The Waycross City Commission was left with only administrative duties and officials’ reports with no quorum for last week’s bimonthly meeting.
Only Commissioners Shawn Roberts and Katrena Felder were present with Mayor Michael-Angeloi James for the session, Tuesday, December 2 in City Hall. Luckily, there were no resolutions, ordinances or licensing on the agenda that required a vote.
It was the third straight regularly scheduled bi-monthly session without a quorum. The panel handled November business at a called meeting November 26.
A quorum of three commissioners will be easier to reach in future meetings with the seating of a new District 4 Commissioner for next week’s planning and information session Monday, December 15 and final bi-monthly meeting of the year the next day in City Hall. William Tompkins won the post by defeating Tim Peacock in the December 2 runoff to give the panel its full complement of five representatives for the first time since the death of former District 4 Commissioner Diane Hopkins on January 29.
City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford and Business Integration & Information Systems Director Patrick Simmons offered updates on items of interest.
Waycross Fire Department Battalion Chief Thomas Haddock was recognized as the city’s December Employee of the Month before Mayor James gaveled the session to a close.
In his report, Rayford reminded citizens the city’s road improvement plan priority list is based on data from the Georgia Department of Transportation as well as the city’s robotics program for scoring roads.
He also said the city will resume its efforts to deal with the city’s blighted properties in the new year. The effort has been on hold for much of the past year with Assistant City Attorney Huey Spearman first taking over as Interim City Attorney following the retirement in April 2024 of Rick Currie. For the past six months, Spearman has been helping Currie’s replacement, Cheslyn Green, get acclimated in the post.
Spearman said he’ll return to his primary responsibility of overseeing the court filings and litigation for the blighted property effort in 2026.
The city has demolished 84 dwellings in the past 30 months, which Rayford said is more than it handled the previous decade. He also said there are 144 new housing units being built or in the planning stage to help alleviate the city’s need for housing.
Simmons said the city will purchase its own data server after discontinuing its vendor contract. The purchase will be about $18,000 as opposed to the current outlay of $42,000 on the 60-month lease.
Fire Chief Jim Blackburn introduced Haddock, who’s been a member of the department since 1994. During the time, Chief Blackburn said Haddock, who has an associate degree in fire science, has amassed “thousands of hours” in training and was an original member of the Georgia Search and Rescue Task Force. Haddock was praised for implementing a new data entry system after it was learned the department’s provider was increasing its price five percent. The change went on line in October and has made a world of difference.
“(New program) puts un into the future on so many things,” he said. “The change over saves us thousands of dollars.”
