The Union City Council started

their meeting last week considering two items tabled from the October

meeting. The council denied a text amendment to the zoning ordinance that

would have reduced requirements for a church to be located on a residential

property within the city to be less than three acres.

Howard Williams had requested

the amendment. A request by the World of Life Outreach Ministry of Griffin

and JCB Investments to amend the Zoning Ordinance was tabled for a second

time by request of the petitioner.

The groups are asking the commission

to change the text to read "Religious institutions, churches, mosques

and temples from a Conditional Use to a Permitted Use." The Planning

Commission voted to eliminate the three acre minimum requirements for

religious institutions, etc., in neighborhood commercial zoning districts.

The item will be on the December agenda.

In other business, the council

approved a contract agreement between the city and Georgia Correctional

Health, LLC for medical services at the jail.

The council unanimously agreed

to annex 73.423 acres located on Koweta and Dodson Roads and adopted a

resolution authorizing the adoption of a Community Greenspace Program

for the City.

Chamber of Commerce Director

John Boothby's proposal to write the City's Livable Initiative Grant was

approved. Boothby will complete the proposal for $1,500. A four-way stop

at the intersection of Baker and Alexander Streets was approved. Currently

there is a 2-way stop at the intersection.

The final two items on the

agenda caused some consternation for council members.

Mayor Ralph Moore had hoped

to garner input from other council members regarding the proposed South

Fulton Municipal Regional Water & Sewer Authority Intergovernmental

Agreement.

However, the agreement was

not completed in time for the meeting and the matter was tabled until

the December meeting.

The final item concerned the

Torrey Homes/Oakley Road project and sewer billing. Due to the manner

in which the sewer lines are set up Union City will be responsible for

sewage and the City of Atlanta will be responsible for the water. Union

City is in the process of determining how to handle increasing sewage

needs.

Additionally, sewage and water

are typically interrelated. When a customer is past due on their sewage

the standard remedy is to disconnect the water. Union City will not have

that option for the Torrey Homes project.

The city is considering various

options to rectify the situation.