Monticello Council Gets, Gives Praise

The Monticello City Council heard from two very pleased citizens regarding the repair of Rooks Lane in Monticello and its repairs. The two citizens had been before the council several months ago to stress the need of repair to their street. Although the city did not originally have Rooks Lane on its list of roads to be repaired with LMIG money, there was enough in the budget to complete that project.

Pat Clements, citizen said “I just want to come and say thank you so much for getting the street done. It’s been a long time and I’m happy that it’s finished. I appreciate Larry [Thurman] coming out and taking time to talk to us and for seeing it through. Cynthia [Miller] too.”

The council also heard from Ivan Lawrence asking about revamping/adding names to the city entrance signs. He said that as a father of young children they could benefit from seeing that people from here are known for something. He asked about adding Tiana Griggs, Odell Thurman, and another to the sign to join Trisha Yearwood.

Pam Mayer, Chamber of Commerce President, stated that the signs were taken down as they had not been taken care of, but that the chamber was having them redone and kiosks added for influential people in the community to be recognized.

The council voted on a number of other improvements for the city during their regular meeting Tuesday. They voted on the purchase of two budgeted items, a dump truck and a mini-excavator, for the gas and streets departments.

The council accepted the bid of $93,989 for the dump truck with discussion that the one bought previously that was currently not being used due to the driver being required to have a CDL be designated as surplus and sold. The low bid for the mini excavator to include an angle blade was approved for $43,562.52.

The council also voted to begin renovating the Sands Drive Park – discussing that the improvement would help everyone, especially the youth, in that community. They voted to not spend more than $8,500 to include two new basketball goals installed, fencing for the fields to mark lines dugouts, roof materials for the dugouts and bases and a pitching rubber purchased for the baseball field.

As far as the labor to get the park functional, the recommendation to the council was that the city personnel do the scraping of the fields and also that they construct the roofs for the dugouts. They discussed adding picnic tables and bleachers to the park in the future.

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City Manager, Doug White, said that the utilities used at the park would be absorbed by the city.

The council approved a fall festival for the Get Ahead House to be held on October 21, 2017. The event will take place on Funderburg Dr. and the road will be blocked off from the corner of the square to the railroad tracks.

The council heard from Pam Mayer regarding the Downtown Development Authority. The council approved Judy Hunsucker as an additional member and took a photograph with the DDA members. Ms. Mayer said that the board had been very active and reported that the revolving loan fund was back up to date.

She said that they had been “overwhelmed” with new businesses wanting to come to the city. She said that there would be a new salon/boutique opening soon and that there were two restaurants that were talking about coming to the downtown area.

Ms. Mayer told the council that the DDA had started a grant program that currently had $1,000 in it that would be used to invest in the community. She said that five businesses would get $200 each if they put $800 into their building with signage and/or paint. Tricia Armistead, CPA and Big Chic, would be the first recipients of that award.

The council was told by Ms. Mayer that she would be going around to all of the current businesses with a survey on what the community liked/disliked and what information they could learn to attract/keep businesses in the city.

The council went into a short executive session to discuss a legal matter and upon return to open meeting voted that Mayor Bryan Standifer would write a letter to the judicial review board regarding the code enforcement legal issues.

During the closing comments each member of the council praised the city workers for their hard work and dedication to the city during the storms from Hurricane Irma. The council had high praise and said that the guys, “did a wonderful job,” and will be rewarded.