Newspaper Page Text
Council Buys Backhoe, Van
Local Wrecker Operators In City Towing Squabble
By TOMMY TOLES
Editor
The Summerville City
Council has bought a trencher
backhoe for the town and a van
for the recreation department.
The action was taken Mon
day evening during a
45-minute meetinfi of the panel.
Most members then attended
the annual banquet of the
Chattooga County Chamber of
Commerce.
The council accepted a low
bid of $35,559 for a backhoe
trencher from Vermeer Sales &
Service, Pella, lowa, plus a
$465 extended warranty for
five years or 5,000 hours.
Ditch Witch of Georgia,
Atlanta, submitted a bid of
$39,763 for the equipment.
Members of the council also
agreed to bui' a 15-passenger
van from Carl Gregory Dodge,
Columbus, for $16,536 for the
city’s recreation department.
Gregory is a state contractor.
ther bids submitted were
from Family Ford, Dallas, for
$18,347, and from Hardy
Chevrolet, Dallas, $18,526.
Mayor Sewell Cash was not
at the meeting because he is
recoverinfilfrom heart bypass
surfery. ayor Pro Tem Ira
Pollard presided over the
meeting.
- UTILITIES?
The council also voted, 2-1,
to have Charles Kinney, city
manager, determine if deeds to
roads in a subdivision
developed by Guinn Hankins
were in order. If that is the
case, the city would proceed on
installing utilities to the third
phase of the project.
Hankins complained to the
council that the city had refus
ed to extend water, sewer and
natural gas service to the third
phase of the project during the
past three months. Prior to
that time, he said, the town
had provided utility service to
the first two phases of the
project.
i(iuney said he couldn’t find
anything in the council’s
minutes which had given ap
proval for the extensions.
Mayor Pro Tem Pollard
read an excerpt from a meetinfi
in 1988 in which the counci
had agreed to take on for
maintenance roads in the sub
division. Nothing was mention
ed about utilities in those
minutes.
: 10 HOUSES 1,
i Hankins said service had
already been provided to 10
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Staff Photo
WORK PROGRESSES ON TRANSFER STATION CONSTRUCTION
Concrete Poured For Main Wall, Foundation
Garbage Truck Bought
A ‘“new’ used garbage
truck was to have arrived in
Chattooga County this week to
replace an older, worn-out
truck.
Commissioner Jim Parker
said he had bought the used
truck for $21,000 from Kem
merling Truck Parts, Birm
ingham, Ala. on Monday. Us
ed equégment may be unrchas
ed without bids under state
law.
7
TINA’S SHOES
GOING OUT OF
BUSINESS SALE
ALL NAME BRAND DEMO
SHOES CUT TO COST
TENNIS SHOES ......%25 & Lower
KEDE .. .i........ 0..... . '%B
CHILDREN’S ...............%8.00
SALE STARTS TODAY
Located Next to Benny’s in Trion
734-2294
Tuesday-Saturday 10-5:30 p.m.
houses in the subdivision in
east Summerville and he
couldn’t figure out why the ci-*»
tl‘; wouldn’t supply service to
the third and final phase of the
project. The city receives about
$1,700 in revenuzdper house
each &z:r. he added.
A Kinney said he was
not (c)fiposed to the Klt:ject but
couldn’t find anything in the
minutes about it{eing approv
ed, Hankins responded:
“They were approved. I've
had several things down here
that have disappeared from
down here.”
King said he saw no pro
blem with the project provided
that all city.codes were compil
ed with on the work. He mov
ed for Kinney to research the
matter, inslpect road deeds, and
if no problems were found, to
proceed with the work.
Councilman Stanley offered
a second and the motion pass
ed, 2-1. Councilwoman Betty
Bush cast the dissenting vote.
Councilman Phil Cavin was not
at the meetini:ialong with the
recuperating Mayor Cash.
COMPLAINT
After Hankins left the
gx:eting, glike Alwiersgg IhII :
oggins St., complained that
Hangkins was cont?nuing work
on apartments on his street
despite having a zone variance
for the work rejected, 4-1, by
the city’s Board of Zoning Ap
peals in December, 1993.
Kinney said the city had
cited Hankins for the a{le:fed
violation “‘each and every day.
We've done everything that
the city can do.”
Alverson said the city was
still running natural gas and
water service to the apart
ments despite the citations.
Kinney then asked Johnny
Edwards, cit{‘ superintendent,
if that was the case.
Edwards said Hankins had
paid for service to the project
in advance.
Kinney said the town’s at
torney was involved in the
case.
Under the city’s zoning law,
Alverson said, continuing the
cited project was a ‘misde
meanor ‘“and he should be
cited.”
HELMETS
In other matters, the coun
cil agreed to buy 70 new foot
ball helmets for use by
youngsters in the town’s
recreation football leagues. It
unanimously accepted a $4,200
bid from Sports Unlimited for
the helmets. Owens Hardware,
The 33-cubic yard capacity
truck has 47,000 miles on its
odometer, the commissioner
said. The “newest’’ county gar
bage truck has 130,000 miles
on its odometer, he added.
The county’s trucks travel
a 125- to 130-mile route each
day, Parker noted.
Work continued Saturday
and Monday and Tuesday on
the transfer station beside the
county’s public works depart
Rome, submitted a bid of
$4,560.
Council members agreed
unanimously to pay SIOO Eer
week call-out 53' to Police
Chief Tony Gilleland and Capt.
Mary Bulf;rd when they are on
call every other week. The
policy brings the iolice depart
ment in line with other city
d:flartments. which provide
call-out pay for supervisors
during their off times.
PRINT NAMES?
The council also voted
unanimously to publish the
names of delincfl.lent city tax
aners and the names of
usinesses that have not
bought business licenses in The
Summerville News. They
agreed to publication of the
names only if the city attorney
determines that such action
would be legal. Councilman
King offered the motion and
Councilman Ralph Stanley of
fered a second.
No action was taken on
another request by Lewis and
Pat Stran%f, Atlanta-Trion
area, that they be allowed to
meet with the council after
ward to discuss the Myrtis
Evans case and other matters.
Ms. Evans was charged in
December with theft by taking
in the disappearance of some
$566,000 in city funds since
mid-1986. -
An investigation into the
case is continuing. Ralph Van
Pelt, district attorney, said the
case will be presented to the
August term of the Chattooga
County grand jury for
.consideration.
PHOTOS
Strange also gave photos to
council members of what they
said were areas that needed to
be cleaned up in the city, or
needed to be cited under the
town’s “clean it or lien it”
ordinance.
Strange complained about
non-compliance with the
town’s business license
ordinance.
Kinney said the city has
“‘9B percent compliance” with
its business license law with 12
businesses having not yet paid
for a license.
Chief Tony Gilleland of the
Summerville Police Depart
ment said letters of warning
have already been sent to
businesses in violation of the
ordinance. A lefial question re
mains as to whether the citi
can legally collect bac
business license fees or refuse
to grant a 1994 license if past
years fees have not been paid.
ment in Summerville, he said.
Work has been hampered by
wet or very cold weather in
Eeast weeks. The station must
completed before April 8
since that’s when the county’s
Penn Bridge Road landfill
must be closed permanently.
Parker plans to collect
household waste from around
the county and take it to the
transfer station where an as
yet unnamed private company
will haul it to a landfill outside
the county.
Sunday Beer
Sale Charged
A Chattooga County man
has been charged with selling
alcohol on Sunday.
Sanford E. Allen, 59, Sum
merville Rte. 1, was charged
Sundtay;tll)lyth\e(anoe Posey, an
agent wi Geor,
ment of Revenue, vfil:hm
him $6.63 of beer at Fred’s
Place, Chattoogaville. The sale
took place at 11:25 a.m., the
warrant indicated.
Records show that Allen
paid fines connected with the
incident on Monday.
TOWING
Kenneth Bates, a local tow-,
ing service operator, complain
ed about another towing ser
vice o%eration — later iden
tified 'l‘: Lewis Stranl%: as
Flood’s Towing & Auto Repair
— having not paid two years of
back taxes and failing to buy
a 1993 business license.
Bates said also that the
town’s towing service or
dinance states that a penalty
would be assessed to any tow
infi service that failed to obtain
a business license.
Chief Gilleland said he
would investigate the matter
further and take appropriate
action.
£T6 ?pears nobody gives a
crap,” Bates said. “If it was
me, they’dbedownonme..."
Bates also complained of
favoritism in the selection of
towing services provided to
motorists involved in ac
cidents, or abandoned cars be
ing towed.
SEEK BIDS
Chief Gilleland recommend
ed that the council appoint a
committee to review com
pliance and to seek bids on hav
ing one towing service contract
with the city for the service.
Gillelandy also recommend
ed that he be allowed to con
tact the Georgia Public Service
Commission (PSC) for an in
spection of all local towing ser
vices and their records.
Councilman Kll;fi moved
that Gilleland be allowed to
pursue the matter and to have
a report for the council at its
March 14 meeting, Councilman
Stanley offered a second and
the proposal was approved
without dissent.
When Lewis Strange said
Flood’s Was the towing service
Bates had been discussing,
Kenneth Flood, owner of the
Am 3 DS
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[ MINIMUM PAYMENT S3O _ SUBJECT TO CREDIT APPROVAL _
business, passed out a letter
from the IESC.
It stated that Bates had
been cited for not having public
liability and T&roperty damage
insurance. e letter stated
that unless Bates renewed
coverage by this past Jan. 10
that his towing permit would
be lifted.
REACTION
That touched off a heated
and loud reaction from Bates,
who said he had since obtain
ed insurance and all city ger
mits and licenses. Chief
Gilleland had to keep the
shouting Bates away from
Flood. He finally got Bates out
of city hall after the meeting.
Mayor Pro Tem Pollard
said C]Yu'ef Gilleland and CitK
Manager Kinney would chec
out the matter.
In other matters, the coun
cil agreed unanimously to raise
the salary of Avery Pierce to
the same level as other city
department superintendents.
The Summerville News,
February 17,1994
Trion Debate Team 2nd In State
Its arguments promotinfi
and opposing national healt
insurance boosted Trion High
School’s debate team to a se
cond place finish in the state
tournaiment last weekend.
It was Trion’s best-ever
showing at the state level.
Trion came in second to
Pace Academy, Atlanta, the
perennial state debate cham
pion, and finished ahead of six
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Trion High School’s debate team has won
the Region 6-A championship and finish
ed second in the state this year. Team
members are, from left, in front, Chris
Hawkins, Jamie Davis, Dewayne
3-A
other region winners. The
Trion team won the Region 6-A
title last month.
Dewayne Treadaway, Chris
Hawkins, Jamie Davis, Chad
Hunt and George Horton
represented Trion in the state
tournament at Carrollton.
Their debate coach is Allen
Hayes. :
The eight teams debated
each other on the topic of
Trion Debate Team
Treadaway and Chad Hunt; second row,
Corey Bramlett, Faith Jones, Alison
Chamlee and Lindsey Denson; in back,
George Horton, Philip Grose and coach
Allen Hayes. (Staff Photo).
whether the federal govern
ment should guarantee com
prehensive national health in
surance for all U. S. citizens.
Each team debated on the af
firmative and negative sides of
the issue, with two judges
listening to each debate.
Trion’s record was 21 wins,
seven losses.
As the Class A runner-up,
Triomualified to compete in
the All-State Tournament in
April. The competition in
volves the top two teams in
each state classification.
Trion has claimed re%ion
debate championships in four
straight gears, from 1983 to
1986, and in 1988, 1989 and
this year. Its best finish at
state had previously been
third.