 6 meeting was called to order by Mayor Ed Barbee, and a planning and zoning hearing was first on the agenda. All council members were in attendance at the meeting with the exception of Benny Gray, who currently resides in a nursing facility.
The hearing was about a request by Cedar Creek Land and Development to allow the creation of a lot with no road frontage. Zoning Officer Tim Pitrowski explained a variance would have to be approved to allow the creation of the lot.
Pitrowski said the city had approved a 12-lot cluster development on Allen Greene Drive. He said the cluster development required the inclusion of an open green space. The green space in this development attaches to the lots but does not have road frontage.
Councilmen had no questions at the hearing, which was then adjourned.
The first item of New Business was a vote on the P&Z request. Councilman Terrell Fulford made a motion to approve the request for the lot creation, and the vote to approve was unanimous.
Tom McEachern spoke to council members about the city’s workers comp insurance renewal. McEachern said he was happy with the premium offered to the city. He said this year’s premium was $47,416, and last year’s premium was $47,027.
“We are seeing increases across the board from companies. This is a good, very minimal increase,” McEachern said.
He added that the city would remain with the same company, Bitco, and the policy would renew this month.
Fulford made the motion to accept the premium and renew the policy. The motion to approve was unanimous.
Item three on the agenda was a resolution to approve an agreement with Cedar Creek Land and Development for the construction of a test well and permanent well site. The test well had been discussed in previous committee meetings and recommended by City Superintendent Cheyenne Morgan.
Councilman Terry Favors made the motion to approve the construction of the test well, and his motion passed unanimously.
The contract with Ryland Environment was next on the agenda. Bids for Gray’s waste management services were discussed at an Oct. 24 called meeting of the Streets and Sanitation Committee. The meeting was led by the chairman of the committee, Councilman David Tufts.
Bids for the service were received from Georgia Waste Systems dba Waste Management, GFL Environmental and Waste Away Environmental, in addition to Ryland Environmental.
Tufts said the low bidder for the service was Ryland Environmental at a cost of $12 per residential cart inside the city limits and $14 per cart outside the city. A second card could be obtained for $10.
It was also discussed that bulk pickup and yard debris would no longer be a service through the city.
Tufts made the motion to approve the contract with Ryland Environmental at Monday’s meeting, which was approved unanimously.
The final item of business was approval of alcohol consumption at an upcoming Main Street Gray event, Pink Friday, scheduled Nov. 17. Mayor Pro Tem James Collins made the motion to approve the request, and it was approved unanimously.
There were no public comments and with no more business, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting of the City Council is the All Committees Meeting scheduled at 6 p.m., Nov. 20.
