City Council - Special Meeting

mentioned we'll have our meeting called to order. It is good to see all of you on this Thursday afternoon and um we do have uh quite a bit of news that we want to share with our residents and our businesses and um we're excited to see all of you this evening. So uh what I hope that you will go away with tonight is that tonight is the start of a new day and it's a good thing for Tiffan and we are really excited to see all of you and excited to share our news with you. We do have agendas on the podium back here. If you'd like to grab one, you can certainly do so. Our agenda is short tonight. We just have two items other than our calling to order. And um gentlemen, since we are called to order, uh you will notice that item number two on the agenda is to accept Jeff Schub's resignation as the city manager. So, I'm going to call for a vote or excuse me, call for a motion uh to accept that resignation.

Mayor, I'd like to accept the resignation of Jeff Duber. Second. So, we have a motion and a second. Is there any further discussion? Seeing none, I'll call for the vote. All those in favor, please say I. I. I. Any opposed? And that does carry.

Our next item is something I'm very excited about, and that is a resolution appointing a new city manager and the acceptance of an employment contract. Gentlemen, in your packet, you have a resolution uh that is um will be signed if it's approved this evening. And uh what I'd like to do is to read that resolution for the public and then I'll leave that to you to um make a motion concerning that the resolution says whereas the position of city manager was recently vacated following the resignation of the city manager and whereas the mayor and city council have considered the qualifications for the position and determined that Bobby Bennett is qualified to serve in this role and whereas the mayor and city council have negotiated a contract of employment acceptable to both Bobby Bennett and the city. And whereas attached here too is the contract of employment negotiated and accepted by the city of Tiffan and Bobby Bennett. Now therefore, be it resolved pursuant to the charter of the city of Tiffan. Bobby Bennett is hereby appointed as the city manager for the city of Tiffan and the mayor on behalf of the city of Tiffan shall execute the employment agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of employment. Gentlemen, do I have a motion to accept this resolution?

Mayor, I'd like to make a motion to set this resation to set this a point of wait a minute. I had my death ass. Okay. Come back. Come back. Go too soon. Spoke too soon. You got it. Department of Bobby Bennett, city manager. I think I have I think I have four motions and four seconds here. So that's that is awesome. I'm going to call for the vote. All those in favor, please say I. I.

Is anybody opposed? Of course not. Bobby Bennett. Ra uh Rob before I started to call you Ralph. I don't know where I was thinking about your former partner. Before you um do that, would you mind if I said a few words on behalf of the council, please? First of all, I am so excited about all of you being in this room tonight. It shows that we are a family. We are a team and we are in this together. Transitions and leadership are often viewed with a sense of uncertainty, and this is no different than any transition. But tonight, we stand before you not to talk about where we've been, but to announce exactly where we are going. And my friends, we're going to move Tiffan forward. We don't need to look across the country for answers. We don't. We just simply need each look in our own backyard at the dedicated public servants who have already spent their lives building this community. It is my distinct honor and privilege to announce that we have appointed Fire Chief Bobby Bennett as our new city manager. Most of you know Bobby. He is not just a name on a resume. He is a man who's been on our front line since 1996. We were thinking about having this meeting yesterday, but yesterday Bobby spent his 30th year with the city of Tiffan as the fire chief of the city of Tiffan. And so we wanted that legacy and that time to to have its time in recognition before we start a new chapter. But for 30 years, he has dedicated himself to the safety of our families. And for the last seven, he has led our fire department with

unparalleled integrity and precision. When Tiffan calls, Rojo answers. Some might ask why we're choosing a leader from within our own ranks. Our answer is very simple. It is stability and trust. Bobby Bennett knows our streets. He knows our budgets. He knows our challenges. He knows our opportunities. And most importantly, he knows all of you. By appointing him, we are choosing experience over experimentation. We are gaining a leader who understands our operations from day one. Accountability. Bobby's commitment to Tiffan is not only professional, it is personal. Momentum. We're not hitting the reset button. We are pumping the gas pedal and accelerating the projects and the services that matter most to each of you. Bobby Bennett has spent a career running toward challenges while others were running away. He is a steady hand in a storm and he is exactly the leader that Tiffan needs to ensure that our city remains the best place in South Georgia to live, work, and raise a family. So ladies and gentlemen, again, please join me in congratulating our new city manager, Bobby Bennett. We are ready to get to work. All right, Mr. City Attorney.

This is where we say, Bobby, that you're going to be sworn in. So you can be sworn out.

A citizen of the state of Georgia and being a public official appointed by the city of Tiffan and the recipient of public funds for services rendered. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will support and defend the constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Georgia, and the charter of the city of Tiffan? that you will faithfully and partially and to the best of your ability perform the duties of city manager of the city of Tiffan and you further affirm that you are not the holder of any unaccounted for public money to the state or any political subdivision thereof. I do.

CONGRATULATIONS, MR. MANAGER. MR. MANAGER, this is your seat right here. Would you like to say a few Would you like to say a few words? I've never seen you at a loss for words. Well, I consider it's an honor number one to even be uh looked at. Uh walking away from the fire department was hardest decision I ever made in my life.

I know. and uh the men and women that made me who I am. You know, I didn't do this by myself. They uh I owe every one of them gratitude for helping me be the leader that I am and supporting me through all these years. And um so walking away from there was tough. I'm not going to lie to you. It wasn't it wasn't an easy decision. And um but I'm very thankful. Um, I'm thankful that y'all have the the trust in me to do what needs to be done. And uh, I will do my very best to show the citizens how I am. Uh, I lead with my heart. You know, I use good common sense. U, I love the Lord and the Lord loves me and I can't think of a a better way to move than with that. And um you know I tell I tell them all the time I got a I got a saying hanging on my wall. You know the the road less traveled is where you'll find ultimate joy. So uh I feel like God opened the door and I'm going to walk through it.

There you go. So um I would like to uh if it's okay to go ahead and do my first deal and that's a namekeeper if that's okay.

Absolutely. So, um it's uh it's an honor and a privilege. Um this young man has worked hard, very diligently. He loves the fire department and he loves the people that's there and he loves the citizens of this town. So, I'd like to uh pass the torch to Kefir Daltry as the new fire chief for city. And um we're going to do an official pinning in a in a couple of weeks.

Good. Good. We just want to make sure we had time to get everybody there. Absolutely. And we'd be remiss if we did not acknowledge your wonderful wife, Melissa. We're so thankful for you being here and for you being willing to share him with us and and we're just it it's I know it's it's it's a family affair. I mean, I know it it takes all of us together and your beautiful family here with you tonight. So, thank you and we look forward to working with you and um just supporting the both of you in in this role. And um to all of our firefighters, um I do want to you know, he's not going away. He's just moving across the street. So, so you you know I know you're a firefighter fire firefighter at heart and we talked about that and um he's he's still right here so you're not going to get rid of him that easy.

But um we're just really excited about this this evening and um I'm going to turn the floor over. Um these gentlemen have worked diligently over the last couple of weeks um to make some difficult decisions and to make some very easy decisions too at the same time. And and I can tell you serving with these four gentlemen, they love this town and um they each represent different districts, but for them it's all Tiffan. It it we're all in this together. And um I'm honored to be able to serve with each of them. So I'll turn it over the to I don't know who wants to start, Michael or Lester or um if Josh or Vice Mayor MJ Hall wants to whoever wants to somebody jump in.

I just think it's a great day for Tiffan. I mean it's a wonderful thing that's happened here today. Sorry about me messing up your appointment there, bud. That uh this is a great day and good things to come to head. Uh I just want to say congratulations to you uh and Kefir as well. Uh I'm looking forward to continue to working for for you guys and uh you know uh just excited. Thank you.

Well, Chief, you know how I feel feel about you. I love you. Um we've been friends for a long time. You always been there for me. And um one thing I know about you is um the words that I usually say is one typing um that speaks that is you. So thank you for accepting u the position. There was a little arm twisting going on in a time crunch, but I'm thankful that you um accepted and I appreciate you. I just um over the last few days, last week or so, just been thinking and about all this and two things come to my mind. You know, the first thing is obviously for the city of Typton stability and um I feel like that um you're you are a uh a solid foundation here for the city um to uh push us to the next level to keep us to keep progress going. But more importantly than that, when I start thinking about you personally, I think about integrity. It's the, you know, a man of integrity is a a good thing these days. And I just appreciate you being a man of integrity.

All right. Well, you ready to get started? All right. So are we. All right. There is no other business to come before the council. We are adjourned. Congratulations. Congratulations.