At Monday’s regular city commission, the commission announced the FY ’24 budget and conducted a public hearing for the proposed budget.
The budget is currently $130,190,566. No one came forward during the public hearing and spoke for or against the proposed budget. The budget is available at City Hall should any citizens have any questions or concerns regarding the proposed budget.
The commission will vote on the budget at the next meeting, which will be held on Thursday, June 29.
In other business, the commission also took the following actions:
- Announced the Improving Neighborhood Outcome in Disproportionately Impacted Communities grants the city has received for Roundtree Park ($693,640.20) and the Huckaby Softball Complex ($1,684,207.80). ARPA money from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget will fund the grants. The county has also received $2.2 million as a part of the same grant program. The county’s portion of the grant will renovate soccer facilities.
- Approved the resolution to partner with the DOT to begin work on several local TIA projects: McDonald Road sidewalks, Chester Avenue sidewalks, West Green Highway sidewalks, West Walker Street sidewalks (from Burger King North to Gaskin Avenue), and road improvements at the airport).
- Approved the closure of South Gaskin Avenue from Ross Street to East College Park Drive on Monday, June 19, for the Juneteenth Celebration. This section of South Gaskin will be closed from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Awarded the Historic Resource Survey in the Gaskin Avenue Historic District to Impact7G, Inc., for $32,500.
- Announced that the city, which owns the old Douglas Women’s Club building at 118 North Coffee Avenue (next to Emma Ward Park), plans to demolish the building and leave that space vacant for the time being.
- Held the first reading for the Development Standards Text Amendment Ordinance to the Unified Land Development Code.
- Approved the city’s contract with Jared Roberts, the new solicitor.
- Named Mayor Tony Paulk the voting delegate for the upcoming GMA convention.
- Approved $151,975 to Keck+Wood to serve as engineer for the Transportation Alternative Program, which is a sidewalk project for several different locations throughout the city (East Gordon Street/Eastside Park, Spooner Road, East Baker Highway from Lakeview Avenue to Bowens Mill Road, and South Gaskin Avenue from Bowens Mill Road to Pinecrest Drive).
The next commission meeting has been moved to later in the month due to the annual GMA convention. The last meeting of the month will take place on Thursday, June 29, 2023, inside the meeting room of City Hall.