Excess Insurance Revenue Will Fund Canton's Anti-Blight Program

The Canton City Council has taken another step forward to help clean up rundown properties in its city limits.

The Council on Thursday approved a budget amendment to use $63,000 in excess insurance premium tax proceeds towards contract services in the city’s Code Enforcement division. The money would be used for blight mitigation and rehabilitation.

The proposal and subsequent vote came after the Council in October rejecting a plan to use excess fees collected on the city’s residential waste disposal program for the initiative.

Council members also directed City Manager Glen Cummins to begin the process of creating the position of parks and recreation director, an initiative Council member Hooky Huffman proposed.

Council members also approved a rezoning request from Jay Hembree. Hembree petitioned the city to rezone 2.52 acres on West Lakeivew Drive from O-I (office institutional) to RA-6 (attached residential) to build attached residential units.

The rezoning would allow for six units per acre on the site, meaning 15 units could be accommodated on the land.

However, a staff overview presented to the City Council noted the property is hindered by a creek and required buffers. The amount of required buffer space limits the development to nine units or less.

Canton leaders also adopted the school safety zone maps of the Cherokee County School District Central Office Complex, ACE Academy, Canton Elementary, Hasty Elementary School, Knox Elementary School and Teasley Middle School.

The council tabled consideration of the school safety zone map for Cherokee High School after resident Thomas Weaver raised concerns about whether that map includes the softball field. The adoption was prompted by the passage of House Bill 826, which cleared up language about school safety zones, among other things.

Photo credit: Patch file