GRAY CITY COUNCIL
Gray City Council members made quick work of a called meeting and moved on to committees during their final meeting of the year.
Mayor Ed Barbee called the Dec. 18 meeting to order and took up the first agenda item. The first Monday of January 2024 would fall on the Jan. 1 holiday and needed to be rescheduled. Mayor Pro Tem James Collins made a motion to move the meeting to the second Monday, Jan. 8, and the motion was unanimously approved by members present.
All council members were in attendance with the exception of Benny Gray.
The mayor was given authorization to sign a letter to extend the completion date for the city’s new wastewater treatment plant and to execute an agreement with the Jones County/Gray Chamber of Commerce regarding 2024 hotel/motel tax funds with the next two agenda items.
Both items were approved with unanimous votes and the meeting was adjourned.
Committees
The first committee report was from Councilman Terrell Fulford, who serves as finance committee chairman. He stated that 38.65 percent of the city’s 2023 property taxes had been collected. That amounts to $446,853 collected with $614,440 remaining unpaid.
The letter to extend the agreement with the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority was next on the agenda under the Water and Sewer Committee, but it had already been voted on in the called meeting.
The letter requested the extension to Oct. 1, 2024, to be able to complete the project, due to delays related to construction.
City Superintendent Cheyenne Morgan asked the committee to authorize adding a resolution to the January agenda for the GEFA grant for the inventory of the city’s lead and copper service lines. Committee members agreed to add it to the agenda.
Morgan was asked about the city’s the test well, and he said the tests were ongoing. He said there was also more surveying that needed to be completed.
Brewery
Collins, Plan Committee Chairman, asked committee members to discuss the brewery ordinance that will have its second reading in January. City Attorney John Newberry was asked to remove a portion of the ordinance about selling alcohol products not produced at the brewery and to add a 10 p.m. closing time.
Gray Police Chief Adam Lowe said the 10 p.m. time would remain unless the facility opts to purchase an alcohol pouring license. In that scenario the brewery would be able to remain open until midnight.
The pouring license would also add the requirement of selling food at the facility, as is required for restaurants selling alcohol.
Collins asked about the 5,000-square-foot limit for the size of the brewery, and Fulford said it was his intention that be the maximum for the building. He said if the brewery needed to expand, that could be addressed at a later date.
Newberry asked confirmation on the cost of the brewery license, which was $1,000. He also explained that a new zoning code would have to be created for a brewery because there is no code in the city for a brewery. The attorney said that zoning would require a conditional use that would come before city council each time a brewery wanted to open.
Newberry asked about gaming machines, and it was agreed that would not be allowed. He added if the ordinance was approved in January, the soonest a brewery could be approved, due to the zoning, would be March.
Newberry said he would make the requested changes and send council members copies of the revised ordinance for their review before the January meeting.
Collins also passed out an updated list for city committees. He said it was important to have complete committees, which has not been the case since the absence of Gray.
Collins said no one was removed, only added. Councilman Terry Favors was added to the Finance Committee, Tufts was moved to chairman of the Water and Sewer Committee and Collins added, Tufts was added to the Personnel Committee and Collins to Public Safety.
The committee assignment list will be voted on by council in January.
Trash carts
Streets and Sanitation Chairman Councilman David Tufts said Ryland Environmental was in the process of delivering new carts to city customers. The company will begin trash collection in Gray Jan. 1.
Favors asked about people who needed additional carts and it was also noted that carts were being left at vacant houses.
City Clerk Cindy Yancey said anyone with problems with the number of carts should call City Hall at 478-986-5433.
Favors asked if the new cart fees would correct the problem of the city losing money each month. Yancey said December should be the last month the city would pay more for the service than it collects. She said the city had been losing approximately $31,000 a month.
Collins said he received a call with positive feedback about the clarity of the instructions with the carts, which specified date and time of trash collection and where the carts should be placed on collection days.
The next meeting of City Council is scheduled Jan. 8.
