Grovetown City Council took time to honor two of its members, Ceretta Smith and Sylvia Martin, during its meeting Monday night, as the meeting was the last for both of them as councilmembers.
“It has been truly the honor and privilege of my life to serve as a council member in the City of Grovetown,” said Smith, who is moving on to continue her campaign for Georgia’s District 12 congressional seat. “I remember when we first came here from Germany, and we were looking for a place to live, and they took us everywhere. And when we came here, I said, ‘Hmm, this reminds me of a Hallmark movie. I want to live here,’ and it’s been a great place.”
Smith has been elected to her seat on the council twice, first in 2021 and again last year.
“I pray that God will continue to bless our city, that it will continue to grow and to be a great place to live, to work and to play,” she said.
Martin, who has championed the city’s project to restore its old train depot, will be ending her final term after 12 years on the council, having first been elected in 2014.
“So this city is extremely important to me, and everything that goes on in the city is important to me, no matter how small it is,” Martin said. “I’m not going to just fade off into the sunset. I do plan on staying active in the community, because I love it. I’ve enjoyed working with every member of this council.”
The council voted in favor of a bid of more than $5.7 million to Shearer-Mutimer Construction of Evans for the city’s expansion of Liberty Park Community Center. City Financial Director Bradley Smith explained that the contract should be executed in January, with groundwork starting by the end of that month, beginning a project 11-month construction.
The city council also voted to annex two parcels, 0 Barbara St. and 210 Pinetree St., and rezone the latter to RC-1, so that it would not be an island and so that the tracts may share a zoning district.
The parcels are owned by the Hardy Land Co., who wants to have them annexed in order to develop them under Grovetown’s codes and ordinances, planning and community development director Jac Palmer explained. The company has indicated that they are willing to upgrade infrastructure on Pine Street to develop the properties.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering general reporting for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
