City of Refuge, which assists the homeless and low-income families, hopes to move its operations to 2.3 acres at 120 E. Morris St. The building there was donated to City of Refuge by Shaw Industries.

DALTON, Ga. — City of Refuge Executive Director Pamela Cudd says if Dalton City Council members want more public feedback on plans to move its operations to East Morris Street she’ll make sure they get it.

“I could have had half of Dalton here tonight if I knew that was what they wanted,” she said Monday night.

Council members voted 4-0 on Monday to table a request by City of Refuge to rezone 2.3 acres at 120 E. Morris St. to transitional commercial from heavy manufacturing. Mayor Dennis Mock typically votes only in the event of a tie.

City of Refuge provides services to the homeless and low-income families — including transitional housing, a food pantry and hot meals — at a location on Bryant Street on the south end of Dalton. Cudd says the Morris Street site, with a building donated to City of Refuge by Shaw Industries, would allow them to expand, and the organization plans to move all of its operations there if the rezoning is approved.

The rezoning was supported by the Dalton-Whitfield Planning Commission when it met last month, and no one spoke out against the rezoning. But council members noted the project, which would bring City of Refuge close to the downtown business district, could have an impact on the area and they want to get more input.

“We’ve only recently started getting some phone calls about this,” said council member Gary Crews. “We want to make sure we understand what questions the public might have and make sure we can answer them.”

Council member Tate O’Gwin said he would “encourage people to reach out to the mayor and council” and let them know what they think about the the proposal.

Council members do not typically attend planning commission meetings.

Council members also voted 4-0 to approve a process for those who own property in the city’s tax allocation districts (TADs) in downtown Dalton and on East Walnut Avenue around Walnut Square Mall to apply for tax increment funding for projects that will boost economic development.

The tax revenues a local government collects inside a TAD can be frozen at what the property was worth when it was created. That allows local governments to reach a deal with developers or property owners to dedicate any taxes collected as a result of an increase in the value of property within the TAD, called an increment, for reimbursement to them for the cost of the infrastructure, land, buildings, public artwork or other amenities they create to revitalize the property.

Hamp Manning, project manager for Hull Property Group of Augusta, which bought Walnut Square Mall last year, welcomed the vote, saying it will help Hull’s plans to revitalize the mall and bring in new and more upscale retailers and restaurants.

“We were ready to start work yesterday, since we bought the property really,” he said.

The process limits TAD funding to 30 years. Each project will be determined on an individual basis. The process provides for annual reviews of TAD projects.

The Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority will handle applications. The City Council members must give final approval for TAD funding.