By BETH ALSTON
beth.alston@americustimesrecorder.com
www.americustimesrecorder.com

AMERICUS — The Americus Mayor and City Council meet at 5 p.m. Thursday for the regular monthly meeting at the Russell Thomas Jr. Public Safety Building.
The following items have been placed on the consent agenda.
• Adopt a resolution approving the change from the current trustee, Bank of New York Mellon, to Regions Bank for the GMA 1998 Lease Pool Program.
• Adopt a resolution approving the change from the current level of 10 percent of the equipment request to up to 50 percent of the equipment list request moving forward for the GMA 1998 Lease Pool Program. City CFO Diadra Powell says this change will lower the cash outlay for new software.
• Appoint City Manager Steve Kennedy to the Historic Oak Grove Foundation Inc., to replace Ben Andrews.
Other items to come before the Council at Thursday’s meeting include the following.
• Consider purchase of seven sets of bunker gear for Americus Fire & Emergency Services at $2,542 per set for a total of $17,794. The comes in below the budgeted amount of $20,408.
• Consider approving a new alcohol beverage license for Center Stage Market, 121 W. Forsyth St., for sale of beer and wine off-premise.
• Consider a first reading of an amendment to an ordinance calling for a referendum to allow Sunday package sales of alcoholic beverages. Steve Kennedy said the license holders, all 10 or 11 of them, want this. It will cost the City between $3,000 and $4,000 for the question to be placed on the ballot.
• Consider adoption of the Natural Gas Operations Assistance Agreement between the City of Americus and the City of Andersonville.
• Consider and intergovernmental agreement and lease agreement for the City’s Customer Service Building, renewing it for another five years.
• Consider a request from the Payroll Development Authority for the City and County to each pay $38,000 for construction of a road back of Eaton that will be capable of holding six or seven buildings. The PDA is applying for a grant for $500,000 to accomplish this. Kennedy said that transportation is a big part of any economic project.
In other business, Council member Nelson Brown’s honorary council member, Keith Frederick, will be recognized, and Mayor Barry Blount will administer the oath of office to Tom McFarland (Lake Blackshear Regional Library board), Carla Cook (Land Bank Authority), and Dwight Chavis (Housing Authority of Americus).