Johnna Pinholster
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA — Residents worried about a possible rezone of residential property on Gornto Road will have to wait another 60 days for a decision from Valdosta’s City Council.
At Thursday’s regular meeting council voted 6-1 to postpone the requested rezone of .61 acres from single-family residential to office professional for 60 days. Mayor Pro Tem John Eunice made the motion for the postponement, which was requested by Sangita Gupta who was requesting the rezone.
In the motion Eunice requested that the person requesting the rezoning also be charged for the cost of the legal advertisements that will have to be run once the issue comes before council again. Councilman Tim Carroll, District 5, voted against the measure.
In other news:
Council approved a contract for the design and construction oversight for the Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant biosolids expansion plan.
The cost of the project is $322,539 and is being funded through American Reinvestment Recovery Act and the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority loan.
Utilities Director Henry Hicks said a biosolids disposal plan for the Mud Creek plant is necessary to meet regulatory requirements. The existing process is obsolete and does not meet current standards.
Implementation of a belt filter press dewatering process is in use at the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant and would reduce landfill disposal costs at Mud Creek, he said. Council approved an amendment to the Community Development BlockGrant-Recovery Project.
In 2009 the City of Valdosta allocated $159,373 in CDBG-R funds for work on the Martin Luther King Jr. corridor project.
Due to the date of the contract for water and sewer construction falling one day before the date of final approval from the U.S
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), HUD required that the funds be reallocated to a different project, said Mara Register, assistant to the city manager.
The portion of the funds not used for program administration, $143,436, will now be used to cover construction costs relating to streets, sidewalks, curbs, gutters and utility upgrades/improvements in Phase 1 of the MLK corridor project.
Council voted to postpone a request to approve the FY2010 Annual Action Plan allocating Community Development Block Grant funds until the March 25 meeting.
An agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation for the Tucker Road Bridge Project framework was approved by council. The City of Valdosta will only be responsible for the cost of acquiring right of ways and relocating utilities for the project scheduled for construction in 2011.
The council will hold its 2010 Mayor/Council Retreat this Friday and Saturday at Lenox River Ranch in Lenox Georgia.
