Roswell Approves Fire Station Renovations

Some physical changes are coming to Roswell’s Fire Station 1.

The City Council on Monday unanimously approved a contract with B.E. Guthrie Construction to perform renovations for the station at 1002 Alpharetta Street for $124,100. Mayor Jere Wood and Council members Kent Igleheart and Becky Wynn were not present.

The renovations call for a gender neutral bathroom, 10 individual bunk rooms and and a battalion chief office on the upper level of the station. Construction is expected to start in January 2015.

Council members also approved an amendment to its noise ordinance.

As it currently stands, the ordinance is difficult to enforce, as it stipulates the the owner of a particular property needs to be cited for any violation. The change now allows for the owner or occupier of a residential property to be cited for a violation. In the case of a commercial business, the citation can be issued in the name of the business.

Additionally, language was added to adjust the time range allowed for the use of commercial and non-commercial and industrial and non-industrial power tools in landscaping and yard maintenance, which changed the restricted time of use from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Language was also clarified to include all schools — public or private — as exceptions to the ordinance in relation to organized band and/or sports league activity sponsored by that institution.

Roswell also spells out that public schools are agencies of the state and are granted sovereign immunity, which exempts them from city ordinances. The only laws they are subject to are those set forth by the Georgia General Assembly.

Private schools are subject to city ordinances because they are not agencies of the state, however.

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