City Council Business- June 22

By Dave Freneaux

In a Council meeting which featured honoring outgoing members and swearing in new city officials, (see Page 1), important business was transacted as well.  In the Mayor's report Mac Watts announced the formation of a committee whose charge is, over the next six months, to formulate the best and most complete City Code of Ethics in the state.  Mayor Watts asked Councilman Aaron Moak to chir the committee and incoming Councilman Wayne Messine to serve as vice-chair.  Further, he charged the Councilmen to each nominate two citizens to serve on this committee.  Additionally, Mayor Watts began a period of public comment to be held at the beginning of each Council meeting wherein anyone, after completing a comment card and being recognized by the City Clerk, can spend three minutes speaking openly to the assembly.  The comments may not be about items on the agenda for the current meeting and are subject to restrictions based on courtesy, respect and time constraints.
 
Items were then read into the record for discussion at the July 13th Council meeting and included a moratorium of up to six months on the zoning of C-AB-2 properties, sponsored by Councilman Moak, and an ordinance amending the permit fee structure, sponsored by Councilman DeJohn.  Suzonne Cowart was confirmed as Central's Finance Director and the accounting firm Faulk & Winkler was again retained to do the City's annual audit.
 
Finally, the budget for 2010-2011 was considered at length and approved.  The only immediate changes were to move all budget line items relating to law enforcement into the budget of the Chief of Police, giving Chief Browning direct control and authority over those expenditures.