The Grayville City Council met on Monday night, with one of the key agenda items being a discussion on utility deposits. Currently, renters are required to pay a $250 deposit for utilities, while homeowners are not subject to this fee. During the January 13th meeting, the commissioners deliberated on the issue for about twelve minutes but decided to table it to gather more information from neighboring municipalities. When the matter was revisited on January 27th, city leaders moved closer to establishing new deposit amounts but opted to have City Attorney Jay Walden draft an ordinance for further consideration and potential alterations. Commissioner Scott Browning voted against the motion.
In another agenda item, the Friends of Grayville requested assistance for their 2025 activities. Andy Brock and Bobbi Browning presented a balance sheet from 2024 and formally requested $5,000 for this year, a reduction from last year’s request of $7,500, as they did not fully utilize the allocated funds. Last year, the group made over $10,300 in community donations, supporting various organizations, including churches and youth programs. The city typically funds these requests from the hotel/motel tax, aimed at attracting visitors to the community. City leaders are currently working on the budget and expect to provide a decision by mid-February.
Additionally, the campground lift station at the park continues to present issues, with repairs anticipated to cost thousands of dollars. The council chose to table the Milano & Grunloh proposal until they can obtain cost estimates for both the rebuild and bypass of two pumps.
Before a brief executive session, the council expressed gratitude to Utility Manager Scott Irvine and his team for their hard work during recent snow and ice events, as well as the management of seven water main breaks. They also approved Mayor Thompson and City Administrator Robert Hatcher to negotiate with Sally Weber regarding the city’s reacquisition of property at the I-64 Plaza.
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