Grovetown City Council members Sylvia Martin and Deborah Fisher were sworn in for their latest terms before the council’s work session on Monday, both having been reelected in November 2021. Shortly thereafter, they resumed their duties addressing several issues in the council’s first meeting in 2022.
Among the first matters voted on by the council was a local maintenance and improvement grant project to repair and pave roads at Reynolds Circle and resurfacing on Katherine Street. Finance Director Bradley Smith spoke before the council regarding the need for the repairs, noting that Katherine Street required largely asphalt patches and tacking that would cost an estimated $116,000 and that Reynolds Circle needed resurfacing to correct pothole issues, costing about $274,000.
The council voted to adopt a resolution requesting a local law authorizing the city to exercise redevelopment powers.
“Mayor and City Council of the City of Grovetown seek new economic development incentives that may be used to stimulate redevelopment of distressed and underdeveloped areas of the City,” said the resolution document.
[adrotate banner=”55″]
Planning and Community Director Ronnie Kurtz explained to the council that once the resolution passes, it would then move on to the local delegation of the Georgia General Assembly, which would pass a bill by the end of March. That bill would then be placed in a referendum on the ballot at the regular election in November.
Kurtz also noted the council approving the request would not that they’re also approving any tax allocation, bond or any further authoritative measures. The request is only for a law that would empower the city to do so for the purpose of city development.
The council also voted to approve the creation of two new positions, and accompanying job descriptions, for police chief and fire chief. Human Resources Director David Toulson noted that the council voted to officially separate Grovetown Public Safety into a police department and a fire department, requiring chiefs for both.
Toulson also recommended updating the job descriptions for Street and Sanitation Supervisor and for the Help Desk Operator/Public Information Officer/Webmaster, positions that have recently become vacant. The council unanimously voted to approve these updates.
The council voted to appoint Shelly Kandian to a position with the Planning Commission, also upon the recommendation of Kurtz. Kandian has worked in the commission before, for three years before resigning to pursue a seat on the city council.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
