Milledgeville City Council met Tuesday to hear public requests and approve contracts for the Mary Vinson Memorial Library project.
The meeting began with licensed clinical social worker Laura Pilafas, who works at the Georgia War Veterans Home, and case manager Allison Hughes of the drug court in Baldwin County, inviting the council to a listening session for creating a Recovery Community Organization (RCO).
“We are working with the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse with the goal to start an RCO, or recovery community organization,” said Pilafas.
“An RCO is a nonprofit organization governed by peers for peers. The purpose is to provide resources to those seeking recovery,” added Hughes. “We also provide education and host recovery meetings.”
One of the primary goals for the RCO is to have a physical location, referred to as a recovery clubhouse, and to be able to offer transportation not only to serve Baldwin County but its surrounding counties, too.
“The goal is to have a sober place for people to come to that can connect individuals, have resources, have a food pantry, and be dependable,” said Pilafas.
The listening session will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Georgia War Veterans Home recreational hall. The goal of the session is to have community members attend and identify specific needs for the county. After their explanation, Milledgeville Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan thanked them and said an RCO is “much needed in our community.”
Following comments, Matt Roessing of The Roessing Firm brought his concerns to the council and asked them to investigate the Central State Hospital Local Redevelopment Authority’s (CSHLRA) negotiation and approval of contracts for the Binion Building, Jones Building, Walker Building, Green Building, Men’s State Prison, and Rivers State Prison.
Roessing has maintained an office on the campus grounds for about 10 years and, according to an email sent to The Baldwin Bulletin, is a supporter of the CSHLRA’s original mission.
However, Roessing stated, “I’ve watched the authority since the beginning, and in the last few years it’s been a slowmoving trainwreck and has now officially gone off the rails. It is something that deserves your attention.”
On Jan. 6, Roessing emailed a letter to House District 149 Representative- elect Floyd Griffin, attached with open-record documents, to request an investigation on the sale of the buildings mentioned, due to concerns regarding illegal peer pressuring and potential violation of the authority’s statutory mandate and bylaws. The Baldwin Bulletin spoke with Griffin Jan. 8 on the phone.
“I will make a decision (about the investigation) in the next few weeks. I want to have the document reviewed by my staff and then I will decide what direction to take,” Griffin said.
The council made no comments to Roessing during the meeting, though one council member stated they would be contacting him with further questions.
Parham-Copelan then approached the podium to read a proclamation naming Jan. 14, the day that Baldwin County Fire Safety & Rescue Fire Chief Victor Young officially retired, as Fire Chief Victor Young Day. The proclamation thanks Young for his 35 years of service. Additionally, it was announced that Young would have his own banner, sponsored by City Manager Hank Griffeth, among the 25 banners hung for Black History Month.
Moving into agenda items, the council unanimously approved a resolution to authorize a contract with Georgia Safe Sidewalk to ensure compliance with the Sidewalk Trip Hazard Mitigation and Americans with Disabilities Act on portions of sidewalks throughout the City of Milledgeville.
Council also unanimously approved an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement for the operation, services, and funding of library services at the Mary Vinson Memorial Library.
This amendment relates to changes in funding as construction costs for the library turned out to be about $1.4 million rather than the estimated $1 million.
In previous negotiations, $96,000 annually was established as the county’s contribution to a capital library improvement fund. The city would receive 75% of those funds with the county able to utilize the remainder. To assist with costs, Baldwin County is issuing a one-time payout of $550,000 from its capital library improvement fund, which Griffeth noted is twice what should be in the fund currently.
“When the design came in, it was at about $1.4 million. The library system received $950,000 from a grant from the state that could be used, and then it became incumbent on the city to pay the remainder of that,” said Griffeth.
“Between emails with me and the county, they have given verbal approval to give us a one-time payment out of that fund,” he continued. “In doing so we would leave $125,000 to $140,000 on the table because they asked that the agreement would take care of their requirement of the service delivery strategy negotiations.”
Council then unanimously approved a construction contract with Dyer Construction for renovations to the Mary Vinson Memorial Library.
The meeting concluded with unanimous approval of Old Phoenix Center purchasing property located on Lawrence Road on the Central State Hospital campus.