Waycross will seek Community Development Block Grant funds to upgrade more aging infrastructure after action by the Waycross City Commission last week.
Commissioners approved a resolution allowing the city to apply for CDBG funds as part of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission.
The measure was the only governmental activity on the agenda for meeting, Tuesday, March 24. In other business, commissioners set a public hearing for a zoning change and presented Public Works staff member William “Bo” Scurry with the Kennedy L. Sanders Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award.
Commissioners also announced the spring version of their bi-annual planning retreat will be held Friday-Saturday, April 10-11 in City Hall. The public session begins at 8 a.m. the first day and 8:30 a.m. the next.
Mayor Michael-Angelo James conducted the short session with all commissioners in attendance except District 4’s William Tompkins. There was no executive session.
The CDBG application is made annually by municipalities to secure grant funding for improvements including water, sewer, streets as well as flood and drainage. The amount of the award is determined after all applications are placed with SGRC, City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford said.
The city has targeted improvements in the water-sewer infrastructure in as sizeable area of the city. The triangle-shaped location borders on Carswell Avenue at the CSX railroad crossing near Seaman Street on one end, U.S. 82 on the other and Nicholls Street on the side.
The area includes residences and businesses on parts of Elizabeth, Mary, Isabella, Cleo, Izlar, Owens and Walker streets.
The public hearing will be at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 21 prior to the commission’s bi-monthly meeting. A zoning change has been requested for an area covering 1.19 acres at Marion Street between Burgess Street and City Boulevard – directly next to the city water tower. The request is rezoning from its current R-75 Residential to R-75 Residential Mobile Home.
Scurry received the Sanders Award for his efforts in helping limit the damage to a house being renovated on Cherokee Circle that had its porch on fire. Public Works Director Matt Elwell said after Scurry arrived “early as usual” for his work shift in Oakland Cemetery, he smelled something out of the ordinary.
“Most people might dismiss it, but his instincts said otherwise,” said Elwell, who added Scurry went to his truck and followed the smell across the CSX tracks bordering Plant Avenue into the residential area to find the fire.
“He called 911 then grabbed a garden hose to put water on the fire until the fire department arrived,” Elwell said.
WFD personnel said Scurry’s action limited the fire’s spread to other parts of the dwelling, which lessened the damage.
