Keith Dickerson’s five-year tenure as McDonough’s city administrator is coming to an end in a few weeks.
He reminded the City Council at its December 9 regular meeting that the last day of 2019 would be his last day on the job. He is slated to become the new city manager in the northeast Georgia city of Clarkesville Jan. 2, 2020.
Multiple media outlets have reported that the Clarkesville City Council voted unanimously in early November to hire Dickerson after sifting through more than 100 applications and interviewing four candidates, of which he was the sole finalist.
As McDonough council members took turns praising him for his service to the city, is was pointed out by more than one of them that Dickerson was actually making the move for personal reasons – specifically to take care of family members.
Dickerson was appointed city administrator the first week of 2015. He has worked for McDonough a total of 15 years, in including several years as public works director.
As for his time in McDonough, he said he has “enjoyed every minute of it.” He listed several items which he felt show that the city is moving in the right direction, and that there are “good people here to keep it going.”
In other business, the council approved under its consent agenda a contract for a one-time cost of $27,532.78 and yearly recurring cost of $7,749.75 to replace the existing website service provider; an ordinance changing the hours for Sunday on-premises alcohol sales in response to passage of the recent brunch bill referendum; a $33,762.20 purchase of an air compressor system for Fire Station 51, paid from impact fees; and a $28,829 expenditure to retrofit an existing generator to provide emergency power to the Turner Church Lift Station.
The council also approved an ordinance imposing a moratorium on acceptance of rezoning or applications for variances, permits or inspection for multi-family housing developments. According to the resolution, it will remain in place until the city adopts amendments to its zoning ordinance, overturns the moratorium by council vote, or until June 9, whichever comes first. The action was deemed “necessary in the public’s interest,” the resolution stated, because the city’s current zoning ordinance and comprehensive land use plan require a review as they related to multi-family zoning.
As for old business concerning a multi-family development, the council approved a request to rezone a 28-acre site on South Point Blvd. for an apartment development. The request included variances to increase the maximum density from eight to 9.82 units per acre and increase the height limit from 35 to 43 feet.
A request for commercial zoning to allow a hotel on a tract on Avalon Court, tabled at the last meeting, was not approved. A motion was made to deny the request, but the vote was 3-3 as one council member was absent. The matter will likely be placed on the agenda for a future meeting.
A proposal regarding a 35.75-acre tract at 600 Lake Dow Road was approved after failing at the last council meeting. It was a city-initiated action for a single-family residential zoning with conditions and variances “to correct a procedural deficiency,” according to officials. Also receiving approval was a rezoning request to allow an indoor swim center at Avalon Pkwy. and Hayworth Pkwy.
