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Zoning changes on city agenda

By Jared Felkins
The Times-Journal

Published May 19, 2008

The Fort Payne City Council plans to hold a public hearing today about three zoning ordinance changes, including requiring new businesses to pave their parking lots.

One possible zoning change, according to City Clerk Jim McGee, stems from issues with a former business that did not have a paved lot. Complaints about dust and dirt came from the parking lot that surrounded Scooters, a former restaurant in the city.

Existing businesses with unpaved parking lots, according to McGee, will be grandfathered in and not required to pave.

The other two zoning changes deal with the amount of time someone has to complete a project. If a project is approved for a variance, the work would have to be finished within one year. If it is not finished, it would have to wait one year to re-apply.

Also, if a conditional use permit, such as having a business in a residential area, is approved, the change must take place within 180 days.

A second hearing today will deal with a home owned by James Evatt at 3213 Wallace Avenue. The home was demolished, and the city wants to bill Evatt $6,030 for the work.

McGee said the council also plans to consider a policy that would require any employee changes go through a two-person committee made up of council members before the mayor recommends it for vote. Each of the city’s departments has two council members who currently serve as the committee.

“For the past three years, the mayor has handled the personnel for the city,” McGee said. “What the council wants to do now is be involved in the process before the mayor makes a recommendation on personnel issues. It’s an effort to get the committee members more involved in the department. They want to be able to work with the department heads.”

The council will also hear more on an employee study by Auburn University that would compare Fort Payne with cities its size. Two proposals are on the table. One would compare employees and benefits and the second and more comprehensive would include information on the comparable cities and their debt and income.

McGee said he hopes to have council members’ questions answered before the meeting.

The council also plans to:

• consider a maintenance contract with McCord Communications for regular maintenance on the city’s nine emergency sirens. The contract would be $57 per month per siren.

• hear from city attorney Rocky Watson on a proposed agreement with AT&T to provide cable in the city.

The council will meet today at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

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