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10A ♦ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2006 PLAN From page iA have to pay for those city fire services. They would be pay ing for “enhanced service,” Edwards said, as the county fire department would also be a responder and they would still be paying the county fire tax to operate the county fire department. Commission Chairman Ned Sanders noted the “county can’t operate with out the fire tax, citizens will still have to pay it.” “If we can get some sort of millage thing we can make equitable,” said Edwards, “we’ll have active duty and reserve firefighters show up, providing more assets for the chief on scene.” “It’s something the may ors will have to consider,” Edwards said. “Your folks are not going to go for an increase in their millage to provide services outside the city.” Vision 20/20, arecommend ing body comprised of the three mayors and the county commission chairman, heard a report from Warner Robins Fire Chief Robert Singletary on the proposed estimated costs to county residents per household to get fire pro tection from Warner Robins Fire Department north of Ga. 127 and by the Perry Fire Department south of Ga. 127. Singletary said the dis tricts plan, with Centerville covering its area and north, originated with many years ago when the fire chiefs were tasked with coming up with a plan of districting. “It REFUND From page iA can be collected. Previous legislation set the cap at five years or a set amount - SBS million for the 2001 Houston County SPLOST - which ever came first. Any money collected beyond the set amount had to be returned to the taxpayers. Walton Wood, on behalf of fellow SPLOST opponent Dave Wittenberg, asked the County Commission, during its meeting this week, about the status of a SPLOST refund. Chairman Ned Sanders said, if there is any money raised above the voter approved SBS million from the 2001 SPLOST, “it will be refunded in the next year’s millage.” Engle noted the SPLOST projects had to be completed first, and then any cost over runs for those projects have to be paid for with the 2001 SPLOST proceeds. “Some projects (from the 2001 SPLOST) are going out to bid just now,” Engle noted. Those just going out for bid include the widening of Lake Joy Road phase 2, from Ga. 96 to Ga. 127 and Wellborn Road from Russell Parkway to Booth Road. Phase 1 on Lake Joy Road, from Hatcher to Ga. 96 is one of only six completed projects for unincorporated Houston County from the 2001 SPLOST of 23 speci fied projects. The other completed projects are the widening of Leverette Road, from Houston Lake Road to Hatcher Road; and intersec tion improvements at Lake Joy and Hatcher roads, Moody Road at Ga. 127, Ga. 96 at Tara estates, Ga. 96 at Peach Blossom Road and Ga. 96 at Mount Zion Road. Of the 100 miles of resur facing planned, about $1.6 LIST From page lA join Superior Court judg es George Nunn and Ed Lukemire on the bench beginning in January. Senior Judge L.A. “Buster” McConnell Jr. also serves as needed, explained Burke. If Lumsden were named judge, she would be the sec ond to come from the District Attorney’s Office. Lukemire is a former district attor ney. Nunn and McConnell were not prosecutors, Burke noted. • The state provides the $113,000 salary for the judge as well as the fund ing for an additional assis tant district attorney. “With the new judge,” Burke said late Friday afternoon, “I get another assistant district attorney for my office.” never went on. We’d have to go to it in phases.” Singletary said the cit ies and county fire depart ments “already work, train and deploy together, there would be a. bit of a learning curve, but nothing too dif ficult. Overall it is a doable, workable plan.” While both city and coun ty units would respond, Singletary said “90 percent of the time, we’d be the first ones there.” Warner Robins Councilman Steve Smith noted about 70 percent of the calls the fire department responds to now are medical in nature. “The added safety might be a selling point.” Smith said. Singletary suggested fund ing the service based on the value of the property, like the millage, instead of a fee. The millage rate is how the city residents pay for their fire service and how unin corporated residents pay for county fire service. Warner Robins Fire Department has 100 full time employees, who staff fire stations 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a budget of $6.3 million. The Houston County Fire Department has 11 full-time employees that staff eight fire stations from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, plus volunteers with a budget of $1.4 million. Fire services in the cites are not broken down as a part of the tax rate as it is in the county. Edwards sug gested the cities take the fire department budgets and back them out to determine what portion of the millage million of the projected $4.2 million has been spent so far, with resurfacing com plete on the following 16 roads: Saddle Creek, Sandy Run, Old Hawkinsville Road, Bear Branch, Hunt Road, Woodard Road, Dragstrip Road (Jerry Barker Drive), Lashley subdivision, Bear Drive, Ammons Road, Lennon Drive, Langston Road, Cambridge, Dunbar Road, Old Farm Road and Story Road. The 23 projects also include the paving of 16 miles of 12 dirt roads, which is in various stages of design, and right of way acquisition with about $3.2 million of the projected SIO.B has been spent so far. Only two of the county wide projects from the 2001 SPLOST are complete - the $12.5 million 800 MHz public safety radio system replacement and the Russell Parkway extension. Both came in slightly under bud get. Phase 2 of the Houston Lake Road widening, about 14 months behind schedule is expected to be finished by year’s end, with phase 3, to U.S. 341 in Perry to be fin ished by fall of 2009. The North Houston Lake Road widening, from Watson Boulevard to Thomson Road is expected to be finished by January 2008. The widening of Corder and Moody roads as well as the Ball Street extension in Perry also have 2008 completion dates of Dec. 31, Oct. 30 and Sept. 30, respectively. The other countywide projects, the widening of Feagin Mill Road to three lanes and the widening of Carl Vinson Parkway, are /v>* she jCiyßtinj St ere .> S| A Division of Sousheast i fc-tnical Suppi;- fg I m 478-224-8888 T-F 9am-spm SAT 10am-2pm is used to fund it. Warner Robins Mayor Donald Walker said only $12.4 million of the city budget is funded by prop erty taxes and the public safety budget is sl7 million. “I don’t know that we can do it,” he said Once the cost per house hold, based on property value, is determined and broken down into a mill age rate, that amount could then be added on the tax bills of residents in unincor porated areas to pay for city fire service. Singletary noted the increased fire protection would likely lower the ISO (fire insurance) rating from the current six to three. The increase in taxes may be offset by the reduction in homeowner’s insurance costs with lower ISO, he said, with the possibility of a “30 percent savings. It may depend on if citizens are willing to pay more or stay with what they have.” Singletary said his depart ment could cover the area north of Ga. 96 without any additional stations, equip ment or personnel, beyond what is already planned. Singletary said going to Ga. 96 could be the first phase of the fire districts. “It’s too big to do all in one step.” He would need fire sta tions, plus equipment and personnel to cover the area south to Ga. 127. “If 96 works,” Singletary said, “then take the next step: build a couple of stations to go to 127.” Edwards and Sanders said if the city could pro vide expanded service with currently in the right of way acquisition and design stag es. Design of phase 1 of Carl Vinson Parkway is complete. Slightly more than $360,000 each has been spent so far on the three projects with a combined cost of about sl9 million. Only Centerville has com pleted all of its 2001 SPLOST projects. The city only had two, totaling $2,035,000 - the new City Hall and reno vations and improvements to the police station. Projects in Warner Robins are also mostly ongoing with only four complete so far - the Wall Street exten sion and sidewalks, Russell Parkway, the South Davis Drive extension to Booth Road and the resurfac ing of Green Street, North Houston Road and North Davis Drive. Ongoing Warner Robins projects include the Wellborn Road widening, from Russell Parkway to Robins Drive and 4th Street; MLK Jr. Boulevard widening from Davis Drive to Ga. 247; Corder Road, the Corder Road extension, University Drive, Osigian Boulevard extension from U.S. 41 to Chapman Boulevard; side walks in the vicinity of schools; drainage projects oi: Northside Drive and Hazel Drive; and the resurfacing of 402 lane mines of city streets with about 195 miles done so far. In Perry, the follow ing recreation projects are complete: Improvements at Nunn Park; a restroom, court resurfacing and a pavilion roof at Creekwood Park; roof for Rozar Park Concession stand, with gym lighting there 90 percent LOCAL no additional costs, “it could be a windfall for the city,” as there would be additional people paying in. “What it boils down to,” Sanders said, “is city residents pay lower taxes because more are paying in.” Perry City Manager Lee Gilmour and Councilman Brian Bowen said that is not the case in Perry and voiced concerns about the city’s ability to provide increased services without increased costs. Perry has full-time firefighters but, like the county, also relies on volun teers. “We don’t know the cost for each of us here,” Bowen said. Sanders said, “the Perry model is not exactly like the Warner Robins model.” The next step, Edwards said is to take the propos al to each body to get an endorsement to send it to the Middle Georgia Regional Development Commission for review and to share any costs of the study. “We’ll present the concept to the RDC to cost it and quantify the costs, and do it in phases,” Sanders said. He made the motion, seconded by Perry Mayor Jim Worrall. The vote was unanimous with Edwards and Walker also voting for the motion. However Walker asked, “why Warner Robins would want to participate in fund ing?” Sanders explained “since it is a collaborative effort,” the four should share in the cost of the study. “’’We’re trying to improve services, to improve safety.” complete. Also complete are sewer extensions on Gun- Road and Part A and B at Houston Lake Country Club, lift station for Plantation subdivision and water and sewer improvements along Hickory Drive. The following road proj ects are also complete: Kings Chapel Road and sidewalks, downtown side walks, Morningside Drive sidewalks, Northside Road street and drainage improve ments and a cul-de-sac, EWBWWWWIMBMBWBIIMWmiII .. 1 - 1 11 ' 1 - - ! v V , 2nd & Last Chance Financej '^^^jUjljj^jj^g^j^i <t*mm ra^H4; is reiT* <tßH;i^^^/SCP 1 si ttuus Buyer* VV eLto iue QUA? IV 1 li/dvLCLvUL'T C Y M LUA’-G C bIVOStCB Jnj J j « w 1 |JH I > " M,ct, w '* tj,,> •iw" l jj ' : > • r aj r— T — ,'V-Vf prN ft Hi 'jfe' ■ Journal/Charlotte Parkins Gray, left, is congratulated and welcomed by Perry Mayor Jim Worrall and City Council members James Moore and Joe Kusar. GRAY From page iA he was a code enforcement officer, fire inspector and investigator as well as fight ing fires and being certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. He served with the St. Petersburg and Southern Manatee fire departments, and contin ued to volunteer as a fire fighter in both Florida and North Carolina while work ing in the private sector as a fire investigation and fire combat expert, specializing in hazardous material fires and boat fires, a position which led to extensive trav el around the country. Gray said that the ter rorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, led to his decision to return to full-time public fire department work. “I was already thinking that it was more reward ing to see the people you the resurfacing of Justice and Roughton streets, pav ing of Airport/Walton Road, Hickory Drive improve ments and the Airport Drive drainage study. Ongoing projects in Perry include the Big Indian Creek Park and playground equip ment for Woodlawn Park. The bid was awarded for resurfacing of the tennis court at Calhoun Park and acquisition is ongoing for the Cherokee drainage/greens pace area and for passive HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL help on a long term basis,” he said, “and then 9-11 occurred. I was in a hotel room working on an inves tigative report that morn ing, and I heard the first news report. Then I saw the footage of the second jet (flying into the World Trade Center) and I knew we were under attack. I went down tb the fire hall to be with the firefighters and we watched together.” He left his private sec tor job and returned to his hometown of Clearwater, taking a job with the fire department there as a fire prevention inspector and investigator and was pro moted twice after that. Gray said, “I can see Perry’s growth poten tial, and I hope I can help make it smoother, work ing with the Public Safety Department to make Perry a safe place for everybody.” parks in general. Road projects in process include Devonshire Court extension, Smith Drive drainage improvements, Canterbury Court improve ments, Perimeter Road drainage, State Avenue extension and improve ments, Gaines Drive and Courtney Hodges Boulevard intersection improvements, the Macon,/Perimeter roads intersection and the Macon Road/Carroll Street inter section. 37378