Action Summary of City Council Meetings
The following is a summary of key action items taken by the Mayor and Council at the last City Council meeting. The meeting was held at City Hall at 25 East Alabama Street, Tallapoosa.
Attendance: Mayor Brett Jones; Dan Pope, Post #1; Jacqueline Roberts, Post #2; Mark Smith, Post #3; Jonathan James, Post #4; Bobby Parker, Post #5
City Council “Regular” Meeting – May 13, 2024
- Minutes, financials, and checks over $300 approved.
- Approved the RFP for audit services upon review by city attorney.
- Approved the reappointment of Billy Pike for one year and Renae Bell for five years to the Tallapoosa Housing Authority Board.
- Approved the reappointment of Joanne Sporri and Gail Carnes for a second 5-year term to the Tallapoosa Public Library Board.
- Approved a new late fee policy for the city on unpaid utility bills. Late fees will be assessed on each monthly bill based on the total amount due. Late fees would be calculated at a rate of 10% of the delinquent amount, or $10, whichever amount was greater.
- Approved a leak protection program to help customers who experience a costly water bill due to leaks or broken pipes. The program will charge the customer $2.00 per month for residential and $10.00 per month for commercial and industrial customers. This amount would give the residential customer up to $500 in water adjustments for 2 consecutive billing periods and $1,000 in water adjustments for commercial and industrial customers. Customers may choose to opt out of the program, but if they don’t participate, they don’t receive leak adjustments on their bill if they have a water leak.
- Approved a 12% increase in water rates to offset the payment on the GEFA loan the city incurred for improvements to the sewer system.
- Approved assessing a $150 seasonal gas reconnection fee if the gas service is disconnected (for the summer months) and then reconnected (for the fall/winter) at a single location for commercial customers.
- Approved staff and council attending the GMA Convention in June in Savannah. Also approved was the nomination of Councilmember Jonathan James to represent the City of Tallapoosa in the parade of flags and as a voting delegate for the convention.
- Approved the additions to the contract to Lee Hulsey Construction for the renovation of the Sporri Building.
- Approved extending the moratorium on vape shops for an additional 60 days. The original deadline ends June 9th; 60 additional days would carry the moratorium until August 8, 2024.
- Approved the text as presented in the Vape Shop ordinance to go before the Tallapoosa Planning Commission.
- The city recently received $95,585.86 in Local Roads Administration (LRA) funds from GDOT. The council approved some additions, including adding Mill Street to our original repaving contract and then also approved Decatur Street with the LRA funds.
- Approved increasing the credit card limit from $25,000 to $75,000. Because of the post office delays, the city recently started paying many bills with credit cards to avoid penalty fees.
- Approved the contract with Alternative Environments to maintain the grass and landscaping at the city cemetery for $3,647.67 monthly.
- Approved using Helton Howland Park for an overnight event on June 1st and 2nd.
The next regularly scheduled meeting for the Mayor and Council is Monday,
June 10th, at 6:00 pm at City Hall at 25 E. Alabama St.