The Covington City Council has moved its regularly scheduled meeting from tonight to Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. at city hall. As usual, a work session will precede the meeting at 5:30 p.m. also at city hall.
The council will be discussing the annual planning retreat which is scheduled to take place at Brasstown Valley Resort and Spa in Young Harris from March 18-20. The council previously approved holding the retreat at Brasstown on Dec. 21, by a 4-2 vote, with council members Keith Dalton and John Howard opposing.
This will be the third annual retreat and Personnel Director Ronnie Cowan said it will provide a chance for council members to get to know new Councilman Chris Smith, work together as a team, better understand their role as elected officials and plan their goals for the upcoming 2010 fiscal year.
Dalton, Howard and some members of the public believe the city should save money holding the retreat in town. The trip is estimated to cost more than $6,500, with the biggest cost being the $5,000 for training provided by the Centre for Strategic Training, out of Conyers. The city has worked with Co-Founder Frank Foster before.
As far as new business, the council will hear the first reading of three new ordinances. One is to write in to law the hotel/motel tax increase that was recommended by the council and passed by the state legislature last year. The tax is being increased from 5 percent to 8 percent to help fund tourism projects.
City Manager Steve Horton said the city and chamber recently finished reworking their tourism budget, so now an ordinance officially instituting the increase will be added.
The extra 3 percent in hotel/motel taxes may be used to help fund the long-awaited civic center or, if no progress is made on that project within two years, six other possible tourism projects. The current 5 percent tax brings in around $200,000 in revenue every year. That money is split, with 60 percent going to the chamber of commerce and 40 percent going to Main Street Covington.
The additional $120,000 gathered from the 3 percent increase, would also be split. Half, about $64,000, would be given to the civic center fund. The other half would be split 60/40 between the chamber and Main Street. The previously proposed hotel and conference center are not part of the latest version of the civic center project.
Paul Rish, a former businessman and ex-Bibb County Republican party chair, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives, Georgia's Eighth Congressional District, which contains most of Newton County. The seat is currently held by Democrat Jim Marshall. A relative of Rish will ask the council for permission to use the council room for a town hall meeting.
For the full agenda see below:
OLD BUSINESS
2. Discussion/approval of the minutes from the Regular Council Meeting held on January 4, 2010.
3. Re-discussion of elected officials’ planning retreat.
NEW BUSINESS
4. Discussion/approval of changes to the agenda.
5. Public comments for any item not on the agenda.
6. Discussion/approval of an application to sell alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption only for:
Highway 142 Package
9225 Highway 142 NE
7. Discussion/approval of bids for a network storage device.
8. Discussion/approval of telecommunication agreement with Newton County.
9. Discussion/approval of DOT mowing and maintenance agreement.
10. Discussion/approval of bids for construction of utility relocation for Highway 278 and 142.
11. Discussion/approval of the first reading of an ordinance for the City of Covington:
"AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COVINGTON, GEORGIA, TO AMEND THE COVINGTON MUNICIPAL CODE ENACTED AND ADOPTED ON THE 16TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2001, AS AMENDED BY PREVIOUS AMENDMENTS, TO ALTER CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF TITLE 13 OF THE SAID CODE FOR THE PURPOSES OF AMENDING SECTION 13.12.090 THEREOF, TO REPEAL CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
12. Discussion/approval of the first reading of an ordinance for the City of Covington:
"AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COVINGTON, GEORGIA, TO AMEND THE COVINGTON MUNICIPAL CODE ENACTED AND ADOPTED ON THE 16TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2001, AS AMENDED BY PREVIOUS AMENDMENTS, TO ALTER CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF TITLE 13 OF THE SAID CODE FOR THE PURPOSES OF AMENDING SECTION 13.16.040 THEREOF, TO REPEAL CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
13. Discussion/approval of the first reading of an ordinance for the City of Covington:
"AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COVINGTON, GEORGIA, TO AMEND THE COVINGTON MUNICIPAL CODE ENACTED AND ADOPTED ON THE 16TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2001, AS AMENDED BY PREVIOUS AMENDMENTS, TO ALTER CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF TITLE 3 OF THE SAID CODE FOR THE PURPOSES OF AMENDING SECTION 3.16.020 THEREOF RELATING TO LODGING TAX RATE, TO REPEAL CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
14. Discussion/approval of a request to interrupt traffic on State Route 36.
15. Discussion/approval of street closing for the First Baptist Church Easter Service on the Square Park on Sunday, April 4, 2010.
16. Discussion/approval of transferring uncollected utility bills receivable to bad debt expense.
17. Request by citizen to use council chambers for a Town Hall meeting.
18. Public comments.
19. Recommendations of the City Manager.
20. Recommendations of the Mayor and Council.
21. Adjourn.
