The Waycross City Commission amended the city’s contract with ESG/Inframark Operations last week during a short bi-monthly meeting in City Hall.
The resolution to increase portions of the pact with the firm which oversees operations of the wastewater treatment plant, was the only agenda item for commissioners to consider Tuesday, May 20. The approval raised the contract by $259,301 for fiscal year 2025-26.
In other business, Waycross Police Department Det. Marc Horne and Officer Duncan Kirkland each were honored with the Sgt. Kennedy L. Sanders Outstanding Citizen Award for their efforts in helping save the life of Georgia State Trooper Justin Jones early this month following a high-speed chase in Waycross.
In addition to Mayor Michael-Angelo James, all four commissioners were present for the session.
The meeting was preceded by City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford’s presentation of a proposed $40.188 million budget for FY25-26 in a public hearing before commissioners.
The ledger, if approved in its current form, would represent a decrease of $2.48 million over the FY 24-25 version.
ESG contract
Representatives from ESG/Inframark addressed commissioners during their planning and information session Monday, May 19 about the contract change. They sought the adjustment to cover increased costs in expenses and salaries as well as a deficiency in the city’s sludge rebate account.
They used chlorine as an example of higher operating expenses related to chemicals needed for testing and treatment. That substance is up nearly 120 percent since the coronavirus pandemic hit.
The salary hike request resulted from the need to replace some departed staff with workers at higher pay. They said salary for staffers needed to be raised so the new hires didn’t exceed compensation of existing workers.
The resolution includes an increase of $123,449 to the base and $135,852 to the sludge rebate account. The representatives said that account had seen an overage of $124,000.
Sgt. Sanders Awards
Horne and Kirkland each received a certificate of appreciation and the city’s “Golden Spike” award for their heroism in the line of duty from Mayor James.
Jones, who was unconscious, was pulled from his submerged vehicle. Horne and Kirkland performed cardio pulmonary resuscitation until Ware County EMS personnel arrived. Jones was airlifted from the scene to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah where he was treated for injuries suffered in the incident and released days later.
“This serves as a reminder of the daily dangers public safety personnel face,” WPD Chief Tommy Cox said in introducing Horne and Kirkland.
The chase took place the evening of May 7 following a traffic stop by WPD officers on Washington Avenue near Brunel Street in which Jones assisted. The driver of the stopped vehicle, Tracy Cameron Hilliard, 47, of Waycross, fled the scene in an SUV prompting the officers and Jones to pursue with the trooper leading the pursuit.
After a chase of several miles in which speeds exceeded 100 mph, Jones attempted a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver on Hilliard’s vehicle on Swamp Road near Gilmore Drive.
After executing the manuever, the trooper’s vehicle veered onto the shoulder, overturned into a creek, and landed upside down. The suspect’s vehicle came to rest upright on top of the submerged patrol car.
Horne rushed to the trooper, and attempted for several minutes to free Jones from the vehicle. Once the trooper was extracted, Horne and Kirkland performed life-saving measures.
Hilliard faces 18 charges related to the incident.
