Newspaper Page Text
Page 6D
June 29, 2022
m
Reporter
Forsyth UMC VBS has stories, crafts, music, play & science
Forsyth United Methodist Church held Vacation Bible School June 13-17 for children from Kindergarten to 5th grade. The theme was Food Truck Party and the scripture for the
week was Matthew 6:11, "Give us this day our daily bread". These words serve as a reminder that everything we have comes from God and our daily needs are met by God. The
children learned about God and Jesus through Story Time, Crafts, Music, Recreation and Science. Their favorite science experiment was making their own ice cream-messy but fun.
The final day Pinky's Shaved Ice truck pulled up to the church and each child was treated to a snow cone. A large group of adult and youth volunteers made VBS possible. Christina
Barfield was the director for VBS. (Photo/Judy Waldorf)
Citizens ask Forsyth council about drainage, locked restrooms
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Forsyth City Council
heard from two citizens
with public comments at its
June 20 meeting. Bernard
Kendrick told council
that he moved to the new
Manor at Montpelier sub
division 10 months ago and
had three issues he would
like to bring to councils
attention.
First he said Montpelier
Road is in terrible shape
and is a hazard. He said he
hopes the city has plans to
use LMIG orTSPLOST
funds or some resource to
make repairs on the road.
Secondly, he asked how he
can get information about
his electric bill. He said
he is unable to find any
pertinent information on
the city’s website. He said
that listening to the city
managers report preced
ing his comments he heard
that the city is transferring
to a new website within the
next month, after being
hacked, and he hopes that
the new website will pro
vide needed information.
Kendrick said that the
first eight electric bills he
received from Forsyth
were consistent. However,
his last two bills almost
doubled even though his
family’s routine and electric
use didn’t change.
Kendrick said there is a
serious issue with drainage,
erosion and sedimentation
in his neighborhood. In
spite of the problems at ex
isting homes, the developer
is continuing to build on
lots with the same prob
lems. He said he has talked
with the Forsyth fire chief,
the building inspector, the
developer and Carl Hof-
stadter, the city engineer,
but each one was either
not qualified to address the
engineering problem, not
in a position to do so or, in
the case of the developer,
not willing to address the
issue.
Kendrick said the de
veloper installed a French
drain near his home that
was not in the original
plans and wasn’t approved.
He said he didn’t think
the city should accept the
roads from the developer
and become responsible for
them if proper engineering
wasn’t followed. Kendrick
said he is a civil engineer
and one of his neighbors
is also a civil engineer, but
there doesn’t seem to be
anyone with the city to
whom they can express
their concerns about the
design problems causing
drainage and erosion issues
in their new neighborhood.
“I’d be in opposition
to the city accepting the
roads,” said Kendrick.
When he asked how he
could get some feedback on
the issues he raised, Mayor
Eric Wilson asked him to
leave contact information
with the city clerk so that
the city manager can get
back with him.
Libby King asked coun
cil why the restrooms at
Kynette Park are locked,
especially when there is no
other water available at the
park in the summer heat.
She said the restrooms at
the city park on Country
Club Drive and at the city’s
splash pad aren’t locked
while the park is open. Res
idents living in the imme
diate area of Kynette Park
told her that the procedure
is to call a police officer and
request the restrooms be
unlocked.
After King’s comment,
city manager Janice Hall
said it isn’t city policy to
keep the restrooms locked.
Hall said she will correct
the situation.
Forsyth adds holidays, 150 cemetery plots, street closures
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
At the June 20 Forsyth council meeting,
council member John Howard asked that
Juneteenth and Veterans Day become city
holidays in the same way that July 4th is
a city holiday, that is with offices being
closed and city employees having the day
off with pay or being paid overtime if it
is necessary for them to work. Council
members unanimously approved the two
additional holidays for city workers.
There was no discussion of the cost to
the city or of any changes to city services
necessitated by the holidays. City manager
Janice Hall said that council had previously
made Veterans Day, which is on Nov. 11, a
floating holiday for veterans who work for
the city.
In her June 20 report to council Hall said
that as she had been asked by council she
had gotten information on enlarging one
of the city cemeteries. She said the cost
will be $35,000 to $50,000 for the survey,
grading and civil engineering that will
add about 150 plots. As the project wasn’t
included in the city’s current budget, she
requested council’s approval to move ahead
with planning and received it.
Hall said that after the project to work on
storm water drainage in the Adams Street
area was re-bid, bids were to be opened on
June 2, but the city received no bids. The
primary purpose of the project is to stop
the flooding of the Welcome Center build
ing at the corner of N. Lee and Adams
Streets.
Hall said there is a problem with the
sewer lines for the restrooms at the splash
pad at Country Club Park; the restrooms
have been out of order three times.
She said there is a long lead time on
everything that the city orders. The meters
that were ordered finally came in but have
almost all been used; the fire department
is waiting on the yellow paint it uses to re
paint hydrants.
The city should be transferring to a new
website in a month. Hall said the old web
site was hacked, but the Middle Georgia
Regional Commission got it back up.
Hall said the Regional Commission is
holding the last meeting for public input
on the 5-year update of the county-cities
comprehensive plan on Wednesday, June
29 and she is tentatively planning to unveil
the city’s new unity sculpture before the
meeting.
Council approved three requisitions for
payments greater than $6,000 (Only in
voices over $6,000 require
council approval): $35,805
for GoLorth Williamson,
Inc,; $67,289 for Davis
Plumbing; $7,600 for
Southern Line Contrac
tors.
Council set Tuesday,
July 12 at 6 p.m. as its only
meeting for July. Council
normally meets on the
first and third Mondays
of each month but won’t
meet on July 4 because
of the holiday. Council
members will be attending
the annual MEAG (Mu
nicipal Electric Authority
of Georgia) meeting on
July 18, and Mondays of
July 11 and July 25 weren’t
available because of DDA/
Main Street and Planning
& Zoning meetings.
In other business council
approved closing addition
al streets for the fireworks
display on Saturday, July
2. Hall said the additional
streets will be closed as late
as possible and re-opened
as soon as possible after
the fireworks. She said
she will talk with Robins Pinancial Credit
Union and United Bank, two businesses
that will be affected by the closures. Hall
said she will have a map created show
ing the street closures as well as suggested
places for viewing fireworks and will share
it with businesses and the public before
July 2.
Council approved closing streets around
Kynette Park Saturday and Sunday, July 23-
24 for the annual Community Unity event
sponsored by Jon Walton. The city will
cut grass around the area and supply extra
trash cans for the event. The application
estimated about 350 participants.
Council also approved closing part of
James Street from 3-11 p.m. on Saturday,
July 16 for the 5th Annual James Street
Day event. This closing was requested by
Patreecia Simmons with 150-200 partici
pants expected.
The council meeting included a closed
door session to discuss two issues of land
acquisition/disposal and one of pending
litigation.
HELP WANTED
$17-24 an hour.
Paid vacations. Paid holidays.
IRA employer match. Right here in Forsyth.
TURFMACIC
FERTILIZATION • TREE & SHRUB
INSECTICIDE • FUNGICIDE
CORE AERATION • FIRE ANT CONTROL
OWNED BY JASON DORSEY OF FORSYTH