By Johnna Pinholster
VALDOSTA — Deidra White officially became the fourth woman to serve on the Valdosta City Council at Thursday’s regular meeting.
White was elected in December following a runoff election against Dr. L.W. Williams.
White won the election with 56.87 percent or 178 votes over Williams, who had 43.13 percent or 135 votes.
Superior Court Judge Richard Cowart swore in White, the District 2 representative, along with incumbents Alvin Payton, District 4, and Robert Yost, District 6.
Payton retained his position as District 4 representative as he ran unopposed and Yost defeated John E. Johnson with 65.61 percent of the votes, or 498 votes, to Johnson’s 34.39 percent of the votes, or 261 votes.
All three members pledged to serve the City of Valdosta to the best of their knowledge, skill and ability.
Valdosta City Council then elected a new mayor pro tem. Payton nominated John Eunice, at-large, to serve as mayor pro tem. There were no other nominations and Eunice was elected unanimously.
Eunice was elected to city council at the age of 18, and is the youngest member of the city council and the youngest ever elected in Valdosta’s history.
He thanked the council for their vote of trust in placing him in the position of serving as mayor pro tem.
Several in the audience participated in the citizens to be heard section of the meeting including Joanne Griner, chairman of the DostaFest celebration taking place on Jan. 15 and a member of the sesquicentennial committee.
To kick off the 150th birthday celebration of the city, DostaFest will highlight downtown Valdosta as well as the city’s history from 6-9 p.m. on Jan. 15. Festivities will kick off at 6 p.m. on the courthouse steps with opening ceremonies, Griner said.
Several people will be dressed in period outfits from the 1860s, along with other attractions during the event, she said.
George Rhynes discussed the Valdosta Small Emerging Business program that seeks to help small and emerging business acquire government contracts.
The program will help correct many of the wrongs that have befallen minority businesses in the past, Rhynes said.
He also encouraged the city council to work harder in making sure the information discussed at the meetings reaches the citizens of Valdosta.
Steve Johnson said the city should remain proactive in facing the issues within the community such as recidivism and violence.
“We need to know what made him shoot that person or rob that liquor store or smoke that weed,” Johnson said. “I not excusing breaking the law but we must be more proactive in offering them chances.”
A sales representative from Tractor Equipment Company then urged city council to approve his company’s bid to supply the city with a sewer truck body for the water and sewer department.
Though the specifications submitted by Tractor Equipment Company did not meet the bid requirements outlined by the city, the representative said that only one company, Vac-Con, could meet those requirements and that his company submitted the low bid.
Mayor John Fretti then had a few words for the representative.
“If we allowed every vendor to do their sales pitch we would be here all night,” he said.
Before the meeting, Fretti said, the representative had talked to most of the members of council and staff in both the purchasing department and water and sewer department about the bid.
Fretti cautioned that this would not happen in future meetings unless a person had an issue concerning the City of Valdosta.
Later city council approved the low bid for the sewer body truck in the amount of $210,769 to Adams Equipment.
In other news, the council approved the agreement to purchase 22.15 acres of the Five Points LLC, in the amount of $5.62 million.
Tim Carroll, District 6, left abstained from the vote and left council chambers for the agreement and environmental impact study proposal request.
City Attorney George Talley briefly reviewed the agreement with council which includes a request to piggyback on in paving renovations done on the property, with the Five Points LLC property owners paying for their share of the work.
The closing date on the purchase shall be no later than 120 days following the approval of the agreement and both the city property and the remaining Five Points LLC property will remain relatively level to each other.
The owners of the remaining 7.39 acres also requested that the city assist Five Points LLC with any future plans to redevelop.
“I think this will be beneficial for both the city and the center that is left,” Talley said.
Yost requested Talley clarify what the property owners meant concerning the city assisting them with future redevelopment plans.
City Manager Larry Hanson said “within reason” was added to that request but that the property owners would still have to apply for any redevelopment through the proper channels and adhere to the Land Development Regulations.
Within the agreement both parties also agreed that neither tract shall be used for a waste facility, waste storage facility, storage of road paving or waste hauling equipment, manufacturing operations, prison or detention center, homeless or at-risk person’s shelter, social service offices or drug treatment facility.
Yost asked if that would prevent the future municipal auditorium from being used as an emergency shelter.
Hanson said it would not as it would not be a homeless shelter but an emergency evacuation center.
Council then approved the proposal to conduct an environmental study on the property, the cost of which will be covered through the city’s Brownsfield grant.
What previous councilwomen think
Deidra White, District 2, is just the fourth woman to serve on the Valdosta City Council. Bette Bechtel was the first, followed by Ruth Council and then Jo Ann Hartman in the 1980s.
‘I am absolutely thrilled she ran and got elected, but I have been disappointed that no female decided to run sooner. The only way you are going to get a female on (the) council is for somebody to run. I don’t know if we think all that differently from men or not, but just having a woman on (the) council is wonderful, and I am so delighted she won. I hope that there will be some other women that will decide to run. It’s a lot of work, but it is so worth it.’
Bette Bechtel
First woman elected to the council in 1972. She served for 10 years.
‘I think her contributions will be significant because right, wrong or indifferent a woman’s view is a bit different from a man’s. It’s encouraging to the women to see that we have a female representing us. I don’t envy her, but I pray for her. It’s a thankless job, but deep down inside citizens appreciate what you do for the city.
Ruth Council
Elected as an at-large representative in 1974 and the first black to serve on the council. She was re-elected in 1976 and served as mayor pro tem after being elected to the position in 1980.
‘I think a woman has a good mind to think, just like a man. Therefore, I do not know the person, but I feel she will do a good job. I think that it will be great.’
Jo Ann Hartman
First elected in 1980 and served until 1984.
