Piedmont council to post Park & Recreation director job; members push for signage, equipment grant work

Piedmont councilors signaled a near-term push on parks staffing and visitor amenities at the Feb. 17 meeting. Councilman Matt Rogers asked the council to find a qualified replacement for the Park & Recreation Director and proposed city entrance signage to advertise local stores and restaurants to visitors.

Mayor Farmer told the council the Park & Recreation Director position will be posted in the next few days for 10–15 days. The mayor also reported that the city is continuing work on a grant application for new park equipment; no grant amount or submission deadline is recorded in the minutes.

Council members noted related maintenance concerns: Councilman Frank Cobb asked for help cleaning a ditch and the roadside on Sanford, and Mayor Farmer said the city had requested assistance from Jonathan Gaddy (commission) for ditch cleanup and road paving. The mayor also reported the grass-cutting contract for the trail and cemetery is due for renewal and that the contract will include an option to add park mowing.

Councilman Matt Rogers additionally raised animal-control concerns; the mayor said the city is waiting on the county to act on that service. Kevin Cunningham was thanked by Councilman Carlos Farmer for organizing a recent Eco Tourism meeting that Farmer said had strong turnout; council members did not record actions tied to that meeting in the minutes.

Next steps recorded in the minutes include posting the Park & Recreation Director opening and continued work on the park equipment grant; the council did not take a formal vote on hiring or funding at the Feb. 17 meeting.