Classic Car Show
KIWANIS CLUB
CAR SHOW,
Saturday, September 21,
2013 at Bass Pro Shops,
5000 Bass Pro Blvd, I-75
Exit 172, Macon, GAThe
show is open to all cars &
trucks. Entry Fee is
$20.00 (pre-registered)
and $ 25.00 on day of
the show.
1 Week to Go! Join the Walk to
Defeat ALS. Tread For Ed, our
local 2K Walk, honoring the
memory of Ed Tomberlin, will start
at the City Park in Roberta, GA, at
5 p.m. (on-site registration begins
at 4 p.m.). Music by "The Grands,”
Ribbon Cutting for Corps
D’ Elite will be held at
5:30 PM on September 16
at Martha McAfee’s Zumba
and Dance Studio located
next to Hudson’s BBQ,
88 East Agency Street.
Issue 35 Thursday, September 12, 2013
City addresses fees
for first Sunday
Roberta City Mayor and Council met on the first Tuesday
of the month to discuss issues concerning amendments to
the audit, October 6 known as “first Sunday in October”
and also agreed councilman Billy Bassett would assess city
park use agreement with Keep Roberta Crawford Beautiful
Director Joanne Hamlin.
The budget for all departments was addressed and council
decided a workshop for the board ot weigh in on where
funds will be placed to run the city equitably between all
departments would be needed.
The First Sunday in October, an annual event, will be held
October 6, 2013. All council members decided preparation
for the event should begin by addressing permitting and
permit fees. Primary to Mayor Becky Smith were the fees
covering the cost of clean-up and other demands placed on
the city during the event each year. There is a permit fee
of $50 expected, unless the land owner on 341 North and
South allows or has their own booth. The fee is then paid
by the land holder. Questions arose as to what type fee was
brought to the table which covered the health department
food service fee and or peddlers license. It was noted by
council no fee was required for yard sales held on land own
ers property. Councilman Erv Patton made the suggestion
to seek additional legal council from Mincey and Mincey
Law Office before they proceeded.
Food service fees will be adhered to through Crawford
County Health Department and Al Halvarty is the inspector.
All fees will be paid by vendors directly to CCHD prior to
the event. This will be published in the local newspaper, The
Georgia Post.
Demands placed on city workers to clean up trash, police,
sheriff, and state patrol and feeding those officers involved,
providing extra officers to cover the event for the protec
tion of the event participants and the city all came into play
when council was weighing permit cost currently being
used. Council agreed perhaps the fee needed to be more but
did not decide to set another price. Instead they will further
investigate where the fee is being used. The event and issues
will be discussed again to prepare for the October 6 Home
coming or First Sunday in October. Several of the council
again urged that legal counsel be sought in this matter.
Use Agreement of the David Bailey City Park will be
handled by Councilman Bassett who will address fair
guidelines for all who wish to use the park for events. It was
suggested the city should allow one individual and rely on
said individual to provide the information to all using the
park for an event. The time set to close down any event was
set for sundown when involving music.
It was noted at the meeting, that sundown during the
summer is different than that during fall or any other sea
son. The agreement would be placed in the city documents
offering fair guidelines to all wishing use of the park for an
event was stated. Bassett will bring end results back before
the council for approval.
Audience member Charles Cook noted the guidelines for
the park are posted on signs at the park and should first be
enforced. All these items concerning use of the park will be
summed up when the use agreement is set by council and
Hamlin. It was again noted the guidelines should be fair
and the same for all wishing to use the park.
Going, going gone...
auction plans coming along
Roberta Crawford County
Chamber of Commerce is
working on their biennial
production of Going, Go
ing and Gone...Sold to the
couple in the back! At last
week’s meeting of the Cham
ber it was noted everything
was falling into place for the
auction.
Invitations are expected to
go out by September 12 or 13
which means they should be
received by Sept. 19th... one
month prior to the Auction
2013. The auction will be
held on October 19, 2013, at
Martha Johnston Girl Scout
Camp on Girl Scout Road
set in a beautifully wooded
area; the building will be
decked out in fall colors to
compliment nature. Cham
ber members tickets will be
$20 each and non-members
$25 each. Charles Cook has
charge of the Auctioneer
who will yell out going,
going, gone for the fine lot of
merchandise, trips, dinners,
condos and much more. A
wonderful seven night get
away in Roatan Honduras
at Reef House Resort, www.
reefhouseresort.com has al
ready been offered as well as
many other items including
golf for four shotguns and
rifles and so much more!
More will come on items
as the time closes in on the
Auction date. Sponsors or
donors offering $200, $500,
$750 valued items or more
than $750 will be given
preferencial treatment with
advertising progressively
given according to item val
ue, complimentary tickets or
table their company benefits
according to the donations.
All donations of items will be
gladly received by contacting
AUCTION, Page 11
The Voice of Crawford County Since 1921 2 Sections, 16 Pages One Dollar
also serving Byron and Peach County
New bank in town
The Citizens State Bank of Crawford County held a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Friday complete with cake, hot dogs,
hamburgers and cold drinks. From left are Nancy Schroen, Vice President of The Citizens Bank of Taylor County, Jim Bond,
Erika O’Neal, Homer Barrow, Leah Kelly, Gail Walker, Robin Rushing - Branch Manager and assistant Vice President, Jeffrey
Alton, Steve Davis - President, Scott Beeley and his wife, Lucie Beeley, both owners. Hours at the new bank are Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. but drive thru opens at 8 a.m.; Thursday 8 a.m. to noon in drive thru and 9 a.m. - noon
in the lobby; Friday 8 am. - 6 p.m. in the drive thru and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the lobby; Saturday 9 a.m. - noon at drive thru only.
County manager grilled on budget
by citizen at public hearing
BY VICTORIA SIMMONS
The Georgia Post
County resident Frank Holmes had
lots of questions at last week’s meeting of
the Crawford County Board of Commis
sioners concerning their annual budget.
Commissioners held a public hearing on
the proposed FY 2014 budget prior to
their regular meeting.
The bottom line on the budget is in
excess of $7 million, up from $5 million
from the previous year (amended bud
get). With adjustments to line items, etc.,
Pat Kelly, county manager noted that the
increase was actually closer to $400,000
after everything was said and done.
Holmes wanted to know why the
increase and Kelly told him grant funds
made up a lot of the difference. The
LMIG (Local Maintenance & Improve
ment Grant) for 2013 and 2014 totaled
$423,193 and there was a state siren
grand for two additional warning sirens
for $40,000 which were the areas of
major difference in the budget.
Holmes then questioned the increase
in the water budget by $51,000. Kelly
explained that the county was awarded
a $500,000 Community Block Devel
opment Grant (CDBG) to expand water
lines and the county had to match those
hmds in the amount of $51,051 to actual
ly receive the grant.
Next, Holmes wanted to know about
the increase at the transfer station of
over $20,000. The county manager told
him that EPD required detection moni
toring and reporting as part of the post
closure plan for the landfill and annual
cost for that service was the increase in
that department. Previously the cost had
been expensed in the budget for Admin
istration. Kelly felt it made more sense
to account for it in the Waste Disposal
Budget, noting that the Adminstration
Budget decreased by that amount.
Holmes asked about the $500,000
plus increase in legal services which
Kelly explained was an inadvertent error
which was added into that legal line
item and once the correction was made
legal services would drop back to normal
levels.
Next Holmes asked about the EMA
budget increase of $48,000. Kelly ex
plained again that two additional early
warning sirens would be installed if the
county receives a state grant for them.
Revenues, said Kelly, were increased by
$40,000 in anticipation of the grant. If
not approved then the sirens would not
be installed.
In revisiting garbage fees, Holmes also
thought that it would make more sense
for the county to increase the tax millage
by one mil rather than go up on the gar
bage collection fee to $15 which commis
sioners passed at a previous meeting. He
read options from the newspaper which
had been noted at previous meeting,
saying again a tax increase would solve
the problem and everyone in the county
would be paying it not just those with
trash service.
Thelma Blasingame also had questions
for the board about garbage fee and fire
protection since she has no hydrant in
her area. She felt her district was not
being protected as well as it should be in
fire protection. She also asked for com
passion for the elderly. She felt the board
did not even consider the impact on se
nior citizens and those on fixed incomes
when approving the garbage fee increase
and wanted the board to reconsider.
Marilyn Johnson had concerns about
the gargage fee as well. She questioned
the vote by telephone on the issue and
noted that in the area of animal control,
cats were not regulated. Johnson noted
that economic times were difficult and
people were counting every penny.
Blue Bird Lane had been discussed at
the previous meeting and Kelly had met
with the county engineer to determine
a solution to the water run off problem.
The county engineer (Puckett) had rec
ommended a turn out cut on the north
east side of the road and a storm water
easement be created to carry the water
off the road bed. Other options such as
additional ditching, etc. were discussed.
Commissioner John Thomas made the
motion to proceed with the turn out
as recommended and it was approved
unanimously.
On the matter of open meetings and
the remote vote called in to question by
some citizens, Kelly presented the board
with the legal requirements of partici
pation from the Georgia Open Meetings
and Open Records Laws. Commissioners
are allowed to vote remotely up to two
times per calendar year as long as a quo
rum of the board is physically present at
the meeting. More than twice a year is
allowed if the commissioner has a note
from the doctor or health care provider
that their health prevents them from
physcially attending.
Beasley Road presents a potential
road hazard and Kelly brought this to
the board’s attention. Upon inspection a
contractor reported there was scouring
under the road bed which needed to
be corrected as soon as possible. A cost
estimate of $19,995 was given for the re
pairs. Kelly asked that Diversified Diving
complete the repairs and bypass the bid
requirements as this was an emergency
situation. The recommendation was
approved unanimously.
The water department requested a util
ity truck bed for the F-25- Ford pickup
and the cost to install was $3500 includ
ed matching the paint. USDA, according
to Kelly, authorized use of the water
maintenance fund to purchase the uility
bed which was approved unanimously.
Chamber President Charles Cook invit
ed commissioners to the ribbon cutting
for Citizens State Bank, Corps De’Elite
on September 16 and noted the Chamber
Auction would be held October 19 at the
Girl Scout camp.
