COVINGTON, Ga. — Unprofessional and disrespectful behavior might cost Covington council members in the future.
During the city of Covington’s March 18 meeting, council members discussed amending the city’s ordinance to include rules of decorum and conduct of business.
The first reading of the amendment comes after an abrupt end to the March 4 meeting, during which council member Charika Davis walked out during the mayor’s comments portion.
“It was very uncomfortable in the last meeting,” mayor Fleeta Baggett said when questioned about the reasoning behind the amendment.
Under the proposed change, misconduct by a council member would result in a formal warning, followed by a fine of $150 and, if the misconduct continues, the council member would be removed from the meeting.
“I just don’t ever want to see us, even though we’re all on good terms, get sideways like we did at the last meeting,” Baggett said.
Baggett added that the amendment is a good way to remind council members to keep themselves in check. The first reading was approved by everyone except Davis.
Other public hearings and first readings
The Covington city council approved the first reading of a text amendment to Section 16.12.190 events permits. The amendment broadens the definition of a special event.
Under the new proposal, all event permits would come from the community/tourism and downtown development department. Currently, two different locations issue event permits depending on the event’s location. The change would not affect the process for obtaining alcohol permits. The processing time for special events and alcohol permits will also be reduced from 60 days to 30 days.
Council members also unanimously approved the first reading of a text amendment to Section 16.08.010. Planning and development wants to update the permitted uses of land, which requires updated definitions.
Definitions for “Landscaping Business,” “Parking Lot” and “Massage Studio” are some of the definitions on the list. According to city attorney Frank Turner, the city needs clearer definitions.
“There’s no intention to stop anything; we’re aiming to get it officially in the code expressly that it’s allowed,” Turner said.
Mayor pro-tem Susie Keck wants to see vape shops added to the definition of tobacco stores, stating that they currently are not mentioned anywhere in the ordinance. The council also discussed a supplemental use for tire shops in Section 16.20.725. They recommend that tire shops perform all activities indoors and that businesses store their displays and equipment indoors as well.
The council approved the reading 5-0, with council member Jared Rutberg recusing himself due to a conflict of interest.
Another topic discussed Monday addressed updates to the city personnel policies. HR Director Paul Dailey requested approval to update the educational assistance policy. It would require an employee to reimburse the city if they leave within two years of receiving the assistance.
Human Resources also wants to update the annual leave policy to reflect a change made previously. The monthly leave accrual rate for city fire workers does not reflect what they actually receive. The last update will change the way travel mileage is calculated along with travel payments.
Lastly, the council approved the installation of a temporary all-way stop. According to a study performed by Keck+Wood, sight-distance issues at Washington and Brown Street are contributing to accidents. The proposed change would be a temporary fix until city staff can identify a long-term solution.
