Pendergrass Council approves insurance switch, park equipment and tractor purchases; extends zoning moratorium, tables flight-plan ordinance

Pendergrass City Council on Aug. 26 voted to move the city’s insurance from Travelers to the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency (GIRMA), approve purchases for park equipment and a new tractor for municipal use, extend a moratorium on zoning ordinance changes through the end of the year while staff finalizes a new ordinance for December, accept a conditional use permit with a request to clarify right-of-way language, and table a flight-plan ordinance to next month.

The actions, taken during the regular council meeting at Pendergrass City Hall, grouped several operational and policy decisions the council said are intended to reduce immediate fiscal risk and allow staff time to complete ordinance drafting. Council members voted unanimously on the insurance resolution and on the equipment and tractor purchases; the flight-plan ordinance was formally tabled.

On insurance, a city staff member identified as Jennifer said a GIRMA policy would cost $73,076 for a year of coverage compared with $86,760 under Travelers, a difference Jennifer described as $13,684 in annual savings. Jennifer also said GIRMA would provide coverages the city lacked through Travelers, including cyber liability and explicit amphitheater coverage, and that liability limits would increase from $1,000,000 under Travelers to $5,000,000 under GIRMA. The council approved a resolution to switch coverage and directed staff to complete signature formalities so the GIRMA policy can take effect with prorated billing from September to next May.

Council members also authorized purchases tied to city operations. A council speaker reported that a park-equipment proposal had been approved by the county process and recommended using the designated splash account to buy and install playground equipment; the speaker said the expected cost was in the mid-$20,000 range for supply and install and that the project would be ready by Christmas. The council approved moving forward with that purchase.

Separately, the council approved buying a new diesel tractor with a front bucket and a rear backhoe for the building/roads department. The speaker said the tractor price after trade-in would be about $37,000, with the city receiving roughly $2,200 as credit for an old unit. Council members described the tractor as intended for roadside work, storm debris removal and park maintenance. The council asked that only trained, designated personnel operate the equipment.

On land use, a council speaker moved to extend the moratorium on zoning ordinance changes to allow staff and Dr. White to complete a new zoning ordinance for adoption in December; the speaker said the extension was for a set period and not indefinite. The motion passed. During discussion of a separate conditional use permit, council members requested legal staff clarify a condition that referenced additional city-owned land adjoining the existing 30-foot right-of-way where a proposed 20-foot road would sit, including whether the condition should explicitly reference city-owned strips between the right-of-way and CSX property. The CUP was accepted with direction to tighten the right-of-way language before final action.

The council also voted to table a proposed flight-plan ordinance until the next meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to accept minutes of July 29, 2025: motion carried (vote not specified in transcript). - Resolution to switch city insurance from Travelers to GIRMA: motion carried (Jennifer presented details; vote recorded as all present voting aye). - Motion to extend zoning moratorium and direct staff to finalize ordinance for December adoption: motion carried. - Approval to purchase park equipment using splash account (supply and install; ready by Christmas): motion carried. - Approval to purchase new diesel tractor for building/roads department (approx. $37,000 after trade-in; trade-in approx. $2,200): motion carried. - Conditional use permit (CUP): accepted with council direction to clarify right-of-way language and possibly obtain legal counsel input before final documentation. - Motion to table flight-plan ordinance to next month: motion carried (tabled).

Council members asked staff to ensure insurance transition paperwork is completed promptly and to return with finalized ordinance language on zoning and the CUP’s right-of-way condition. Several council members emphasized that moratoriums must be time-limited and that the December ordinance should make rules clear for 2026.