By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
Big trucks beware.
The Piedmont City Council has unanimously approved a new ordinance restricting the weight of vehicles on city streets and roads.
And a plan for a street and road improvement project that hit a roadblock earlier this year is being revisited.
Trucks cannot have a gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds on roadways.
Violators could be fined up to $750 in municipal court.
The weight restriction is expected to reduce wear and tear on streets, council members said.
Mayor Kurt Mayabb told council members at the Monday night meeting he plans to revisit a plan to improve roads as well.
City leaders proposed a $28 utility rate increase for streets and roads that was tabled in February. The issue then took a back-burner to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayabb said.
“It (coronavirus) has caused a lot of havoc. As a municipality, a government, we had to react to it,” Mayabb said. “I did not think that it was fair to tell everybody they couldn’t come to a meeting, the would have to watch it on social media or Facebook or whatever to determine if we were going to go and pass that fee. It was too much of a controversy to put on the agenda,” Mayabb said. “The financial burden on people was real. How do you as a mayor and a council put another $28 on a water bill?”
“I will tell you it will be on the next agenda,” Mayabb said.
Residents and council members have asked whether the $28 rate increase is considered a tax or a fee.
The road improvement plan would require a vote of the people whether it is a tax or fee, the city attorney told the council.
