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Reports of two people getting bitten by dogs in the downtown area are the latest animal complaints reported to the Gillsville City Council.

At the city council meeting last week, Mayor Larry Poole asked the council to re-consider implementing the Hall County Animal Control ordinance due to dog problems in the city.

Council member Roy Turpin said: “I think we need to re-visit it. The city is eventually going to get sued over that dog biting somebody.”

Turpin said he had been told that two people had been bitten at a downtown business.

Council member Todd Dale pointed out some of the issues the council had when Hall County’s ordinance was considered the first time.

Dale said, “We need to look at the ordinance again before we vote on it.”

Poole said he would get each council member a copy of the Hall County ordinance for review and a decision would be made at a later date.

In other business last week, the city council set the millage rate at 0 mills for city residents. The gross millage rate for 2011-12 is 3.91 mills on each $1,000 of taxable property and is reduced to 0 mills due to a rollback. The rollback is made possible due to the receipt of sales tax proceeds.

Gillsville city clerk Paula Whiting plans to resign at the end of this year. Whiting’s last day with the city will be Dec. 31.

The announcement was made at the city council meeting last week.

In other business at the meeting:

•the council approved the first reading of the tax rollback ordinance. The second reading will he held at the January 2 council meeting.

•Mayor Larry Poole reported that the plumbing repairs at the city park building were complete and the total cost was $1,400.

•Poole reported that signs prohibiting the use of alcoholic beverage in the park have been purchased and will be installed in the next few days.

•Poole advised the council that interest is continuing to be expressed in the lease of another one of the city’s downtown buildings. “At this point two individuals are exploring using the building, but the council has not been presented with specific offers for consideration,” Poole said.

In a called election Tuesday in Gillsville, Jim Butler was the winner in the Post 2 council race.
Butler had 29 votes, while Phil Ferguson had 17 votes.

A special election will be held in March to fill two seats on the Gillsville City Council. The election will be held to fill the positions of mayor, now held by Larry Poole, and two council seats, currently held by Tim House and Roy Turpin. The three seats were up for re-election this year but no one qualified.
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Gillsville residents will soon see work being done around the city. At Tuesday’s council meeting, the Gillsville City Council approved a bid of $350 from B & B Grading/Construction to install a two-board fence with walk-in gate around the septic tank area at the downtown buildings. Ancelot Construction also submitted a bid of $1,300 on this project.
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