By MONROE ROARK
sports@TheCitizen.com
Property owners in Fayette County could be seeing a slight drop in the millage rate and an even more minuscule rise in overall tax revenue after the Board of Commissioners considers the 2014 millage at Thursday night’s regular meeting.
The proposed general fund millage rate is 5.602, down almost 2 percent from the current 5.714 mills. There would be no change in the millage for fire services, EMS services and E-911 services.
The new millage rate will produce $32,880,945.65, which is an increase of $108,135.21 or one-third of one percent. The increase in revenue after the millage rollback is the result of higher overall property assessments.
In other business, a request regarding a telecommunications tower will get a second chance before the commissioners at Thursday night’s meeting.
A petition from Skyway Towers and PM&A was recommended for approval with a 4-1 vote by the county’s Planning Commission in early June. The request was to reduce the 1,000-foot setback from an adjacent municipality (in this case, Fayetteville) to 114 feet. The tower is planned for a height of 185 feet and it would be located at Fayette Self Storage with frontage on Ga. Highway 85 and New Hope Road. The Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to decline the request June 26.
Giving it another try, the applicants came back before the Planning Commission Aug. 7 and got unanimous approval. City officials in Fayetteville have no objection to the request, according to county staff.
The matter will require a public hearing at Thursday night’s meeting.
Another public hearing will be held for consideration of a rezoning request pertaining to 10.56 acres on South Jeff Davis Road. Commissioners are being asked to change the zoning from A-R to R-45.
The Planning Commission recommended rezoning to R-50 be approved with two conditions: a 30-foot undisturbed buffer along the western and southern boundaries of the property; and a decel-accel lane along the entire frontage of the property.
Planning and Zoning/Engineering staff recommended R-45 zoning with the buffer as well as “required conditions to improve traffic safety,” according to county officials. As for the decel-accel lane, the Public Works Department supports looking at other options as proposed by the applicant to address sight-distance and safety concerns along South Jeff Davis Road.
Another petition related to this property, also scheduled to be heard by the commissioners, is asking for the addition of six lots to the minor subdivision plat.
Also on Thursday’s agenda:
A rezoning request for a 1.05-acre site on Ga. Highway 92 North.
Consideration of a staff request regarding governance of the Fayette County Development Authority.
Possible changes to the county’s ordinance pertaining to certain businesses, specifically pawnbrokers, dealers in precious metals and gems, and flea market operators.
A proposed $138,056 agreement for the installation of 7.2 miles of fiber optic cabling that would provide future data/voice connectivity to the E911 Operations Center, the Emergency Operations Center, Fire Station #7 and the South Fayette Water Treatment Plant.
Consideration of an intergovernmental agreement between the county and the cities of Fairburn, Peachtree City and Tyrone to create the 74 Gateway Coalition.
