The August business meeting of Gray mayor and council included the final vote for the change in the city’s truck ordinance and the appointment of a new member of the Gray Downtown Development Authority.
The Aug. 4 meeting was called to order by Mayor Ed Barbee, and he used his mayor’s report to recognize the community effort to benefit the Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital.
“We want to recognize Justin Kelly and Dairy Queen for an outstanding job. With the community’s help, a record $180,000 was raised,” he said. “This will definitely help Gray stay on the map.”
The mayor reminded council members of the Aug. 12 economic development classes that will be held at the new offices at 102 E. Clinton Street and noted the opening of another new restaurant, Wendy’s, last week.
He said the Chamber’s State of the Community event will be held Aug. 28 at Butler Hall, beginning at 11 a.m., and encouraged everyone to attend. Barbee also noted that Gray would be hosting the District 6 GMA meeting at Butler Hall Oct. 2.
The mayor’s final reminder was that the qualifying dates for the city’s upcoming election are Aug. 19-21.
The only item of Old Business was the second reading of a city ordinance to provide additional restricted streets for vehicles weighing in excess of 18,000 pounds for highways and 8,000 pounds for residential streets.
Councilman David Tufts made the motion to approve the ordinance amendment, and the vote was unanimous.
New Business
Council members agreed to move their September business meeting from Labor Day to the next Monday, Sept. 8. The motion for the change was made by Mayor Pro Tem James Collins.
The mayor pro tem also made the next motion, which was to ratify a quote from Honey Heating and Air for the replacement of an A/C unit in the 102 East Clinton St. building. That motion was unanimously approved.
The quote was in the amount of $10,740.
The final agenda item was a resolution to appoint Andrea Lumpkin to fill the vacant position on the Gray Downtown Development Authority. The vacancy was due to the resignation of Alan Childs.
Collins made the motion to appoint Lumpkin, and it was unanimously approved.
Comments
Don Johnson spoke to the council about road damage that has been caused by the installation of underground broadband cables around the city. His comments were about the damage done in The Pines subdivision.
“It’s causing damage to the asphalt, and the city should not have to fix it,” he said.
Main Street Gray Director Ashley Roberson said the branding meeting for city council members and commissioners would be held after the Aug. 12 Economic Development class. The director asked council members to attend that meeting, even if they were not going to attend the class.
Tufts suggested the council have a ceremony for the erection of street signs in honor of former councilman Benny Gray, and council members agreed by consensus to setting a date for the ceremony.
With no more business, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting of the council is their all committees meeting Aug. 18.
