Council agrees to spend about $3,000 to learn about form code
The Flomaton Town Council voted Monday to spend about $3,000 to have a firm come in to discuss developing a Form Based Code instead of zoning to hopefully help the town attract new businesses and grow.
Mayor Dewey Bondurant Jr., told the council he met John Robert Smith with T 4 America while attending a workshop in Atmore, designed to help that city attract new business.
He told the council Monday night that Smith said he could help the town of Flomaton. The one-day visit would cost the town $2,000 plus expenses for Smith to come from Washington, D.C.
Bondurant told the council that in the past 16 years he's had at least five businesses who wanted to come to Flomaton but didn't because the town was not zoned.
“We had a motel that wouldn't come because we had no zoning,” Bondurant said.
He said the Form Based Code is a way to attract businesses without having to implement zoning in the town.
He told the council the Bible says 'Without vision, you will perish'.
Councilman Buster Crapps said if someone wanted to bring a nice motel and restaurant to Flomaton they needed to know someone wouldn't put a hog pen next door.
Flomaton resident Kenny White said he had done some research on the Form Based Code and it wasn't presented well on Christian radio.
He also asked whether Smith was a Democrat or Republican and said he's heard the concept was scary and something started under the Obama administration.
Crapps said he felt the town needed to pay the money to have Smith and his company come to Flomaton and make a presentation.
“We don't have to take it if we don't want it,” Crapps said.
The council then voted unanimously to have Smith come make his presentation to the town.
