Sunday, September 22, 2024–6:00 p.m.

-David Crowder, WRGA News-

A proposed spay/neuter ordinance for the City of Rome will be the main topic of discussion during Monday’s Rome City Commission caucus.

Floyd County Public Animal Welfare Services is asking the city to consider an ordinance similar to the ones implemented by the Floyd County Commission and the Cave Spring City Council to address growing numbers of stray animals, especially dogs.

The caucus starts at 5 pm in the Sam King Room at Rome City Hall.     

Then during the regular meeting, which begins st 6:30 pm in the second-floor meeting room,  commissioners will consider three rezoning requests.

The first would see 56 Rogers Road go from Light-Industrial to Suburban-Residential to match the established use.

The second is a request to rezone 305 Stonewall Street from Community-Commercial to High-Density Residential for an addition to an existing home. 

The third rezoning would be from Office-Institutional to Neighborhood Office Commercial for 200 Redmond Road.

The owner wants to rent the structure as a house. 

All of the application comes from the planning commission with 8-0 recommendations to approve.

Also in the agenda is a discussion of the Building Code Ordinance, specifically an update regarding one and two-family dwellings.

Also, on Monday, the commission will take time to recognize Marshall Plants.

The Rome man was recently named the 1st ever YellaWood Five-Star Hero.

The lumber manufacturer honored Plants for his actions during a fiery crash in 1968.

Plants. Who was 18 at the time, was able to get out, but was unable to free his the 11-year-old sister from the wreckage.

Despite severe burns, Plants refused to leave the scene until his sister was rescued, shouting to alert bystanders that she was still inside the car. 

His persistence and quick thinking led to her rescue, and his sister has called her brother a hero ever since.