Demorest city council, park commission to meet this week

(Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

The City of Demorest will have both their city council and park renovation committee meetings this week in the city’s Municipal Building, located at 125 Ivy Street.

While the city has not released agendas for either of these meetings, here’s what citizens should know about what they’re likely going to cover.

The Demorest City Council

The council is expected to further discuss creating a workgroup to address a stormwater ordinance. (City of Demorest/Facebook)

The city council will meet for both their work session and regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

The council is expected to further discuss the creation of a workgroup to address a stormwater ordinance in Demorest. At their last meeting, the council unanimously voted to table voting on the city’s proposed ordinance until they could discuss the ordinance with an outside engineer and involved city officials.

At their work session, the council will also further discuss taking steps to receive the Georgia Municipal Associations City of Ethics certification, something Councilman John Hendrix has brought forward to the council.

To become a GMA City of Ethics, the council would have to adopt a resolution detailing how the city is dedicated to serving others, using resources with efficiency and economy, treating all people fairly, using the power of their position for the well-being of citizens, and how they will create an environment of honesty, openness and integrity.

The council will meet at 6:00 p.m. for their work session and at 7:00 p.m. for their regular meeting.

The Demorest Park Renovation Committee

At their last city council meeting, Councilman John Hendrix, who is leading the Demorest Park Renovation Committee, and a representative from ADC Engineering, who are leading engineering for the park renovation, shared some of the park committee’s goals with the public. Those goals included upgraded bathrooms, water control in the park and springs, additional parking spaces with land donated from Piedmont University to create more parking, new walking paths, more lighting and potentially adding an aerator and lights to the springs.

(City of Demorest)

They also presented the Demorest Springs Park renovation master plan, designed by ADC Engineering and PSiDesign. They said the park renovation will be split into phases as funds become available to complete different projects, with the bathrooms being the first priority with funding for the project currently available.

Hendrix appointed new mayor Jerry Harkness to the committee at the last council meeting as well. This will be his first meeting with the Demorest Park Renovation Committee.

The committee will likely discuss moving forward with the master plan and bathroom renovation, as well as likely discuss financing for future projects in the park’s improvement.

The committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2.