Gray’s City Council members denied a proposal to put a used car lot in downtown Gray and dealt with budget issues at their February business meeting.
Mayor Ed Barbee called the Feb. 2 meeting to order. All council members were present.
A public hearing to consider the P&Z request was the first New Business item. The request was to rezone the property at 115 Atlanta Road from C-1 to C-2 to allow the auto sales lot.
The location was most recently a vape shop and was formerly known as the Meat Shop.
Barbee read the request, and Zoning Officer Tim Pitrowski was there to answer any questions. The staff report included in the zoning package recommended denial.
The applicant did not attend the meeting, and no one there spoke in favor of the request.
Barbee asked if anyone opposed wanted to speak, and Gray Downtown Development Authority member Alex Smith came forward. He stated having the car lot in the middle of downtown did not fit with the objectives for the area and was not in compliance with the goals for the city.
A resident of the area also spoke in objection to the request and suggested a used car lot would be a nuisance if it was allowed.
The P&Z hearing was closed, and the council meeting reopened.
Barbee asked council members if they had any questions, and there were none. He asked the will of the council, and Mayor Pro Tem James Collins made the motion to deny the request. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.
The next two agenda items were for alcohol licenses. The first was for a beer and wine pouring license for Trinabell’s Diner, and the second a beer and wine sales license for ALDI. Both the licenses were approved unanimously.
The Feb. 16 all committees meeting will fall on the President’s Day holiday, and Collins made the motion to reschedule the meeting to the following day, Feb. 17. The motion was approved unanimously.
Council members approved the public consumption of alcoholic beverages at the Feb. 7 Main Street Gray Galentines event.
Council voted to authorize the mayor to sign an engagement letter with McNair, McLemore, Middlebrooks & Co. to perform the city’s 2025 audit and voted unanimously to approve the committee assignments that were discussed at the Jan. 26 all committees meeting.
Terrell Fulford will chair the finance committee with other members Collins and Terry Favors. Favors will chair the water and sewer committee with other members David Tufts and Fulford.
Collins will chair the Plan committee with other members Tufts and Favors. The personnel committee will be chaired by Collins with other members Fulford and Tufts.
The public safety committee will be chaired by Fulford with other members Collins and new councilman Ikea Simmons. City property will be chaired by Simmons with other members Tufts and Favors.
The next five agenda items dealt with amendments to the 2025 budget. Those included Municipal Court overages, General Fund overages, addition of hotel/motel tax funds, GPD grant funds and CHIP grant funds.
Each of the amendments were taken separately and approved unanimously.
The final agenda item was a resolution authorizing Barbee to sign a lease-purchase agreement with Caterpillar Financial Services for the lease of a 2026 Caterpillar hydraulic excavator. The purchase was discussed at length at the Jan. 26 committee meeting.
Collins made the motion to approve the purchase, and it passed with a unanimous vote.
Comments
Tufts commended the public works departments on the completion of the bridge repair project on Dolly Street.
Pam Jordan spoke during citizens comments about issues with the roads and abandoned houses in the Sawmill Quarters. She said roads in the neighborhood were last paved 20 years ago, and there is a problem with the abandoned homes on Peachtree and Dixie streets.
Jordan asked about a city code concerning cars and trucks in yards.
City Superintendent Cheyenne Morgan said North Street is on the list to be resurfaced with this year’s LMIG funds.
Chief Adam Lowe said his department has been working to get the cars and trucks removed. Jordan said she would work with Lowe on the cleanup.
City Attorney John Newberry said the ordinance to clean up the neighborhood is complaint driven, and Jordan said she could help with that.
“We would like to get the Sawmill Quarters cleaned up,” she said.
