LIVE OAK — Prior to his anniversary date in April, the Live Oak City Council will have an evaluation form and process in place for City Manager Ron Williams.

At the Jan. 8 council meeting, President Bennie Thomas appointed Councilor David Burch as a “committee of 1” to come up with the form and process and to bring a recommendation back to the board by the February meeting. City attorney Fred Koberlein Sr. and Williams advised Thomas that the evaluation process didn’t have to be finalized until April, so the process wouldn’t necessarily need to be finalized until March.

The need for an evaluation form in order to review Williams’ work had been discussed at the council’s November meeting. It followed Williams receiving a merit raise in October.

At the November meeting, Councilor Mark Stewart and resident Dick Calvitt questioned how Williams could receive a merit raise without a review of his work, especially considering other city employees’ raises were based, in part, on a performance evaluation.

Fred Koberlein Jr. advised the council at that time that Williams’ contract called for annual performance reviews.

The council has not yet conducted a performance review on Williams, who was hired in 2016.

Burch said in the Jan. 8 meeting he already begun looking at the reviews used by other municipalities and Stewart added that he had found examples of manager evaluations he wanted to submit as well.

“I have been working on an eval, but had not pursued it very quickly,” Burch said.

Thomas said, in appointing Burch as the lone committee member, that he should work with Williams and Koberlein to devise the evaluation form and process and thing bring a recommendation back to the council.

Koberlein advised that as the appointed committee, Burch could receive ideas and proposals from any of the other council members, but that he can’t discuss them except in a called meeting.

Stewart had said once the evaluation form was devised and approved, he hoped to set goals for the next year as well.

Davis recognizes Starlings

Mayor Frank Davis recognized Will and Jessica Starling at the meeting for their actions in December.

Will Starling, who is the safety and training officer at the Live Oak Fire Department, and Jessica Starling, a nurse, were returning from a family vacation when they came across an accident on Interstate 75 and sprung into action.

Both helped provide CPR to victims of the crash, in which a vehicle caught on fire.

“I … recognize and commend Will Starling and Jessica Starling for their extraordinary actions and rendering assistance to the Tacachale Developmental Disability Center students,” Davis said in reading the proclamation.

“And we want to thank you for your extraordinary service.”

County closes portion of road, moves to annex property

Following the final reading, the council unanimously approved Ordinance 1423 which closes a portion of Tedder Ave. NE.

That portion of the road dissects the property of Bill Granville, who had requested the street closing. The road is unpaved and contains a storm drain, that Granville had previously stated he would grant city workers access to the property.

The council also heard the first reading of Ordinance 1424, and approved it unanimously, which would annex a parcel of property near 72nd Trace into the city.

A portion of the 10-acre property, which is owned by Donald Wainwright Sr.’s Clear Properties LLC, is already currently in the city limits following a 2005 annexation while the remaining 6.17 acres is in the county. The annexation would bring the entire property into the city for zoning purposes.

Another hearing will be held on that ordinance.