Downtown Calhoun will soon see some additional sprucing up following a vote from the city council this week.
Monday night, council members approved the awarding of a low bid by Duluth-based civil engineering firm Keck & Wood in the amount of $59,997.63 for improving the streetscape along Court Street.
According to the bid advertisement, the project will include expanding planter beds, installing landscape, and repairing electrical outlets and irrigation equipment along the roadway.
Also approved was a setback variance request from 10 feet to four feet on the north side of 500 Pisgah Way for a detached garage, as well as a variance from 10 feet to two feet on the south side of the property for a retaining wall. The request was by Montana Ethridge. A scheduled Zoning Advisory Board meeting on March 9 on the matter was not held due to a lack of quorum. The matter drew no public comment during Monday night’s public hearing.
In another unanimous passage, a 20-foot easement for parcel C40-025A was approved to provide ingress and egress for the building of a single-family residence on Lake Drive.
“This basically just gives the property owner access into about six acres to build a single-family home,” City Administrator Paul Worley said, adding that the agreement allows a driveway to run through a city owned easement.
Finally, council members approved a submission of Fiscal Year 2022-23 second quarter financials as presented by Worley, covering Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.
“The city is on a fiscal year, so this will be a snapshot of our first six months,” Worley said. “We’re very pleased with the general fund and where we stand.”
Worley said total revenue for the city’s general fund was at 62% of expected collections ($11.4 million), while budgeted expenditures were at $8.3 million, with revenue over expenditure at around $3 million.
“Almost across the board, all of our departments are at or below their expenditure levels,” Worley said. “We’re obviously pleased with that as well.”
Worley said by year’s end around 87% ($2,974,164) of city property taxes had been collected. He added that since that time, the city has neared the 96% mark on that total for 2022 taxes.
Local Option Sales Tax, Hotel/Motel Tax, as well as the city’s golf fund also saw strong collections for the second quarter, according to Worley.
Note: All votes Monday night came with Mayor Pro Tem Al Edwards filling in for an out-of-town Mayor Jimmy Palmer, and Councilwoman Jackie Palazzolo out due to being under the weather.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the council is set for Monday, March 27, at 7 p.m. at the Depot, 109 S. King St. All meetings are open to the public.
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