Rockwood City Council Advances Budget Talks, Approves Key Purchases and Projects

The Rockwood City Council held its regular monthly meeting Monday night at 6:00 p.m., preceded by a budget workshop where council members met with department heads to discuss funding needs for the upcoming 2025–2026 fiscal year. Mayor Jason Jolly recommended that the council meet again on May 19—one week earlier than usual due to Memorial Day—to revisit the budget and possibly pass it on first reading.

During the meeting, the council approved several purchases and resolutions, including:

• The purchase of two Dodge Durangos for the Rockwood Police Department at a cost of approximately $47,800.
• A new zero-turn mower for the Parks and Recreation Department.
• A second and final reading of an ordinance defining and regulating taxi cab operations in the city. Moving forward, anyone operating a taxi service in Rockwood must now register with the city.
• A public hearing and final reading adopting a fee schedule for services provided by the city’s building official and zoning officer.
• An ordinance to begin defining and regulating tiny homes and tiny home parks, in accordance with state guidelines.
• A resolution approving the five-year update to the city’s 10-year Parks and Recreation Plan, originally adopted in 2020.
• A resolution amending Rockwood’s urban growth boundary map.
• A resolution authorizing the mayor to sign off on a leasehold deed of trust and lessor’s agreement concerning the airport hangar.

In a move aimed at spurring local development, the council also voted to enter into a contract with Woodworth Core, a consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, to conduct a feasibility study to attract a motel to Rockwood. The $16,000 study will analyze the market and recommend steps to secure a reliable motel operator.

Councilman Paul “Coach K” Kamikawa, who chaired the selection committee, said the city reviewed 11 proposals before narrowing the finalists down to two. He expressed strong confidence in the firm chosen and emphasized the importance of keeping state leaders informed of the project and its potential impact on local economic development.

The council is expected to revisit several of these initiatives, including the budget, at the upcoming May 19 meeting.