When they met for their monthly meeting Thursday, the Chipley City Council approved Resolution 08-09, which sets the general election date for municipal officers from Ward 1 (NW), Ward 4 (SW), and Council Member at Large for Tuesday, August 5.  If a candidate receives a majority of the votes, or has no opposition, the candidate will be elected.  If not, a run off election between the two individuals with the greatest number of votes will be held on August 12.  Qualifying will be held from 8 a.m. on June 9 until 4 p.m. on June 13.  The positions are currently held by Karen Rustin (Ward 1), Linda Cain (Ward 4) and TJ McDonald (Council Member at Large). 

Resolution 08-10, Compensation for Traffic Signals Agreement, was also approved Thursday.  This resolution approves an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for the City of Chipley to maintain the traffic signal intersections in the corporate limits.  The agreement is in the amount of $8,652. 

A recommendation for the re-appointment of Helen Daniel to the board of directors of the Chipley Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was approved. 

A recommendation to appoint Roger Sloan to the Planning and Zoning Board was approved. 

A recommendation from CRA to increase the amount of the Facade Grant Program from $3,000 per facade to $6,000 per facade was approved.  (Requires 25% match.) 

A recommendation from CRA to increase the loan amount from $5,000 to $20,000 for the Revolving Loan Program was approved.  The term of loan was also changed from five years to seven years.  (Interest rate of 2%.) 

Modification Number 1 to the Grant Agreement ($700,000 grant for sewer treatment plant under the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program) between the Department of Community Affairs and the City of Chipley was approved.  This amendment revises the Activity Work Plans to reflect the actual progress of the project. 

Approval was also made to renew the Waste Management contract for an additional three years, with a rate increase due to the unprecedented increases in the price of diesel fuel.  Additionally, rates will be adjusted quarterly starting on October 1 to reflect any change in the cost of diesel fuel as determined by reference to the Energy Information Administration of the US Department of Energy website that reports average prices of diesel fuel for the "Lower Atlantic" United States.  The adjustment will be made upward or downward .25% for every increase or decrease in the price of diesel by $.05 increments using a base of $4.06 to $4.10 per gallon.  Also, starting on July 1, 2009 and on that anniversary date annually thereafter rates will be adjusted by 90% of the change in the Consumer Price Index from January of the prior year to January of the current year.  Waste Management will provide flyers to be included with utility bills, that will explain the rate increase to customers. 

A motion to appoint Cheryl McCall as liaison to the Downtown Merchants Association, with TJ McDonald as alternate, was approved.  Meetings are held at a business (location changes weekly) each Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. 

A motion to send a letter to the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, requesting the appointment of the mayor or a council member to the Chamber's Executive Committee, was approved.  The motion included stipulating a deadline for response by next month's meeting.