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On Tuesday evening, the LaGrange City Council voted to enter into an agreement to share costs of previously approved 911 upgrades and to modify parking on Vernon Road.

During the meeting led by Mayor Pro-Tem W.T. Edmondson due to Mayor Jim Thornton being out of town, the council approved a resolution to allow Thornton and City Clerk Sue Olson to enter into intergovernmental agreements with Troup County to share costs with planned upgrades for the 800 MHz emergency broadcast system.

Under the agreements, LaGrange and the county will evenly split all costs of the new county-wide emergency broadcast system.

The council previously approved an agreement with Motorola to replace the aging 911 system at a cost of $5,315,932. The deal with Motorola includes a five-year maintenance and software upgrade contract.

The council also approved an ordinance that will limit street parking in front of the Medical Plaza in the 1600 block of Vernon Rd. to five spaces.

The city began discussions to restrict parking in the area after a motor vehicle collision on the evening of July 13 brought a site distance issue to city staff’s attention.

City staff initially prepared an ordinance that would have limited parking in front of the plaza based on an ordinance already in effect that prohibits curb parking within 30 feet of a street entrance, but that ordinance would have limited parking to two street spaces.

At the suggestion of the LaGrange Police Department, a second ordinance was prepared that will allow for five spaces in front of the location using striping. 

Council members chose the second option, noting that parking at the location can be difficult at times, especially during dinner hours.

The Medical Plaza has a shared parking lot for several restaurants including Good Ol’ Country Buffet, The Villa, S-Cup Coffee and Not Another Smoothie Shop.

Both ordinances were unanimously approved.

In other official action, the council voted to call for a public hearing on Oct. 11 to hear comments on a Board of Planning and Zoning Appeals recommendation on a request to rezone property located at 510 Springdale Drive from Suburban Single-Family Residential (SU-R) to Traditional Neighborhood Residential (TN-R).