Newspaper Page Text
Page 2— Wednesday, March 31,2021, The True Citizen
City is restarting unfit housing plan
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
The City of Waynesboro
announced plans last week to
move forward with its unfit
housing project after nearly a
year of no activity.
During a Housing/Recre-
ation/CDBG Committee Meet
ing Thursday, assistant city
manager Trinetta Skinner said
city attorney Randolph Frails
wants to begin the process
over, starting with new inspec
tions.
“Some of the previous in
spections are old and out
dated,” she said, offering an
estimate on the cost of a full
demolition using figures from
past projects. The total approx
imate cost for demolition and
removal of an 1,100-square
foot structure would be around
$9,710 — including $450 for
an appraisal, $800 for an asbes
tos inspection, another $1,600
for an asbestos abatement,
$1,100 for labor and $3,700
for equipment rental, among
other costs.
“Mr. Frails wants to start
over with updated inspections
so that all our information is
current,” Skinner said in a
telephone interview. “Some of
the inspections do date back to
the early 2000s. The condition
of some of those structures may
have changed since then.”
She also added that the proj
ect has seen limited progress
not just due to COVID-19 but
also because many of the city
employees who have a hand
in it are new. Since July 2020,
the city received resignations
from the city attorney, pub
lic works superintendent and
building inspector, and while
all those positions have been
filled since, training has been
ongoing.
While unfit housing may
have been on the back burner,
the city has continued its ef
forts to apply for both CHIP
(Community Home Investment
Program) and CDBG (Com
munity Development Block
Grant), and Skinner reported
during the committee meeting
that the city has demolished
and rebuilt two homes, one
located at 872 Jones Ave. and
the other at 419 W. 7th St.
“Several years ago, we sur
veyed the city and determined
structures that either needed
to be repaired or demolished;
that’s where the unfit housing
list began,” she explained.
“Sometimes, we are able to
rehab homes on the list through
grants like CHIP or CDBG.
The city obtains the funding,
and Waynesboro homeowners
are then able to apply for help.
CDBG is used for structures
with a target area, and CHIP
may be used city wide.”
Waynesboro Mayor Greg
Carswell expressed concern
over unfit housing, which has
no grant funds to cover the
expense.
“Can we take the property
since they aren’t working with
us?” he asked. “Maybe we can
sell it and get the money back
for what we paid to demolish
it. Why do the work and give
it back to them? We are doing
work for nothing. We have to
figure out how to recoup the
costs without being without
money that isn’t in our budget.”
Water council appointment
takes local woman by surprise
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Governor Brian Kemp has
appointed local resident Su
zanne Sharkey to the Savan
nah-Upper Ogeechee Regional
Water Planning Council.
Kemp announced 84 ap
pointments made to the Re
gional Water Planning Coun
cils March 15.
The eleven Regional Water
Planning Councils represent 68
counties in Georgia. The coun
cils' decisions determine the
preferred water management
practices for each region’s
water resource needs, accord
ing to the governor’s website.
Sharkey is a local manager
with Georgia Power and sits on
the Burke County Chamber of
Commerce and Development
Authority Boards.
The recommendation took
Sharkey by surprise, she said.
The Director of Appointments
with the governor’s office
called her in February and
asked her if she would serve
on the water planning council.
“I am excited,” Sharkey said.
“It was kind-of cool to get a
call from the governor’s office
and asked, ‘hey, would you like
to do this?”’
Although she accepted the
position gladly,
she is unsure what the ap
pointment will entail.
“The first thing is learning,”
she said of her new task. “This
is something new to me; I’ve
never been a part of this. I’ve
heard of these councils, but
that’s about it.”
Sharkey said she is passion
ate about understanding what
the council does and what she
can bring to the table.
“I’ve lived here my whole
life,” she said. “The Savannah
River has been a big part of my
Suzanne Sharkey
life. I think it’s an interesting
opportunity to learn.”
She is willing to learn and
find out what difference she
can make. Although she faces
the new position with uncer
tainty, she feels confident she
will find support in her newest
endeavor.
“The people that are listed
on the webpage, I know a few
of these people,” she said. “I
am looking forward to seeing
some people I know.”
(left to right) Burke County’s Deputy Coroner April Evans, Chief Deputy Coroner Bonnie Powell
and Deputy Coroner Mary Bennett
Coroners put closure
on female stereotyping
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Logo credit: By J.
Howard Miller - U.S.
National Archives
and Records Ad
ministration, Public
Domain, commons,
wikimedia.
Editor’s note: In 1987, the
United States Congress desig
nated March as Women’s His
tory Month after the National
Women's History Project pe
titioned for the expansion of
the week-long observance.
Women's History Month is a
time to reflect on the historical
contributions of women and
to highlight achievements in
the modern age. The women
of Burke County continue to
overcome stereotypical barri
ers as they step into roles tra
ditionally associated with men.
Three female coroners are
investigating the personal sat
isfaction attached to a career
once dominated by men.
The first American coroner
was Thomas Baldridge, ap
pointed January 29, 1637.
Since then, women have pro
gressively taken on the role.
April Evans and Mary Ben
nett serve as deputy coroners in
Burke County. Bonnie Powell
serves as chief deputy coroner.
The ever-evolving science
of the held demands that the
women continue their educa
tion annually.
Together the three bring
a multitude of medical and
criminal justice experience
to the local office. Powell’s
experience is in emergency
services. Evans worked for the
Georgia Bureau of Investiga
tion. Bennett retired from the
Waynesboro Police Depart
ment. Moving to the Burke
County Coroner’s Office was
a natural move for the women.
“I was a police officer for
38 years,” Bennett said. “I
got to know a lot of people
in Waynesboro and in Burke
County. Now that I’ve be
come a coroner, it’s like it is
extended.”
Bennett said people rec
ognize her from her years on
the force and remember that
she was a fair-minded officer.
She appreciates the loyalty
of Waynesboro citizens and
continues to give back to the
community with volunteerism
outside of her coroner position.
Contacts she has made with
ordinary citizens continue to
assist her in cause-of-death
investigations.
“It’s a continuation of what I
have already done for 38 years
and I just love doing that,”
Bennett said. “Being a coroner
helps me relate to them in a
different way and on a different
level, but I still feel deep down
that I am a servant, and that is
what I love to do.”
The job of a coroner is to
investigate the
cause when a SEE
death is unex- CORONERS,
pected.The au- 7
City office to reopen in new location
The City of Waynesboro's
administration office will re
open to the public on Monday,
April 5th at its new location,
615 N. Liberty Street. They
are asking all customers to
continue observing COVID-19
mitigation practices by wearing
a mask and practicing social
distancing.
Customers can still pay their
bills online by visiting www.
waynesboroga.com and click
ing on "Online Payments" in
the bottom left comer. You can
also contact the city office at
706-554-8000.
The Waynesboro Police De
partment will remain located at
628 Myrick Street.
First Step Learning
Another business has opened its doors in Waynesboro and joined the Chamber. Last week,
First Step Learning Academy, located in old 1st Franklin Financial on Liberty Street, held its
ribbon cutting ceremony, along with some young helpers. Ashley Roberts, Chamber president,
said she loved having the children participate. “They were amazed by the big scissors,” she
said. The childcare center places an emphasis on learning; some children will attend a full day
while others come after school.
Fu places at state
literary competition
Brandon Fu, a senior at
Edmund Burke Academy,
brought home two top three
finishes from the Georgia
Independent School Asso
ciation State Literary Com
petition. Fu placed second
in spelling and received third
place honors in argumentative
essay.
FIELD DAY
2018
Si
t , > [
i'Hi
P J
^ Til'
JSJH
■ _ A
V X-
- , p
Spotlight Your
sr^ r .& ationsl*
om hub
Congratulations
Beta Club
AP Scholar
Art club
FFA membi
Top 20 in C
Jaimee Jenkins
Congratulations!
0 ^ Dylan Thomas^
“^Graduate*
University of Georgia
P53* Graduate "'Tx
We are so proud
of you!
ikUjyiiSK
Parker Eastmead
AgGeorgia I
TARM CREDIT]
f with a special message.
You can include an ad featuring your favorite grad’s photo and a message
Email your photo and message to: truecitizennews@live.com
or come by the office at 629 Shadrack Street, Waynesboro, GA
PLEASE LEAVE IN DROP BOX
Ads priced according to size
. Ber >tley
- Ks
550 E. 6th Street - P.0. Box 727
Waynesboro, GA 30830
Phone: 706-554-2141 • FAX: 706-554-4935
www.mckinney.doitbest.com
Home &
Rental Center
>Hes\ ^
HONOR YOUR 2021 GRADUATE IN
THE TRUE CITIZEN GRADUATION SECTION
Coming out May 26, 2021