Council Approves Re-Zoning
Members of the Monticello City Council voted to grant conditional use of two residential zone addresses in Monticello for conditional use as day care centers. They also voted to amend zoning at 972 College Street (the former Joyce McDonald Realty) as office-institutional.
Two applicants, Corey Bell and Deashley Thurman came to the council to seek a conditional zoning for addresses at 778 Funderburg Drive and 15 Five Points Street (Springfield Baptist Church, owner) respectively to allow a day care center.
City Manager Peggy Billerman stated that it was only up to the Council to vote on the zoning for such addresses and not for the business itself. She said that each of those wanting to open a day care center would have to be inspected and those permissions and conditions approved by the state.
She also stated that the other two day care centers in the city, the former Kiddie Kampus was closed and that Miss Kay’s was currently full.
All of the above zoning was passed unanimously with Mayor Bryan Standifer welcoming the entrepreneurs into the city.
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The Council also voted on two emergency expenses in regards to building maintenance, including a tree growing through a wall at Sunrise Thrift Store that is pushing bricks out; and a roof leak at the City of Monticello Water Plant.
Joe McMichael was hired to fix the wall and remove the tree with costs not to exceed $3,000.
The council voted unanimously to use Special Option Local Sales Tax (SPLOST) monies to fund the repairs of the water plant roof not to exceed $25,000. Jackson Roofing was contracted to make the repairs.
The council also voted on a FY2016 Budget Calender for meetings regarding the upcoming year’s budget. The resolution states that meetings will begin Thursday, April 23, and will run each Thursday as needed through May 12. The final budget is set to be adopted June 9.
The council heard that they would get refunds from MEAG and monies will go back into a short term portfolio of the Municipal Competitive Trust. For the 2014 year-end settlements, the city will receive $1,464 and $88,780 for two different projects from which MEAG had surplus funds and divided them amongst cities.
The council voted to not move forward for improvements on Towee Street. They had estimated about $60,000 in additional street improvements that would be split with the county and include a $15,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). The council discussed the project and decided that it was not a priority street and were going to err on the side of caution with budget planning beginning.
During the city manager’s report, Mrs. Billerman stated that the city sidewalk project had been complete and the park to park sidewalk project was progressing. She stated that the right of ways had been purchased that the city was in need of, and that currently the city was waiting on the go ahead from DOT to relocate utilities. She also mentioned that credit card fees were going to increase to three percent which includes more identity theft protection on card use.
The council also voted Sage Edwards to serve on the Downtown Development Authority. They announced that Saturday was city-wide clean-up day and any extra trash should be placed beside your curbside trash can on Saturday. The city wide yard sale is Saturday, April 25.
To close the meeting, Mayor Standifer said, “well council, the year is almost up and great things are happening in Monticello. I welcome all of the entrepreneurs here tonight and I must say that I am happy. There have not been three zoning hearings on our agenda in a long time. I am so excited to see where we are headed here in this great city.”
