City plans new home for Colquitt Food Bank

Published 5:08 pm Wednesday, February 16, 2022

MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie City Council took the next step Tuesday to find a new home for the Colquitt County Food Bank.

The council approved a Language Access Plan for a new food bank located between First and Second Avenues Northeast.

The new food bank is funded out of a $1 million state grant that was officially accepted by the city at the end of January, Moultrie City Manager Pete Dillard told the council in the work session Tuesday night.  

“The food bank will be at the site of the old 50 Yard Line Sports Bar on Second Avenue. It’s part of an effort to help clean up the northeast part of Moultrie,” Dillard said. 

The food bank will be staffed by the same people who currently run the Colquitt County Food Bank on Third Street Southeast. Along with the grant money that was provided by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the city will be matching $175,000 of those funds and the food bank is currently working on matching $135,000, Dillard said in an interview Wednesday.

“Contrary to popular belief, grant money isn’t free. You have to put up part of your own funds… We’re happy to help out the food bank to get them new premises,” Dillard said.

The city is currently working to purchase the parcel of land between First and Second Avenue that will house the new building. 

On Tuesday, the council considered the Language Access Plan, which is a document that spells out how to provide services to non-English speaking individuals. Decisions have yet to be made regarding the bank’s design, operations and construction but those plans are currently under way, Dillard told the council.

Also on Tuesday, the council held the first and second reading of an amendment to the Alcohol Beverage Ordinance. On Jan. 18, the council changed the requirement of liquor licenses to include an American citizenship and a FICO credit score of 600. 

Council members are currently considering increasing the required FICO credit score from 600 to 650. Dillard cited discussions with local bankers as one of the reasons for the change.

“Many banks won’t mess with potential loaners with a credit score less than 650. That’s really the minimum they’re willing to work with,” Dillard said in the work session. 

Typically, a first and second reading is a vote for the council to consider a matter. A third and final reading is usually considered at the following meeting, when a successful vote will actually implement the proposal.

In other actions taken by the council Tuesday, a bid for improvements on Old Tram Road was approved in the amount of $404,575 in American Recovery Plan and Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax money. The project was awarded to Hancock & Sons Construction of Doerun. 

The council approved a resolution supporting the municipal authority to meet growth demands through city annexation, which was proposed by councilwoman Lisa Clarke Hill. 

All agenda items were approved unanimously by the council during the regular session. The next regularly scheduled session is set for March 1.