CITY OF GRAY
Gray City Council members quickly worked through a brief agenda at their May monthly business meeting.
The May 1 meeting was called to order by Mayor Ed Barbee. All council members were in attendance with the exception of Councilman Benny Gray.
The first item of Old Business was the second reading of an ordinance to raise water rates for city water customers. The ordinance increased the inside the city residential rate to $22.46 per thousand gallons and the outside the city rate to $30.77.
The commercial rate was increased to $24.22.
Council members discussed the increase at their committee meeting April 17, stating the reason for the increase is the water rate hike the city received from the Jones County in January.
Councilman David Tufts made the motion, and it was approved unanimously.
New Business began with the first reading of an ordinance pertaining to speed limits in the city. Gray Police Chief Adam Lowe stated that purpose of the ordinance was to update the radar list received from the Georgia Department of Transportation for the City of Gray.
The second reading and the ordinance’s adoption will take place at the June 5 meeting.
City Superintendent Cheyenne Morgan requested an exception to the city’s bid policy for a drainage project on Dolly Street due to the resurfacing of the streets. He explained at the previous committee meeting that the bid process would delay the resurfacing that needed to take place this year as part of the city’s LMIG projects.
Tufts made the motion to allow the exception, and it was approved unanimously.
The next agenda item was a resolution to amend the city’s budget for the purpose of accepting revenue received from the sale of Gray Police Department surplus automobiles. The amount of the increase was $50,500.
Councilman Terrell Fulford made the motion, and it was approved unanimously.
Mayor Pro Tem James Collins made a motion to approve the public consumption of alcohol at Main Street Gray’s Friday’s of Main event coming up May 26. The time of Fridays on Main is 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Each of the events are approved separately per the ordinance approving the sales.
The motion was approved unanimously.
The final agenda item was a request to ratify the renewal of city’s property/liability insurance policy for 2023-24. The previous premium amount was $81,641, and this year premium is $89,661.
The quotes for the insurance premium were prepared by Thomas McEachern with Tidwell & Hilburn Insurance. Tufts made the motion, and it was approved unanimously.
Barbee asked for public comments, and Jocelyn Horton came forward. She did not have comments but asked for clarification of several of the agenda items.
The next meeting of the City Council is the All Committees meeting scheduled May 15.
