Newspaper Page Text
/—The Houston Home Journal \
QmiTiwnt
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL THURS.. MAR. 20, 1075,
Perry Public Housing
Perry attorney Tom Daniel explains plans for the proposed construction of
55 public housing units here to be built on 11 acres on Perimeter Road. Daniel,
who is attorney for the Perry Housing Authority, told Council Perimeter Road
would have to be widened three feet in order to get the proper right-of-way for
the housing project. He said the Authority was granted permission from
Federal officials last week to purchase the property for the site. Daniel added
that the Authority is trying to move as fast as possible to get the project un
derway. The 55 units will be open to the public and will include 1,2, 3 and 4
bedroom housing and include some units designed especially for the elderly.
Contd. From Front
Huns Signs...
Warner Robins, which is
outside (he county seat of
Houston County. I further find
that the County Com
missioners have rented office
space from the City of Warner
Robins and a number of
county facilities, including the
main administrative office of
the Clerk of the County
Commissioners, are located
(here. I find that except for the
official actions of the Board of
Commissioners as hereinafter
defined, the activities and f
services presently maintained
and conducted in the City of
Warner Robins are ad
ministrative in nature
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW I
conclude that under the
Constitution and the laws of
Georgia and especially the so
called Home Rule Amend
ment to the Constitution of the
Slate of Georgia, Article XV,
Section 11 A, Paragraph 1
(Sec 2-8402, Ga. Code Ann.),
the Board of Commissioners is
authorized to locate ad
ministralive offices and
facilities outside of the county
seat, Jackson, et. al vs.
Gasses. 230 Ga. 712, and that
the plaintiffs are not entitled
to the relief sought with
respect to the operation and
funding of such ad
ministrative facilities.
Therefore, the relief sought by
the plaintiffs in Count Two of
the Complaint is to that extent
denied
1 further conclude that the
actions of the County Com
missioners in conducting
official business in Warner
Robins violate Article XI,
Section 1, Paragraph IX (Sec
2-7809, Ga. Code Ann.), of the
Constitution of the Slate of
Georgia For the purposes of
1 he film, “The Gospel Road”, conceived and
produced by Johnny Cash and his wife. June
( arter Cash, will be shown at Houston Lake
Baptist Church Sunday, March 30, at 7 30 P M
Everyone is invited to come and see this great
film. No admission charged.
Perry Band Boosters will hold their regular
monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 25, at the
Morningside Junior High School. The meeting will
begin promptly at 7:30 with a concert given by Mr.
Erdman’s 7th grade band. A business meeting will
be held afterwards. All people interested in school
bands are invited to attend.
The AARP free tax service offered to persons
age 55 and over is scheduled for Saturdays 10 A.M.
until Noon and Tuesdays 2-4 P.M. at the Eastgate
branch conference room of The Bank of Perry.
this ruling and order, official
county business is defined as
the decision making process of
the board which includes the
deliberation and voting on any
issue of county business.
Deliberation and voting on
any issue must be conducted
in the county site and citizens
of the county must be afforded
an opportunity to be heard at
the county site as to any issue
of county business. Therefore,
it is ordered that the Com
missioners of Houston County
be, and they are hereby
restrained and enjoined from
conducting official county
business, as defined herein,
outside the county site.
Since (he plaintiffs did not
seek any relief with respect to
actions of that nature
Wagner Executive Director
Bylaws Change Hospital
Authority Command Line
The Houston County
Hospital Authority Tuesday
night adopted a new set of
bylaws that substantially
changes the chain of com
mand of the Authority and
Hospitals. The new bylaws
created the post of Executive
Director to oversee the
complex, with Administrators
to run each Hospital James
Wagner, heretofore entitled
Administrator of the complex,
was named Executive
Director.
Wagner has the respon
sibility of appointment of
Administrators of the two
PAGE 2-A
previously taken, this order is
not to be construed as vitiating
any such action, nor is it the
purpose of this order to
prevent the Board, if it so
chooses, from hearing from
interested citizens in places
other than the county site as a
matter of convenience to those
citizens.
AS TO COUNT THREE
FINDINGS OF FACT: Hind
that the Sheriff in fact
maintains an office in the
courthouse in Perry. I further
find, however, that the vast
amount of the activities of the
Sheriff’s Office are located in
Warner Robins and I further
find that the vast majority of
the activities requiring action
by the Sheriff occur in the
Warner Robins area.
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW: I
conclude that there is no
statutory prohibition against
the Sheriff maintaining offices
in the county outside of the
county site so long as he
complies with the statute
which requires him to
hospitals At the present time,
Max Poole is Administrator of
the Perry facility, and the
Warner Robins facility is
without an Administrator,
although former Assistant
Administrator- Personnel
Chief Charlie Hall is an odds
on choice to fill the slot. In
reality the situation may be
more a changing of names
than of responsibilities
The chain of command and
answerability was somewhat
changed. The medical staffs of
both hospitals are now
responsible through the
Executive Director to the
Authority. The employees are
responsible to the Ad
ministrator. then to the
Executive Director and up the
chain of command
Another feature of the new
bylaw-s reduced the number of
standing committees of the
Authority from nine to just
three The three committees
are: Personnel, Finance, and
a new one called the Joint
Conference Committee. This
new committee will consist of
the Authority Chairman
(Sherrill Stafford), Vice
Chairman (Billy Beckham),
and one member of the
Authority. In addition it will
include the Executive
Director (James Wagner),
and the medical Chief of Staff,
Vice Chief of Staff, and im
mediate Past Chief of Staff.
In response to a newspaper
reporter's question asking
reason for the setup, Authority
member John Lovejoy said
that in the past the Authority
had had to involve itself in day
Tuesday Motor Trips
/ -
Commission Meeting Site-
Unresolved By Ruling ?
County Commission
Chairman Charles Carter
Tuesday morning attempted
to resolve the continuing legal
question of the location of
future Commission meetings,
saying, “We need tb come to a
conclusion as to the meeting in
Warner Robins.” But the
other Commissioners told
Carter they wished to 'wait
until Superior Court Judge
Willis B Hunt signed the
formal order connected with
the question. (Late Tuesday
Hunt signed (he order. See
another HHJ article.)
“Are we to continue to meet
up there in Warner Robins?’’
Carter inquired of the other
four board members. “And
then come back here?” The
board has the past two
months, on the third Tuesday
of the month, met for an hour
in Warner Robins, then
“adjourned" and motored to
Perry where they resumed
their meeting
Commissioner Alton Tucker
said, "I think we’ve got to
meet up there on the 3rd
Tuesday,” to which Steve
maintain his office in the
courthouse in Perry. Having
concluded as a fact that the
Sheriff does maintain such an
office, albeit smaller in scope
and function than the one in
Warner Robins, the relief
sought by the plaintiffs under
Court Three is hereby denied
SO ORDERED, this 18 day
of March, 1975.
Willis B. Hunt
Judge, Superior Court
Houston County Circuit
Judge Willis Hunt
to day functions of the
hospital But he added,
“Were Policy, over there
(pointing to Wagner) is Ad
ministration." Lovejoy later
explained that the role of a
Hospital Authority is to set
policies with the Executive
Director responsible for day to
day operation.
Authority Chairman Sherrill
Stafford agreed with
Lovejoy’s analysis, and ex
plained that the number of
committees he had set up
(nine) several months ago
were necessary at the time,
since there was no Executive
Director. Wagner began
employment with the complex
in February.
The new setup makes the
complex Comptroller directly
responsible to the Executive
Director Wagner said he
should have an announcement
to make regarding a new
Comptroller within “a week to
ten days.” Paul Stilwell
resigned as the Comptroller a
few weeks ago
In related events,
Nominating Committee
Chairman Don Parkinson of
Perry took the gavel and
announced the slate of new
officers the committee was
presenting for consideration.
He recommended Sherrill
Stafford for Chairman, Billy
Beckham for Vice Chairman,
and Wagner for Secretary-
Treasurer He then moved the
nominations be closed, and the
officers were thus re-elected
Parkinson quipped, “We
really burned the midnight oil
in coming up with this list.”
Byrd agreed and added, “I
think the way we are working
it now is all right,’’ Tucker
said they have to comply
with existing local law
regarding meeting on the
third Tuesday in Warner
Robins.
County .Attorney Walker
Burke amplified, “The 1963
statute (local law) specifies a
meeting in Warner Robins on
the third Tuesday. The Judge
has not signed the order yet.
(See another HHJ article.)
You can meet in Warner
Robins, hear interested
parties and delegations.
There is a question as to how
much further you can go. He
did not specifically rule
against the 1963 statute.”
Burke recommended
waiting on Hunt’s order. The
Commissioners agreed.
In other action the board
gave approval to location of
self-service gasoline station at
the intersection of Corder
Road and Watson Road just
outside the Warner Robins
city limits. Frank and Thomas
Hamsley Murder
Still A Puzzler
Houston County Sheriff
Cullen Talton said earlier this
week that his men are still
intensely investigating the
Feb. 12 murder of Mrs. Zellie
Mae Hamsley at her home
near Hayneville. Talton
stated, “We think we’ve
gotten some pretty good leads,
and Larry (Det. Snellgrove) is
working on it every day. This
thing is a real bugaboo.”
Talton confirmed a rumor
circulating through the county
that a red substance had been
splashed on the door of Terrell
Knight’s grocery in
Hayneville. Knight was the
nephew of Mrs, Hamsley. The
Sheriff said that both Knight’s
grocery and (hat of M.F.
McCormick were vandalized
by alleged pranksters who
tossed a red substance on the
doors of the two grocery
stores.
Mrs. Hamsley was slain on
Wednesday, February 12, at
her home near Hayneville.
The murder came on Mrs.
Hamsley’s 79th birthday. She
was apparently killed in a
robbery attempt, because her
pocketbook and wallet were
found (empty) in a stream
near the home by local farmer
Joe Goodroe.
Goodroe carried the wallet
and purse to Terrell Knight’s
store and the two went to the
scene where they discovered
her body. The State Crime Lab
in Atlanta later determined
Mrs. Hamsley was killed by
one shot above the right eye by
a small caliber pistol.
The Hamsley family posted
a SI,OOO reward for in
formation leading to the
arrest and conviction of the
j j/ Rfe r iof * ~ ~’wSrT'*
Webelos Cub Scout Den Two. Pack 216, recently enjoyed a field day at the
home of their pack leader Harold Jennings in the Oak Knolls Subdivision,
hrom left Mike Watson. Robbie Cosey, Craig Duke, Lee Jones, Joe Nadeau,
Tyler Colder and Bill Blackstock.
A
Waldorf of the Holiday Foods
convience store appeared
before the board to request
approval.
There is no ordinance either
for or against operation of
self-service gas stations in
rural sections of Houston
County. Frank Waldorf said
the proposed station met all
state requirements, but added
that state law is subordinate to
local law on the matter.
Waldorf told the board that his
plans were to operate a
console from inside the con
venience store that would
control the gas pumps.
Commission Chairman
Charles Carter said he had
discussed Warner Robins’
position briefly with their Fire
Chief, Ernest Wood, Warner
Robins and the county had in
the past opposed self-service
gasoline. But Carter said
Wood indicated to him the city
had revised its ordinance.
Commissioner Frank Rozar
commented that the city of
Perry now has several self
person (or persons) respon
sible for the murder. Sheriff
Cullen Talton said that anyone
with any information of any
kind in connection with the
killing should contact his
office immediately, at 923-6451
in Warner Robins or 987-2800
in Perry.
"Second Class Citizens" |
City-County Landfill Fees
Provoke "Pay" Charges *
The Warner Robins City
Council Tuesday morning
rejected a proposal by the
Houston County Commission
that would have had the city of
Warner Robins paying an
interim fee of $2,500 per month
to dump city garbage at the
county landfill in Bonaire.
Councilwoman Joy Land
slated, “We’re not second
class citizens, why should we
have to pay if no one else
does?”
Informally caucusing later
in the day, the Robins council
said they would pay the $2,500
per month trial fee if the
county agreed to levy a
garbage tax on all citizens in
rural areas. Os course, the city
of Warner Robins receives
curbside service, and the
county residents are served by
roadside dumpsters placed at
strategic locations.
The Commissioners met
with the Warner Robins
service stations in operation.
He and Commissioner Tucker
said they saw no objection.
Commissioner V.W.
McEver moved and was
seconded by Steve Byrd to
issue a permit to operate to
the Waldorfs. The permit is
effective until July i when a
law permitting the county to
require business licenses will
go into effect. At that time, all
businesses will have to obtain
new licenses, and pay small
fees.
In other action the group
i v
Meat Processing »
Plant In Houston
\ 1 • > 'VB '
The County Commissioners learned last weelf
that a meat processing plant will be constructed
near Warner Robins. J.C. Carpenter told the
board he wanted 7.77 acres of his property rezoned
from ESR to M-2 (light industry) in order to buildi
the plant. The board quickly approved the
rezoning. w
The area to be utilized for the meat processing
plant is located on Bear Branch Road, about 300
feet off Highway 247, south of Warner Robins.
Carpenter said he would begin running requiretjf'
percolation tests immediately to determine if the
health department will approve the site. He aW
ded, “As soon as we get all the tests, we’ll begin
construction.”
The commissioners commended Carpenter on
his desire to bring another industry into the
county. The meat processing plant will be the first
in Houston County. At present, county beef owners
must have their meat processed in Roberta in
Crawford County, a 25 mile trip.
V J
Council at nine A M. Tuesday
morning in Warner Robins
prior to journeying to Perry
for the Tegular”- Commission
meeting. The board of com
missioners want the city to
pay the $2,500 interim fee until
the Middle Georgia Area
Planning and Development
Commission (MGAPDC)
conduct a fee study tjiat will
take about six months. The
MGAPDC says that use of the
60 foot, 60 ton scales at the
Bonaire landfill will enable a
comprehensive analysis of
equitable charges.
The Warner Robins landfill
has reached a point where the
Environmental Protection
division of the state is about to
halt dumping. The city has,
therefore, been negotiating
with the Commission to utilize
the county landfill and in fact
co-applied with the county for
a $50,000 state grant for the
site.
:
rezoned from R-l to C-2 ap- li
proximately one acre of land
belonging to James Day,
located at the intersection of i
Moody Road and Highway *d. AH
Day said he plans to build a .‘tr
small store and apartments oh ■ , 1
the site. The board advised f j
him that only duplexes or P
other such small apartment*
could be built on the site. The
limitation is due to absence bf
sewerage. Tucker moved to
approve the rezoning and was
seconded by Steve Byrd: Vote
was without dissent.
Adding fuel to the fire of the
city’s position is knowledge
that county residents have to I
pay no fee when they haul
garbage to the landfill,
although commercial users do
pay fees. The city reasons that
since rural residents pay no
fees, the city residents should
not be subjected to one. The
board of commissioners i
counters that any city resident |
is perfectly free to haul his
own trash to the landfill and I
will not be charged.
Tuesday afternoon the i
Commissioners opened two
bids on the 60 foot, 60 ton *
scales to be purchased for the i j
landfill. Bidding against ’ I
other were Toledo Scales and i
Fairbanks-Morris. At press \
time, neither bid had been |
accepted, although the board
was to choose. Either scales
will be complete with a 1 ,
computer that will print out
copies showing weight 6f all
trucks entering the site. i
The bids were both in excess I
of twenty thousand dollars and ?
include 'concrete approach
areas, digging of the pit, and i
installation of the massive |
scales. The board was to study |
the bids and then were to I
select the one considered best. I
Other bid opening was for *1
two dump trucks for Warden fl
Allen Stone’s county roads M
maintenance crew. Bidders
included; Moody Motor of
Perry, Moody Ford of Warner
Robins, Charlie Pike I*
Chevrolet of Warner Robins,
NeSmith GMC of Perry, m
McLendon Auto of Perry
Lewis Truck and Tracts *of I
Perry. Lewis was the winner 1
in the competitive bidding, I
and was the only one with ■
trucks on hand. The trucks n
will cost $8,331 apiece.
The board also accepted a
bid of SBOO per month from i
Art’s Amoco of Warner Robins :
to perform labor on thirty- I
three county vehicles, in- I
eluding the Sheriff’s Depart- II
ment autos. The Amoco 1
station won over bids by |
Moody Motor of Perry and I
Jack’s Mobil of Warner ■
Robins. B