Hinson Street to be one-way

By
MARY ANN ANDERSON
Heads up, Hazlehurst. The Hazlehurst City Council voted weeks ago to convert Hinson Street from a two-way to a one-way from Cromartie Street to Tallahassee Street, and during last week’s regular monthly meeting announced the change will take place on August 21.
City Clerk Vernice Thompson said the Georgia Department of Transportation will place warning signs around and on Hinson Street to help drivers be aware of the change.
Of special note, drivers will no longer have the option to turn left onto Hinson Street from Tallahassee Street.
But it was a spirited discussion of the water meter replacement project and water and sewer rates that clawed up the lion’s share of last Thursday night’s meeting.
Ward 3 Councilman Chris Jones led off the dialogue, saying the project will cost the city more than $805,000 for 1,800 new meters and installation, but if the meters only were installed and the newest software and repeaters were not included, that figure would drop to about $620,000. But he also cautioned the council to think about it for a “quick second” before making a final decision, with financing for the project to yet be worked out. He then explained the city uses about 300 million gallons of water annually.
“Of that, we charge for approximately 140 million gallons,” he noted. “More than 55 percent, we’re not charging for.”
Because not all of the water can be accounted for, he suggested getting the new meters installed as soon as possible to help stop losses and gain revenue.
Jones then went into another long discussion on raising the water and sewer rates for residential, commercial and industrial accounts for those outside the city limits.
“Water and trash are our main revenues for the city,” he said. “We have to protect it as much as we can.”
His proposal was raising outside residential rates to $22.50 per 2,000 gallons plus $23.25 for sewer and up from $15 and $15.50 respectively, commercial to $45 per 2,000 gallons plus $46.50 for treatment and up from $30 and $31 respectively, and industrial accounts to rise to $90 per 2,000 gallons plus $93 to treat and up from $60 and $62 respectively
During the last city council regular meeting, Jones had made the motion to raise the rates, but it was not seconded and died, stating the reason was he didn’t think the council was well enough informed. He also noted that outside city limits, residents were charged 1-1/2 percent more than those inside the city limits, a percentage that hadn’t changed since the late former mayor Larry Contos put the rule into effect in 1986.
Ward 4’s Landon Chavis interjected that the mom-and-pop commercial businesses are already struggling to keep their doors open and they didn’t need a rate increase. He also said he was concerned that with Jones’ proposal that the water rates for one of the area’s largest employers could rise to as much as $12,000 per month.
“If we increase the rate,” Chavis added, “we need incentives to bring in new industry … I agree we need to increase our rates, but we need to have all of our ducks in a row.”
After more back and forth, and as he had done last month, Jones then made motions to raise the outside rates for commercial and industrial accounts but neither received a second. Both motions failed.
Both Mayor John Ramay and Ward 1 Council Dywane Johnson suggested looking into the rate increase further, with Ramay appointing Jones and Chavis as a committee to research and gather more information and bring it up again during a called meeting or the September regular meeting.
Jones, with a note of frustration in his voice, stated that another meeting would be the third time the matter would be discussed and voted upon, adding in the meantime the city would still be losing money and the cost for the water meters could rise.
Later, during the mayor and council comments section at the end of the meeting, Jones brought up the city’s property insurance policy, saying it needs a “relook” in that he believed the insurance agent, Brenda Reynolds of Swain Insurance Company, “misrepresented” the city.
Jones stated that when Reynolds gave her presentation of the policy, she told the council the deductible on property insurance was $1,000 per incident. He said that Reynolds later sent an email, and Thompson received a phone call from her, that the city had received the wrong information and that the deductible was actually $5,000 per incident.
The contract with Swain had already been signed by the time it was discovered the deductible would be $5,000 instead of $1,000, but Jones countered, “We didn’t sign for the mistake. We signed for the original quote.”
Both Ramay and City Attorney Ken W. Smith said the city was bound by the signed contract, with Ramay adding, “If it says $5,000, that’s what we signed for, and there’s always next year.”
In other action, the council ….
…. after hearing from Brian Cagle of CKH Group, an Atlanta-based CPA firm, agreed to hire the firm for auditing services.
…. tabled a discussion on the health insurance renewal, with Ramay stating the city needs more options and studies so it can be reviewed.
…. at the request of Dawana Mincey of Moments with Mincey LLC, a local events planning business, approved street closings for a 5K NICU awareness walk for September 21.
…. approved July’s report from Hazlehurst Police Department, water and sewer adjustments, other departmental reports and check register.
…. at the request of Ward 2 Councilman Steve Land, voted to install ADA-compliant ramps and handicapped parking spaces at the Hazlehurst Municipal Building on Johnson Street. The building is currently used by Hazlehurst Municipal Court and Jeff Davis County Veterans Association.
…. after hearing from Ward 4’s Landon Chavis, agreed to swap a ProGator utility vehicle from the Street Department to Mulliganz Golf Club in exchange for equipment of equal value. The ProGator was part of the equipment in inventory at the city-owned golf course when it closed last year and afterward was given to the Street Department.