Waycross will soon ease payment of city fees with the installation of an outdoor automated kiosk adjacent to City Hall.
A resolution for the purchase of the device, which is similar to an automated teller machine at a bank, was approved last week by the city commission. The measure for the $23,657 expenditure was one of four passed at its bimonthly meeting Tuesday, June 2 in City Hall.
Included in the four resolutions approved was one on the city’s budget totaling $39.6 million for Fiscal Year 2026-27. The others were to surplus city property for later sale.
All five commissioners were present for the short meeting conducted by Mayor Michael-Angelo James. There was no executive session.
In addition to handling the resolutions, commissioners also recognized Waycross Fire Department Driver-Engineer Dale McDowell as City Employee of the Month for June.
Purchase of the kiosk will be paid from the 2020 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds for information technology. The device is manufactured by a company in Mississippi and the purchase price is a one-time fee.
City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford presented the idea of the kiosk to commissioners during their planning and information session June 1. He said it would be another way to facilitate transfer of funds between citizens and the city for those who like to pay their bills at City Hall.
It will be located in the driveway at the side of City Hall, and allow 24hour payments from a vehicle or walkup. Rayford said it will be especially beneficial as part of the city’s move to a compressed work week for some service staff with early closure of City Hall on Friday as part of the new budget.
Business Integration and Information Technology Director Patrick Simmons said there will be no fee for using the automated device and it will accept any payment currently run through the city’s computer system since they all have bar codes. Its maintenance will be part of the city’s overall IT contract.
The resolutions for sale of the surplus items were for a group of handguns, ammunition and various handgun magazines, as well as cellphones and a Wi-Fi hotspot device.
The three handguns and ammunition were acquired by the Waycross Police Department through forfeiture after arrests and prosecution. Ten percent of the proceeds from their sale goes to the Waycross District Attorney’s Drug Forfeiture Account. Only registered gun dealers can bid on the items.
The 23 phones are no longer in working condition, not serviceable or outdated. Among them are 10 iPhones.
McDowell joined the fire department in 2013 as a firefighter and was promoted to his current position in 2024, Chief Jim Blackburn said. He cited comments from McDowell’s superiors and coworkers in letters nominating him for the honor.
Capt. Brittney Prall called McDowell a “great asset in training” to younger firefighters as a result of his decade-plus experience. Lt. Danny Delio said the honoree was “an inspiration to work with” and it “was an honor to clock in with him every day.”
Blackburn pointed to McDowell’s dedication to the job, even in the face of personal tragedy. During the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024, McDowell kept working with his crew on storm cleanup well past its assigned departure time despite having lost his home in the storm, which was not known by his coworkers or Blackburn, who was his Battalion Chief at the time.
“He stayed right there on that truck heloing the citizens of Waycross,” recalled Blackburn, who said he sent McDowell to help his family when he received the news. “He’s an exceptional employee. The embodiment of the person we want in our department.”
Prior to the meeting, the commission held two public hearings on renaming Newtown Park in honor of a deceased neighborhood resident and closing an abandoned and unused alley in the South Deenwood Subdivision to be deeded to an adjacent property owner. Commissioners approved both requests, and the changes will take place through ordinances offered for approval at a future meeting.
