Click for the 1hr 52min DDA audio recording.

Back in August of 2008 the Downtown Development Authority started the garbage cans for Baytree Place project.  After only 8 months they are now installed.  Not bad for a government project.

The receptacles  are located at the corner of Myrtle and Baytree Place, between Jack's Library and Southern Lamp and Shade, at the center of the street pictured abouve and between Star Ins. and Flip Flops.

City of Remerton Regular Council Session
Monday, April 13, 2009 at 5:30 PM

Welcome Guests
Pledge and Prayer - Led by Bill Wetherington
Establish Quorum of  Council - Mayor Holsendolph, Council members Gordon, Stacks, Day and Wetherington were present and Wood absent.
Approval of minutes from Regular Council Meeting, Monday, March 9, 2009 and Special Called Meeting, Monday, March 30, 2009 - Both approved
Citizens to be Heard - Mr. Carrol Griffin, Remerton's appointed representative to the Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization gave an update of the bus line plans for the area.  Sometime in the next 18-24 months Valdosta will have bus service that will include stops on Baytree in Remerton.  The routes are planned to expand throughout Lowndes County connecting all of the communities. 

Mr. Marvin Brooks (DDA/URA member and property owner) spoke about the alternative route through his brother's property (Al Brooks, former mayor) for the Valdosta to Remerton water easement.  This and the other easements were assumed to be the topic of the executive session later in the meeting.

New Business:
  1.  Consideration regarding reimbursement of sewer improvements for Jason 'bailey Project-Bill Kent - Remerton will pay $2,1074 to the Jason Bailey project for their connection to Valdosta's sewer system.

  2.  Consideration regarding replacement of sewer flow metering equipment at existing meter-Bill Kent-It was proposed that the City replace an old, but functioning, meter with a new $9,400 meter.  This was rejected due to current economic conditions.

  3. Consideration of design fee for Edgewood Drive sewer metering improvements-Bill Kent-

  4.  Financial Report-Lisa Mashburn-

  5.  Consideration regarding CD with Park Avenue Bank-Lisa Mashburn-The maturing CD (certificate of deposit in the amount of ~$20,000) will be transferred to the Farmers and Merchants Bank which is paying 2.93% for one year.

  6.  Consideration regarding purchasing a used garbage truck or fixing up  the old garbage truck the City has now. - Due to current economic conditions (and common sense?) the truck that has been sitting idle for five hears will be repaired at an estimated cost of $10,000 rather that investing in a new-used truck at $40-45,000.

Council Comments - none
EXECUTIVE SESSION- Property - (from the preliminary/non-approved minutes-ed.) - Motion made to have the City Engineer file for a boring permit with the Norfolk Southern Railroad related to the water line project.  Mayor Pro Tem Stacks seconded.  All in favor.  Motion carried.

Adjourn

Click for the 27 minute audio of the April 13, 2009 Regular Council Session.

The first council meeting of the new fiscal year revealed multiple unanticipated, unbudgeted expenses.

CITY OF REMERTON - Worksession
Monday, April 6, 2009 at 5:30 PM

Welcome Guests
Citizens to be Heard - Longtime residident, Bob Horne, spoke.  First he complimented the Remerton Police Department and then he went on to suggest that Remerton adopt a policy, like Valdosta's, that would limit the number of unrelated persons able to occupy a single residence.

Presentations, Public Hearings and Updates:
1. Update regarding Strickland Cotton Mill Grant Applications - Jessica Freeman

NEW BUSINESS:
1. Discussion regarding reimbursement of sewer improvements for Jason Bailey project-Bill Kent- Jason Bailey has requested $21,074 from the City for the new apartment complex sewer hookup expense.  This expense was apparently not anticipated by City officials.

2. Discussion regarding replacement of sewer flow metering equipment at existing meter-Bill Kent - (min 15:30) The old sewage meter no longer indicates periodic fluctuations in flow, but does still show the total flow that is used by Valdosta to determine the charge to Remerton for sewage processing.  A modern replacement meter will cost $9,400.  A new meter is not absolutely necessary at this time, however it will help diagnose any problems with infiltration into the sewage system.

3. Discussion of design fee for Edgewood Drive sewer metering improvements-Bill Kent- (min 26:25) $1,500-1,900 in engineering design services is requested to design a legal hook up with flow meter to the Valdosta sewage system.  Valdosta is threatening to fine Remerton and cut off the sewer line at Edgewood.  Sometime in the past a verbal agreement was made between a developer, a Valdosta engineer and the City of Remerton that allowed the developer to connect directly to the nearby Valdosta sewer line, unmetered, with Remerton reimbursing Valdosta (based on water useage) for the calculated amount of unmetered sewage flowing from the development.  Remerton stopped paying sometime in the past and Valdosta got a new engineer who discovered the problem and is demanding that Remerton meter the flow as is required by the intergovernmental agreement on sewage treatment.  (Valdosta aint taking any more crap from Remerton, without payment.)

Note that this engineering services request does not include the cost of the project which will be comparable the the $21,000 request in the first item.   

4. Discussion regarding CD with Park Avenue Bank-Lisa - The CD is maturing and the search is on for better rates.
5. Department Reports:(min 38:20)
 a. City Clerk-Lisa Mashburn
 b. Probation-Jessica Freeman - Flashing lights at the Beatles House and fences between Plum St. commercial property and Poplar St. residential property were discussed.

 c. Police-Chief Mike Terrell
 d. Fire/Utilities/Public Works-Ron Woods (min 52:30) Director Woods said that the only impact from the recent rains and area flooding on Remerton were some brief power outages requiring circuit breaker resets and minor flooding around the fire station.

He presented some costs for a new (used) backup garbage truck in the $40,00-45,000 price range.  Repairs to the old truck that has been sitting out of service for five years are estimated at $10,000.  The old truck will most likely be repaired.  

OLD BUSINESS:
1. Discussion regarding Variance Request No V-2009-1-Jessica Freeman

EXECUTIVE SESSION: Personnel (min 65)
ADJOURN.

Click here for the 65 minute audio of the April 6, 2009 Council Worksession.

Did you know that Remerton has an official Complaint Log in Form?  Until recently we at RemertonNews didn't, either.  It is for citizens to use for those non-urgent sorts of things that do not require an immediate response.

The form has check blocks for Water complaint, Grass or yard complaint, Trash cans and Other.

We thought we'd investigate some of these complaints and from last Friday, March 27th we have this:

The complainant was not identified on the form but had three separate items about three businesses.

  1.  Belson Computers - Plum -overall area - maybe fire hazard - garbage front porch.

  2. CJ's - abandoned cars in parking lot

  3. Behind Boardwalk - clean up building

We decided to conduct a phone interview with the subjects of these complaints starting with Belson's Computers.  Here is the transcript.  RN is your Editor, JB is the owner.

RN:  Mr. B, I'm with RemertonNews and we would like to interview you about the complaint....

JB:  F***-off, you muck-raking old bast***!

RN:  Please sir, we would like to know your thoughts on the complaint, and what you plan to do about it.  That place is getting kind of...

JB:   I'll tell you my reaction, you a**hole.  First, the City said that the complaining weasel wouldn't give a name,  the chickens***.  Then they tell me it was a man.  Horses***!  Those kind of complaints are by made by bored old busy-body women with nothing better to do. 

A man would come by and say, "Hey you, clean up that dump it looks like s***!"  A man would recognize that a bunch of old steel computer cases aren't a fire hazard, but then so would most women.

No, I don't think the complainer has the necessary equipment to be classified as a man.  And if she has a man he should tell her to stay out of other people's beeswax. 

Why don't you go ask the CJ's and Boardwalk guys what they think of the whiny little bit****'s complaints?

Now leave me alone, I'm busy.

RN:  Well, thank you Mr. B.  We did ask the others, and yours was the most civil answer.

JB:  You're not going to print this on that trashy website are you?

RN:  No sir!  Not if you object, we'd never do something like that.

JB:  Ya' better not...I know where you live...