City Council - Regular Meeting

presidential Amy's pattern.

And then the issue pattern to the South, um, remember the case on the property to the East. There was an art studio where we talked about the differences in zoning pattern. And land use patterns up and down the street. Um, so with this particular request, it's a rezoning. And the commission reviewed this at their public hearing on June the twenty ninth. And they are recommending approval of it, um, after finding consistent with the comprehensive plan. Consistent with the standards for exercise of zoning power, all of those are elaborated there. I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Council, any questions for Matt? Matt, thank you. Again, this is a public hearing item. Is there anybody that would like to come forward and speak in favor of this request at this moment? Seeing none, is there anybody that would like to come forward and speak in opposition to this request? Again, seeing none, Council, it's yours for action.

Mayor, make a motion to approve that this case has presented. Second.

I have a motion and a second. All in favor, show of hands. Council, thank you. Matt, thank you. Item B, consideration of an ordinance granting a conditional use permit for the placement of a mobile home in a single-family residential R6 zoning district.

Matt Martin, again, to present. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mayor. This property is located at 602 Ulmer Avenue. This is the other side of Um, properties and our 6 request is to place a double wide mobile home brand new on this vacant lot. Which used to have a site belt single single family residents there. It is the little Miami neighborhood is what we often refer to it. The history of it from years ago was 1st, developed in the county is 1 of our large county islands over annex in 2006. A mixture of residential uses over the predominant land use the site built single family. But mobile homes are allowed in our 6 with the conditional use approval. Um, planning commission review this request is also at their meeting on June the 29th. And they are recommending approval by almost unanimous vote 8 to 0 to 1. We had 1 member abstain from the voting. I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have on this 1. Council any questions on this item. excuse me Matt I wasn't here and I'm sorry but did the question come up as to what type of building was there before this um it was of course in the packet that we can't show there was a brick single-family residence that was there for many years it fell into a state of disrepair it was demolished last year Um, and so it's now a vacant lot, the applicants have owned the property for more than 10 years. Um, they're wanting to put a mobile home there instead of build back the site built resident. Um, but like we had explained to them, their options were to build a site, build home, um, erected modular home on the property, um, or seek public hearing approval for a mobile home. And that's the option that they're going.

Yeah. The reason I asked about that, I know we, we talked about it once before when we were talking about, um. Keeping, I guess, keeping the, you know, keeping the area kind of like, as it has been and about putting. Mobile homes or trailers and different when a, you know, when a house was there, we put a house back. Uh, if it was a mobile home there, we have to look at in considerations and I know they said, uh, we have some really nice mobile homes. I've seen them and they're anchored down. They look like houses. Are we given these conditions? That they got, you know, how they're going to be anchored down. Oh, actually, I see how the appearance.

Yes, there's a whole list of criteria for what's called a class, a mobile home. And a copy of those criteria are there in your packet in terms of the pitched roof overhang. Skirting around the foundation orientation of it. Those kinds of things, that's a requirement of the development code anyway, that they have to comply with. Or otherwise seek variance by a separate public hearing. Which is 1 option since you were out here for the work session, we did. Talk about some of the numbers, the differences in recommendations that are there in your packet. I mean, staff and planning commission, but 1 of the things that I highlighted much in the packet. Is I looked at the aerial imagery and the street view imagery of the surrounding area and I looked at a one thousand foot radius just to kind of get a feel for the residential character of it within a thousand feet of this subject property. I counted fifty five site built homes and one mobile home. And the one mobile home was over six hundred feet away. So that tells you sort of the mix of the housing type that is already there. As you know, some of our neighborhoods, the mix is a little bit different. So that's one of the things we look at when we are reviewing these kinds of cases.

The previous one that we denied on Barack Obama, what's the difference between that one and this one?

Um, not a whole lot of difference, um, different street. Barack Obama Boulevard is scheduled for some very major streetscape improvements. Um, in terms of the neighborhood mix of housing type, it was similar. Um, everything around it was site built except for 1. And that 1 was 500 feet away to the east. Um, and that 1 also used to have a single family residents. Um, that was removed the difference was, is that other residents was a probably a historic building. I think from the turn of the century, 100 years ago, this one was not that old. But we had pictures of that in the PowerPoint. I think we put that in the packet, actually, this time, the one photograph that shows a brick house. A year and a half ago, that's what was sitting there.

I understand it was in our package, but we might have citizens here that want to know the difference, because we did deny the one on Barack Obama, and I was trying to figure out how we were going to go with this one, Yeah, because it was so similarity.

These are very similar type requests. The main difference is location. Um, but it's family property, similar neighborhood mix a different lot. The one on Barack Obama was not a corner lot. It was a lot in the middle of the block. The mobile home had to be turned a certain way in order to fit. Remember, that was a point of discussion. This one is a corner lot and the applicant would have an option of turning it one way or the other. it fits better one of those ways. But what they're showing you in your packet is to turn it 90 degrees so that the front door faces Ulmer. But to meet setback requirements, they literally have one foot to spare. That's it. So it's kind of a tight fit that direction. So that's the only difference.

Thank you.

Councilor, any other questions for Matt? Matt, thank you. Again, this is a public hearing item. Is there anybody that wishes to come forward and speak in favor of this request? Please state your name and address when you get up.

Hello, we are the Emmons and Tiaras, Paul Emmons. We currently don't have an address. We're currently homeless, living on family property in Tampa. What we wanted to say was when we purchased this mobile home, we went in blind. We was excited, didn't know anything about permits, didn't know anything about what we needed to do because we were thinking, okay, this is my husband's family property. We can put our trailer on there. But we were waiting for a treat. It was a surprise to us. After we closed and everything, we found out that permits had to be pulled. So we had just moved out of our home. The lease was up there. So we're thinking we have weeks to move into our mobile home because we was approved and it's been months. and so um we're just asking to be able to put our land a property on our land where my husband would all begin for him as a child and let us make new memories there for our kids um that's all right council any questions for the applicants none thank you is there anybody else that would like to come forward and speak in favor of this request

Hello. Hello, George Foreman, Northside Drive. One thing I wanted to say is that we all know the economy in the world we're living in now is hard, and this family is trying to just get attainable living. They're trying to get attainable living on a property that's in their family that they own. I know the history of mobile homes. I know the last case, as mentioned, was denied on Barack Obama Avenue. or on that road, and it was mentioned that what was the difference in this case and the last case, that house was literally in the middle of a project that GDOT is doing. It had a lot of discrepancies of the turning of the house, how the house was gonna fit. If you look at this house and the land that this house is gonna be on, it's totally different. I talked to some of the neighbors in that neighborhood. I went down myself and talked to them and asked them how they felt about it. They were fine with it. If you look at how this house, this mobile home would benefit and beautify that area. I know they talk about the thousand feet, you know, how the house, the next mobile home is a thousand feet down. But if you look and see how it would actually upscale some of the other houses in that neighborhood, it would actually do justice to that neighborhood. All I'm asking is, and I know is that you take it case by case. You take a thought by thought. You actually look at it. See doesn't need some conditions. Does it need something special? But you actually look at this case for what it is and give us some thought for what it is. You have an opportunity to help a family that's homeless and not just hear a mobile home and turn the eye to it's a mobile home in this neighborhood. That's all I'm asking.

Any questions for George George? Thank you. I'll ask you again. Is there anybody else that wants to come forward and speak in favor of this request? Seeing none, is there anybody that would like to come forward and speak in opposition to this request? Again, seeing none, Council, it's yours for action.

Mr. Mayor, you know, I certainly feel for anybody trying to get a home in place and, you know, Dave Kuntz, Staff really kind of hit the nail on the head and and it's unfortunate we don't have the photos that were available to us on Tuesday night to show everybody, but the one mobile home that's close by this property. Dave Kuntz, is certainly not contributing to the quality of that neighborhood. Because that's the problem with mobile homes. They deteriorate and they depreciate. And there are some great opportunities with modular homes nowadays that, you know, the research I've done, you can get a modular home for a base price between 80 and $100 a square foot. But having said that and following staff's recommendation, I make a motion to deny the request. I have a motion to deny.

So me, I'd like to make a motion to approve this request. I got to follow the first.

I have no second. Do I hear another motion?

I'd like to make a motion to approve this request as stated from the Council. I mean, from the person that was speaking and from Mr. Matt that did the presentation.

Do I have a motion? Do I have a second? There was no condition that was there a 2 year timeline you're going to place on that.

Yes, but the 2 year timeline.

All right, I have a motion in a 2nd, all in favor show of hands. Motion carries good luck. You want to go start moving it now you can. All right, we'll now move on to item items three a through three e that we're going to handle as a consent agenda. If I don't hear any objection from Council. We'll start with item three a consideration of bids for a high pressure jet vacuum hydro truck. We'll call up John Burton. Our motor pool superintendent to present John. How you doing?

Very good. How y'all doing? Good. Thank you. The utilities department needs to purchase a high-pressure jet vacuum hydro excavation truck. This truck will be used to maintain the water and sewer system throughout the city. The new vehicle will replace a 16-year-old VATCON truck. Sealed bids were received on June 23rd this year, and I recommend that council approve the low bid submitted by Four Star Freightliner in the amount of $594,087. Council, any questions for John on this item?

All right, John, item B, consideration of bids for a roll-off truck for Public Works.

Public Works Department needs to purchase a roll-off truck. This truck will be used to service roll-off containers at Withacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, city functions, and commercial and residential accounts. The new vehicle will replace an 18-year-old roll-off truck. sealed bids were received on june 23rd this this year and i recommend that council approved low bid meeting specifications submitted by four star freightliner in the amount of 214 672 council any questions on this item all right john item c consideration of bids for a truck and trailer for the utilities department the utilities department needs to purchase a truck and trailer combination vehicle this tractor trailer will be used to transport heavy equipment throughout the city Sealed bids were received on June 23rd this year, and I recommend that Council approve the low bids submitted by Four Star Freightliner in the amount of $231,834. Council, any questions for John on this item?

All right, John, item D, consideration of bids for a new mini excavator.

The engineering department needs a new mini excavator to help perform their duties. This equipment will be used for digging, lifting, and other tasks associated with street maintenance. The new excavator will replace a 19-year-old mini excavator. Sealed bids were received on June 23rd this year. I recommend the council approve low bid meeting specifications submitted by Yancey Brothers in the amount of $76,790. Any questions for John on this item?

All right, John, final item, consideration of bids for 95-gallon rollout containers. You might need a lot of them. We use a lot.

public works department 95 gallon rollout contain container contract expired on june 30th this year this contract supplies the city with a single source supply of 95 gallon rollout containers to pick up residential household trash throughout the city this is an annual contract with options to renew sealed bids were received on may 19th this year and I recommend that Mayor and Council approve the low bid by Schaefer Plastics in the amount of $61.85 per roll-off container. All right, any questions on this one for John?

I have one question. When we discussed this in 2025, did we not discuss that we was gonna have enough roll-out containers to complete the project that the city was asking?

What was that project?

on these, he wouldn't know that? I'm sorry, you won't know that, I'm sorry. You're the wrong person, I guess I have to ask Larry.

Thank you. Okay, sorry about that. Larry's not here, so I'm presenting this for Larry.

All right, Council, John, thank you. All right, Council, items A through E are yours for action. mayor i'd like to make a motion to approve the requests as presented second motion is a second all in favor show of hands john thank you council thank you move on to item f consideration of a request to approve a limited warranty deed for the city of out austin's bray land property al grace our project consultant to present

This property was purchased with sales tax six funds. Sales tax six was in November of 2008. The property was actually purchased in March of 2009 and is over 400 acres. This is the first stage. There's conceptual plans to be developed and resolved and especially waiting for the new manager and the new recreation director to have an opportunity to review the larger concept and talk about all the possible uses. This is to present the sale of or the deed for 117 acres of industrial property to the From the city to the development authority, they are conduit to get it into. Industrial development and create tax base jobs. Those opportunities. And you all have all had last week or last days, you've had the maps that show that portion of the 400 acre property. And it's also been fully delineated for wetlands. So that we are very careful about that not into inappropriately do something inappropriate in those wetlands. We offer that for your consideration.

Council any questions for Al on this item? All right. Al, thank you. Council, it's yours for action.

Mayor, make a motion to approve this request for the warranty deed transfer of the 117 acres to the industrial authority.

Second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor, show of hands. All in opposition, same sign. Motion carries. Council, thank you. Al, thank you. We'll now move on to the citizens to be heard portion of the evening. We ask that you come forward and speak for three minutes on your item. We also ask if you are a group on one item, please designate a spokesperson for that same amount of time so that all have time to be heard tonight. With that being said, are there any citizens to be heard tonight? Hello. Name and address, please.

My name is Latonya Speed. My address currently is displaced. I was the applicant for the CUP application on June the 11th, where you all denied me. I'm here in regards to the application because my next step is to file in Superior Court because I didn't know what to do. I didn't have Mr. Foreman speak on my behalf. But it's the same home. I just wasn't aware that Turnitin moving it, all those requirements, but it did meet the LDR, the Land Development Regulations. The roof is going to be going permanent foundation, rig perimeter skirting, and we're going to remove the axles, everything that transport and make it permanent foundation. Now, I know there's a widening that's going to take place on Barack Obama. I've been offered to buy a portion of that land by DOT to put the sidewalk when they do the extension on Barack Obama. And I was here because I didn't understand like, well, I understood that you all deny me, but it was complex is what Ms. Toole stated. And I didn't get up and speak at the last meeting and I should have to answer the questions. The planning commission voted for me eight to zero, although staff recommended denial. But they had conditions. The conditions, I could downgrade the home to make it so my front porch can face the road, but I didn't have that option, but I didn't get up and speak and tell you all that, and I should have. But the issue was the front of the home facing Barack. That's a large mobile home. I could downgrade that home. It's still going to beautify, like George Foreman said, the neighborhood. The house next to it is an old brick home. There's no home next to it. It's just a clear lot next to that on Barack Obama. I need somewhere to stay. The storm, Haleem, I got evicted. Well, no, I didn't get evicted. She terminated my lease because the home, it was going to take too much to repair it. So therefore, I've been looking for somewhere to rent. I'm disabled. All my income, I got approved for the mobile home. And that's the first one they approved me for. I could go back and find another mobile home that would fit where the front door could face. So I just want to just see if you all could review my application. The Planning Commission just voted with conditions to two-year term set me back farther, which was 50 feet. That's half a football field, I know that. So we would be basically off the road, away. And my plan is to put a skirt in, the fence, make it look like a home. And that's what I want you all to please try to review my application.

Thank you if you'll hang around till after the meeting, I got 2 people that I'll approach you. Okay. I'm sorry hang around till after the meeting and I'll have 2 people approach you after meeting. Thank you sir. Yep. Thank you. Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time?

Lewis Gordon 743, Los and drive. We have 2 reasons today, and I'll make it quick. Number one, I didn't get up to say anything with the couple about the mobile home because I thought that would be common sense. I'm working in this city every day. I actually came back to this city, born and raised here, came back to the city to serve my community. Every day I deal with people who are struggling with homelessness, food insecurity, having trouble paying their bills, they're having trouble keeping food on the table for their kids. I'm also now hearing the strife that's coming from this stuff, from something as simple as the garbage can. 15 extra dollars. You know what 15 extra dollars can do for struggling families, families who are sitting in sweltering heat right now, unable to pay utility bills. Families who struggle every day to wonder, can I put gas in my car to take my children to work? The job of city government is to serve its people and to make their lives more sustainable, to make their lives more bountiful. That is the job of any government. It does not matter where it is. The issue with the cans. is not just as simple as an extra $15 here or there. It is a matter of, will you exacerbate problems with food insecurities, with people being able to afford their rent, being able to afford their utilities? Will you contribute to public health crises coming from the combination of trash collecting in these neighborhoods with different vermin, Who's going to clean it up if the utilities that we have here to pick it up don't happen. I understand that the city does a once a year clean up of some of the more favorable parts about also the park and whatever. But 365 days of the year, there are people who serve this community, feeding folks, cleaning communities, protecting children, protecting families, providing rental assistance for people who count on that to live day in and day out. The job of any elected official is to serve its people. The job of any constituency is to find proper representation. Do your job before we have to do ours.

Thank you, Lewis. Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time?

My name is Cindy Hires. I live at 2406 Firewood Drive and I know you probably know why I'm here because of the short-term rental issue. First, I want to thank Matt Martin for the hard work he has put into this matter. And I want to thank you who offered the workshops and who attended them to listen to us. Frankly, I didn't know what a short-term rental was until November past November when we discovered them in our neighborhood. I thought it was probably some kind of disease, an SDR I had not heard of. According to a statement that Matt Martin made in one of our question and answer sessions, short-term rentals, VRBOs, Airbnb are currently banned in single-family residential neighborhoods. Our residential neighborhoods are for single-family dwelling. Uh, are designed for transients coming in and out and they're considered businesses. Citizens in our town are not aware about what is fixing to happen when you add these to our current zoning. Here's only a few problems that we've had in our neighborhood, large scale parties, strangers being dropped off in bands, coming back to pick them up. All over the yards and the streets parking on the street and in the yards, garbage spilling over on the street noise up to 10 o'clock, which is legal on weekdays and 11 on weekends. Music loud enough that if your home is behind it, you can't even go in your backyard. We can enjoy our backyards when we have encouraged you. You have encouraged us to call the police. For an incident, the last time we asked the police to come because of a noise traffic issue and the distinct odor of marijuana, it was 30 to 45 minutes before he arrived. By the end, some of the, the issues had abated. And he said he didn't smell anything because he had a stuffy nose and he left. When I asked if I had a report that I could turn into somebody, he said, no, because he didn't go into the property. Later, the owner of the short term rental came with 2 policemen, shut it down and he has promised to shut down this short term rental in November. But who's to say he's going to buy it and operate another 1. We have discovered many people that own these live in the county, not in the city. They are people who are renting these. Houses, and then they turn and then the short term rentals. So you have that layer of it and then LLCs and other towns. Recently in blue pool, an LLC from Woodstock bought 2 of these houses. 1250 square feet houses for 310,000 dollars. 2 of them. 1 of them is now a short term rental. That is making some of these people their property taxes going up about 30% because of the purchase of these houses. And our neighborhood, we have 4 for sale right now and I'm wondering, is it because we have short term mills? Nobody wants to buy them. Are the realtors who are selling them or waiting on what your decision is going to be to open them up? And then we will have 8 in our neighborhood. I'm concerned about the neighborhoods involved. I said, north, south, east, west, not just mine. Recently short.

We have to wrap it up.

Okay. I did for the Georgia law that you had to the human 6, 3 minutes are up. Please. Thank you check on that law.

Got it. Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard this time? No, no, no, no.

All right. Just look up the Georgia law beginning 6. Hello.

Hello, everyone. Good evening. Um, council, um, I just wanted to come on here to. Yeah, the standard cheek 1 or 4 East Mary street. I forget to give you my address. Um, I wanted to come here and just publicly recognize some citizens that. Recently did some outstanding work to serve members of our community. Mr Tyson Haynes. um mr timothy lassane dr keon berry jateria thomas angela nicole they all did a fundraiser and also our state representative mr alvin payton jr they all came together and raised over a thousand dollars to support children to be able to go to the pool over at the mildred hunter center and i thought that that was such a great thing for them to do for people in the community. So I just wanted to let y'all know that there are people here in the community that are pouring into the children, pouring into the youth and making sure that they have access to do things over the summer and just come together and be a unified front. And so I think that's just a wonderful thing that I wanted to highlight personally. And hopefully we can continue to see things like that move forward in the future. That's it.

Thank you, Ms. Cheek, very much. Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time?

Good afternoon, and I thank you for your time that you're giving me. I'm Jelena Goddard. I live at 3277 Oak Garden Drive in a wonderful senior citizen complex. I hope that I don't get killed before this situation is resolved. You think I'm being dramatic? I've had one of the guests next door threaten me and say, show me his gun and say, I'll move my damn car when I am ready from my completely blocked driveway. 30 minutes later, he did move his car. About a week and a half ago, I had a home invasion. I stupidly opened my front door and a young lady pushed her way back into my home and said, I'm looking for my cousin. I said, not in this home. And only after I called for a male name in my residence did she finally leave. She was looking for her cousin that probably showed up in the 10 cars that showed up next door an hour later. This is my city. I am so proud of my city. When I had a business, I had to pay a business license for every jar of peppers I sold. These people do not have to pay, or have not had to pay any kind of a hotel tax, resident tax, any kind of taxes. They've had no business licenses, and they're considering themselves commercial property, which taxed to be as a commercial property rate. It is a very, very popular residence. I don't know what they do to rent it as often as they do, but They let their housekeepers come and do the maid cleaning and such, but they put their trash out and then they don't put it out by the street. For two and a half weeks, I've had to live with fly-invested residents because of all the flies that were around and such and over this trash that was left for two and a half weeks. And thank you, Mr. Carroll. I appreciate you taking care of that for me. Okay. I don't know where these people are coming from, but they show up in the middle of the night, and you never know where they're coming or when they're coming. I do thank you for your time, and I do thank you for the further discussions that we can have on this product. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Ms. Goddard. Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time?

Good afternoon. My name is Kelly Saxon live at 8 Baldwin place, but also Georgia. Just wanted to come in and was listening to our citizens pleading for housing. Everybody deserves a place to stay. When will we really address the housing issues facing citizens who need affordable housing options? Some of these neighborhoods are located within the HUD designated revitalization areas. Why are we not using resources? like our South Georgia Regional Commission to help us develop a real plan and move housing projects forward. I understand some initiatives we get the colleges and universities to come in and meet with our organizations and tell us what we already know. People are paying fees upwards of $600 only to be denied housing. How are we helping to rehabilitate neighborhoods through infill development? Shouldn't we be offering incentives to people who rehabilitate existing properties or bring new affordable housing options into these neighborhoods? When will the city apply for CHIP funding to help with down payment assistance so working families can purchase modular or single-family homes they can actually afford? We keep talking about housing, but when are we going to start using the tools and resources available to actually address the problem? It's not going away. We need a plan. We don't need to go to Atlanta. We've got qualified people here. If we would just communicate and look at the resources we have to make this happen. Lastly, If there's anything we can do to move up the schedule for Barack Obama Boulevard, I know it's a great project underway, but we've had at least three sinkholes in our community within the last year. What are we going to do about it? will the problem be resolved if we have sewer leaks or or breaks how is this going to affect when a new construction comes in is it going to address these things so just asking what are we doing to move our neighborhoods who are considered those neighborhoods thank you thank you kelly any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time

Chief J. D. Rice 501 Nob Hill. Uh, first I want to come in. I don't even know the guy's last name Matthew down in Main Street. On behalf of the American Veterans, J.C. Williams, Post 607, Andrew was very instrumental in helping us have a very successful music festival in Unity Park. The work he done is outstanding. I just want to publicly acknowledge what a wonderful employee he is for the City of Valdosta and what a wonderful attribute he is to Main Street. Secondly, I want to address the issue of the rollout containers. I'm not going to ask you to repeal what you've done, because I know you're doing it for the betterment of the city. But I would ask you to please revisit some of the policy. Last year, the sanitation workers in my neighborhood told me that if I place anything in my container, the lid could only go a 45-degree angle. and they would pick it up. Nothing on the ground, no bags, no boxes on the side of the container. Everything had to be inside the container. Well and good. Now, the PSA came out recently that said that the lid had to be completely closed. Well, sometimes you can't completely close a lid. For instance, if your container is half full, and I've spoken to a council member about this, and you're changing a fluorescent light bulb, for instance, you put it in your container, it's going to push your lid open. Are they going to pick up my garbage because the fluorescent light bulb is keeping my lid from being completely closed? Are they going to come back and pick it up and charge me $15 when they could have picked it up the first time? I just don't see the clarity that's needed in the rollout container policy. It's a hardship for some folks. Like, the gentleman spoke earlier there, according to the, the data from the U. S. sisters. The 2025 population of that also was 56,000. 18626% of our population is below poverty. That's 14,608 people, 14,000 people to live below poverty. $15 may not seem a lot to some people, but to some folks, it may be a hardship. So, Mayor, Council, I'm asking you, please just revisit the policy and give us some clarity on it. Thank you. Thank you, JD.

Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time? The race is on.

Kimberly Gordon, 709 Volton. I just want to concur with the former fire chief that the new policy for the rollouts is, to me, extreme. Okay, I was all right. I have two containers. I've had them. I've paid for them. And so them adding on the 8 dollar charge per month for them to pick up the pot, the container. That's fine with me because you're picking up 2 of my containers. But when you come with something that you're going to now add add another 15 dollars, because my top does not close completely. That's extreme and that's not that's not helping your. your citizens at all. I understand that we need money, we need resources, but I think we need to find them in another way. And with those rollout containers, I think that is that's it's very to me very extreme. And I do object as a taxpaying citizen. Thank you, Kimberly.

Thank you. Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time?

Good evening.

Good evening.

I'm suffering with laryngitis, so I hope you all can. Hear me clearly. I came back here to handle some personal business, but I was just sitting there listening to everybody tonight and I'm sorry name and address please. Ronnie Mathis, 1302 Cypress Street. I was just listening to everybody tonight, and I thought I'm going to say this before I present this part. I know I've got three minutes, so it shouldn't take me long to do it. One of the things that just touched my heart to say to you all council members is this. We've got to get to the point where we don't let policies replace people. We can't let our paperwork replace personal relationships. Um, I was listening to this young lady here, uh, in her house, how she feels unsafe. I think the citizens of Valdosta, they don't just want to be governed. I think they want to be heard. I don't think they just want to have enforcement. They want to be engaged. They don't just want decisions to be made for us. We want to be a part of the conversation. What I came down to talk about tonight could have really simply happened because we've come a long way since I came here in 1993. When I came here in 1993, Mayor James Rainwater, Tim, Sonny Vickers, and some of those guys, I could pick up the phone and call down here and if they're busy by the end of the day or either on their way home, either the mayor or either Larry or whoever they call me. We've come a long way. I can call down here and never hear anything back. That's fine. 1302, 1310 Cypress Street is a property that's owned by a church. I've been wrestling with this with you all for the longest, and what made me come up here today is the email that I got asking me, do I need more time? I don't need more time. What you all need to do is do your due diligence. You'll find out that what you're accusing me of and inciting me to do, I don't own the property. The property is 1302. I had spent two days, I went to my surveyor, I've talked to my attorneys. It's borderline harassment. A storm drain ditch, y'all have cut it for 20 years. I don't own it. It's owned by the other property. Then the front part of it is owned by Georgia Power. If you just search the records, you'll find it's just that simple. It's just that simple. So I have documents. I'll leave them here for you all. Thank you, Pastor. Just take care of it. and stop sending me certified letters, because it's better to just pick up the telephone and call me, right?

Thank you. Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time?

Good evening. My name is Cassandra Stokes. I live at 501 North Troop Street, and my problem is the roll-out can. I live in a five-bedroom house, but if I stay in a two-bedroom, one can would be efficient. but I've always had two cans from the time that I moved there 16 years ago. I don't have the problem with the fee that you want to charge, but my problem is if the lid don't let down. You want to charge me extra to pick it up or come back and get it, and I don't think that's right. I think that's fair. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time?

Bobby McKenzie, 3907 Caroline Circle. Just listening to folks talk today, I started to summarize my comments as standards and expectations, right? That's kind of seemed to be the trend of what I've been talking about for the past several years and what's been coming up here forth. Notice the most recent city council meeting when we gave some accolades to the outgoing interim senior manager. Accolades about moving a dumpster. Accolades about removing street signs from the right-of-way. These standards and expectations, we've been screaming this for years. There's dumpsters feet from these creeks, from these watersheds, from these things, and they're overflowed and they're not screened in. We're begging, begging, move the damn dumpster. Screen it in. Stop the trash from going in the river. Right? The street signs from there. Okay. Ben O'Dowd presented to you guys the exchange club benches to stay there. The exchange club makes money and raises money as a fundraiser for these benches and now it attracts homeless people and that's a sensitive subject, totally get it. But the citizens, when they see the homeless people on these benches, They feel compelled to give them stuff, and they overflow them with junk, stuff that they clean out their closet with, excess food, and there's no trash cans. The homeless guys there is more than just giving homeless people stuff. You've got to take stuff away from them. They need sanitation. So if you're going to allow the exchange club to raise money with these benches out there that you guys voted on, put a damn trash can out there. So when they get six to-go boxes from Chili's or Ribs, and they can't eat because it's perishable, they can throw it in the damn trash can right beside them. It's the same business equivalent. I even read up on those, and one of the councilmen up here said, why have ordinances if we're not going to enforce them? And several voted against those trash cans. So it's just standards and expectations. And the gentleman back here talked about the cleanup once a year. It's once a year, but it's a requirement. It is a requirement of the stormwater management in order to maintain your MS4 permit that you do one cleanup a year. And it's at the boat ramps and they actually have the Lowndes County Litter Crew hold off on picking up litter so that you can actually pick up trash. We needed some trash we could pick up. And you have projects that have been in place like the Azalea Yards City, they're out here cleaning up every week, sweeping sunlight off the sidewalks. There's other places in the city that need that stability, that cleaning and attention. And I saw just last week that somebody, one of the councilmen wanted to improve Patterson, beautify Patterson Street. Right. But you already had that former Councilman James Wright. Had it had a adopt spot and you spin in his face 3 acres and had to call the. So the stormwater will come up there and clean it. So standards expectations.

Thank you. Are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time? Hello a little bit.

How you guys doing?

Y'all doing okay? Y'all all right? Good to see you. You guys are just like, oh, so tense. Look right in the ice a little bit. Good to see y'all. Dr. Keon Berry, Ponderosa Drive. Man, I was truly touched by this, you know, one of my, you know, one of our elders speaking about her experience and it just made me think about what we have proposed a while back about our boxing program i know that a lot of things were kind of in discussion to kind of figure out a solution but it's so critical just because when people come and share their lived experiences it's so moving because we know that youth crime is a challenge right and so what i heard her say is you know basically um you know when's the next

for some people.

And as a young person who's in Gen Z, that bothers me because our elders who have served so faithfully should be able to take time to rest and recover. And that doesn't always happen, right, amidst crime and challenges that arise. And so I just wanted to bring that forth to your attention again, just for your consideration. Um, I know that the summer is almost over. Um, and I know that, you know, uh, that's what the proposal was for, but that can change. Right. But we just want to make sure that, you know, we are. There are so many capable people who are in the city who do want to give, you know, to see change in the city. I'm one of them. You know, I give my time for free to help the city to, you know, bootstrap and, you know, develop a lot of resources to get us where we need to get. But I just want to, you know, offer that up and just remind us of the amazing talent that we have in the city. We have so many amazing professionals who want to see what's best. And that's what we heard today. Right. And so I just wanted to I'm hoping that you guys will consider, you know, maybe some direct outreach or partnership because you have so much on your plate, you know, for some of us citizens to be able to bootstrap. And my wasn't the only amazing proposal. You know, there were others, you know, but there are so many amazing ideas. And I think that innovation will be required in this next chapter that we have here in Valdosta. And so many of us are willing to be a part of it. So. wanted to break the ice a little bit you know put a smile on your face make you laugh you're still doing you know an amazing job but just please consider you know some of the things that got you know put forth today and let us know you know how we can volunteer our time or how we can help you know to you know lighten the load and be productive citizens thank you guys so much thank you are there any other citizens wishing to be heard at this time seeing none we'll move on to the city manager's report

wrapping up we have a few updates and a few events upcoming first is the online utility billing update the city of aldassa's new online utility billing portal is now live existing customers must create a new online account using their new account number and cid number customers can find this information by either checking the city of aldassa email sent out on july 6th Looking at their upcoming July utility bill or emailing utility bill at Valdosta city dot com. During this transition, no late fees will be assessed and no utility disconnections will occur. We appreciate our customers patients as we complete this system upgrade. The downtown maker's market and movie night, due to the forecast of extreme temperatures and a dangerously high heat index, the city has made the difficult decision to cancel this Saturday's downtown maker's market and movie night. The safety of our vendors, staff, volunteers and community members remains the city's highest priority. For upcoming events, we have the Battle of the Badges Blood Drive. The city is preparing for this event. It's a friendly competition between the Valdosta Fire Department and the Valdosta Police Department in support of Life South. All blood donations collected during the event will remain in our community and help support patients at our local hospitals. Residents are encouraged to participate and help save lives through this important community partnership. Final upcoming event, we have the 8th Annual Back to School Community Block Party. The City of Valdosta invites the community to the 8th Annual Back to School Community Block Party on Saturday, August 1st, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Unity Park Amphitheater. This free family event will feature a live DJ, family games, community resource boosts, free school supplies while supplies last, and free haircuts in the City Hall Annex multipurpose room to help students prepare for the upcoming school year.

All right, we'll move on to council comments. Ms. Tooley.

Okay, I do wanna say something about our garbage collection. I agree with a lot of you talking about with the trash cans being open. Um, I have not yet and I'm going back again and look for that way to say they have to be completely closed. We did get that information and we did talk to our staff and we asked them to show some pictures and they did get some flyers out with the pictures now. I don't know. And I'm going to tell you what I told the staff. Common sense. It's hardly hard to find pretty much all those trash cans with the lid completely closed. But would it all the way open or would it open where things sticking out when a certain way? The trash cans don't have to be completely closed. They're going to be full because you don't even have some time, maybe four bags, but one of them will push it up. But it's not pushing it back so far that when the machine lifts it back, it falls back and hits somebody on the face. That happens. That's a cost. Then guess what? That worker is out of work. Then there's a delay on getting some of the trash too. That's what we're talking about. Some of the things that, just think about it, common sense. If the lid is too far open, if the thing is gonna fall back and hit it, we gotta think safety for that too. We are trying to, I guess, rectify a problem that has been going on for a long time. So it's not gonna come real easy. Every little one thing is not gonna get taken care of right now. But the main thing, we had to come up with some kind of plan, some kind of idea to get it started, to get it formed. Some changes are made. I'm one of the people who I have a lot of trash. I'm going to either have to figure out how to push it down where it won't stick up a little bit or else do a few other things too. I'm with y'all with that. But I am using some common sense to think if my trash can, and our staff too, I told, I mean, they said, Ms. Tooley, we're not going to just leave a trash can if it's partially open. We can do that. The machine can handle that. And that's why I said, well, where everybody getting this, it has to be completely closed. It might be. I haven't seen it. You know, where it's out there, too. I can't say that because we got a lot of information out about them. But the trash cans has to be closed to a certain level. I can't even see it. That's going to give us pictures showing us that level, that safety. And, you know, make whatever, but that's 1 of the things about the trash cans. We gotta, we gotta get a handle on how this trash is being picked up. What's going on? We have people just. do a lot of stuff, trash, all this trash on the side. We have more citizens now than we had years back, right? And that's what I'm saying, too. We used to have two men on the dump trucks, if anybody might remember or not. They used to be on both sides. We don't have them two now. We have one. We are trying to see about trying to rectify that as well. So it's taking time. But just say, work with us and think common sense and safety and we'll get through this because I think our staff has come up with a pretty good ideas on how to handle the trash. I just think they need to put some more pictures with. Showing what showing how the lead has to be, how much of the lead has to be open that we will accept. Because some of them are just, you know. they just open all the way all the trash all kind of stuff flying off it that's just not acceptable i mean i don't even know why people do that but that's my spill on the garbage containers we are working with it we are glad to hear what you say and we have heard you and that's why we had to change some because one time it was one way we we decided we went back and we changed it to appease to help to give the citizens what they want but We can't give every one citizen what every one citizen wants. So we're doing the best right now we can with that. Please work with us with that and try to use common sense when you put so much trash in. And I'm just going to tell you this. I didn't even realize it, but I did see, I didn't know this was a rooming house. They got one trash can. And I think it's 10 people. No, no, that's just not, that's just don't make sense. Okay, you just just say I gotta pay for two or three because you got all those people there and you know, that's one trash can is more or less for residential or single family or family you know regular family not a housing so we have we've got a lot of complaints too from them saying we're not picking it up they got trash all on top of it trash on the side of it trash then i went over there to look at that and i'm like what i would have picked it up but i'm like no y'all got a room in house all y'all people no no no no that's just too many people here eight people living in there and you got one trash can yeah so work with us we're trying to work through a few things and we will but just just please work with us on that okay and and we we do want to continue hearing your comments because some of those that you know you bring to us that make sense we're going to work it out okay and that's all i have to say well i i don't know this is going to be anti-climatic for me to say anything now but

I think in honor of our 250th anniversary of this great country of ours, tonight, you great people, you citizens of the city of Aldosta set a record for the number of citizens to be heard to come forward. I applaud you because where else in the United States, what government do you have the ability to walk up and stand 10 feet away from your elected officials and talk to them? Here, local government, that's where you can do it. And I'm just proud of all of y'all that came forward. That's what that's what citizens to be heard is all about. And I think it's very fitting as we celebrate our country's two hundred and fiftieth year.

All right, so the. Possible, but maybe we can look into it. I don't know if Attorney Tanner. So we keep having this issue with mobile homes. And just to put it out there, modular homes are you can still purchase modular homes as well. And you don't have to go through all the steps that we're going through. But, you know, of course, it's a case by case situation. Right. But I don't know if it's possible maybe to even require our local dealers. To let our customers who are or their potential customers who are in the city know, or I don't know how to regulate them, you know, to say, hey, listen, you cannot sell it to somebody without having that approval or something. I don't know if it's something. Is that even a thing? Can that be done? I mean, because we're going to keep running into that and, you know, and we don't want to about we do a housing workshop. Well, that too, that too.

Let them know options.

That too. Also, Ms. Saxon, she talked about some different things like junk fees and just folks being not able to secure homes, you know. We are working with several organizations. Black Futures Lab is one of them. We're hoping that the Valdosta Lounge, One Lounge, they're working on some things right now. So, you know, we gotta stop talking about it do it and try to get some things done because we keep talking and talking and talking. You know what I mean? make some stuff happen so we can uh I don't know what kind of uh ordinance we can put in place or what kind of rules regulations so um that these um apartment owners cannot continue to take folks money knowing that they won't be placed knowing that they won't be able to go into these homes or these apartments because it's just you know uh that's a thing you know so we need to definitely keep looking into it we also um my plan is um to definitely look at some of the things that the young game changers put together. That is a goal of mine. We have a wonderful, wonderful project that was completed. And we need to make it happen and stop talking about it. So let's do it. Ms. Cody.

To Cypress District 1, thank you for telling me off tonight. Most of the system that came up is from District 1 and I kind of in agreement with what they said because I'm the one that acts for these trash cans not to start until January 26th. We had talked about this in 2025 and I said, let's wait, get it advertised, get it out to the citizens to understand what we were going to do. Now, I don't know if the literature came out to you, but I think our PR person started in October or November. sending out flyers in the mail. Also, they start, our utilities director, he started doing things on Facebook. I don't know if you've seen them or not, but they did. I mean, but I know you're upset with me, and I got the threat that if you don't do something, we gonna do something about you. But, My thing is this, I'm gonna tell you what I've done. At one time, we all go out in the park and we see those trash cans that don't belong to us, we go pull them in our yard and we start putting trash in them. And all of us in district one in the whole city of Valdosta have pulled cans in our yards that do not belong to us. and the trash people have picked him up and picked him up and picked him up okay and my i was taught if you're going to be a leader be the first one to protect of the rules so what i've done i asked the utility department to come remove all my illegal trash kids from my house which i had before Next door, next door, two in each yard, okay? I had to come get them all. Then I had to come back and let me do the thing legally. So what I done, I got one, and then I asked them to, what, $8 for the second can to be added to your house. And I told them I could not afford another one, because we eat pork and beans now. But I understand about the lids down, I'm like Councilwoman Tula, I don't think that they went, it's got to be totally down. But we do ourselves do overload our trash cans. I'm guilty, I'm guilty, I'm guilty. We go up to the top and we put the lids up there that when they do roll back, I've seen my lid go in front of the man's head and almost hit him. They have to do that number. But I'm asking you, don't kill me before you let me understand what's going on. I took notes tonight on everybody. As far as Cypress Street, I took pictures of that and sent it in myself. And I was told that now the city is going by the ordinance and the charter instead of previous, we was going to good old boy system. And we have done the good old boy system so long in Valdosta until now with change coming, we can't accept it. Because we were cleaning ditches that we were not supposed to clean. Now the code of ethics people are putting out little codes in areas that the city guys don't have time to come clean. But if you got the paperwork showing that that's not your property, I think the city should send that code fine to the right person and not to someone that just had their name that they think belonged to it. That's being fair. But again, these trash cans and these homeless peoples, I see them out there also, but everybody homeless don't want nowhere to live. I have asked them myself, can we find, can we get you in somewhere to live? And they would say, no, I don't want my, I'm not taking my check and pay for no rent when everybody's bringing me food. So we got to really research before we come in and batter the council and et cetera, we got the research that these people really, really wants home. I want them off the streets too, because it's gonna get cold. I want them in a house. I want Ms. Kelly to get everyone, all of them somewhere to live. But do all of them want somewhere to live before we batter the council? Number two, back to the roll off cans, less work with the city, If we got more than one can in our house, and we know they're not ours, they got the city name on them, call the city workers out. They will come and bring you a brand new can, and they'll remove the two that we got in our yards that were not ours from the beginning, and turn them in. That way, when you get that new one, then you can see how much you can put in it. And if you get the second can, it's only $8 a month. The $15 is that if you have that can so far up, then you call and they gotta come back. That's what the $15 are for. They're not charging you $15 for picking up on the regular route day. So we can follow the rules of the regular route day. And I'm trying real hard to follow the rules of the regular route day. If I miss putting my trash out, I don't put it out. I'll wait till the next week and put it out. But I'll watch how much I put in it. And if you bag it up right and tie it real tight, us old school females, we know how to do it. Tie them up real tight, you can put more in that bag to hold that container that your lid do not have to go up. Might not go all the way down, but it won't be all the way up there like a three pointer. And that's all they're saying. They're not saying, I don't think they're saying they will not pick it up if it's just a little up, but not a three pointer. So, District 1, if you wait after the meeting and talk to me one-on-one, just don't shoot at me, talk to me one-on-one, and we can try to solve this problem. We can try to work it out together. And we're in agreement with that. Amen. Take up the offer. Ms. Cody, thank you. All right.

I'm going to wrap it up with...

little um a bit of a ceremony um al grace our outgoing our former interim city manager he recognized excellence when it was standing in front of him our brand new city manager jennifer wheeler recognizes that same excellence darquita williams will you please stand up you might not know that she's standing up Mayor and council, the former interim and the current city manager would be very proud to remove the interim tag on our finance director and make her permanent. Thank you. Thank you for the new efficiencies, the new systems you put in place. Thank you for what you've done in our finance department. You are exceptional. Thank you everybody for coming and please don't shoot.

Make a motion to adjourn. We stand adjourned.

Boy, we were chatting Kathy's tonight. That's the biggest number 12.

12 people that came.

You knew it. My bad.