By RICK NOLTE Staff Writer
Work will begin soon on replacing a culvert between Knight Avenue and the Memorial Drive at Lee Avenue following action last week by the Waycross City Commission.
Commissioners approved a $1.165 million contract with The Scruggs Company for emergency work on the infrastructure. The resolution was among six passed during the Tuesday, December 16 meeting in City Hall.
Commissioners also approved the second reading of an ordinance to close an unopened alley and OK’d privilege license renewals for 16 businesses. They also welcomed new Commissioner William Tompkins while praising the service of departing Commissioners Sheinita Bennett in District 2 and Dr. Katrena Felder in District 3.
Mayor Michael-Angelo James and all commissioners were present for the body’s final scheduled meeting of 2025. There was no executive session.
Resolutions
The culvert work bid by Scruggs Company was the lowest and best of four received, Purchasing Director Mamie Jackson said. City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford said the repair will be paid from funds in the city’s watersewer budget along with others from a Local Maintenance Infrastructure Grant and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax monies.
Rayford said the city, to this point, has been fortunate there hasn’t been a major cave-in along the culvert.
The other resolution involving an expenditure was for the purchase of a vac trailer to aid in infrastructure work.
The $57,000 outlay will be paid from the watersewer budget and supplement work of the city’s larger vac truck.
The trailer will allow Public Works and ESG Engineering personnel to perform smaller jobs that are difficult for the truck, often because of limited access space, Public Works Director Matt Elwell said.
A third measure approved the application for Community Development Block Grant Funding for the coming year.
Rayford said the bulk of the money would be targeted to infrastructure work in two qualifying demographic areas of the city.
Two other resolutions accepted the results of the Municipal Election for Commission seats in Districts 1-3 and the special election for the District 4 seat.
Incumbent Shawn Roberts won in District 1 while William Simmons and Shawn Sanders will join the panel January 1 for District 2 and District 3, respectively.
Tompkins gained the District 4 seat and was seated immediately earlier this month because the post had been vacant since the death of Diane Hopkins on January 29. He gained the seat by defeating Tim Peacock in a runoff earlier this month.
The final resolution appointed Brian Jackson to a full term on the Waycross-Ware County Development Authority.
Jackson, who already was on the board as a midterm appointment for a departing member, will serve January 1, 2026 until December 31, 2029.
Ordinance
The ordinance abandoned and closed a portion of an unopened alley running from Church Street toward Plant Avenue.
The city will retain easement on the property, and quitclaim deeds will be authorized for the adjacent property owner/s, who sought the closure.
The first reading of the ordinance was held at a called meeting of the commission November 26.
Acknowledgments Mayor James welcomed Tompkins to the commission as the District 4 representative with a ceremonial swearing in at his first scheduled bimonthly meeting.
He also thanked Bennett and Dr. Felder for their service the past four years and presented each with a plaque of recognition from the city.
“Thank you for your time and service, and a job well done,” he said.
Each was elected in November 2021 and were seated January 1, 2022 for a term ending December 31.
Bennett did not run for a second term in November while Dr. Felder lost to Sanders in this month’s runoff.
