The Eatonton City Council held its first of two regularly scheduled monthly meetings on June 3, during which consideration was given to extending the time limits on two certificates of appropriateness (COAs) for making alterations to historical properties at 300 N. Madison Ave. and 303 N. Lafayette St.
“The code says the COA is void unless construction is commenced within six months of the date of issuance, and the COA shall be issued for a period of 18 months,” City Administrator Gary Sanders explained of the expired permits.
He added, however, that since COAs are renewable, no hard time limit exists to prevent the terms from being extended.
Lyn Romine, chair of the Eatonton Historic Preservation Commission, was also present to give counsel, and she approved of both a new roof and installing handicap rails on the porch of the Madison Avenue home, and for work to be done on the windows, porch, and exterior siding of the Lafayette Street property.
With five of seven members present, the existing council voted unanimously to approve both COA continuances.
Next, the council unanimously approved an application from Eatonton Main Street for a temporary street closure from 2-10 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, on North Madison Avenue in front of the Blackwell’s series of shops near the intersection of Marion Street. A temporary Farmer’s Market is planned for that stretch of road during the Evening in Eatonton shopping event that day.
The council then unanimously approved Mayor John Reid to attend as the city’s official representative at the annual business meeting of the Georgia Municipal Association on June 22 at the Savannah Convention Center. At Reid’s suggestion, the council also unanimously approved of Councilmember James Gorley also attending as Eatonton’s official flag bearer for the meeting.
The councilmembers next considered the need for explicit rules and directions regarding temporary food services operating within city limits.
“We want to have in black-and-white, ordinances regulating and/or restricting certain activities with food trucks and other mobile food service or pop-up food service,” Sanders explained.
He added that City Hall workers and representatives, including the mayor, frequently receive questions about such issues but have little official guidance to draw upon for answers.
“The brick-and-mortar [restaurant] operators are investing in the community, and they’re saying that people are coming in here and without an investment in the community do pretty much what they want to do at the expense of the brick-and-mortar folks who invest a lot in the community,” Mayor Reid acknowledged. “So, we just need to regulate it to some point instead of just having a free-for-all because even the health department has talked to me about this type of thing over the years, because they have no way of inspecting these vendors that just pop up.”
Councilmember Janie Reid agreed, pointing out that “weekends have a tendency to be overrun with them,” often involving not just pop-up entrepreneurs but various civic and community-oriented organizations conducting fundraising events.
“I mean, there should be guidelines for everything, whether they’re coming from the school or the fire department or whatever,” she added. “I’m sure each department, they’ll try and do the right thing, but anybody, anyone should have a permit to do what they’re supposed to do.
“We have a yard sale ordinance, so we do need some type of food sales ordinance in place, especially as far as health is concerned,” Janie Reid continued. “But food-serve permits and what have you are not easy to get, so a lot of people are taking the attitude that City Hall is not open on the weekend, the sheriff is not in his office, the police department usually has something else to do, and whatever. So, they feel that they can do what they want and not be noticed, but it’s very unfair to the people who are doing things the right way.”
All five council members present eventually voted to approve the mayor contacting the regional commission for guidance on how to properly legislate food vendors, street vendors, and food trucks.
Sanders next described to the council the need to dispose of a city-owned 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac that had recently broken its timing chain, damaging the engine beyond its worth. Sanders said the truck, which had been most recently driven by Eatonton Fire Department Chief Jamey Williamson, could not be sold, however.
“I won’t get into the details, [but] I know that it had a secret compartment on the vehicle, law enforcement related, and it has to be crushed,” Sanders said, adding that further documentation has to be prepared. Police also have to be physically present whenever the truck’s demise finally comes.
Approval to proceed with the property disposal and destruction was unanimously granted by the council, which next meets at 7 p.m. on June 16 at the Putnam County Administration Building, Room 203, 117 Putnam Drive, Eatonton.