The council deliberated on the Downtown parking and land use committee’s analysis, which proposed the addition of approximately 40 parking spaces on Circle Drive between 6th and 5th streets and an estimated 42 angled parking spaces on Baldwin Avenue between 5th and 4th streets. The potential for extending the angled parking on the north side of Baldwin Avenue was debated, as well as a westward expansion. It was suggested that the proposed parking plan be presented to the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for consideration, aligning with an ongoing CRA parking study. A motion was passed for a diagram indicating the new parking spaces to be completed for further review by the CRA.

Furthermore, the council discussed extending parking on the south side of Baldwin Avenue, weighing the options between parallel or pull-in spaces and considering CRA’s funding for the project. The intricacies of city code language were debated, especially concerning terms like “flammable substances” and “abandoned items.” Concerns were raised about the ordinance’s wording and its implications for property owners regarding the removal of trash and discarded items in public spaces. The council aimed to clarify the ordinance language to ensure precision and fairness.

An issue of shared responsibility for litter and trash on public streets, sidewalks, and RightWays was brought to the forefront. The challenge of assigning responsibility for the removal of trash, particularly when the depositor cannot be identified, sparked a discussion on the complexities of nuisance abatement. The council considered adding language to the ordinance to delineate the identification and responsibility of the party involved. The meeting also highlighted the lack of a sign ordinance, the need for fence material standards, and discussions on grass maintenance regulations, with a consensus to revisit these issues.

The council tackled the topic of running generators or certain equipment in residences not connected to official utilities. The debate centered on whether to prohibit the use of generators and pumps as a supplement to official utilities, while addressing the need to consider exceptions for emergencies or construction. Amendments to the ordinance language were proposed to allow limited generator use under specific circumstances, with plans to revisit the topic at the next meeting.

The maintenance of right-of-ways in front of residential and commercial properties prompted a suggestion to require property owners to mow the right-of-way in front of their properties. This proposal spurred debate and was deferred for further discussion.

Another topic was the interlocal agreement between the city and the county, which concerned the collection of capacity fees for water and wastewater services for projects outside the city limits but within the city’s service area. The council reviewed the agreement details, proposing that the county should not issue permits for such projects until the fees are paid to the city. The need for cooperation between the city and the county was emphasized, and the council agreed to further review the agreement.

In addition, the council addressed the committee priority list and the codebase tracking sheet, reviewing the list of priorities and discussing potential changes in formatting and updates to the review dates for various items on the tracking sheet. Adjustments to the review dates for specific items were agreed upon, and the council decided to bring back certain chapters for further discussion and review at future meetings.

The meeting concluded with a brief conversation about citizen comments and final remarks from the council members. It was confirmed that chapters 14 and 16 would be brought back for further review, while other items on the priority list and the tracking sheet would be addressed in subsequent meetings. The necessity of revisiting and potentially revising Chapter 18 regarding land development, particularly in relation to accessory dwelling unit regulations, was also acknowledged.