Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson says he does not need a bus trip to determine that the appearance of the city is in a pathetic state and is calling for the city to get its act together.
The two-year anniversary of the vehicle wreck that partially demolished the monument to abolitionist pioneer Emily Tubman falls on July 28. Under the Georgia code regarding personal injury, the city has until July 28 to file an insurance claim in the matter or the at-fault driver is protected by the statute of limitations.
Johnson says he is frustrated that the city has waited this long to file and close out a simple damage claim.
“If someone hit and damaged a city vehicle, we would certainly file a claim. So why is this any different? It is hard to believe we have a light pole left standing with the way people have been hitting them lately, and the city just does nothing about it,” Johnson said.
Johnson placed an item for discussion of the appearance of the city at the Jan. 30 Public Services Committee where he lamented not only missing light poles and destroyed monuments but also pointed out that torn and tattered flags are flying over city buildings.
According to Johnson, city departments complain they do not have the funds to purchase replacement flags that cost around $500.
“We owe it to the state and our country to make sure our flags are properly presented,” Johnson told the committee.
Members of the Central Services Department, the department responsible for flag maintenance, appeared before the committee and asked Johnson for a list of flags that needed replacement.
“Why don’t you start with the flag out front of the Municipal Building, the one I park under every day,” Johnson said.
The employees then claimed that since the flagpole was in the middle of the right-away in front of the building, that flag was someone else’s responsibility.
The committee took no action, receiving the mayor’s item as “information;” however, Johnson did get some results by the end of the week.
Central Services must have found out who was responsible for the Greene Street flag as a Feb. 3 drive-by inspection shows that Johnson’s flag has been replaced with a new stars and stripes banner.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
