The McDonough City Council considered three rezoning applications at its November 18 regular meeting and chose to approve one, deny another and table the third.

  A request for rezoning from R-100 (single-family residential) to OI (office-institutional) was approved for a lot at 200 Atlanta Street, along with variances pertaining to the reduction of the 50-foot structure setback and 25-foot landscape strip required by city code.

  A proposal regarding a 35.75-acre tract at 600 Lake Dow Road was for a single-family residential zoning with conditions and variances “to correct a procedural deficiency,” according to officials. After a motion to approve was made and seconded, several council members voiced their frustration with the process regarding this particular item, and the vote failed 3-4.

  A site on Avalon Court is under consideration for a rezoning to C-3 (highway commercial), with new conditions to allow for a hotel on 1.79 acres of a 4.47-acre overall site. A motion to table that item until the council’s Dec. 9 meeting was approved unanimously.

  In other business, council member Sandra Vincent brought up the ordinance approved earlier in November regarding litter and unsightly conditions on private property. She expressed concerns about charging an administrative fee to violators in addition to a 12-percent annual charge for anyone who cannot pay within 30-day time frame, and she pointed out that the city has 26,000 residents with only two or three code enforcement officers to monitor litter on private property, which is not enough to serve the entire community and address all code issues. She also said the amended ordinance does not address illegal dumping, which is  major complaint of citizens.

  Vincent asked that the ordinance be reconsidered so more work can be done and additional input can be obtained from the public and code enforcement staff. Her motion to repeal the ordinance amendment was seconded by Kamali Varner, but everyone else on the council disagreed with her assessment and the motion failed with a 2-5 vote.

  City manager Keith Dickerson gave a SPLOST update to the council. He said that SPLOST IV funds are still available for Alexander Park West and Jonesboro Road Park but not for public safety. He suggested that the council consider reallocating funds for McDonough Parkway to other projects since there has been no show of a good faith effort to complete that project.

  About $579,000 is allocated for sidewalks with $1.4 million for road improvements, along with $500,000 allocated for the McDonough Housing Authority, Dickerson said. The first two roads targeted for sidewalks are Hwy. 155 and Zack Hinton Parkway.

  Regarding the fifth installment of the county’s SPLOST which passed a voter referendum last month, Dickerson said it will be a minimum of a year and a half before the city receives any of those funds. To keep projects moving, the council can choose to borrow money from the city’s General Fund or Impact Fees to be repaid with SPLOST funds as they come in.

  The council also approved its workshop and meeting schedule for 2020, beginning with an organizational meeting January 2. All workshop meetings will be the first Thursday of each month, except in December. Regular council meetings will be the third Monday except for January and February, when they are delayed one day due to holidays, and in December when it will convene on the second Monday.