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guidelines, the Commission would have to inform property owners of the intent to make this designation, and owners would have the chance to comment and speak directly to the City Council regarding the issue.

Citizen and Construction Expert Harry Moses told the Council that he worried about the guidelines for demolition of structures within historic districts, as he felt they were too strict. He also shared that the allotted time for approval of a certificate of appropriateness was far too long, and could be debilitating to projects within the city.

Resident Harold Nipper shared with the Council his strong disapproval of the Commission, as he explained that prior to buying property in Vidalia, he had researched the area to see if there would be any guidelines from a Homeowners Association or Historic Preservation Commission in attempt to avoid the issue. He told the Council that the Commission’s rules infringed on citizen’s freedoms and shared his hope that they would strongly consider rejecting the new ordinance.

Citizen Kelly Tippett informed the Council that she had experience working in historic districts and areas and had been researching other comparable cities’ historic societies. She suggested providing further guidelines about who could serve on the Commission to avoid having people who serve on multiple boards or authorities continue to make decisions regarding the public.

She also told the Council to consider reviewing other cities’ historic societies and commissions to see if there is any details which they should include in the new ordinance. She stated that one area which she would like to see reviewed is the maximum $1,000 per week fine which the Commission can place on individuals who do not abide by the rules of a designated historic areas, as this could be a steep price for those who cannot quickly mitigate an issue.

The Council reviewed the concerns and made several updates to the ordinance before approving it. These updates include: The addition of a specific statement about Commission members’ conflicts of interest The addition of a guideline that when the designation ordinance is adopted for an area, the tax parcel number will be included in the ordinance The addition of guidelines that create an easier path for a property owner to get permission to demolish a building or structure if the owner can show that the cost of repair exceeds the value of the property The revision of the allotted time that the Commission has to approve a certificate of appropriateness (shortened from 45 days to 14 days) The modification of penalty fees for not maintaining a historic structure to $1,000 per month, and the specification that each month is a separate violation of the ordinance.

The new ordinance has now been enacted by the Council, and Commission members will be selected in the future.