VALDOSTA — The Valdosta City Council met on Thursday to finalize and approve multiple city projects. 

All proposed projects were approved, including six sewer and watershed-related projects for better hurricane response, as well as a final contract proposal for the new water treatment plant and a Memorandum of Agreement for safety improvements at the Hightower Street railroad crossing.

The council began its decisions with the approval of two Conditional Use Permits for Mills Permanent Metal Decking Company and Walter Fletcher, both for machine and welding shops. Both requests were met with unanimous approval from the council, with questions primarily regarding the jobs these shops will provide. 

“We don’t wanna just live here,” Chuck Mills, president of Mills Permanent Metal Decking Company, said. “We wanna make friends, make neighbors, and be a constructive portion of Valdosta.”

After those approvals, the city addressed bids for upcoming projects. The first bid was approved 7-1, a motion for funding for a repair and upgrade project, and was initially controversial due to the increase from a 10% to a 20% contingency. The increase was requested due to the possibility of digging up unexpected material or bad dirt, which would result in more resources necessary. The council was concerned about the pricing, and whether or not the 20% was subject to change if the price of the project did. 

A grant agreement provided by F.E.M.A. was put before the council for funding to clear the city’s waterways after Hurricane Helene, which was approved. This is one of six projects approved during the meeting that are direct results of the damage from Hurricane Helene.

One of the approved items was for a contract proposal approval for an upcoming water treatment plant, which will fund additional design services for the project. This project has been underway since 2023, and has entered its final stage. The presentation of the request included an aerial photo of the upcoming plant, which was met with applause from both the council and crowd.

Another hurricane-related project proposed was for an increase for Southland Contractors, which would replace the existing pipe system at Oakdale Drive and Sherwood Drive with a new one for the first time in 50 years.

Five residents came up near the end of the meeting to demand better cleanliness for the city. The first man cited the thickness of the trash in streams around the city, and said the pollution that was in them could harm children playing by the streams. Another told the council that he felt that they were not working together to uphold their obligations of understanding and justice to the city. Another woman described her frustration that Holly Drive is covered in trash and that the council “won’t address it, they don’t say anything, you won’t come look.” Another brought all of these points together, imploring the council to work together to make the city better.

“It should resonate in your heart that we should try to seek for a better Valdosta, a total Valdosta, one that is going to encompass all of us,” he said.

The last speaker, George Rhynes, stated the same frustrations as the others, citing the videos he has taken all over the city for social media. His concerns included the racism of the city and the lack of Georgia state flags in many areas of the city.

“A lot of people are living in Valdosta,” Rhynes said. “Some people see it growing, but people don’t like what they see here.”

The meeting ended with a reminder that the June 19 meeting has been rescheduled in recognition of Juneteenth. It will be held June 16, after which the schedule will return to normal for the work session on July 8, and the following council meeting on July 10.