GP Council Favors 3% Food & Beverage Tax + $9 Utility Fee for Public Safety
A 3% food and beverage tax combined with a $9 utility fee is the consensus of the Grants Pass City Council to fill the funding void for public safety. The Wednesday night advisory vote was five to three with D.J. Faszer, Dwayne Yunker and Valerie Lovelace casting the no votes.
City staff will now create ordinances to institute the proposed new revenue streams to not only maintain current staffing levels, but add three police officers, a crime analyst, three firemen and an administrator. Councilors are expected to cast a final vote on the ordinances at the next meeting February 21st.
Prior to Council’s discussion and vote they heard over an hour of public testimony related to the public safety funding discussion. Citizens voiced many different passionate opinions including against a sales tax and for a sales tax, against the food and beverage tax and both for an against the utility fee.
The Council began Wednesday night’s meeting by unanimously approving an ordinance amending the Development code relaxing residential development standards. The amendments reduce the requirement of 30 percent open space for multifamily housing developments, essentially streamlining requirements while maintaining high value recreation areas. Setback standards where a multifamily development is next to a single-family residence was retained.
The Council then approved an ordinance correcting solar standards for development making minor, non-substantive corrections to the ordinance.
A property at 630 Lincoln Road was annexed to the city limits via ordinance at the request of the owner to facilitate the connection to the municipal sewer system.
Councilors approved the sale of a one tenth acre residential property on Southeast 8th Street for a cash offer of $70,000 to the Sabrina Gaunce Trust. According to the Assessor’s office the value of the property is $68,000.
Danielle Glarum was appointed to the Historical Building and Sites Commission. Trip Androy, Robert Brosius, Sandy Novak and Adrianna Reinhart to the Budget Committee. Allison Cavaner was appointed to the Parks Advisory Committee.
