MOULTRIE – Two major subdivisions will soon expand within city limits following the Moultrie City Council’s approval Tuesday evening.
Stephen Godley, the City of Moultrie’s Planning and Community Development Department director, presented two separate final plat applications submitted by J & J Success for an addition to the Briarwood and SageCreek subdivisions.
The business applied for approximately five acres located on Pearl Street located in Land Lot Number 399 of the 8th Land District for the Briarwood residential Phase 2 project and about 6.16 acres located in Land Lots 384 and 399 of 8th Land District for the SageCreek Phase 2 project.
Godley recommended the approval of both resolutions on behalf of the planning commission to the board. The final plats passed with a vote 6-0.
“We appreciate all of y’all and the opportunity that we’ve got. I never thought I’d get this chance at the age of 35 years old. I bought this land at the age of 33. Most of y’all know Mrs. Judy Burnham. She is the reason that I got this land,” Justin Murphy told the council members.
In May 2021, J & J Success broke ground on the first house. Murphy said they started with 40 lots available and three open lots remain.
“I appreciate the community and you all for the support. We’re putting in 33 more lots. We’re looking to put in about 200 more houses other than this” he said.
Councilman Daniel Dunn and City Manager Pete Dillard shared gratitude to J & J Success for choosing land within city limits to develop.
Other actions
Dillard addressed the board during a work session about local block parties in the city. He recently received about three calls complaining about how the party attendees block the roadways. He said the calls start around the same time of year about a resident’s birthday party.
“She does a pretty good job controlling it. The problem is when people leave her place it goes wild,” Dillard explained. “[The callers] are tired of the streets being blocked. I’m not sure about how we’ll handle it next year, but I think we need to be careful.”
The council also approved the first and second reading of an ordinance to amend the current alcohol beverages ordinance. Dillard introduced the idea of amending the alcohol ordinance at the May 2 work session. City Attorney Mickey Waller was granted permission to begin the drafting process. The amendments so far are to alter the time the restaurants can serve alcohol. Dillard said the current ordinance allows businesses to serve until 1 a.m., and everybody has to be out at 2 a.m. The new ordinance would allow alcohol service until midnight and have everybody out of the business by 1 a.m.
“There was some language in one of the state statutes about when we issue citations and take disciplinary actions … we’re supposed to notify them. I don’t think we had a resolution or ordinance so I added that,” Waller said.
Waller explained there have been a few instances regarding video footage where businesses will initially allow law enforcement to view the footage but say they’re not aware of how to download the footage, which is a requirement for licensing.
“When we come back and say we need to make a copy for use because there’s been criminal activity, they’ve been telling us to get a warrant. There were three different places in our ordinance about production of records. I just made them all consistent with who can go in and how to do it, so it doesn’t have to be subpoenaed or have a warrant. These are part of their licensing requirements so even though the way it was worded before was vague enough that they can say get a warrant, technically they’re in violation…” Walker said.
The council approved the following items in a consent agenda with a vote 6-0:
A $133,267 bid for a bucket truck cab and chassis from Peterbilt of Albany, Georgia, funded by the Electric Department budget.A sole bid for a semi tractor to Peterbilt of Albany, Georgia, in the amount of $205,184 funded by the 2019 SPLOST.A $94,350 bid for sewer jetter and nozzles from Vacutek Rentals & Sales of Sugar Hill, Georgia. The bid will be funded by the 2018 TSPLOST.The consideration of an amendment to the Power Purchase Agreement with the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia.