Dallas Council Eases Fee Schedule Regulations

city councilmen Monday night adopted a schedule of fees for city services. While most fees will stay the same, the approved resolution reduces the amount of red tape involved in making adjustments to fees, which can be set for the first time in some cases, or adjusted up or down, according to Dallas City Manager Kendall Smith.

Prior to this, the process to modify fees involved additional readings by the council and a change in the ordinance, but that process won’t be required under this resolution, Mayor Boyd Austin said.

Councilmen, including Griffin White, were not keen on raising any existing fees rates to local businesses that may already be struggling, and White requested that Smith provide a full listing of any changed fees for further scrutiny by the council.

Rep. Howard Maxwell, R-Dallas, visited the council Monday and presented Austin, , with a resolution from this year’s session of the Georgia House of Representatives commending the authority for the work it has done in the area of water conservation and making sure the region’s water needs are met.

Councilmen also voted in favor of appointing Sharone Thomas as resident commissioner of the housing authority, and Phillip Godfrey, a manager with Georgia Power, will complete the unexpired term of Joe Brownlee as the Dallas representative to the Economic Development Organization. Mickey Gazaway was appointed tree commissioner.

Prior to adjournment, councilmen approved a resolution to update the policy per new law governing open records from any executive session, and one other resolution that adjusts the policy to now limit the number of wrecker services the police department will work with from a previously unspecified number down to just three.