AMERICUS —  The Americus Mayor and City Council met Thursday in its regular monthly business session which took about half an hour.

Mayor Barry Blount administered the oath of office to Susan Curtis who was recently appointed to serve on the Lake Blackshear Regional Board.

The first order of business was to hold two public hearings.

The first was on a request from Leslie Rowell and Cathy Merritt, nurses, to rezone property at 503 Elm. Ave., from industrial to residential for the establishment of a group care home.

The second hearing was on the request of Michael and Valerie Bean and Harold Jones to rezone property at 716 Varsity Drive to allow for a tri-plex.

Council will take action on both requests at its August meeting.

The following items were approved by the Council on its consent agenda.

• Rejection of all bids for a new back hoe to replace the 1994 Case back hoe.

• Award of a bid for employee uniforms.

• Review of Eastview Cemetery final report from Omega Mapping Services.

• Change the time of the August City Council meeting to 4:30 p.m.

Other items of business by the Council included the following.

• First reading of amendment to the Personnel Ordinance changing two job descriptions in the Community and Economic Development Department. The Council voted to suspend the rules and voted to approve the amendment.

• Approved the closure of a checking account.

• Approved an amendment to Chapter 38, Article 1, Section 38-4C of the Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance related to fire prevention and protection. At the advice of City attorney, Jimmy Skipper, all language regarding answering calls outside the City limits was deleted.

Skipper said the City has received several phone calls for people living in the county who want to sign an agreement with the City to provide fire protection. He said this can only be accomplished if the County enters into an intergovernmental agreement with City for fire services. He said the County has said they will not do this, so the point is moot.

• Approved the alcoholic beverage license application for Wilkie Smith for beer and wine consumption on premises at Adam’s on Lamar Street, at 329 W. Lamar St., pending the final inspection and certificate of occupancy. The restaurant has not yet opened.

• Approved amendment to the outdoor watering restrictions to reflect recent changes in the state law. This allows for outside watering of gardens and yards (no washing of cars or houses) between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. any day of the week.

• Approved a mutual aid agreement with the City of Montezuma for the use of its Hydra-Stop machine. This equipment is used in repairing water main breaks.

The Mayor and Council also heard an economic development report from Mandy Young, director of Community and Economic Development for the City. She said 16 new businesses opened in Americus in June and two closed. She also said a new restaurant is coming to town that will employ 30 to 40 part-time and full-time employees.

Craig Walker, a local citizen, was also on the agenda to address the Council. This is the second consecutive month he has come before the City to complain about Americus Police Chief James Green and others, Assistant Chief Nelson Brown, Detectives Richard McCorkle and Al Ross and Officer Michael Middleton, and their “racism.” Walker said it’s time for “new blood” at the Americus Police Department.

“It’s time for this master and slave mentality to be over,” he said. He said he’s tired of talking and “it’s time to act.”

He said more black people are not speaking up about the police department because they are afraid. He said he would be back again in August.