FULTON – The Fulton Common Council met last night, May 4, and approved to advertise for two public hearings to be held at the June council meeting in regards to two topics that had been discussed before and dropped following input from the public.
The first public hearing is in regards to amending Chapter 510 “Secondhand Dealers,” of the city code. Mayor Deana Michaels said after meeting with business owners in the city, the proposed amendment will have to do with changing the wording of the city code to not treat antique shops the same as a pawn shop.
“We have decided to go to public hearing to make a slight change so frankly, that the law is better written for secondhand dealers now,” Michaels said. “We’re going to make these changes so it’s more business-friendly for those secondhand dealers.”
Amending this chapter has been discussed before and business owners expressed concern during a public hearing on March 2 regarding the matter.
The proposed amendment discussed at that meeting was voted down during a special meeting held on March 16.
The second public hearing will be on amending Chapter 152-J “Housing Maintenance -Rental Permits” of the city code. This topic was brought up in August 2020.
During the August 18, 2020 meeting, landlords with rental properties in the city of Fulton spoke against a proposed change to the city code, which would result in tripling the cost of rental permits per unit and change the length of the rental permit from five years to three years.
The council did not move forward with the change proposed last year.
Michaels said now, the council does not intend to change the rental permit fee, but still would like to change the length of the permit from five years to three years.
In addition, the city has already changed its rental permit application to a more “user-friendly” process and is mimicked from the City of Oswego’s application.
“What that’s done is it’s freed us up to do more code enforcement,” Michaels said.
The public may voice their experiences and thoughts on both amendments at the next Common Council meeting, Tuesday, June 8 in the Community Room of the Municipal Building.
Agenda Items: All were unanimously passed.
The mayor proclaimed the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has designated May 1 through May 7 as Youth Week to honor America’s Junior Citizens for their accomplishments and to give fitting recognition of their services to community, state and nation. The mayor has designated the first week of May as Youth Week.
- Approve the minutes from the April 6, 2021 meeting.
- Approve the Clerk’s report for April 2021 in the amount of $6,062.25
- Authorize the Clerk/Chamberlain to advertise for a public hearing to amend “Secondhand Dealers.”
- Authorize Clerk/Chamberlain to establish a Capital account for engineering services at the Sewage Treatment Facility not to exceed $30,000 to be offset by CFA grant funding.
- Authorize Clerk/Chamberlain to add Electric Service usage cost to Voorhees Park Gazebo.
- Dog licensing requirements – fees “Purebreds.
- The following changes to fees in purebred licenses will be made”:
- Fee to breed no more than 10 purebred dogs: $50 (increase from $25)
- Fee to breed 11 to 25 purebred dogs: $75 (increase from $50)
- Fee to breed more than 25 purebred dogs: $150 (increase from $100)
- The following changes to fees in purebred licenses will be made”:
- Sale of property 397 W. 1st St. South to Morteza Al Sharif in the amount of $5,000.
- Award bids for real estate services.
- The city will continue to work with Leah Signature Century 21 for their services in selling city property.
- Authorize Clerk/Chamberlain to re-advertise for 2021 Tree Maintenance.
- Bids may be submitted to the Clerk’s office until Thursday, May 27 at 2 p.m.
- First Ward Councilor Tom Kenyon suggested coordinating with the county. Mayor Michaels said she has reached out to the county in regards to this.
- “I have asked them to put various services on this list, but then you have to enter into an agreement with them – it has to be an official agreement – and they’re working on that around the county right now with various municipalities,” Michaels said. “We did not get any bids, so I think we have to entertain some other ideas.”
- Authorize Clerk/Chamberlain to advertise for 2021 paving projects.
- Bids may be submitted to the Clerk’s office until Thursday. May 27 at 2 p.m.
- “We’re hoping because of some of our increased funding that we’re able to – we’re planning on increasing our paving work this year as well,” Michaels said. “We started off the year with about $1.5 million in paving projects and we’re hoping to increase that so we’ll see more paving throughout the city.”
- Michaels said the city has started some sidewalk work as part of the multi-use trail grant.
- Authorize Clerk/Chamberlain to advertise for a public hearing to amend “Housing Maintenance – rental permits.”
- Change first meeting in June to June 8, 2021.
- This change is due to Memorial Day weekend.
An additional article has been posted with a report of the public comment period as well as the polling of the council and the mayor’s ending remarks. That article can be found here.
The next scheduled meeting will be Tuesday, June 8, at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the Municipal Building.
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