City Council Hears From Citizens

Absent from last month’s meeting of the Monticello City Council, input from citizens was back in full force Tuesday night with residents commenting on issues ranging from utility bills to crime.

Citizens capped off a brief meeting of a quorum of council members including Bryan Standifer, Glenn Newsome, Jackie Smith, and mayor Susan Holmes.

Scott Sauls was not in attendance and mayor pro tem Otis Clark resigned from the council at the close of the February regular meeting.
Bertha Montfort and Erin Middlebrooks addressed the ongoing problems with the billing of city utility services.

Mrs. Montfort questioned as to how meter readers for utility and gas services were devising the usage information. The outraged citizen said that light bills are too high and that she was leaving city gas for propane services because she refuses to lose her house trying to pay a light bill.

Mrs. Middlebrooks asked why utility bills were so high. She told council that when she’s hardly at home and doesn’t cook, her bill is still high. She also said that people don’t have that kind of money to pay for light bills.
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Patti Lewis expressed concerns about several issues surrounding operating a business on the Square. The owner of Zoe’s Place, formerly located on the Square, now operates her business off Venture Court.

The first of her concerns dealt with crime in the city. Just prior to moving her business a month ago, she said it was broken into around the same time three other businesses had break-ins. She felt that the police department had not investigated it thoroughly and wanted to know where the patrol men were when the rash of break-ins happened.

Mrs. Lewis also expressed concern with loitering and parking issues on the Square. She said that the constant loitering and lack of parking propelled the relocation of her business.
Al Frost addressed the forthcoming bicentennial celebration for the city of Monticello in 2007 urging everyone to become involved in the planning phase.

UTILITY BILLS
During the city manager’s report, Hugh King provided council members an update of the utility bill situation. He said bills that should have been received in early March were not mailed from Thomasville in a timely manner and therefore due dates for both billing cycles will be extended until the end of the month.

The city manager anticipated that bills for both cycles would be delivered to customers no later than March 15. He also said that the accuracy of the bills over the past months has improved dramatically with contracts being offered to everyone and cutoffs not being currently implemented. As of last week 82 residents were on contracts owing more than $33,000.

Mr. King reported that the city had a vacancy for one meter reader position with former employee James Sauls working temporarily.

GET AHEAD HOUSE
With regard to Get Ahead House funding, the city manager said that application for a grant from the Children and Youth Coordinating Council was in the works. The requested grant is for $50,000 with $43,200 slated for personnel and $6,800 for travel and cultural assets. The match for the grant is $34,200 with in-kind salaries.
Mr. King said that an account was being set up to track expenditures of the $15,000 committed last month to the Get Ahead House program by the council.

FUNDERBURG PARK
Construction progress was being made on Funderburg Park project, according to Mr. King. Russell Bennett Contracting had completed rough grading for the road and parking area and installed the storm drainage. Water lines are to be extended by city personnel soon.
The city manager reported that an account had been established for the $223,673 grant from the Housing & Urban Development for Funderburg Park construction.

In other city manager updates, Mr. King reported that sidewalk repairs on Hillsboro Street would be completed by contractor Joseph McMichael at a cost of $2,360.

He also reported that work on the administrative regulations document was in progress with a council vote slated in the near future.
City council members voted unanimously thrice Tuesday night. The first 3-0 vote was to amend the alcoholic beverage ordinance from a 75 seating capacity to 30. A public hearing was held prior to the regular meeting with no input offered.

Also approved was an agreement with the Jasper County Water & Sewer Authority for the city to serve the new high school on Hwy. 11 north with water and sewer services.
Tentative approval was given to the updated general fund financials presented by consultant Reggie Grant of Trinity Advisers. In other financial news, city payments made to vendors between February 14-March 9 in the amount of $163,783 were approved as well recent invoices totaling $114,052.

During closing comments, Glenn Newsome reported that six month budget review completed by the finance committee reflected a $95,412 profit thus far. Overall the city was on target with revenues and expenses for the year, he said. The city staff and consultants were commended for their efforts.

Councilwoman Smith reiterated the positive financial report given by Mr. Newsome in addition to commenting on the Funderburg Park construction progress. She also questioned as to how council was going to deal the recent resignation of the mayor pro tem.

Mayor Holmes said that an official resignation had not been received yet.
With no further comments, council members entered into executive session to discuss personnel.