One year ends, another begins for City of Americus

Beth Alston

AMERICUS — Being the last meeting of the year, the Americus Mayor and City Council took care of all pending business before adjourning for 2009, and then beginning the new Council.

At Thursday’s last 2009 meeting, the Council held two public hearings on requests for zoning and annexation.

The first request came from Robert and Suzanne Freeman who requested zoning property at 130 Sylvan Road and a parcel next to it as residential and to have the City annex the property to as to receive Americus City fire protection rather than from the Sumter County Fire Department.

Council later voted to suspend the rules and approved both requests of the Freemans.

The second public hearing was for a request by TransMontaigne Operating Co. to zone property at 173 U.S. Highway 280 West (across from the future site of the new Phoebe Sumter Medical Center) as industrial and to have it annexed into the City. Council later voted to suspend the rules and approved both requests.

The Council also voted to approve an intergovernmental agreement with Sumter County for emergency services after hearing from City attorney Jimmy Skipper.

The agreement sets the reimbursement rates for fire protection at $30 per hour for chief officer, $25 per hour for captains, $20 per hour for engineers and $15 per hour for firefighters; $200 per hour for fire engines, $300 per hour for aerial, $50 per hour for command vehicle and $75 per hour for tankers.

Items approved on the consent agenda included:

• Approval of a bank account closure resolution after the completion of a 2000 CHIP fund project.

• Approval of a resolution designating the bank accounts and authorized check signers for 2010.

• Approval of contracts for services effective Jan. 1 as follows: Airport Authority $25,000; Americus Theater and Cultural Authority $105,718; Americus-Sumter County Tourism Council $160,000; Boys and Girls Club $23,125; Downtown Development Authority $94,000; Lake Blackshear Regional Library $100,000; LEAP $7,420; Sumter Humane Society $42,500; Arts Council $9,250; Americus-Sumter County Payroll Development Authority $25,000.

• Approval of the appropriation certificate/resolution for the GMA lease payments for 2010.

• Approval of a resolution and quitclaim deed for the “Old Tripp Street” property to Miller Development Co. Inc.

• Approval of renewing the contract for fuel for City vehicles for 2020 with Perry Brothers Oil Co. Inc.

• Awarding the bid for pest control for all City buildings for 2020 to Flint Pest & Termite Control of Dawson at $220 per month.

• Renewal of a contract for 2010 with Albany Communications for radio maintenance.

• Renewal of contract for the Employee Assistance Program with Providence Psychological Services.

• Awarding proposal for insurance broker to The Hooks Agency.

• Approval of a bid of $165,647 from Tractor & Equipment Co. for the purchase of a sewer vacuum.

• Approval of $17,970.89 in costs for replacement and repairs to pumps, compactor and bar screens at the Wastewater Plant.

• Approval of an extension of the contract with Stantec at no additional cost from January 2010 to July 2011 for the Watershed Protection Plan.

• Approval of renewal of CH2MHill.OMI Contract for 2010.

In other business, the Council also:

• Adopted the 2010 Budget Ordinance.

• Adopted the Fee Ordinance Amendment raising the cost of cemetery lots from $1,200 to $3,000 at all three City cemeteries; and raising the water rates from $4.17 to $4.64 for residential and from $1.46 to $1.68 for operating; and residential garbage hobos from $18.64 to $20.66, and commercial garbage hobos from $21.82 to $24.19, all effective Jan. 1.

• Approved the alcoholic beverage license renewals for 2010.

• Approved the alcoholic beverage license for Perry Brothers at 202 U.S. Highway 19 South contingent on the receipt of the certificate of occupancy.

• Approved the Phase 1 beautification plan for Eastview Cemetery.

• Approved the drug and alcohol testing policy for the City’s transit system as mandated by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Herb Mason was recognized as Council member of the Month and Council member Alex Saratsiotis was presented with a proclamation by Mayor Barry Blount in appreciation of his service to the City since March 2009. Saratsiotis chose not to seek re-election.

In the meeting of the new City Council, newly elected Council member Carla Cook and re-elected Council members Lorenzo Johnson and Lou Chase as well as newly re-elected Mayor Blount were administered the oath of office by Americus Municipal Court Judge J. Michael Greene.

Charlotte Cotton, City CAO, announced that the City of Americus Natural Gas Department had been given the distinction of a “Leading Gas Distribution Utility” by the Pipeline and Gas Journal.

The Council also voted to designate the Americus Times-Recorder as its legal gazette.

All department heads were reappointed and meeting times approved for 2010. The January agenda setting meeting was moved to Jan. 19 because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Citizens Angenette Dodson and Matt Wright were on the agenda to address the mayor and Council concerning probation, but both were no-shows.

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