The Covington City Council on Monday approved the expenditure of an additional $117,000 on nuclear power that is still in the planning stages after construction costs for two new nuclear plants near Waynesboro were revised upwards.

The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia notified the city that it had received revised construction expenditure estimates from Georgia Power for November for the new Vogtle units. The total equity call for November to MEAG participants who have signed up for the Vogtle power is $1 million.

In June, the city found out that it had been granted 26 megawatts from MEAG of the Vogtle nuclear power when it becomes available in 2018 at a cost of $102.4 million. Including the most recent equity call, the city has spent $402,800 on the Vogtle units.

In other council news:
The council voted to amend the city's alcohol ordinance to take out a portion of language requiring all owners and managers of restaurants that serve alcohol to be residents of the city.

• The decision was made in order to smooth the process by which alcohol licenses are renewed at the end of each year. Under the current reading of the ordinance, some managers were concerned that they would not be able to renew their licenses because they did not physically live in the city and were reluctant to entrust the responsibility of their licenses with anyone but themselves.

• A final reading of the city's motorized carts ordinance was approved by the council with several small changes included by Covington Police Chief Stacey Cotton.

Clarifying language was added to specify that motorized carts are not to be operated over, along or across U.S. Highway 278, Ga. Highway 81 and Ga. Highway 36. The crossing of state roads is only to be done at Georgia Department of Transportation approved crossings.

No motorized cart is to be driven on any city street where the speed limit is greater than 35 mph or any city street that the mayor and council or police chief deem to be unsafe.