Friday, June 27, 2003
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Friday, June 27, 2003 |
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PTC workers who win grants will share in slice of city's pie By J. FRANK
LYNCH
Peachtree City employees will be rewarded with up to $1,000 in bonuses if they apply for and are successful in receiving grant money for city programs and services. The City Council approved a change to city policy regarding grant applications that was proposed by Councilman Steve Rapson at the city retreat back in the winter. Rapson said the proposal wasn't conceived to benefit city managers or finance department employees, whose job it might be to go after grant money anyway. Rather, it was meant to be an incentive for other employees at all levels of city government to pursue new sources of revenue. Once the grant money is in city coffers, the employee will get a check for 10 percent of the total grant amount, up to $1,000. The council approved the change 5-0, though member Annie McMenamin wanted it posted on the city's Web page to give residents time to consider the idea. Mayor Steve Brown asked city Finance Director Paul Salvatore to research grants awarded this year to see if any employees qualify for the reward already. In other business last week, the Council: > Approved a proposal by Fire Chief Stony Lohr to make consistent the charges for transporting EMS patients to a hospital or other medical facility, whether inside or outside the county. Previously, the city waved charges to in-county trips, such as to Fayette Community Hospital, but charged $3 a mile for outside trips, as to Newnan. The new fee will be $5.53 per mile for all trips, regardless of destination, which Lohr pointed out was the going reimbursement rate paid by Medicare. "We might as well get the money that's due us," he said. >Heard a last-minute plea by Lohr to relax the rules on fulltime firefighters soliciting for nonprofit causes while on duty. With more and more volunteers working in the department, and many of them having second jobs that limit their time, he said the number of personnel available to man last weekend's Boot Drive for the Georgia Firefighter's Burn Unit was slim. "It's the only charity organization we as a department choose to support each year," Lohr said. Council granted the request. >Adopted a new policy on prioritizing capital spending goals before each new budget season, categorizing projects as either "core", "essential" or "discretionary." >Denied a request for a variance from Scott Seymour of 98 Pinegate Road, who was nearly finished building a new home on the lot before it was discovered that the new structure was seriously encroaching on the minimum setback.
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