By CHRIS MENEES
Staff Reporter
South Fulton is applying for a grant for sewer improvements, but the community’s help is needed first.
The South Fulton City Commission approved paperwork at its session Thursday evening to proceed with applying for a Community Development Block Grant for a sewer system improvement project.
The five-member board approved a resolution authorizing South Fulton Mayor Ed Cassetty to submit the grant application for funds not to exceed $500,000, as well as supporting resolutions choosing Community Development Partners for administrative services and Hethcoat & Davis Inc. for engineering services for the prep work.
As part of the grant application process, city officials have been working in recent weeks to obtain required surveys from residents in the community. City manager Debra Craig said they have a goal of 320 surveys and city officials are still about 100 short, with the Feb. 1 deadline fast approaching.
“We will work hard to get them done,” Cassetty said Thursday evening.
Mrs. Craig said employees in all city departments have been working to obtain the surveys from residents and they will continue. She said if the goal of 320 surveys is not met, all of the other legwork for the grant application will be “for nothing.”
She said any South Fulton residents willing to complete a survey can also call South Fulton City Hall at (731) 479-2151 and have one mailed to them.
“We’ll be pushing hard over the next two weeks,” she said.
In other action during Thursday evening’s hour-long meeting, which was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and with prayer led by Vice Mayor Tony Perry, the city commission:
• Failed to adopt a proposed yard sale ordinance on the second and final reading.
The commission first considered the ordinance last month as a possible solution to residents who have perpetual yard sales, but several minor changes were made to the document after commissioners expressed concerns about some guidelines they felt were too restrictive. An ordinance with suggested revisions was presented for second reading.
It first appeared the resolution was approved Thursday evening, with only Ellegood voicing a dissenting vote and then expressing continued concerns about not being comfortable with the ordinance. City attorney Karl Ivey suggested commissioners could later amend the ordinance, perhaps in the spring after getting feedback once yard sale season begins.
When a roll call vote was conducted, though, Perry and commissioner Thomas Pettigrew joined Ellegood in voting against the ordinance. It was finally defeated 3-2, with Cassetty and commissioner Beatrice Wilcox voting in favor of it after explaining it was to provide a solution to people having perpetual yard sales or leaving items in their yards for extended periods.
• Received the city’s 2011 audit report from certified public accounting firm Joe M. Enoch & Associates.
The 60-page report gave the city a clean opinion and showed that all governmental funds did well that fiscal year. Any minor issues are already being addressed by city officials, according to Mrs. Craig.
Enoch said there were quite a few complications which hindered the audit’s being completed in a timely manner and he apologized to city officials. The city’s 2012 audit report is still pending and Enoch said he is waiting to receive the city’s books from the firm which provides its bookkeeping services.
• Learned from public works director Wesley Joyner that crews have been working around the clock at the sewer plant to keep residents’ sewer services running in the wake of the mechanical failure of a valve. He said all parts were expected to be on site by this morning to make repairs.
• Learned Cassetty, Ellegood and Ms. Wilcox — all newly elected — recently completed elected officials training offered through the Municipal Technical Advisory Service.
• Was reminded Jan. 31 is the deadline for city sticker renewal for vehicles.
• Learned city officials are compiling a list of dilapidated structures for future action.
• Was informed AT&T has been on site to upgrade the city’s phone system and the installation of new computer billing software should also be done by February.
• Was reminded city offices will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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Staff Reporter Chris Menees may be contacted by email at cmenees@ucmessenger.com.

Published in The Messenger 1.18.13