Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
The Braselton News
Page 3A
More scenes from Breakfast with Santa
Ryder Hadfield, 3,
couldn’t believe his eyes
as he talked with Santa
at the Historic Hoschton
Train Depot.
Presley Britt, 4, was a
bit nervous about her
visit with Santa as she
wrung her hands while
telling him her Christ
mas wishes.
The fourth annual breakfast with Santa was held
at the Historic Hoschton Train Depot on Satur
day, Dec. 14. The event is hosted by the City of
Hoschton and was sponsored by Simply Southern
Market, gifts, home furnishings and more. It was a
sold-out event as 50 tickets were sold. McDonald’s
donated breakfast.
Photos by Wesleigh Sagon
Katie, 8, Hailey, 6, and Maddie Crocker, 8, were all
smiles during their visit with Santa at the Historic
Hoschton Train Depot after their breakfast on Sat
urday, Dec. 14. The event is hosted by the City of
Hoschton and was sponsored by Simply Southern
Market, gifts, home furnishings and more. It was a
sold-out event as 50 tickets were sold. McDonald’s
donated breakfast.
Madelyn, 7, and Ella
Rhodes, 8, told Santa
their Christmas wishes.
Jace Britt, 3, was de
lighted as he met Santa.
they weren't required to re
lease the names to the press.
As a result, Kenerly said
she asked Kilgore which of
the remaining candidates
they should add to make the
fourth resume and Kilgore
recommended Henry. He
subsequently emailed Hen
ry’s resume to all council
members.
Kenerly said her com
ments to a fellow council
member about Henry's
application were “miscon
strued” and stressed she
didn't withhold Henry's
application from the other
members of the city council.
“I’ll swear on a stack
of Bibles and in front of
the good Lord that I never
held back an application”
she said. “Why would I do
that?”
She added Cleveland’s
comments about his racial
views in the news article
complicated the situation.
She said she might have
been able to rebut the con
troversy if he hadn’t shared
his views against interracial
relationships. comments
which fueled a national con
troversy.
“I think it would have
been easier,” she said about
the situation following
Cleveland's comments.
Regardless. Kenerly was
essentially forced to resign
by the ensuing political
storm, or face the likelihood
of a Jan. 14 recall.
Kenerly fought the recall
move from the start, taking
it to the Superior Court of
Jackson County. But senior
judge David Sweat ruled the
recall could move forward.
Kenerly said she wasn’t sur
prised by the ruling.
“(Sweat) had his mind
made up when I walked in
the door.” she said.
Kenerly appealed that
decision with the Supreme
Court of Georgia. That ap
peal was ultimately denied.
REFLECTS ON
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
IN TOWN
Kenerly served on the
Hoschton City Council for
12 years and was mayor
for seven of those years, re
placing former mayor Erma
Denney.
She said she had been
reflecting in recent days
on the town’s accomplish
ments, both big and small,
from adding safe tempered
glass to city hall, to securing
a grant for Panther Ct. sewer
improvements. The city has
also grown its reserves in re
cent years and secured zon
ing changes for the massive
Kolter project, which has
the potential to drastically
change the city in the com
ing years.
Kenerly said she has loved
the city, “babied it, prayed
for it and given lots of time.”
After many years serving as
the mayor in a strong-mayor
type of government, Kener
ly has developed a habit of
saying “I” and “we” when
referring to the city.
“I’ve gotta quit saying
that,” she said.
Kenerly admits it was
probably time for her to
leave as mayor.
“I would run again in
March, but my family
would kill me. ... And real
ly to be honest with you. it
was probably past time for
me to go,” adding she needs
to spend more time caring
for her mother.
Kenerly added the recent
citizens’ comments during
public meetings have been
difficult.
“That citizen input got
me,” said Kenerly. “I’ve
never been talked to like
that. And accused and beat
up on.”
CITY ADMINISTRATOR
OUT
In addition to Kenerly's
and Cleveland's resigna
tions, the remaining council
members also bred its new
ly-hired city administrator
Dale Hall.
Kenerly said the council
was “mean” to Hall, and
she determined he wasn't a
good fit for the city. She said
she offered him the chance
to resign, or he would be
terminated. He gave a 30-
day notice.
“When they found out
about it, they said ‘I don't
even want him in the city.
I want the staff to box up
his stuff and set it outside,”'
Kenerly said.
Hall was ultimately fired
with cause, which keeps the
council from having to pro
vide severance pay. Council
members and Mitchell re
fused to provide what that
cause is.
Kenerly denied that Hall
did anything wrong.
“The man didn’t do the
first thing wrong. They just
didn't like him,” she said.
The firing follows a move
Hoschton continued from 1A
the vacated seats.
FIRST MEETING FOLLOWS SHORTLY
The three-member board wasted no time, holding its first
official meeting outside of the courtroom.
Ledbetter, who is technically acting mayor, immediately
turned the meeting over to Weeks, the senior member on
the council.
During the brief meeting, the council:
•approved a change to its financial policies to deal with
emergencies.
•approved allowing Georgia Climate Control to move
forward with repairs to the city hall furnace and gas lines
not to exceed $7,000 following a gas leak at city hall. Work
could begin on Monday, Dec. 23.
•tabled action on the purchase of a Flow Meter.
•approved safety grant funding for an enclosed trailer for
the city public works department totaling $2,700.
Mayor continued from 1A
by three of the town’s coun
cil members that appeared
to be an attempt to force out
Hall.
Hall, who became the
town’s administrator in the
summer of 2019, had ran
kled some council members
by not providing informa
tion to the council quickly
enough.
At a Dec. 9 meeting,
council members Shantwon
Astin and Adam Ledbetter
refused to support the adop
tion of the town’s budget
and a new garbage service
firm because they said they
only got the documents at
the last moment before that
meeting.
At a called meeting Dec.
11, Astin, Ledbetter and
council member Hope
Weeks voted to adopt an
ordinance that outlines in
detail when the city admin
istrator is to provide the
council with paperwork and
how quickly he is to respond
to council questions.
“Failure to comply with
this policy shall be just
cause for termination,” the
new ordinance said.
Kenerly said that policy
may have dissuaded Kilgore
from serving in the interim
role until another city ad
ministrator is hired.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Kenerly anticipates Den
ney will again seek the
mayor position in the City
of Hoschton.
She also expects the city
will need to levy a millage
rate.
“Because municipalities
just can't do without it,” she
said.
She said the new council
members “will do just fine,”
but urged them to do what
they think is best for the
town.
“I hope that the city coun
cil themselves would use
their knowledge, their hearts
and their passion to make
decisions and not let people
talk in their ear and do what
somebody else wants them
to do.” she said.
She said she hopes the
new council will be careful
with the city’s money and
offered some words of ad
vice to officials:
“You’re gonna make mis
takes,” she said. “I don’t
care how good you are or
how good you think you
are. You’re gonna make mis
takes. The recovery from
the mistakes is the challenge
a lot of times.”
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