HAHIRA —
The Hahira City Council disagreed over possible changes to the present grass ordinance in their work session Tuesday night.
In spite of the heated deliberation concerning the ordinance, it will not appear on Thursday’s agenda as an action item, but was tabled as a hearing.
Other business included deliberation over the renewal of a contract with the existing waste management contractor, the conversion from postcard to letter mail for water service billing and the use of a “speed trailer” to encourage motorists to slow down on local roads.
Hahira Police Chief Terry Davis requested the council take action to update the city grass ordinance because “the way the ordinance is worded makes it difficult to enforce,” Davis said.
Davis would like to see an ordinance in which residents who leave their yards untidy would be subject to an enforceable court summons, where they would be heard by a judge who would decide whether to fine the resident.
At some point under the proposed ordinance, the City Public Works department would be responsible for maintaining the property if the yards continued to go unkempt.
City Manager Jonathan Sumner felt allowing Public Works employees onto private property could become a liability issue, while Councilman Ralph Clendenin strongly voiced that were the ordinance changed, he would expect the Chief to make no exceptions.
Responding to Clendenin, Davis reminded the council that the judge would be responsible for all penalties imposed.
The City will decide whether to enter into a new contract with G-Waste Management for waste management services or issue a request for proposal from other companies. The current contract expires Dec. 31, according to Mayor Wayne Bullard.
Clendenin proposed action to issue an RFP for other services, arguing that legally, the City cannot extend or enter into a new contract without first opening up the bid via an advertisement. Bullard firmly opposed that opinion.
“If you’re happy with who you’ve got, you don’t have to put it out for bid,” Bullard said.
“Yes, you do,” Clendenin immediately countered.
“No, you don’t,” Bullard repeated.
Sumner stated he believed the issue of an RFP was an issue to be decided by the council by a vote, not by law, but urged the council to seek legal advice from City Attorney Rob Plumb in a later session, who was not present at the meeting.
The council discussed switching from postcard bills to enveloped letter bills for the issuance of water service alerts and other parcels distributed by the city.
Postage to send the bills to the more than 1,200 users was an issue of contention, as well as the purchase of a “stuffer” to insert the letters into envelopes. The machine would cost at least $3,200.
Citing frequent queries about motorists “speeding through town,” Councilwoman Rose Adams called on Davis regarding a speed monitoring system to be strategically placed in the city.
The system, which Davis referred to as a “speed trailer,” would be used to record the speed of passing motorists and display a large number “to remind them to slow down,” he said. The system would be used to record statistical information, but not to issue citations.
Hahira police already have one system, which is set around town in different areas throughout the day, but it is not equipped to record statistics. Each one of the systems costs about $12,000, Davis said.
“I don’t think anything replaces a patrol car,” he said.
The city will take action Thursday on the garbage contract, the purchase of a billboard displaying the Hahira brand, the change in billing stationery, the speed monitoring device, whether to approach the Georgia Department of Transportation to handle a confusing striping issue on Highway 122, the purchase of a “bounce house,” the purchase of a $3,200 chlorinator for the treatment of city water and an annual update to the emergency management resolution.
For more on this story and other local news, subscribe to The Valdosta Daily Times e-Edition, or our print edition.
