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CITY OF JONESBORO The City of Jonesboro Mayor and Council held their monthly Council meeting on Monday, July 09, 2007. The meeting was held at 7:00 p.m. at the Jonesboro Police Station, 170 South Main Street, Jonesboro, Georgia. Council Present: Roger Grider Luther Maddox Clarence Mann Linda Wenz Bobby Wiggins Rick Yonce Mayor Joy Day Staff Present: City Clerk - Janice Truhan, Chief - Wayne Rowland, Asst. Chief - Brad Johnson, Public Works Director - Joe Nettleton, Officer Carpenter, and Officer Lindsey. Mayor
Day called the meeting to order, followed by the pledge of allegiance. Minutes of the May 17th and June
11, 2007 meeting were approved as written. [May 17th, 2007 Called
meeting, Motion: Grider, 2nd:
Wiggins, Vote: Unanimous] [June
11, 2007 Regular Council Meeting, Motion:
Grider, 2nd: Wenz, Vote:
Unanimous]. The Council considered the following items (C-I and J-K - added) on the agenda: ·
Considered motion to adopt Tara Wrecker’s
proposed contract. Approved [Motion: Grider, 2 nd: Mann,
Vote: Yes – Grider, Maddox, Mann, Yonce; No: Wenz, Wiggins]. ·
Considered motion to develop R.F.P. for 911
dispatch system. Approved [Motion: Grider, 2nd,
Yonce, Vote: Yes – Wiggins, Yonce;
Grider, Maddox, Mann; No: Wenz]. · Considered Variance request, Mr. Larry Bazemore, Old Ivey. Approved [Motion: Grider, 2nd: Wiggins, Vote: Unanimous]. ·
Considered Officer removal
from position as School Resource Officer – Approved [Motion: Grider, 2nd: Yonce, Vote:
Unanimous]. ·
Considered motion to remove Linda Wenz as Council Liaison [Motion: Wenz, 2nd: unknown,
Vote: Unanimous]. ·
Considered motion to create line item for
Streetscape. Tabled [Motion: Maddox, 2nd: Grider,
Vote: Unanimous]. Other Business: Mayor Day read a statement into the minutes: "This
is a grudge match with the media invited. Some of our council members
are asserting their own personal agendas without regard to the good of our
city. This year we have retaken ten steps backward as far as economic
progress is concerned. We have no viable projects or agendas to show
for our work since July 2006 except the renovation of the old fire station as
a clubhouse for a select few. I want to commend Councilman Bobby Wiggins
for his dedication and hard work on that project. The council discussed
giving $30,000 for that project in 2005, but never revised the budget to
provide the funds. In essence, they gave carte blanch to Bobby Wiggins
to spend $30,000 that was never in the budget. This year the council
allotted monies for the project; that has been overspent by $9000, but no one
has called the media on that expenditure. In essence, a councilmember
can spend $9000 without asking permission of anyone. The
council voted to purchase a garbage truck in the amount of $125,480 even
though the city does not pick up garbage. The council has been given
hard figures on city cost, which is high, versus privatizing garbage as we
presently do, at a lower rate for citizens. Spending $125,480 on a
truck we cannot use is alright, I suppose, if the good old boys are handling
it. When
Mr. Maddox, Yonce, Grider,
and Mann make a mistake, they are quick to verbalize that “they did not
understand.” How convenient. Three recent occasions in which they
“did not understand,” are as follows: City
Farmers Market… A called meeting was held the Thursday following our regular
meeting because they said they did not understand what they were voting on at
the regular meeting, despite a 30 minute work session in which no questions
were answered, and discussion was asked for prior to the vote. Annexation…
At our last work session, our city attorney, David Winkle discussed his firm
handling our annexation efforts and using a consultant that he
suggested. The council agreed. I even said,”I
will set up a meeting with the Mr. ____ about the annexation process.
Ms. Truhan and I will meet with him.” Now we have council members
coming to city hall saying they did not understand. The
City Hall Car…They did not understand. Well, I did not understand that
they did not understand. Had I been trying to deceive them, I would
never have asked their permission. I would not have gotten bids.
I would not have promised to give them a memo regarding each step in the
process. I
am glad to see the media here tonight. I am aware that one of our
council members consulted the media. Let’s have a circuit so that we
can look like fools. We are already a laughing stock for giving back
$400,000 to the Atlanta Regional Commission, another brilliant decision made
by our council this year. Why wasn’t’ the
media called when… Our male council
members voted to double their salaries? We can’t afford a city
manager or downtown development director, but we can afford to double our
salaries???? I have devoted this city almost 12 years and never asked
for a pay raise, yet we have council members who have served less than two
years doubling their salaries. I use my own vehicle 99% of the time on
city business and receive no expense money. Mr. Yonce,
Mr. Maddox, and Mr. Mann are not up for reelections, so they voted to double
their salaries, as did two others, Mr. Grider and
Mr. Wiggins. Ms. Wenz voted no. Why wasn’t the media
called when… Our council gave $500
of city money to an individual for a saw he found by the side of the road,
and let him keep the saw because he said it was damaged at the firehouse
renovation? This was done directly against the advice and word of Bobby
Wiggins, one of our councilmen. These documents are a matter of public
record. Why wasn’t the media
called when… A council member
offered a job to an individual at the rate of $100 per day and told the
council and mayor afterwards at a work session? This job was never
advertised, formally voted upon, nor did the council member have the
authority to hire anyone. Why wasn’t the media
called when… We were not a certified
city…we had no comprehensive plan. I made sure we write a comprehensive
plan and updated it as well…we have been a certified city Why wasn’t the media
called when… We received $100,000 of
non-matching money for playground equipment at Massengale
Park. Why wasn’t the media
called when… We built both Massengale Park and Battleground Park with grant funds
and very little city money Why wasn’t the media
called when… We came in $300,000
under budget last year because of wise management of funds? Why wasn’t the media
called when… We continued to
increase our fund balance each year to a total now over $3,000,000, an amount
unheard of in a city as small as Jonesboro, making our city more secure
financially each passing year? Why wasn’t the media
called when… We received $1,000,000
from the Atlanta Regional Commission for a downtown streetscape? During the past 2 ½
years of harassment that I have suffered, I could not have lived in Jonesboro
had I small children. I have endured repeated vandalism to my property,
hate mail, screaming on my answering machine, a website with distorted facts
and pictures, and the vilest kind of rumors and innuendos. I took
an oath, however, to serve to the best of my ability and that I am trying to
do. I have not profited from any action; the controversial vehicle
belongs to the city and came about as a result of transferring a vehicle to our
police department. The council was well aware of the plans, four
members of our council agreed in the presence of both our city clerk and the
city attorney: But, “they did not understand.” Well, obviously neither
did I, since I told our finance officer the next
morning that the council was Ok with the transfer of vehicles…no subterfuge. I could go on and on
with other examples, but let me end with this. The media was called
tonight because of a witch hunt. The “Aryan Nation” of Jonesboro is
alive and well; it’s an exclusive group that feeds on hate without regard to
the best interests of our city." Joy B. Day, Mayor
The meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote [Motion: Day, 2nd: Mann, Vote: Unanimous]. __________________________________ _______________________ Joy B. Day - Mayor Janice J. Truhan – City Clerk |