V Hugh Lewis II/Jefferson Jimplecute
The majority of Tuesday night’s City Council two-and-a-half hour meeting focused on property – taxes, building permits, streets, and cleanups.
Property taxes and rates dominated the majority of that time with Council proposing a 2023 tax rate of $0.4186110 per $100 of valuation. This is a decrease from last year’s rate of $0.45 but is an almost $0.02 cent increase over the “No-New Revenue” rate.
Staci Killingsworth, of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP, the City’s tax collection attorneys, gave an update to Council on the Top 20 delinquent tax accounts. The majority of those accounts, 11 of the 20, are either on pay agreements or have a deferral on payment.
Ward 1 Alderman Charles “Bubba” Haggard questioned three of those properties directly by inquiring about the “terms of the status, and what they mean.” The three properties statuses inquired about included Hollister Hospitality, which owns the Oyo Hotel, Bill Clamp, and Jimplecute owner Hugh Lewis.
Hollister Hospitality is on a pay agreement with the Marion County Tax Assessor/Collector’s office. Clamp and Lewis both have deferrals as allowed by law. The other nine properties on the Top 20 list either have tax suits filed, or are a possible bankruptcy. The Jimplecute has requested a list of the Top 20 tax accounts that do not have pay agreements or deferrals from the Tax Assessor/Collector’s office.
Multiple building permits were approved including a variance to LaQuisha Brown to have a manufactured home moved onto her property at 612 W Broadway. The property Brown owns is just outside a zoned area where manufactured housing can be placed, thus the need for the variance.
Council’s discussion indicated some split on whether or not to grant the variance, as there are areas defined where manufactured houses can be placed without the variance. And the desire to update the existing ordinance to reflect the different in manufactured and modular homes, as well as possibly expanding the available areas for manufactured homes, was a point of discussion.
Jefferson Mayor Rob Baker expressed his desire to not approve variances until the existing ordinance can be updated.
Ward 2 Alderman Will Thomas ultimately moved to grant the variance, with Ward 3 Alderman April Taylor-Johnson seconding, and council approving 5-0.
Thomas said that while the ordinance on where manufactured housing can be placed needs to be addressed by the Planning & Zoning Commission, “Tonight we should make sure she has a place to say.”
Other building permit discussions centered on how water would drain off the property, ensuring it would not go onto any other property owner.
Drainage and cleaning up property also drew two different actions during the meeting with James Parsons requesting the right to clear the brush and trees from unimproved streets and alleyways along South Owens street south of Jefferson Street. Parsons wished to pay for the cleanup himself, rather than requesting the City bear the expense. As long as Parsons had permission from other adjacent property owners, Council approved the cleanup.
Jeff Sofich also requested Council close a portion of South Friou Street and sell him the property. Council agreed to sell Sofich the property, as long as an easement was provided to the family of Thomas, and any other property owner, so they could access their property.
Lastly, Council approved closing the City Hall Offices from 1-2p daily for lunch.
City Secretary Melissa Boyd brought the issue to Council stating that the office staff had discussed the issue as there are three of them, there are times when one person is by themselves in the building. Boyd also said that using a later in the afternoon lunchtime, would still allow residents to interact with City Hall during their lunch breaks. Council approved the change which went into effect immediately.
Council will meet again on Monday in a Special meeting to have more discussions on the 2023-24 Budget, as well as receive a Town Hall style briefing from NETMWD on water rates and how those rates could impact the water customers of the City. That meeting is set for 6:30p Monday, August 21.