Perry city council receives Golden Nail award, approve lease for Perry Police Criminal Investigations Division

Key takeaways – 

• Mayor Randall Walker and council announce they received the Golden Nail award by the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce.
• Mayor and council approve lease at 902 Northside Drive for the Perry Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.
• Fiscal Year 2025 operating budget approved. A resident recommended to breakdown budget for citizens.
• First reading of rezoning requests presented. No action taken by mayor and council.

PERRY – The city of Perry was awarded the Golden Nail award by the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce.

The award recognizes people who have made a contribution to preserving the city’s downtown. During the regular meeting, Mayor Randall Walker said the award was given to the city for their decision to repurpose the city hall building instead of constructing a new building. He describes their decision as a generational investment.

Walker also shared the city hall building has been standing since 1948 and believes they have 100 years before the next renovation. 

Rezoning requests

Later in the council meeting, Community Planner Emily Carson presented rezoning requests to the mayor and council. This was the first reading, and no action was taken on either requests.

The first request was made by Carlton Maye, Jr. who is requesting the rezoning of a 2.46-acre lot from M-1 wholesale and light industrial to MUC, mixed use center. The property is located at 941 Gardner Drive. 

Carson said this would allow the applicant to build a mortuary on the property. Near the property are commercial and single-family residential areas and a mixed used center. She also said the parcel has been vacant for over 40 years and the rezoning would increase development in the area.

The next request, made by Patriot Development Group, requested the rezoning of multiple parcels to amend existing PUD zone. The property is located at 1824 Houston Lake Road, 1904 Highway 127 and Highway 127.

Carson said the main points are two rear-loaded single-family lots in the eastern section of the townhouses and front-loaded single-family lots. According to Carson, the applicant is proposing to convert the two units into front loaded lots. 

Four single family detached lots are being removed from the plan and replaced with five townhouse lots. She said the result of this will be an increase in the residential count by one unit.

Carson explained the residential unit count will be 124 townhouse units, 88 front loaded single-family detached units and 74 rear loaded single-family detached units.

Fiscal year 2025 budget

The Fiscal Year 2025 operating budget was approved later in the council meeting. Director of Finance Mitchell Worthington said the ordinance does four things including:

• Recognizing revenue as it comes in
• Budgets capital that has been spent so far
• Establishes a budget for the new Information Systems and Technology Manager 
• Establishes the budget for all non-operating, special revenue and capital projects funds

Citizen Bill Delrow approached mayor and council about the budget and recommended them to explain to citizens about budgets increasing and why they are increasing. He said he thinks it would be good to have a breakdown for citizens to see how money is being spent.

Police Criminal Investigations Division

Toward the end of the council meeting, Assistant City Manager Robert Smith presented a possible location for the Perry Police Criminal Investigation Division. Smith said the administration is recommending the city to move forward with a lease of 902 Northside Drive as a temporary solution for the space issue in the police department.

He explained CID has a lack of adequate workspace and it has been an ongoing issue. Smith said the city hoped to address the issue quickly with the city campus project which will provide upgrades to their evidence storage and processing. He believes the project will take time to complete and believes this temporary solution will provide employees with an adequate workspace.

The lease will shift CID functions out of the public safety building to Northside Drive. Smith said it will give employees the space the dedicated space for specific functions they currently cannot perform, like interrogations and polygraphs.

Smith also explained the current situation has a lot of challenges not just in operations and comfort but in state laws and regulations relative to evidence storage and processing.

The lease will cost the city $4,200 monthly. Mayor and council approved the resolution unanimously.

Police Chief Alan Everidge thanked mayor and council during the end of the meeting. He said they are cramped where CID is currently and hopes the temporary solution will help the department become more efficient and effective for the city.

Water and sewer system bonds

Earlier in the council meeting, a resolution was presented to authorize an intergovernmental contract between the city and Public Facilities Authority. This was approved during the meeting.

 City Attorney Brooke Newby introduced mayor and council to the bond council. The series 2025 bonds will provide funds to finance the cost of improving the water and sewer system and acquisition of real property, according to council documents. 

A representative of Raymond James, the underwriter of the agreement, Bill Camp explained the agreement to mayor and council. He said they will close the bond issuance and wire money into the city’s account on March 11. The city will be borrowing money to accomplish storm water and sewer improvements, recreation land purchase and backup systems for water and sewer. The city will receive approximately $20 million according to Camp. 

Camp said the principal of the bond and interest will be paid back on April 1, 2026, to April 1, 2054.

He shared the city has grown in their economy over the years and they have an AA credit rating, meaning they are close to an AAA which is the highest credit rating the city can receive.

Walker said there will be significant improvements in the infrastructure this year.

Perry Startup week reminder

During the end of the council meeting, Economic Development Director Holly Wharton reminded mayor, council and attendees of Perry Startup Week which will start on Feb. 24 to Feb. 28. It will be a week-long free event geared towards helping people interested in starting a business, get resources and start training, Wharton said. She said also registration is now open, and it is recommended but not required. To register click here .

Mayor and council will meet again for their pre-council starting at 5 p.m. and regular council meeting at 6 p.m. on Feb. 18. Everyone is invited to attend these meetings, and the agenda can be found here.