VCC Approves New Ordinances

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The Vidalia City Council officially authorized the implementation of three new ordinances during the Council’s meeting on Monday, December 9.

The Council first proposed new ordinances regarding recreational vehicles and recreational vehicle parks, short-term rentals, and building codes during the summer; since then, public forums have been held to hear the community’s concerns and inputs on the laws. After hearing these concerns, the Council edited the proposed ordinances to best suit the public’s needs before passing the new legislation.

A public forum for the proposed building codes ordinance was held on August 13; during this forum, many experts in construction, plumbing, and air conditioning work spoke to the council about the practicality of the proposed law, and asked that a committee of experts be made to revise the ordinance. The council obliged and the committee met for several sessions before submitting the final proposed legislation.

Later, on November 21, the community had the opportunity to speak on the RV/RV parks ordinance during another public forum. After hearing from the public, the Council decided to remove any collection of hotel/motel tax from these facilities.

During the same public forum, city administrators also heard concerns about the proposed shortterm rentals ordinance, which led to officials deciding to remove the requirement of short-term rental owners to obtain a business tax certificate separate from the shortterm rental license.

These ordinances have now been approved and will added to the city code.

In addition to these approvals, the Council agreed to let Verizon Wireless modify the communication attachment on the city water tower to enhance value and service, and approved a memorandum of understanding between Vidalia City Schools and the city to allow school resource officers to work at the district’s campuses.

The City Council also authorized U.S. Congressman Rick Allen and his staff to continue to use an office within the Vidalia Community Center to allow local citizens to contact the representative.

The City also approved the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade to be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 20. The parade is hosted by Community Men in Action, and will run down U.S. Highway 280 from Church Street to Broadfoot Boulevard.