VECA Teacher Jessica LeFiles, Nia Scott, Cayla Rowland, Da’Jai Thomas and VECA Principal Ingrid Hall are shown in front of Valdosta City Hall. The students were winners of the Georgia Municipal Association’s ‘If I Were Mayor’ essay contest.

Valdosta council members unanimously approved the $36,781,448 loan from the clean water state revolving fund, administered by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) for the pump station, force main, headworks, and EQ Basin Project for the city’s sewer system.

City officials say that the completion of this force main line will eliminate sewer overflows from manholes. The city is not obligated to complete this construction until July 2016.

Since the loan has been approved, city officials are negotiating with the lowest bidder so that construction can begin as soon as possible.

Other items the council unanimously approved during the meeting were: the invoice for emergency repairs to a sewer main located along Dukes Bay Canal in between Tucker Rd. and Gil Harbin Industrial Blvd., and four bids. During an executive session, the council unanimously agreed to buy property on W. Hill Ave.

On March 19, the City of Valdosta located an active sewer spill, and due to the urgent nature of this repair, the city hired Standard Contractors to repair the line. This incident resulted in 300,000 gallons of untreated sewage being discharged into Dukes Bay Canal. The invoice was approved for $31,908.70.

The council approved a bid from Southeast Pipe Survey in the amount of $57,240 plus a ten percent contingency for sewer repairs, and repairs to a stormwater catch basin in Downtown Valdosta. This issue was discovered because of the City’s smoke testing of its

gravity fed sewer line.

The City’s stormwater division of the engineering department will receive a new utilities truck. The council unanimously approved the bid from Langdale Ford for the amount of $40,214.00. Nextran Ford was the approved bidder for a work utility truck for the Utilities Department in the amount of $33,436.16.

Before the council meeting, the council and audience was treated to three special presentations from the winners of the Georgia Municipal Association’s “If I Were Mayor” essay contest. All of the winners came from Valdosta Early College Academy.

Third place was Da’Jai Thomas and she said she would clean the city, improve the city’s education, and be prepared for disasters.

Second place was Cayla Rowland. “If you brush away all of the dirt, Valdosta is a precious jewel,” Rowland stated. As mayor, she would walk downtown Valdosta often to attract more people and hold fundraisers for the city.

The winner of the essay contest was Nia Scott. Scott said as mayor, she would improve Valdosta’s graduation rate, lower the unemployment rate, decrease the crime rate, improve the environment, and make an effort to clean up the city’s waterways.

Scott also placed first in the State-wide competition in Georgia’s District 11; this district received 1,056 essays. She will be recognized for her accomplishments on May 8 at Turner Field in Atlanta.

The council went into executive session, for real estate and legislative matters, and the council voted to buy property at 1021 W. Hill Ave. for $100,000 to replace a sewer line under Hill Ave.

City Manager Larry Hanson informed the public that this is an existing issue, and that there is no active spill.