The Grovetown City Council discussed its water service lines, the city’s police department’s state certification and bids for its depot project.
Grovetown Finance Director Bradley Smith reminded councilmembers of the lead service line inventory the city will have to perform, in which it will have to examine every line in the city to make sure homeowners don’t have lead pipes going to their homes.
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) is providing a $350,000 forgivable loan towards this project from its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Smith noted that, while the city will never have to make a payment on these funds, it is still obligated to reduce the liability over time.
“This is not something we get to reduce all at once, so I do actually have to record it as a liability on the city’s financial statements,” Smith explained to the council, making mention that several other cities are receiving these funds through the loan. “However, over time, it’s forgiven, as long as we continue to follow the rules that are set out in the GEFA loan documents.”
Half of the loan money will be combined with Grovetown’s current monies to pay for equipment, while the other $175,000 will be used toward engineering fees and possible outsourcing for the project, Smith said. The utilities department has already confirmed approximately 80% of homes do not have lead service lines, leaving 1,200 to 1,800 homes left to examine.
The council would go on to approve cancelling the Grovetown Police Department’s state certification. The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) implemented the state certification program for police agencies, which is totally voluntary, as a means to ensure best practices and acknowledge “the implementation of policies and procedures [are] sound and operationally effective,” according to its website.
Grovetown Police has participated in certification since 2021. In a letter to city administrator Elaine Matthews requesting the council consider approving cancelling the certification, Police Chief Jamey Kitchens noted involvement with the program largely consists of monthly four-to-six-hour training sessions that “do not engage” offers or offer instructional feedback. It also stated that any benefits—which Kitchens acknowledged was mostly limited to better report writing—did not outweigh its costs. Last fiscal year, the department spent more than $9,800 to maintain its certification.
“This will be doing away with a lot of levels of unnecessary bureaucracy,” said Kitchens to the councilmembers, Tuesday. In his letter, Kitchens also proposed that the mayor and city administrator conduct quarterly audits of the department, rather than every three years, suggesting that citations, warrants, training, disciplinary actions and body camera footage be included.
The city council would later approve of a construction contract with S.D. Clifton Construction for more than $3.1 million to rebuild the Grovetown Depot.
At the beginning of the council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Blair praised the police and fire departments for their work amid Hurricane Helene and its aftermath.
“When the hurricane swept through our community, y’all were the first ones to respond, the first ones to face danger, and the first ones to offer help when so many were in need,” said Blair. “Whether it was responding to an emergency, whether you were clearing debris, or you were offering comfort in some of the darkest moments that people faced, you all stood strong… You all embody the spirit of service and the strength of our community, and I’ll tell you what, I am forever grateful, and I’m sure our citizens are for your sacrifice and your unwavering commitment to the city of Grovetown.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
