Being the last meeting of the year, the Americus Mayor and City Council took care of all pending business before adjourning for 2009, and then beginning the new Council.

At Thursday’s last 2009 meeting, the Council held two public hearings on requests for zoning and annexation.

The first request came from Robert and Suzanne Freeman who requested zoning property at 130 Sylvan Road and a parcel next to it as residential and to have the City annex the property to as to receive Americus City fire protection rather than from the Sumter County Fire Department.

Council later voted to suspend the rules and approved both requests of the Freemans.

The second public hearing was for a request by TransMontaigne Operating Co. to zone property at 173 U.S. Highway 280 West (across from the future site of the new Phoebe Sumter Medical Center) as industrial and to have it annexed into the City. Council later voted to suspend the rules and approved both requests.

The Council also voted to approve an intergovernmental agreement with Sumter County for emergency services after hearing from City attorney Jimmy Skipper.

The agreement sets the reimbursement rates for fire protection at $30 per hour for chief officer, $25 per hour for captains, $20 per hour for engineers and $15 per hour for firefighters; $200 per hour for fire engines, $300 per hour for aerial, $50 per hour for command vehicle and $75 per hour for tankers.

Items approved on the consent agenda included:

• Approval of a bank account closure resolution after the completion of a 2000 CHIP fund project.

• Approval of a resolution designating the bank accounts and authorized check signers for 2010.

• Approval of contracts for services effective Jan. 1 as follows: Airport Authority $25,000; Americus Theater and Cultural Authority $105,718; Americus-Sumter County Tourism Council $160,000; Boys and Girls Club $23,125; Downtown Development Authority $94,000; Lake Blackshear Regional Library $100,000; LEAP $7,420; Sumter Humane Society $42,500; Arts Council $9,250; Americus-Sumter County Payroll Development Authority $25,000.

• Approval of the appropriation certificate/resolution for the GMA lease payments for 2010.

• Approval of a resolution and quitclaim deed for the “Old Tripp Street” property to Miller Development Co. Inc.

• Approval of renewing the contract for fuel for City vehicles for 2020 with Perry Brothers Oil Co. Inc.

• Awarding the bid for pest control for all City buildings for 2020 to Flint Pest & Termite Control of Dawson at $220 per month.