City Council’s Aug. 23 meeting ended with a smaller list of items to cover with City Attorney Tim Weaver, who was not in attendance. Still on the agenda after changes was the request by Brian and Tara Richardson for a new lease at 4 Kingshighway.
The Richardsons have a sale pending on the property and originally intended to have it vacated, but City Clerk Ann Armstrong explained to aldermen that due to a water line running through the property, vacating the property could not be done. A lease of $100 for 25 years had been made in 1991 and the Richardsons were seeking to renew that lapsed lease for the possible future owners.
Alderman Terry McClung questioned why they couldn’t vacate the property with the utilities, and Armstrong said that it may lead to people building over those utility lines, which is why there is law saying they cannot vacate the property if a utility line runs through it.
McClung said he’d be willing to support a motion to create another 25-year lease of the property with the caveat that the city go through the vacating process. Mayor Butch Berry said that they should not have the caveat, as the property cannot be vacated. The lease will need an ordinance drawn up and alderman agreed unanimously that it should be done.
Building estimates presented
Berry said he would have construction management company Nabholz bring Public Works maintenance building and Aud elevator construction estimates to council in a special meeting. That meeting is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 3:30 p.m. Berry said that everything had been bid on so they were getting lower costs, but that council would still be receiving “Covid prices.”
Enforcement questioned
In public comments Melinda Large of the Pines subdivision asked who was in charge of enforcing current ordinances in regard to tourist lodging, and how new ordinances that the Planning Commission is drafting will be enforced if current ones are not enforced. Large said that she had noticed some would not be punished for ordinance violations while others would.
Laura Covington, a resident of Oakridge Dr., said that she felt those of the Pines and nearby streets were receiving reprisal for their complaints, citing a neighbor who had gotten a warning regarding the orientation of bricks stacked in a garden after they were changed to help prevent runoff. She said they have a problem with tourist lodging in the area and didn’t “need hands slapped” for what they considered petty items.
In alderman’s comments Autumn Slane asked what aldermen could do about concerns raised during public comments. Berry said he would speak with the Building Inspector.
Other Items
- Budget meeting dates were changed to the first scheduled meeting of the month to give alderman more time to go over monthly reports.
- Greg Moon resigned from the CAPC and Position 3 is now vacant. Judy Holden was nominated to Position 3 of the Cemetery Commission.
- 2309 regarding B&Bs got its second reading and was approved unanimously.
- Berry welcomed new Tourism Director Madison Dawson and said her office is located in the auditorium.
- The next city council meeting will be Monday, Sept. 13.