The Buford City Commission convened Monday, Jan. 3, at the Buford Arena, and several officials elected in November were sworn in.
Among those who took the oath of office, administered by city attorney Gregory Jay, were Kathleen Perkins Welch, who was elected to the Buford City Schools Board of Education to fill the seat being vacated by Pat Pirkle, who retired in December, as well as Bruce Fricks, who retained his seat on the Board of Education. Joining them were Brad Weeks and Chris Burge, who ran unopposed for their seats on the city commission, as well as Amy Reed, who joins the City of Buford Planning and Zoning Board.
The commission also heard a request for a special use permit from Cyndi Pedaggi and her associate, Kyle Maurer. They represented The Main Event Company and petitioned the commission to allow them to use the outdoor portion of their lot for outdoor private events, namely wedding ceremonies. Given the residential surroundings of the property, commission Chairman Phillip Beard expressed concerns about the privacy of the surrounding residents as well as the effect the business may have on traffic. Vice Chairman Burge agreed as well, voicing his own concern about potential noise pollution caused by outdoor events.
Maurer, however, assured the commission that a tall privacy fence would be built around the outdoor lot and that it would only be used for wedding ceremonies, not the receptions that follow. After agreeing to limiting the potential for amplified audio to 5 p.m. at the latest, Burge moved to approve the request and the motion was seconded by Weeks.
After approving a number of other measures, including a building permit fee for Ivy Creek Baptist Church and the City of Buford 2022-2023 theatrical season at the Buford Community Center, the commission decided to postpone discussion of approving turf and lighting replacements for the Buford Youth Sports Complex.
During the meeting, Buford City Manager Bryan Kerlin gave his monthly report, which included a number of updates on city projects. He also addressed the recent increase of the omicron variant of COVID-19.
“It’s just something we’re trying to deal with,” he said. “We’re just trying to keep our employees as safe as possible and it still remains to be seen how this thing is going to play out, but we’re still working hard to keep day to day operations going and not be interrupted.”
The Buford City Commission will hold its next meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, at the Buford Arena at 2795 Sawnee Ave. For more information, visit cityofbuford.com.
FEATURED PHOTO: From left to right, Buford city attorney Gregory Jay swears in Amy Reed (City of Buford Planning and Zoning Board), Bruce Fricks (Buford City Schools Board of Education), Kathleen Perkins Welch (Board of Education), Brad Weeks (Buford City Commission) and Chris Burge (Buford City Commission). Photo by Chris Bellows
