By Taelor Rye
The Eastman city council moved to give $1,250.00 per month to the development authority to finance the purchase of the annex building from the Murrell Memorial Library, provided that all memoranda of understanding go through successfully, at the July 13 city council meeting.
Eastman-Dodge County Chamber of Commerce interim president and CEO Charles Williams requested that the City of Eastman link with Dodge County to pay a sum of $2,500.00 to the Eastman branch of the Ocmulgee Regional Library System to fund the development authority in its financing of the library’s building currently used as Mercer University’s Eastman Regional Academic Center (RAC).
Because Mercer is withdrawing its RAC from Eastman after July 31, $30,000.00 in revenue to the library will be lost if a replacement is not found. Williams clarified that, under the proposed deal, the responsibility to find a replacement lies with the development authority and that three institutions were in talks.
Williams expressed that payments would ideally begin in the month of August, leaving no gap in pay after Mercer leaves.
The city council then voted upon city attorney Rita Llop’s recommendation to approve the deal “contingent on getting this memorandum of understanding and agreement” among all involved parties.
The city’s decision follows the county’s move, which was to pay the amount every month only if the city also voted to pay its part.
In this agreement, both the county and Eastman would continue to pay a sum of $2,500.00 every month for at least 10 years. Provided that a renter takes Mercer’s place in the building, any rent paid will be divided between the county and Eastman until each is fully reimbursed. Any additional funds will be split between the two.
In support of the deal, city council member Bobby Slye said, “We can’t lose this library in Eastman.” He went on to specify the high number of people using the computers available for professional use.
Following a work session on July 7, the city council voted to refer Llop’s suggested changes to the Eastman sign ordinance to the Eastman planning and zoning committee. Generally, the suggested changes remove any reference to content of signs but still allow the city to regulate sign size and number of signs on one property, among other tweaks to existing ordinances such as the clarification of the definition of a “temporary sign.”
Additionally, the city voted to extend the moratorium on sign applications until it works through the changes with the planning and zoning committee. Due to the committee’s meeting schedule corresponding with the number of suggested changes and the time that it would take to review the changes, the city council agreed to extend the moratorium for 120 days.
Chief of police Becky Sheffield delivered to the council the monthly police department report. In her report, Sheffield stated that, for the month of June, 13,205 miles were patrolled with 1,245 gallons of gas used. She also reported that 1,196 calls were answered and that the police department responded to 17 traffic accidents.
Development authority plans to rent library building
In regards to noise complaints about Independence Day fireworks, Sheffield, Slye and city council member Milton Johnson discussed the fact that amendments to state law (specifically, O.C.G.A. § 25-10-2) mandate that “it shall be lawful for any person, firm, corporation, association, or partnership to use or explode or cause to be exploded any consumer fireworks on any day between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 12:00 Midnight only; provided, however, that it shall be lawful for any person, firm, corporation, association, or partnership to use or explode or cause to be exploded any consumer fireworks on January 1, July 3, July 4, and December 31 of each year between the hours of 12:00 Midnight and 2:00 A.M.”
Because of these changes, the city must comply with the state and must allow consumers to use fireworks until 2:00 a.m. for the holiday.
City council member Prince Dawson asked Sheffield about gang activity, to which she responded that there had been no increase in crime qualified as gang-related.
Fire chief Carl Johnson approached the city council with the monthly fire department report. He stated that the department received 39 calls in June. The reasons for the calls ranged from brush fires and natural gas problems to car accidents and medical issues, among other reasons such as fallen trees.
Vice-chairman Buddy Pittman thanked chief Johnson for the department’s role in the fireworks display.
The city council approved the proclamation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Easter Seals, which announced July 26, 2015 as the 25th anniversary of the ADA.
An independent audit of finances for 2014 was conducted by Erwin H Frank Jr. PC CPA, and Frank Erwin announced to the council essentially that nothing was out of the ordinary and that there were no issues. The report concerned all departments under the city and required that Erwin’s firm “gain an understanding of the city’s internal controls.” From the firm’s analysis, there were no issues, and everything was within compliance.
Council members Johnson and Pittman shared their satisfaction with the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) annual convention in Savannah. At the GMA convention, participants partook in classes and sessions, and Pittman stated that they always “come back with a world of information and knowledge… and networking opportunities.” Johnson shared that he loved the convention and that he desires to put some of the sessions’ content into action in Eastman.
Johnson attended Middle Georgia State University’s (MGSU) kickoff event on July 8 and shared MGSU president Dr. Christopher Blake’s commitment to the Eastman campus for aviation.
According to Johnson, Blake sees the aviation campus as “the gem in their crown” and desires to keep the Eastman campus as the hub for the aviation program. The Eastman campus will also offer four-year degrees in aviation beginning this fall, Johnson relayed.
Johnson also noted that the City of Eastman now accepts payments for water bills online.
Dawson shared with the council that a couple of his constituents had informed him of issues at the intersection of Sheldon Street and the Dublin Highway. At this intersection, the people who spoke to Dawson reported trouble seeing past trees, stating that they had to drive “almost in the street” to see oncoming traffic.
Slye reported the potential absence of a city limits sign on the Soperton Highway, requesting that the city ensure that a sign is indeed in place.
The next city council meeting will take place on Monday, July 27, at 6:00 p.m.
Because of these changes, the city must comply with the state and must allow consumers to use fireworks until 2:00 a.m. for the holiday.
City council member Prince Dawson asked Sheffield about gang activity, to which she responded that there had been no increase in crime qualified as gang-related.
Fire chief Carl Johnson approached the city council with the monthly fire department report. He stated that the department received 39 calls in June. The reasons for the calls ranged from brush fires and natural gas problems to car accidents and medical issues, among other reasons such as fallen trees.
Vice-chairman Buddy Pittman thanked chief Johnson for the department’s role in the fireworks display.
The city council approved the proclamation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Easter Seals, which announced July 26, 2015 as the 25th anniversary of the ADA.
An independent audit of finances for 2014 was conducted by Erwin H Frank Jr. PC CPA, and Frank Erwin announced to the council essentially that nothing was out of the ordinary and that there were no issues. The report concerned all departments under the city and required that Erwin’s firm “gain an understanding of the city’s internal controls.” From the firm’s analysis, there were no issues, and everything was within compliance.
Council members Johnson and Pittman shared their satisfaction with the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) annual convention in Savannah. At the GMA convention, participants partook in classes and sessions, and Pittman stated that they always “come back with a world of information and knowledge… and networking opportunities.” Johnson shared that he loved the convention and that he desires to put some of the sessions’ content into action in Eastman.
Johnson attended Middle Georgia State University’s (MGSU) kickoff event on July 8 and shared MGSU president Dr. Christopher Blake’s commitment to the Eastman campus for aviation.
According to Johnson, Blake sees the aviation campus as “the gem in their crown” and desires to keep the Eastman campus as the hub for the aviation program. The Eastman campus will also offer four-year degrees in aviation beginning this fall, Johnson relayed.
Johnson also noted that the City of Eastman now accepts payments for water bills online.
Dawson shared with the council that a couple of his constituents had informed him of issues at the intersection of Sheldon Street and the Dublin Highway. At this intersection, the people who spoke to Dawson reported trouble seeing past trees, stating that they had to drive “almost in the street” to see oncoming traffic.
Slye reported the potential absence of a city limits sign on the Soperton Highway, requesting that the city ensure that a sign is indeed in place.
The next city council meeting will take place on Monday, July 27, at 6:00 p.m.
I'm not sure why Mercer decided to pull the plug on the Eastman Satellite campus. Whatever the criteria was for this move the Eastman location did not check off enough boxes for the location to continue as a Mercer facility.
The Library stands to get the most blow back from this since that is $30,000 a year worth of revenue that will fall off of the Library budget. That is at a level where the library services and operations would have to be scaled back drastically.
The game-plan I supported by my vote with the rest of the Eastman City Council and Dodge County Commission was to back the Development Authority acquiring that property. This calls for the City and County together to be on the hook to possibly cover 120 $2500 monthly payments.
The property being in the Development Authority's hands allows the Development Authority to aggressively go after bringing in another avenue of post secondary education and perhaps at a much cheaper tuition rate than Mercer. As a community we know who we are and we know that to attract new partners and development we are going to have to make it very enticing.
As a member of the Eastman City Council and Development Authority I will work with my peers to do what is possible for our Development Authority Economic Developer to shift as many of those 120 payments that we can to the higher education institution that can bring additional avenues to open the higher ed doors for residents of Dodge County.