The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners will have a lot to consider at tomorrow’s regular meeting as they hear proposals on amending parking laws, deciding how to spend the Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds and choosing the best way to select an ethics board.
A New Parking Ordinance
Under the initial proposed parking ordinance introduced last week, if law enforcement deems a parked vehicle is a danger to public safety, the officers have to track down the car owner and then give the owner an opportunity to move the vehicle. Should the owners refuse to move their vehicle or if the owner cannot be located, the officers can have the vehicle towed.
The current parking laws have drawn some scrutiny from local officials after a video was posted on social media showed numerous cars parked in the East Irwin Estates and Old Salem Estates subdivisions blocking driveways and doubled-parked in the street.
Parking like that could be a hazard if an emergency vehicle needed to get through, says Rockdale County Sheriff Office Chief Deputy Scott Freeman, who has also experienced obstructive parking in other parts of the county.
Officials are also hoping the tighter parking laws will cut down on the number of large events happening in residential areas.
Who Should Vote For The Ethics Commission?
The commissioners will further discuss the best way to appoint members to the ethics commission, which was approved in 2008 but never selected anyone to the council. Chairmen Richard Oden and Commissioner JaNice Van Ness both have very different proposals on the agenda.
In the Oden’s proposal, which was originally presented in 2011, ethics commission member would be appointed by the Rockdale Democratic Party, one by the Rockdale Republican Party and one by the Rockdale Bar Association. Van Ness has proposed revising the current ordinance to remove the county employees and Rockdale Coalition of Homeowners and Civic Associations’ appointment and instead have the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce appoint one member.
The existing laws on the three-member ethics board, which hears ethics complaints filed against county commissioners, outline that the board be composed of one person appointed by the Rockdale Bar Association, one person appointed by the Board of Commissioners as voted on by the majority of commissioners, and one appointed by county employees who live in the county drawn from a list of nominees chosen by the Rockdale Coalition of Homeowners and Civic Associations.
Other Ways To Use NSP Money
The three-member commission will decide whether Neighborhood Stabilzation Program funds will be used for the demolition and renovation of blighted structures in Rockdale County, a proposed idea by Van Ness.
Rockdale County has roughly $2 million in NSP funds.
Commissioner Oz Nesbitt strongly opposes the idea saying, “the county should not be in the business of real estate, redevelopment.”
Nesbitt would rather use funds from the Planning and Development department for those types of services.
The commissioner’s regular meeting will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Assembly Hall building, 901 Main Street, Conyers.
