REST HAVEN - The tiny town that tried and failed to put itself to sleep is going to have to work at doing nothing. <br>
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The Rest Haven City Council returned to business last week after efforts to dissolve the town were denied in court. <br>
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``We're going to do just like we've been doing nothing,'' said Mayor Kenneth Waycaster. ``Thank you for this little city and for everyone who makes it up.'' <br>
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Rest Haven, which has about 160 residents and is located about 35 miles northeast of Atlanta, was created in 1938 mostly to keep out nightclubs and alcohol. Last year, the town tried to dissolve its own charter because it provides almost no services. <br>
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But then a landowning family in town, the Robinsons, protested the move because they want to put up apartments on at least one parcel, and they don't want to be subject to county zoning laws. <br>
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A judge resurrected Rest Haven and ruled that it has no zoning regulations. That means the Robinsons can do just about anything they want with their property. <br>
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Now the City Council that wishes it didn't exist is striking back by raising fees for building permits to hire inspectors, and to base business licenses on gross income instead of number of employees. <br>
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``If we're going to stay a city, we might as well upgrade and try to stay up with the rest of the county,'' said councilman James Montgomery. <br>
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The fees are in line with those in Gwinnett County and the nearby city of Buford. <br>
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Talks about trying to dissolve Rest Haven again didn't surface during the 20-minute City Council meeting. Council members are waiting on a lawyer to decide what action to take. <br>
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Rest Haven is getting smaller every day - at Tuesday's meeting, some land was deannexed.
