By MONROE ROARK
Staff Writer

The City Council of Peachtree City will consider bids for the design of its new police station at tomorrow night's regular monthly meeting.

A total of 27 design firms were contacted about the project, and 11 responded. The initial submissions were evaluated by city staff according to their experience with public safety and municipal projects, their references, and their staff availability.

Seven firms responded with price proposals, ranging from $108,500 to $198,000 with an average of $130,557. Proposals from Cobb & Associates and PRAD Group, both of whom the city has worked with in the past, came in under budget.

Since Cobb & Associates is a Peachtree City design group and has worked successfully with the city on recent projects for leisure, fire and police services, city staff recommends awarding the contract to the firm for $108,500.

In other business, the City Council is planning to consider changes in the administration of the occupational tax for businesses. Recent changes to the state law require the city to amend the occupational tax ordinance as it pertains to late fees.

The taxes are currently imposed on a “per employee” basis, as follows:

$75 (minimum) for 1-10 employees.

$12 per employee for 11-104 employees.

$1,250 (maximum) for over 104 employees.

These taxes are due each Dec. 31 with a 1.5-percent interest penalty imposed each month they're late. A 10-percent late penalty is imposed after Mar. 31 along with a 100-percent reinstatement fee.

City staff recommends that the interest penalty be eliminated. In accordance with the new state law, staff also recommends that the 100-percent reinstatement fee be eliminated and that a 10-percent fee be imposed after the tax is 120 days past due.

Changes to the tax rate or structure would require a formal public hearing before they are adopted.

The city is considering the adoption of its own rules and procedures for conducting meetings. Many cities have already done this, partly because Robert's Rules of Order can be somewhat confusing, according to city staff.

There is a recommendation for the establishment of “consent agendas,” which would allow items the council members consider routine and noncontroversial to be enacted by a single motion. There would be no separate discussion of those items unless a council member requests discussion, in which case it would be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately.

Staff has recommended approval of the parent company change for Media One, which has been acquired by AT&T. The city thinks it is obvious that AT&T has the financial and legal capability to handle the Media One operations, and the 25 or so Peachtree City homes served by Media One will have an acceptable level of service under AT&T.

Council should firmly express the desire that customers receive high-speed Internet access as soon as possible, along with the hope that a rate increase is not coming along with the other changes, staff recommends.

City staff has recommended that Willow Road be added to the ordinance restricting heavy trucks. A neighborhood collector, Willow Road cannot handle such vehicles, but it is becoming a popular alternate route for motorists looking to avoid traffic congestion at the intersection of Ga. highways 54 and 74, staff says.