The Richmond Hill City Council met in regular session Tuesday, Oct. 15 regarding an amendment to the Code of Ordinance concerning roadside sales, the preparation of a local historic district designation, and approving the July/August financial statements.

After approving the minutes of the last meeting held Oct. 2 and the financial statements for the months of July and August 2019, the council discussed an amendment to the Code of Ordinance proposed to Chapter 22, Article III for the purpose of adding additional mobile vending regulations.

This amendment specifies regulations for such mobile vending as food trucks.

The amendment regulates the amount of time a mobile vending permit is valid.

According to the amendment, the permit for mobile vendors is valid for 12 months to expire annually on Dec. 31. Roadside sales permits are to be valid for 10 days per month. The council approved the amendment to take effect upon its adoption.

The council also approved a proposal submitted by Ethos Preservation LLC to assist the City of Richmond Hill in preparing a local historic district designation report and design guidelines. This report is part of the 60/40 Historic Preservation Grant with the Department of Natural Resources.

The proposal includes meetings with local stakeholders to establish project goals; determining district boundaries and reference locations to design guidelines; performing fieldwork, photography, and historical research; public meetings; and submitting drafts over the period of several months.

This comes after Ethos Preservation principal Rebecca Fenwick made a presentation at the Aug. 6 meeting on the ongoing historic preservation study of Richmond Hill. At that meeting, Fenwick recorded 120 resources that can be attributed to Henry Ford’s interest in the area.

According to Scott Allison, Assistant City Manager, the grant used is a 60/40 matching grant with 60 percent of the cost contributed through grant funds from the National Park Service dispersed through the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and 40 percent ($18,000) funded by the City of Richmond Hill.

The designation would afford more historic protection than a listing on the National Register would offer, according to Fenwick, that includes design review and demolition protection through the Historic Preservation Commission.

The council will meet again this month on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. and the Nov. 5 meeting has been canceled due to the local election.