By Taelor Rye
The City of Eastman will hold an informational session on a potential roundabout for the city at city hall on Monday, December 14, city manager Bea Edge announced at the November 23 meeting of the Eastman City Council.
The informational session is not scheduled for a particular time yet, as the council is waiting for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to inform them of a time that would work for its representatives. However, at 6:00 p.m., the council will have a regularly scheduled city council meeting.
The proposed roundabout would take the place of a caution light that currently sits at the intersection of Griffin Street and Legion Drive, beside the Dodge County Hospital.
Community response to the proposition has been mixed so far, as some citizens have shown support for the move while others have expressed hesitation and trepidation at the idea.
Eastman citizen Freddie Dwozan congratulated Edge and council member Milton Johnson for arranging the informational session but asked whether the GDOT was actually involved in the project.
Ultimately, Johnson responded that the project is a city project using state funding but not necessarily a GDOT project. Because of this fact, the informational session is not mandatory, but Johnson and the rest of the council felt as though still holding the session and involving the GDOT would prove beneficial.
Right now, because the proposed roundabout is still in very early stages, there are no specific plans or information regarding the roundabout.
Additionally, the informational session is purely an informational session and will not include a question-and-answer session from audience members, given that the plans for the roundabout have little development.
City council member Prince Dawson stated his own feelings on the roundabout, which were originally much different than they are now. Specifically, Dawson provided an anecdote about his own recent experience driving through a roundabout.
Humorously, Dawson relayed that, while visiting Liberty University in Virginia, he accidentally found himself at a roundabout, initially confused about the flow of traffic. However, once he was actually in the roundabout, he found that everything flowed smoothly.
“My perception and conception changed from having experienced it. The next day, I went back through it again, and the first time, it was like, I didn’t know—it was confusion. But the second time, it was so smooth. It was very easy,” Dawson stated.
He further opined that, once citizens experience going through a roundabout, they would find similar ease and understanding.
The city council meeting also saw the approval of occupational tax license fees for 2016.
Edge relayed that Eastman will have 379 business licenses for a total of $79,200.00 in taxes.
Beer and wine fees amount to $15,000.00 while bar cards total $6,000. Together, all three amount to $100,200.00, down $6,725.00 from the year prior.
All fees will remain the same for now, and Edge reported that the decrease was due to loss of business.
Johnson recommended to the rest of the council that the city reduce the fees for alcohol licenses, therefore encouraging more businesses to pursue that endeavor.
Johnson said, “Changing the price does not change any of the requirements for it. All it does is making more people potentially pursue it. If you’re trying to start a restaurant in order to sell alcohol, there are going to be a lot of folks who don’t make it too long” under the current fees.
The council agreed to think on this idea, and city council member Bobby Slye said that he thought that it was worth bringing it up again.
Eastman council sets session on roundabout
The council additionally approved Frank Erwin as the auditor for 2016, given his work for the council in the past.
Erwin and his company have conducted the city’s audits for the past several years and have experience and familiarity with Eastman’s financials.
Edge noted that, while this particular service does not have to be bid out, the last bid saw only two bids: one from Erwin and one from a company from out of town.
Slye stated that the city of Eastman should continue to employ a service from in-town.
Johnson added that the instructor of a class held by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) asked participants to bring in recent audits. When Johnson attended, he brought Eastman’s, and the instructor said that it was a solid, well-done audit.
Another action from the council came in the form of an approval for the Heart of Georgia Regional Commission to assist with preparing for the 2016 Dodge County Joint Comprehensive Plan.
The cost of assistance for Eastman last year was $11,612.70, and Dodge County paid the fee. Eastman paid the county back for its share.
This year, the total cost is $22,500.00.
The comprehensive plan is required by the state, and Edge stated that the Heart of Georgia Regional Commission has done well in the past and that Eastman should stick with them.
Eastman City Attorney Rita Llop expressed concern regarding an approval that the council made during its last meeting.
Llop specifically said that nonprofit and charitable donations, such as the one for the Dodge Historical Society, should be considered on an annual basis rather than a carte blanche donation.
Llop recommended that donations are appropriate but that the city should only make donations when requests are made annually.
The council voted to amend the motion from the last meeting.
Further approvals from the council include a workers’ compensation bid for 2016, which came from GMA. For 2015, the fee was $66,073.00, but this upcoming year’s cost will be $68,858.00.
The Martin Luther King, Jr., Parade will take place on January 18, 2016. The route will be the same as it was last year, and Edge stated that everything is in order.
City of Eastman employees will have a Christmas luncheon on Monday, December 21. The council also approved a Christmas bonus for city employees.
Dawson and city council member Raymond Mullis moved to install lights on streets in their districts. Dawson’s motion was for an existing pole at the end of 7th Avenue near Dwayne Burney, and Mullis’s motion covered the light in front of 615 Karen Drive, by Leslie Holland.
Dawson stated that this year’s council has experienced some interesting things, ultimately growing and developing based on those experiences. “This year, we’ve had a great year,” he said.
“I know we’re going to lose Bobby and Ms. Bea, and they’re going to be missed, but… they have some knowledge and wisdom that we still need!” Dawson added.
To the public, Dawson encouraged citizens to attend city council meetings to express their thoughts rather than waiting until after something has happened.
“Come to learn and to get information. What you think is not the way it is, many times,” he expressed. “We’re in this all together… The city is great, the county is great, and I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
Edge called attention to a broken motor at the pump station on the Chester Highway, stating that the city took the motor to Wilson Electric. One motor is still running, but the second motor needs repair. The city does not have a cost on the project yet.
Johnson commended two new businesses that opened this past weekend, The Frozen Bean and Roberta’s Fashions.
The Frozen Bean is between Subway and Flash Foods, in the suite that Domino’s Pizza used to occupy. Johnson commended The Frozen Bean’s “very reasonable prices” and Wi-Fi access for its customers.
Roberta’s Fashions sits on Main Street, and Johnson stated that he hopes that the trend of new businesses coming to Eastman continues.
Slye spoke to Ronnie Woodard, his upcoming successor, expressing his faith in Woodard’s ability to cooperate well with the council.
The council’s next meeting will take place on Monday, December 14 at 6:00 p.m.
Erwin and his company have conducted the city’s audits for the past several years and have experience and familiarity with Eastman’s financials.
Edge noted that, while this particular service does not have to be bid out, the last bid saw only two bids: one from Erwin and one from a company from out of town.
Slye stated that the city of Eastman should continue to employ a service from in-town.
Johnson added that the instructor of a class held by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) asked participants to bring in recent audits. When Johnson attended, he brought Eastman’s, and the instructor said that it was a solid, well-done audit.
Another action from the council came in the form of an approval for the Heart of Georgia Regional Commission to assist with preparing for the 2016 Dodge County Joint Comprehensive Plan.
The cost of assistance for Eastman last year was $11,612.70, and Dodge County paid the fee. Eastman paid the county back for its share.
This year, the total cost is $22,500.00.
The comprehensive plan is required by the state, and Edge stated that the Heart of Georgia Regional Commission has done well in the past and that Eastman should stick with them.
Eastman City Attorney Rita Llop expressed concern regarding an approval that the council made during its last meeting.
Llop specifically said that nonprofit and charitable donations, such as the one for the Dodge Historical Society, should be considered on an annual basis rather than a carte blanche donation.
Llop recommended that donations are appropriate but that the city should only make donations when requests are made annually.
The council voted to amend the motion from the last meeting.
Further approvals from the council include a workers’ compensation bid for 2016, which came from GMA. For 2015, the fee was $66,073.00, but this upcoming year’s cost will be $68,858.00.
The Martin Luther King, Jr., Parade will take place on January 18, 2016. The route will be the same as it was last year, and Edge stated that everything is in order.
City of Eastman employees will have a Christmas luncheon on Monday, December 21. The council also approved a Christmas bonus for city employees.
Dawson and city council member Raymond Mullis moved to install lights on streets in their districts. Dawson’s motion was for an existing pole at the end of 7th Avenue near Dwayne Burney, and Mullis’s motion covered the light in front of 615 Karen Drive, by Leslie Holland.
Dawson stated that this year’s council has experienced some interesting things, ultimately growing and developing based on those experiences. “This year, we’ve had a great year,” he said.
“I know we’re going to lose Bobby and Ms. Bea, and they’re going to be missed, but… they have some knowledge and wisdom that we still need!” Dawson added.
To the public, Dawson encouraged citizens to attend city council meetings to express their thoughts rather than waiting until after something has happened.
“Come to learn and to get information. What you think is not the way it is, many times,” he expressed. “We’re in this all together… The city is great, the county is great, and I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
Edge called attention to a broken motor at the pump station on the Chester Highway, stating that the city took the motor to Wilson Electric. One motor is still running, but the second motor needs repair. The city does not have a cost on the project yet.
Johnson commended two new businesses that opened this past weekend, The Frozen Bean and Roberta’s Fashions.
The Frozen Bean is between Subway and Flash Foods, in the suite that Domino’s Pizza used to occupy. Johnson commended The Frozen Bean’s “very reasonable prices” and Wi-Fi access for its customers.
Roberta’s Fashions sits on Main Street, and Johnson stated that he hopes that the trend of new businesses coming to Eastman continues.
Slye spoke to Ronnie Woodard, his upcoming successor, expressing his faith in Woodard’s ability to cooperate well with the council.
The council’s next meeting will take place on Monday, December 14 at 6:00 p.m.
This lack of development statement and thus no public Q&A - from past presentations of development drawings appears to be inconsistent - Esp in light of the 12.09.15 same paper article that the size had been changed and there would be Q&A but nor public?