City Employees Get Bonuses

Monticello City Council members voted to give all full-time city employees $100 Christmas bonuses. The $2,916 was budgeted for this fiscal year and approved Tuesday.

Mayor Bryan Standifer, Mayor Pro-tem Bobby Jacobs and Council members David Wease and Katherine Alexander were the only ones present at the Council’s last meeting of the year and they approved monies for city improvements for sewer, roads and health care.

After hearing about two street issues on Funderburg Drive in November, the council voted unanimously to take the low bids, both from Stokes Construction, to repair. The street repair at Funderburg Creek was approved not to exceed $8,517 with SPLOST money. The repairs will fix the pipe, street and sidewalk where the old pipe collapsed causing the street to cave in.

The second is to repair what is a “sink hole,” at 225 Funderburg. The bid approved Stokes Construction to repair that for $750 from the streets or water department’s budget.

The council voted Tuesday to submit three city streets for consideration to be repaired with GDOT Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) money. The streets with the most critical need were brought before the council by Bobby Lawrence, street supervisor, and included Webb St., Spruce St. Frobel, St. Harvey St., and Sands Dr.

With the allotted $27,500 the roads sent forward were Webb St., Frobel St., and Harvey St. The city will have to pay a 30 percent match for the project.

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Weymon Cody, Water Plant Superintendent, presented the council with his findings and bids to fix the sewer lines on Pine Street.

He said that there was a back-up Monday around noon and showed council members photos of what needed repair.

Mr. Cody presented the low bid of $35,575 from Fortis Construction stating that they would do all repairs of two locations, have video inspections, and take care of root removal in the lines. The council voted unanimously on the low bid with the money for the repairs coming from SPLOST.

The council also voted on an ordinance that pertained to health insurance benefits for employees. The ordinance stated that the city would continue to comply with regulations set forth in the Affordable Health Care Act and will be signed annually for compliance. There was no cost associated with the ordinance, and the council voted after one reading because of the end of year deadline.

During the meeting. City Manager Peggy Billerman had updates on projects going on inside the city. She stated that the current sidewalk project around the square was almost complete and that the park to park sidewalk project had begun.

She also said that Jackson Roofing was going to begin repairing the roof of the City Complex next week and those repairs should be done by the end of January.

Mrs. Billerman told the council that there would be a change order coming in as the pipeline movers for the gas lines in Gray had hit rock therefore increasing costs.

And she ended by inviting everyone to a reception this Saturday, Dec. 13 for Tiana Griggs, Miss Georgia, from 3-5 p.m. at St. James A.M.E. Church. Miss Griggs will be given a key to the city, gifts and a presentation made in her honor.

The council voted to participate in the Fire Chief’ Co-operative, which is a $275 expense from the city for firefighter training on gas pipeline safety.

Weymon Cody presented to the council his findings from a study conducted on how to treat waste water according to state regulations of cholorine removal.

Mr. Cody stated that the findings were that the recommendation was that of the UV chambers to treat the water stating that the initial costs would be greater than the other two options, an estimated $152,000. But the long term costs would be minimal with the only costs being bulbs ($200/year), maintenance for machines, etc.

He told the council that the next step was to get a cost plan of where the money will come from and see if a loan is needed to continue.