VALDOSTA – The Valdosta City Council is moving forward in its partnership with the Valdosta Housing Authority to help develop more affordable housing.

The council discussed an intergovernmental agreement with the Valdosta Housing Authority on Thursday, Nov. 9. City of Valdosta Finance Department Director Chuck Dinkins presented it to the council.

Shared documents showed that on May 15, 2023, the City of Valdosta first entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the Valdosta Housing Authority for the development of the Griffin Avenue Project, which would allow the city to provide a construction loan of $2,400,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Dinkins said approval of the agenda item would revise the verbiage in the signed agreement and update it to the most recent memorandum.

The administrative comments in the shared documents stated, “The Griffin Avenue Project represents a significant investment in affordable housing by both the city and the Valdosta Housing Authority. The revised Intergovernmental Agreement provides needed clarity to the loan transaction that will help finance construction and provides a mechanism to prevent the premature reversion of the subject property to the city. This will help to ensure that the project moves forward smoothly and provides additional housing needed by our community.”

The council unanimously approved the agreement.

Other actions

Engineering Director Benjamin O’Dowd presented a request for cost-sharing for the replacement of the city sewer main through a private multi-family residential neighborhood.

Documents said the city owns and maintains a large diameter gravity sewer main along the north side of One-Mile Branch in the area between Wainwright Drive and Sustella Avenue.

The gravity sewer main in question is part of the old Remer Trunkline system which existed prior to the city’s relocation of a portion of the Remer Trunkline to the south side of One-Mile Branch.

The Retreat at Baytree, a new multi-family residential housing development, is currently under construction in the area where a city-owned 18” diameter vitrified clay gravity sewer people crosses through and beneath the area of the proposed development.

“This development will have about 32 units with over 300 bedrooms installed. It’s a pretty robust development. … Overall it’s going to be a tremendous improvement to that area,” O’Dowd said to the council.

The council approved the cross share replacement in the amount of $138,184.

The other items council approved includes the following:

• Consideration of an Ordinance to amend the City of Valdosta Georgia Municipal Employee Benefits System (GMEBS) Defined Benefit Retirement Plan and Adoption Agreement and approve the adoption of the restated Plan documents.
• Consideration of an Ordinance for a new City of Valdosta Personnel Policies document.
• Consideration of a request to adopt and approve a Resolution authorizing the City of Valdosta to opt-out and file a request for exclusion from the Nationwide Class Actions/Settlements Related to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and to enter an agreement to authorize attorneys, J. Anderson Davis, and Jeffrey E. Friedman, to represent the city regarding PFAS issues.
• Consideration of a request for the purchase and replacement of West Train Clarifiers at Mud Creek Water Pollution Control Plant.
• Consideration of a request to approve a Proposal to complete the FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan, the FY 2025 Annual Action Plan, and the FY 2025 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing for the City of Valdosta Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.
• Consideration of a request to approve the final street selections for the Georgia Department of Transportation 2024 Local Maintenance and Improvement (LMIG) Grant Program.

The council also appointed the following individuals to boards, commissions, authorities and advisory committees.

• Lillie Roberts, Community Development Block Grant Citizens Advisory Committee.
• Susan E. Ring, Lowndes County Board of Health.
• Vickie Everitte, Public Art Advisory Committee.
• Beverly Richardson-Blake, Public Art Advisory Committee.
• Dr. William Todd Cason, Valdosta Housing Authority.
• Chris Jones, Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority.
• Councilman Tim Carroll, Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority.
• Charles “Chuck” Smith, Valdosta-Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments & Appeals.
• John D. Crawford, Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority.
• Monica Haynes, Valdosta Tree Commission.
• Justin E. Jacobs, Valdosta Tree Commission.