Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to Making Bip County Commission special call pre-commission meeting today.

Today is two, I'm sorry, Wednesday, uh March the 18th, and the time is now four o'clock.

I'd like to welcome everyone here today.

Uh we are live.

Uh we cannot see you having some technical difficulties today, and uh, I'm not sure if you can see us or not on our screens up there, but everybody else is fine.

So at this time, I'd like to officially welcome everyone here to this call meeting.

I will remind everyone that this is a call meeting, therefore uh there will be any no items added to the agenda items discussed outside the agenda that would uh necessitate a vote since it is a call meeting.

Uh so we're gonna proceed accordingly.

We have uh numerous items on the agenda, some of we may do in block uh because we've had a couple of training sessions here that allowed us to have a stack amend uh agenda today.

We also have the need to go in executive session, so we will be going into executive session uh for a brief period of time and then come back for additional items uh followed by our regular meeting at six o'clock.

So I'll begin with the approval of the minutes.

That's the approval of the minutes from the February 17th, 2026 pre-commission meeting.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Got a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries be sent to consent agenda.

Uh the new alcohol bearers licenses.

We do have a uh the Broadway Mini Mart.

Uh, if you can read the notes there, it says code enforcement perform three separate inspections of the facility and found that it'd be a vice mark not having this sufficient food as necessary on at least two out of three occasions.

Uh so at this time, uh, we do recommend denial of that.

So this time that's the Broadway Mini Mart located at 4205 Broadway, Making Georgia, three one two oh six recommendations for denial.

Do I have a motion to approve the denial?

And I get a second.

And a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

That motion carries as well.

Uh there.

Uh, we have a Schuster's candy creamery is located at six sixteen poppers, just a couple of uh steps out of our back door here.

This is going to be for a new alcohol license, uh, although they're resisting company, they'll be adding alcohol to their ice cream.

Uh, for those of you who like to have a little cooler.

So this time we uh entertain a motion to approve.

That's a motion for Commissioner Mayor Pro T and Wien.

Since you get wine at your nail shop, I figured you'd be right up that eye.

We have a second.

Got a second by Commissioner Bronson.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Uh, there's several items on this agenda here on the alcohol license, just to let you know.

Uh, since we started making sure people pay their their license and alcohol fees on time and caught some that did not.

Uh we did some inspections there.

That's why you'll see a lot of these on there.

These are not new businesses, these are not businesses.

Uh some of them are not new businesses.

Some are not those that are um changing ownerships.

It's just because they had to go back through the process because they did not uh get the license when they were supposed to, and we got a lot better of catching those through timely inspections.

So you will see that some of these uh in particular sea stores are that situation that's in your notes.

Uh the next one's gonna be the family corner located at 4933 Sarter Church Road.

Uh this time uh legal does recommend approval on that and it meets all the legal and statutory requirements.

I get got a motion by Commissioner Howell, second by Commissioner Wilder.

We got a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

We're gonna move on to the theater making located at 442 uh Cherry Street, Macon, Georgia.

Uh the legal does recommend approval for that.

It meets all the legal and statutory requirements and uh have a motion to approve.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Motion by Mayor Pro Chan Wind, we have a second.

Say goodbye, uh Commissioner Cato.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Uh item E is a BP food mart located at 5594 Houston Road, Macon, Georgia.

Legal does recommend approval of that business as well, meets all the legal and statutory requirements, including the certificate of good standing.

Can we get a motion to approve?

Motion by Commissioner Howell, do we have a second?

Second by Commissioner Wilder.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries uh, does it two, three, four, five?

Yes, sir.

Six.

Uh we'll move on to uh item F, which is Gangham Grill located at 575 Mulberry Street, who is now going to have an alcohol license.

Uh they do meet all legal statutory requirements.

This is a restaurant downtown across from Tucky Alley.

Uh used to be Ninja.

And uh so at this time we entertain a motion to approve.

Got a motion, got a second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries will be sent.

Uh the next one is Houston Food Mart located at 5642 Houston Road, making Georgia 31216.

Uh legal does recommend approval of this item as well.

It meets all the legal and statutory requirements.

And at this time, we'd entertain a motion to approve.

That's right.

We got it approved over there.

We got a second.

We got a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries.

You're gonna move uh what's that?

House and road.

Got it?

Okay.

Uh next one is letter H.

It's a Sherlin Pit stop located at 1904 Shirling Drive.

Uh likewise, this is a uh existing business with no issues there.

Legal does recommend approval.

Meet all the legal and statutory requirements.

So at this time, we'd entertain a motion to approve.

A motion by Commissioner Howell to have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wilder.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries and we sent.

Item I is BP Martin located at 3843 Bloomfield Road, making Georgia 31206.

Same situation there as a renewal.

Uh, they have are in good standing, and the legal does recommend approval.

So at this time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

Motion by Commissioner Cato, we have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wilder.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Item J is Waltho Walthal, located at 3720 Riverside Drive, making Georgia 31210.

Legal does recommend approval of this.

They meet all the legal and statutory requirements, and they have submitted a certificate of good standing.

So this time we'd entertain a motion for approval.

Motion by Mayor Pro Tan Wynne.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wilder.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Item K is Jay Reid's located at 317 Cotton Avenue, suite A, making Georgia 31201.

Uh this is a uh restaurant downtown, and it meets all the legal uh requirements, including a certificate of good standing.

At this time, legal does recommend approval.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Motion by Commissioner Bronson, we have a second.

Second by Mayor Pro Ten Wynne.

We have a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries.

Item L is Pyanona Food and Fuel LLC Marathon located at 3701 Pine on Avenue.

Uh, same situation.

Legal recommends approval, meets all the legal and statutory requirements, including the certificate of good standing.

At this time, we'd entertain a motion to approve.

Motion by Commissioner Wilder.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Howell.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries.

Thank you very much.

Gonna move on to agreements, contracts, and purchase orders.

We have several of those items as well.

Also, uh Commissioner Bailey is in route.

She has some uh uh uh flat tire.

It's a little bit too much of her business, but just to know where she's at, she's on the way and she's uh on the telephone on mute.

So if you have any issues that are contested, uh, since we only have eight of you guys uh one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, plus myself, uh, she'll be available to vote for your information.

Uh, item four A is a resolution of the Make and Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Canna Communications an amount of 105,720 to upgrade the security systems at the Thomas Jackson juvenile access justice system to be paid from the 2018 fund judicial courthouse property line item.

That's a lot of words.

Uh turn manil, this is not the one that I was supposed to cost my downrights.

The next one considering that concern the courthouse annex.

Okay, thank you very much.

Uh this time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

We got a motion, we have a second.

Got a motion and second, uh, Commissioner Cato.

Coach sponsor, we've got you.

Okay, we've got a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries and descent consent agenda.

Item B is a resolution of the make and bib commission to authorize the mayor to execute an independent contractor agreement with professional paving services, LLC for asphalt paving and resurfacing services in amount of one million two hundred thirty-one thousand six hundred and thirty-six dollars and thirty-six cent to be paid from the two thousand twenty-five splice funds.

Uh in your package, you should have had that uh that bid as well as all the roads listed in that bid.

Uh so at this time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

Got a motion by Mayor Pro Tim and second by Commissioner Wilder.

Uh, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries and will be sent to consent agenda.

All right.

A resolution of the Make and Bib County Commission to authorize the mayor to execute an agreement with Miko of Atlanta Incorporated for the purchase of fuel handling and management equipment for the Mac and Bibb County fueling station, an amount of 112,418.80 cent to be paid from the vehicle maintenance budget, vehicle and equipment maintenance and machinery.

Um that is for new equipment there at our gas stations that we utilize along with several others.

So at this time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

Uh got a second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries.

All right.

Uh next item is item D four D is a resolution of the Make and Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute a facilities use agreement with the American Red Cross to provide for usage of certain recreation facilities as shelters during a disaster.

Uh that motion is sponsored by myself, Commissioner Joey Hewitt, and Commissioner Paul Bronson.

Uh will one of you gentlemen wish to make that motion.

Got a motion by Commissioner Bronson, second by Commissioner Hewlett.

Uh, let me get a question from Mayor Pro Tim.

I just want to be added as co-sponsor, please.

Yes, ma'am.

Commissioner Cato.

I want to be added out.

Okay, we got two more co-sponsors.

We appreciate that.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Thank you very much.

Item E is a resolution of the Make and Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with MFP corporate services in an annual amount of 216,000 plus $7.50 per 1095 C process to provide employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting and ACA management services.

This is going to be paid from the group insurance self-funds.

This time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

Motion by Mayor Pro Tim.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Howell.

I will have a motion and second.

No further discussion.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries unanimously.

Item F is a resolution of the Making Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Williams Communications for technical support, maintenance, and security update, management of radio equipment, and amount of 221,764 and 89 cents to be paid from the IT budget communications.

This time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

Motion by Commissioner Howard, we have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wilder.

Commissioner KD, got a question.

Yes.

Is this the thing that we voted on last year?

Is this um a new contract for this year?

Uh if I have the county manager step up.

Let me turn your microphone.

It's the renewal contract for the maintenance of the uh what do you have?

The LEX radio, or I can get the official name of it, but it's the renewal.

We've had Williams for years.

We've had Williams Communications.

It's a renewal.

All right.

We have a motion and a second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Item G is a resolution of the Make and Bibb County Commission to authorize the mayor to execute an independent contractor agreement with Ed's Hoka LLC International as a needed emergency shelter operation services to be paid for out of unit cost basis from the EMA budget contractual services.

Likewise, we have uh sponsorship by myself, uh Commissioner Hewlett and Commissioner Bronson.

Uh one of your gentlemen like to make that motion to approve.

Got a motion by Commissioner Hewitt, second by Commissioner Bronson and Mayor Pro Tim.

You want to be added?

Yes, sir, please.

Thank you.

Anybody else let uh Miss Ross know.

So we have a motion second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries a becent consent agenda.

Item H is a resolution of the Make and Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute an lease agreement with a making transit authority for lease of 17,107 square feet of office space in the terminal station at an annual rate of 219 dollars.

I'm sorry, 219, 311 and 76 cent to be paid from the IT uh technology rentals.

Uh we're in the transit uh transit authority property down at the terminal station, as most of you know.

Uh this is a two-year lease.

Uh the first lease for year is gonna be at the same price with a slight increase in the second year.

Uh of course we're locked in there with a new IT director, so we need to maintain that facility.

And of course, uh, MTA appreciates us as a tenant there.

So this time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

So moved.

Got a motion by Mayor Pro Tem.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wilder.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Item I item I is a resolution of the Make and Bibb County Commission designating and approving a public roadway at or near Interstate 16 and Joe Templum Boulevard, approving a roadway plan for purposes of future property acquisition, authorized in coordination with the Make and Bip County Industrial Authority.

Uh, you've got all the information contained in your package, but in short, this is extending the industrial park there uh for phase three and also the clear-up title.

So this is the first phase of that, uh, so we can engage some property to extend that um phase there in industrial parkway.

So this time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

Got a motion, yeah.

We have a second.

Got a motion and second.

Any further questions?

Hear no questions.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries.

Item J is a resolution of the Make and Bibb County Commission agreeing to participate in a national six remnant defendant's opioid settlement.

Uh, we believe that this is the last one.

Uh so this time we'd ask uh attorney McNeil to come forward and give you some brief information on that.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, I've presented a number of uh settlements over the last year and a half or so to this commission.

Um the commission is uh or the county is participating in a multi-district litigation that's been filed in the federal district court in um Ohio.

Uh we are one of many, many local government jurisdictions that are collectively suing uh the the manufacturers and distributors of various opioid drugs uh based on the harm that were was caused by the opioid epidemic over the last uh 30 years approximately.

This settlement is um with a group of defendants that's been named the six remnant defendants.

These are small, uh sort of like regional uh distributors or manufacturers, much smaller in scope in terms of the the um participation in the market than the previous defendants that we've had, and these are the last defendants that uh we believe we'll be doing any kind of settlement with in this case.

Um this uh settlement agreement because of the size of these companies, they're they're generally having some financial problems.

They're either insolvent or approaching insolvency, and so uh this is essentially the only opportunity that we're gonna have to get any money from them.

Um the estimate is that uh between the six companies together, uh, we should get somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty or sixty thousand dollars total out of out of this settlement.

And so that'll come, you know, probably within the next year or so, but it's all it's gonna depend on the timing of the court when we get that.

So that's that's the settlement, Mr.

Mayor.

Okay, thank you.

Uh and just please remember that we have some funds about 1.6 million dollars presently in our accounts.

We're trying to get each of these funds, lay those out in a chart with their restrictions that have to be used so we can uh ask people to submit uh proposals that will come in so we can use these funds for the intended purpose, but each one of them has very specific uh ways that they have to be used.

mayor okay thank you uh and just please remember that we have some funds about 1.6 million dollars presently in our accounts we're trying to get each of these funds lay those out in a chart with their restrictions that have to be used so we can uh ask people to submit uh proposals that will come in so we can use these funds for the intended purpose but each one of them has very specific uh ways that they have to be used uh so we have to be careful that we can't just start getting proposals and start giving the money out we have to make sure that uh if it's a state fund it has to be used a particular way etc uh commissioner stewart you had a question sir you uh mike thanks so much for the work you're doing on this uh I think I've asked you this before I want to make sure that this is part of that SACLA family uh lawsuit that we've heard about for a couple years across the country dealing with opioids uh so the cyclers were some other defendants we did a settlement with them last year um and then these are just some other companies not owned by the cycler family that are part of the same case they're they're uh co-defendants in the same case okay and once we get the proceeds we will decide then what we're gonna do with it of course right there's a court order that spells out it's about 30 pages that spells out like different categories and types of uses that the money can be spent from these settlement agreements and so as mayor miller alluded to you just have to make sure that you're spending it in accordance with the categories the court said thank you yes sir okay any other questions at this time we have a motion and second we need a motion again a motion to approve got a motion by mayor pro tem second by commissioner got a motion second all those in favor of the motion please say aye.

Opposed nay that motion carries a present consent agenda got a couple of uh 2018 2025 splas ordinances uh the first is the ordinance of make and bibb county commission to authorize transfers and appropriations from the 2018 splash revenues and interest earned um to to authorize the transfers earned on that uh you should have an attachment in your list indicating the total amount of interest and a total amount of money to be transferred which is required uh so we're in the process like we said of closing out this 2018 splash uh and getting on to our 2025 splash wishes so this time uh we'll entertain a motion to approve motion by mayor pro tem second by commissioner wilder she beat you there sir all those in favor of the motion please say aye opposed nay that motion carries clay is here okay uh then we've got the ordinance of the make and bibb county commission to authorize appropriations in amount of 31 million five hundred thousand from the two thousand twenty five supplies funds uh to the jail expansion and upgrade project the arena project public safety projects cultural and recreation projects IT projects and debt service uh that's a motion by myself and and commissioner hewlett uh this time we'll go ahead and make that motion community commissioner you'd like to make that second okay we got a motion and second uh questions commissioner cato can you give us a breakdown to where this 31 million is going and who's getting what on each project uh we can give you the breakdown that's already in your in your documents but I'll ask uh Mr.

Clay Murphy to come down and read that to you if you like to I was just looking for who got it first you don't mind identifying yourself so the people at home will know who you are Mr.

Murphy Clay Murphy I'm the SPLOS coordinator for making Bibb County uh in the 20 uh five spLOS we have the first nine months of collections that started in October of 2025 through June so this is the first nine months so it equals approximately 31 million five hundred thousand dollars a little over five million dollars going to debt as identified by the finance department five million dollars going to the jail for the pre-construction portion of that architects engineers those types of things 17 that 17 million five hundred thousand to the arena that again that is pre-construction that is architects engineers consultants all the group the construction companies that are involved at this point culture and recreation is about 375 thousand dollars and IT uh is about a million and a half dollars again all of those numbers it's considering a collection of three 31 million five hundred thousand and it may fluctuate slightly from that and house collections that began in October of this past year from the start of this process that is correct thank you any other questions all right we do have a motion and second all those in favor of the motion please say aye opposed nay that motion carries to be sent to consent agenda going to move on to appropriations and transfers and we've got uh two of those items tonight the first is the ordinance of the make and bib county commission to approve a supplemental appropriation from general fund fund balance and amount of thirty five thousand dollars to the board of commissioners repairs and maintenance software line item for the purchase of dock access software um we'll let our clerk uh I don't want her talk very much mayor rickers I'm with her to say if you were tonight tell us what this is for uh the department of justice has issued a new ruling where all computers have to be accessible to people who are blind and so the computers where they read our we don't have the software to do that and so this gives us the software to be able to do that it also will translate into 52 different languages there we go so I have a motion by uh Commissioner Joey Hewlett to have a second second by Commissioner Howell we have a motion and second all those in favor of the motion please say aye.

Second by Commissioner Howell.

We have a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries.

Item B is a resolution of the Making Bibb County Commissioner authorizing a not to exceed price of $14 million for the completion of renovations to the Bibb County courthouse to be paid from the 2018 splash fund judicial courthouse.

Property line item declaring the courthouse project to be substantially completed for the purposes of allocating 2018 splice funds.

Again, we are closing out the splash funds.

We have been working on uh getting that project at the courthouse completed, and we got a not to exceed price, which is a guaranteed price not to exceed uh $14 million, and we're allocating those funds now so we can consider that process closed, use the additional funding to go towards uh more than likely the uh jail renovation and expansion there.

Uh Commissioner Cato.

On this one, on this one.

What are they renovating?

I'm sure the people at home want to know what's being renovated at the jail.

I mean at the um courthouse on this uh clay Murphy, uh making bills plus coordinator.

Uh we are doing three things primarily.

One addressing safety and security for the uh judges, moving the visitors to the courthouse safely through the facility, and providing for inmate security.

So those three things involve renovations on every floor.

Um we're gonna upgrade the uh Erica Woodford space.

We're gonna provide new holding sales in the basement, uh new Sally Secure Sally port and an elevator to move prisoners up and down through the floors without bringing them in through the public elevator.

Uh we will put new generators in the building, new windows in the building.

We're gonna floor courtroom, I think it's courtroom B.

Uh that now is a two-story courtroom.

We're gonna floor that and add another courtroom up there.

Everything's gonna get touched in that in that facility.

I'm sorry.

That's correct.

All right.

At this time, we entertain a motion to approve.

Got a motion by Commissioner Wilder.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Bailey.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries a resentment consent agenda.

We're gonna move on to the grants.

Uh we'll talk about the LMI grant first and then we'll go through these other grants.

Uh we may can do these in block if you all agree to do so once we get to that point.

Uh whereas we'll just ask for you to vote on all those at one time, uh, which we've done in the past.

But uh, and also uh Miss Jackson is here at the next meeting.

We're supposed to have all these same folks come back to do presentations on the yearly um results and who tell us about their companies and stuff.

Is that right?

Okay.

I know we're celebrating that uh at the next next one, so I just want to make sure we get that out.

But the first we're gonna do is going to start out with the ordinance of Making Bibb County Commission authorizing the acceptance of LMIG funds and amount of 2,697,459.99 cent and also appropriation of funds of 30 percent, which is the required local match for those LMEX funds, and I'm 809,237 and 97 cents to be taken paid from the 2018 spLOS.

Uh, you got the LMIG list that should have been attached as an exhibit to there.

That list at the same time has already been approved by the states, uh, and we'll be submitting this out for um for paving.

So this time we didn't attend a motion to approve the L Mid list.

Motion by Commissioner Wilder, we have a second.

Second by Commissioner Howell.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries a resent consent agenda.

So items B, C D E F I J.

I can get you a K.

Make sure L.

Um those items uh basically B through L are all the C D BGs that we do, uh, which is a pass-through for our grants for each of these places.

We we do have all those uh folks coming at the next meeting to uh celebrate them and give some updates on their company, but in lieu of going through each one of those since you've already had the the packages, we approved the budgets at the beginning of the year, and this is just a distribution of the funds.

Uh I ask for your consideration on voting for these all at one time in a block from items B through L.

So is it is there a motion to uh vote on items B through L.

We got a motion by Commissioner Howell to have a second.

Okay, we have a motion and a second.

All right, we do have a motion and a second to do these in block items B through L.

A motion to approve.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

Those motions that motion can turn it in each of those eyes will be sent to the consent agenda.

Item M is the ordinance of Making Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to accept Federal Highway Administration 2023 safe streets and roads for all planning and demonstration grant funds, an amount of 400,000 to fund the development of an updated division zero action plan.

Also appropriation up to one million dollars from sponsored program funds to be used, sorry, 100,000 dollars to be used as a required local match funds.

Uh again, it's 400,000 with a match of up to 100,000 from sponsored program funds to be used as a required local match.

So this time we entertain a motion to approve.

Motion by Commissioner Bronson, we have a second.

Second by Commissioner Bailey.

Motion is second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries.

Motion by Mary Pro Tim.

We have a second.

Second by everybody else.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries a resent consent agenda.

We're gonna move on to item D.

Item D is code enforcement designated as public safety.

Item 9A.

Uh a resolution to make in Bibb County Commission designate the code enforcement department as a public safety department of the Make and Bip County government for all interests and purposes.

Uh sponsored by myself, Commissioner Howell, and uh Commissioner Joe Hewitt.

Uh we're gonna call for uh motion and second on that one, and then we'll take discussions by Commissioner Howard, second by Commissioner Hewlett, and Commissioner Wilder, you want to be main co-sponsor as well.

Okay.

Uh this time I'll ask our attorneys to come forward to explain uh the purpose of this designation.

And I see about four lights coming up.

Sponsor okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

So um the uh commissioners, uh, you may recall back in fall of 2021, this uh body voted to create an incentive pay program, a longevity pay program for um certain members of the um sheriff's office and the county uh staff, and that included uh the sheriff's deputies, the firefighters, uh emergency management services, um, and there may have been one or two other groups, but code enforcement was not included in that program at that time.

And so uh the first thing that this ordinance does is add them to that incentive pay program where if we have employees that are in code enforcement that have been here more than 10 years, then they would get the same uh bonus uh the one-time annually pay that the uh other public safety officers get every January.

Um otherwise there's there's sort of a general question um that's been raised as to um the classification of uh code enforcement as whether they're public safety or not, and um where that has come up in practical uh situations is um part of their mission they're they're working on getting uh licensed for a small drone program.

They've got two drones, and the FAA has asked us to do a letter saying that the commission has designated them as public safety in order to get that FAA license.

And so that's that's the other practical purpose, but just for for general purposes, if something else comes up where there's a federal agency or a state agency that wants something saying they are officially public safety, this is just to create a record so that that is something we can refer back to.

Mr.

Mayor, we've got a few questions just a moment, Commissioner Cato.

Okay.

Um we're saying that we're voting on them to designate them as the code enforcement public safety, part of the public safety.

Yes, ma'am.

Are any of them here?

And I know you just explained it, but according to our charter, when it was consolidated, the highest form of public safety and enforcement is the sheriff.

So we're trying to designate another law enforcement.

Who are they gonna be up under?

Because are they gonna be up under the sheriff or are they gonna be up under who?

So right now the the department has some officers that are post-certified, and they have some that are not post-certified.

The ones that are not post-certified, they're they're not doing any law enforcement activity at all.

The ones that are post-certified have all been deputized by Sheriff Davis, and all law enforcement activities that they're exercising are under his authority.

Who would they report to?

I'm not sure what you mean.

Are they gonna be part of the deputies and they're gonna be code enforcement and they're gonna be deputies, or are they gonna be code enforcement that are certified and they report somewhere else?

So, in terms of directives and hiring and firing power, they're part of the organization chart of the Macon Bibb County government, but all of their law enforcement power flows from the sheriff's office.

So the sheriff office has the power to deputize or deputize those that he sees fit.

Okay, I would like to get more information from the sheriff and code enforcement on this.

And as far as just if it's a pension thing, can we work out something where they can still get their pension or they can um they can get something that would give them that monetary amount of money?

Because if we go in by the charter, then don't we need to vote on it and has to go back through the legislation to change it?

And I'm just asking.

This this does not change the sheriff's status as the chief law enforcement officer for the county.

All any law enforcement function that any of the code officers are doing now or after this flows from Sheriff Davis exclusively.

Okay.

So this doesn't change that at all.

So can I ask that we table this until we can hear from both of them?

We plan on voting tonight, but if you ask for a table and you get a second move forward, we can consider it.

Yeah, a second, got a motion second to table.

All those in favor of tabling this and not here tonight, please say aye.

All right.

All those opposed, nay.

So we're still on this item here now.

Move on to next question, Commissioner Bronson.

I don't care.

Uh listen, I I don't mind voicing my opinion on the darn thing, okay.

And I think number one, the very first thing is that we should table this until after.

I know we just took a vote on this, you know, to tell me it's not table, but it should be based on principle because we have a whole district, district five, which is not represented.

That's a whole section of Macon, Georgia, which should be involved in this very serious matter.

And it should be waited until after April the 14th, whenever we have Commissioner Foster or Commissioner Cook to represent their district and their people.

Something like this is too important for us to exclude a whole district of people.

That's the first thing.

The second thing is we gotta understand that we are talking about public safety, and too many things of the last few weeks have been like playing ball with public safety.

Making Georgia is a very, very dangerous place right now.

Okay.

And I I'm all for incentives for people, but this also feels like a power grab.

And and I'm not on board with this.

I'm not on board this for so many reasons.

And mainly is because I think district five should be at the table on this issue.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Stewart, Mr.

Boston.

Thanks, sir.

Thanks, Doc, for giving us a breakdown of that.

Hey, so my concern and question that I had in regards to um code enforcement.

When we look around the state, we look at different counties that matches up kind of where we are as far as public uh as far as public footprint and so forth.

Most of your code enforcement officers fall up under planning and zoning.

If you fall up on the planning and zoning, you would still be able to get those same permissions for drones for your benefits and so forth.

So I'm a little concerned and confused as far as why did we why didn't we consider, and if if we did, cool, but why we didn't consider doing that with with them on that end.

Right.

So you start talking about your common usage for your code enforcement, they deal with your property maintenance, they deal with your land use, zoning compliance and so forth, right?

Everything all of that falls up under your planning and zoning.

I see Duke Micken up, that's not good.

Um so that's where I would say instead of doing the public safety portion of it, I would I would lean toward leaning them toward the planning and zoning, and that way you you you minimize the confusion in regards to who's in charge of who's going back to uh Commissioner Bryant's conversation, and I kind of get it, right?

If something happens, if if a code enforcement officer is out on a site and something happens, and then the sheriff officer pulls up, who's in charge of the scene, right?

If something happens, if a gun is drawn because a code enforcement officer feels threatened and he shoots and something happens, who's who's at fault on this deal, right?

How do we answer that question?

So I would I will be in favor, and I ask my other fellow commissioners when you really think about it from that level, right?

I would caution you and say, let's table this, bring in code enforcement, bring in the bring in uh the sheriff's department, and let's kind of have that discussion.

Even if we're even if we're not in the room, at least the city manager can vouch on Eddie in and say, hey, this is what we need to do, and let's try to work it that way.

That's just my my two cents.

I just addressed the uh PNZ and Michael, you can elaborate on what I say.

You're correct that in some communities that's the way it's arranged.

In Bibb County, it's a little different because our planning and zoning commission is constitutionally created to be separate from the supervision of the Bib County government.

That's why that's why they're not under PNZ.

But Michael, you can elaborate if you want to.

Well, I I was just gonna say they have their own inspection team that does PNZ inspections and enforcement actions.

Um, but because they're separated, that's a department within PNZ, there is no department within PNZ that has jurisdiction to enforce anything other than the um comprehensive land development resolution, um, which is the name, the formal name for the planning and zoning code.

So anything having to do with um like the property maintenance code, um things like noise complaints, uh grass is too high, and there's there's rats and snakes living in my neighborhood, um, broken down cars, blighted houses, all of that is outside of the jurisdiction of the planning and zoning commission.

Correct.

And so um that was something that's uh when this first started, the reason why the code officers are deputized is because Sheriff Davis said these are things that I need some extra manpower for.

And so, you know, he's he's in this voluntarily and uh asked for the code enforcement folks to help out with those kind of things that are primarily covered under the county code of ordinances as opposed to state law.

Um but this ordinance, and I'm I'm not, you know, y'all are the legislative body, I'm not advocating one way or another.

This ordinance um puts the officers in that department under the same bonus program for the ones that have been here for more than 10 years, and then says um there are some like state insurance programs where if an officer is killed in the line of duty or something like that, then it's clear that there are there are some state benefits to go to your family, just to make clear that if something were to happen that they have those protections and that kind of thing.

So it's it's more designed to be a terminology thing, but I I I understand the perception, I understand what you're saying, but this doesn't make any legal changes other than as to the bonus program that we did five years ago.

Tracker.

I I guess it's it's one of those conversations, and you and you hear it, and the question kind of comes up is well, why not just stay law enforcement instead of doing code enforcement?

That's one thing you have.

The other thing too that is planning and zoning has that authority to create such a department, a subdepartment that can be the code enforcement portion of it and be the law enforcement portion for them.

I think that we're kind of treading in some dangerous waters on that end, and correct me if I'm wrong on that, dude.

And thanks for entertaining the conversation, by the way.

I wouldn't call you wrong, but you're not exactly right.

Um, what I was gonna say was that because there are two separate bodies, and this is unique to Bib County, it really is.

There's a planning and zoning constitution created body, and then there's Bib County.

Planning and zoning is not empowered to uh enforce our ordinances with respect to things like Michael's describing.

So they couldn't create a subdepartment and do things that was is within the exclusive jurisdiction of Bib County.

It's just they're very separate.

That's that's all I was gonna say.

Okay, okay.

All right.

I I just with the confusion piece of it, I would highly recommend we table until the next meeting, and that way it gives us the opportunity to get the warm and fuzzy of it.

I'm not against ensuring that our law enforcement taken care of, but at the same time, I want to make sure if there's an opportunity for us to focus our attention on getting more sheriff officers, then let's do that and then let code enforcement do what they need to do on their end, but it just seems a little muddy, respectfully speaking.

So if can I put a motion up to table as well?

We've already taken a motion or second already.

Oh, we gotta do it again.

Oh boo.

Okay.

Excuse me.

We uh Commissioner Bailey.

Um thank you, Mayor.

And um, and and thank you also for all you do, attorney McNeil.

And in this case, one thing that I feel that we're forgetting is that under consolidated government, every layer of our organization is Macon Bibb County is a separate entity in itself.

And yes, code enforcement is a separate entity, but it's thus that way, so that it is without what we're doing right here today.

And today I say that we as the movers of this consolidated government that we recognize the need for law enforcement at every level and that we take care of every level.

Our code enforcements are the ones that actually go out and risk their lives doing the things that us as a citizen request to keep the standard, the standards of our neighborhoods, the standards that we want to see in our community, the standards that we want to see uniform as you drive through Macon Bibb County.

I request that we give them the same respect.

We don't encourage them to have to um just subject themselves and their family to a minimum wage standard, and that when we see that minimum wage standard, we do everything that we can, and it is in our power to do so to make sure that their families are taken care of, that their everyday sacrifices for us as citizens is taken care of, and we take pride in paying a due wage because of this particular fact.

I say that we don't hesitate, that we don't sustain from doing the right things for our police forces, and again, at every level, including code enforcement and most definitely code enforcement.

I thank you, Miss Bailey.

Uh, any additional questions?

Commissioner Cayley, Keto.

That was a lot.

Oh, yes, it was a lot, and it we it is and we will receive the four.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, my next questions, and and I appreciate the guys for what they do because most of them are trained in law enforcement, and I wanna make sure that we do we let them know that we appreciate them, but I am a person that needs information.

And if I haven't spoken to either one on either side, because Macon has a lot going on when it's law enforcement, we have a level of code enforcement, we have the sheriff's office, then we have the GBI.

It's three law enforcement officers here.

So who is over who?

Citizens don't understand that.

They, you know, we're not just saying we don't want them to have their benefits.

We want them to have what they're supposed to, but we want to make sure that everything is in line.

And I also want to make sure that this charter was put out during consolidation, and we cannot just go, we cannot just neglect what's in the charter.

We gotta do things the right way.

And if we start not doing things the right way because it's in the charter, then we're gonna have some unethical decisions that we're making.

That's I mean, I'm I'm asking that we table it.

And if we can't table it, you know, I just want it to be on record for the citizens to know that we did try to table it.

I think Commissioner Kettle, Commissioner Howell.

Motion to call the question got second.

Got a motion second.

All those in favor calling the questions, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

We're now calling the question for a vote.

Uh we'll have a resolution of making Bibb County Commission to designate the code enforcement department as a public safety department for the making Bibb County government for all intents and purposes.

Uh, we do have a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries uh five to three.

We're gonna move on to 10 A.

Item 10 A.

We've got our next attorney to come up.

Thank you very much.

It's an ordinance of the Making Bibb County Commission to amend Section 2-1-2 of the Make and Bibb County Code of Ordinance to designate the Make and Bibb County Courthouse annex at the Macon Mall and the Thomas Jackson Juvenile Justice Center as a permanent satellite courthouse of the Making Bibb County Courthouse.

Uh, that's my motion.

Can I get second?

Yeah, second by Commissioner Wilder.

And at this time, I'll turn it over to our attorney.

Please identify yourself for those at home and then make your presentation.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh, good afternoon.

Um, I am assistant county attorney Anna Kerzy Waxtein.

This ordinance before you amends section two twelve of the Macin Bibb County Code of Ordinances, which designates the buildings that constitute the courthouse.

Currently, the buildings that constitute the courthouse are the courthouse complex buildings, which are the buildings on Mulberry and First, and the courtrooms at the Law Enforcement Center, otherwise known as the LEC.

The superior courtrooms at the courthouse complex are about to undergo substantial renovations, and the superior court judges have requested additional space to maintain their trial calendars and other judicial proceedings.

State law allows the county to designate additional buildings as satellite courthouses, and this ordinance officially designates two existing structures as permanent satellite courthouses.

The first being the Macon Bibb County Courthouse Annex at the Macon Mall, and the second being the Thomas Jackson Juvenile Justice Center.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Commissioner Wynne, do you have a question?

I'd like to be added as co-sponsor, please.

Yes, ma'am, Commissioner Cato.

Thank you very much.

Well, you know, we we the mayor and commission took the step a couple of years ago because of COVID and other things to make sure we had an alternate place.

And this is a time that we uh appreciate uh the courtrooms over there at the mall that have been inspected by everyone, meet all the needs that we need it to meet, got sufficient parking, uh, and all those other things, including very large uh courtrooms, uh, jury spaces, etc.

Um, and just for a time just like this.

Hopefully, there's never never a COVID again that we have to use it for.

But certainly, while we're doing the renovations at the uh the courthouse, what we don't want to happen is to get further behind on prosecution of our cases.

This will allow us to keep continue to uh get caught up on the good work that we're doing over there.

So this time we already had a motion and second.

There's no further questions.

Uh, we'll call for a vote.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries a recent consent agenda.

Our next item is executive session.

Uh, this time entertaining a motion going to executive session for the purpose of consultation with county attorney and other legal counsel to discuss pending or potential litigations, settlement claims, administrative proceedings or other judicial actions brought on behalf of Macon Bibb County or against Macon Bibb County.

I got a motion to go into executive session.

You get a second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

Thank you very much.

We do expect two items coming out of the executive session uh in probably the next thirty minutes or so.

Thank you very much.

Got a motion by Mayor Pro Tim.

Got a second.

Got a second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries.

So we have two items on the agenda.

Item 12A is a tax refund request.

This is a resolution of Making Biff County Commission considering request for refund for 2023 and 2024 AVA Worm taxes to form a Ivy pursuant to OCGA 48-5-380.

Is there a motion on this particular issue?

Is there a motion to deny?

Motion to buy my commissioner Hall.

We have a second.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries.

A final recommendation of the committee of the whole alcohol license denial recommendation for Nanita Hunt on her 478 Lounge LLC.

And this time we'd ask Mr.

Robert Rickard, if you don't mind coming up to the microphone, sir, if you'd like to speak again.

You got up to five minutes to speak regarding this issue.

And thank you very much for allowing us to come back and address any lingering concerns that uh you may have had.

Uh at several those business ties.

I got to know her uh pretty well.

Um going through that.

Uh three four years have passed uh since that last uh incident uh and she has since found a new location in an in a new place in Sherling Plaza.

Uh she has filed an application and met all of the requirements uh that uh are set out, including the installation of a camera system which has been inspected by the city and approved.

She's also agreed to probationary conditions uh on the license to help satisfy, but what I really think you want to hear is directly from her, and with your permission, uh I'd like to uh allow uh Ms.

Lanita Hunt to come up and try to tell you herself about her concerns for having a safe and secure environment for her customers and for um people in the area generally, just in the outside in the parking lots.

So you may want to, if I may, um Mr.

Mayor, turn this over to Lanita Hunt, and I would ask for your favorable consideration under these circumstances.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

And talk right into it.

Ms.

Hunt, good to hear from you.

Hi, how are you?

My name is Lanita Hunt on the owner of 478 Lounge LLC.

I wanted to address the safety concerns.

The safety is you know the most important thing.

People should be able to go out, have a good time, come back home, go back home without a problem.

I address the um security footage at my dude's place, so it won't be any um excuse me.

I'm kind of nervous.

So it won't be any issues there.

I agree to the probationary terms.

I'm just trying to go to another another place, start over fresh.

Abide by all the rules, ask them for a second chance from the city.

Okay, thank you, ma'am.

Mr.

Rickard, you like to say something else, sir.

Just to refresh your recollection, uh after we had the appeal, uh, and and after uh Judge Crystal Jones had an extensive hearing and and a conclusion, she said they were mitigating circumstances that uh could and should be taken uh into consideration.

Number one, the the confusion uh uh about the previous incident, as I said it was a drive-by shooting.

Um somebody in a car that was had previously been in the bar, but in a car later, after the bar had closed, drove by and fired several shots, one of which unfortunately went through the door, broke the glass, and hit the security guard inside the bar.

Uh so uh a bad bad situation then, but that's like I say, in the past, four years ago, time is passed.

The new application has come in good faith.

She's had this camera system installed, signed up for a five-year lease uh on the premises, which she is still paying, even though she doesn't have an alcohol license uh now.

Uh but she's got in a five-year lease, and over there, she's been in the business for more than 15 years and has no criminal record herself.

This one incident where her only failure that they were addressing was the failure of the camera equipment at the old location to record.

It was making pictures, but it didn't retain them so that they could be retrieved later.

And that was the violation.

And in light of that violation, rather than appeal it, and this, that, or the other, because she was trying to get out of the relationship with her former business partner and move on to a different location.

She voluntarily surrendered her license with the understanding that it would not be held against her if she applied in the future for another license.

Thank you, sir.

Uh, this time we've got a uh motion of Commissioner Stewart.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I appreciate it.

Before I make that motion, I want to start by saying that uh, you know, we're in the position that we're in.

You have to put your big boy pants on to make a decision one way or the other about things.

And uh a few years ago, I was interviewed long before I was a commissioner about a shooting that took place at Grant's lounge.

And uh I went on television and I said, well, you know, you can't hold the grant family responsible for the actions of somebody else outside of their club.

And I would be a hypocrite if I didn't hold you to those same standards.

And so I, you know, we've had conversations, I've had conversations with the neighborhood associations uh in East Making.

And the biggest caveat I tried to uh impress upon the neighborhood associations is the fact that whether or not you want the club there or not.

This particular issue tonight is not about whether the club is there or not.

The club is already there.

This issue tonight is about whether we grant or do not grant an alcohol license.

Commissioner Stewart, yeah.

Um if you don't mind making a motion if you're gonna my motion is that we pass that we ask for approval of of uh of our alcohol license with the stipulations that we talked about last week.

We have a second.

Second by Cato.

Now you can I just want to make sure we went ahead and take the motion a second before we started debate, sir.

So you may continue, sir.

Oh no, I no, I really appreciate it.

I just wanted to say that uh, you know, we have to make sure that we we're all about safety, you know, and we we want to make sure that we hold you to those standards.

Uh but at the same time, we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to to run your business.

The business is already there.

That's my point.

The business is there.

So the question tonight is about the alcohol license, and that motion is is on the floor right now.

Okay, Commissioner Kato.

You have your light on mine.

No?

Okay.

Did you have something to say?

Can't remember.

Tell me where it's been.

Okay.

All right.

We we do have a motion and second.

There's no further discussion.

Uh, all those in favor of approving the alcohol license, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, nay.

The nays have it five to three.

Like a roll call vote?

Okay.

Uh, Commissioner Bailey, how do you vote?

Commissioner Cato, how you vote?

Commissioner Howard vote?

Mr.

Wilder?

Mr.

Hewitt?

Mr.

Stewart?

Yes.

Mr.

Bronson?

Mayor Pro Tim Wynn.

Okay.

Uh, that particular motion is denied.

Is there any other alternative motion?

Commissioner Howard you like make a motion?

The request.

A motion to deny the request deny the alcohol license.

Is there a second?

Second from Mayor Pro Tim.

Um, got a motion and second.

Any further discussion on that motion?

Hearing none, all those in favor of denying the alcohol license, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

Uh motion carries five to three.

Uh the motion is here by denied.

There is an option, uh, Mayor Rickard uh Robert to uh refile and remedially apply for that alcohol license, but it's denied at this time.

Be happy to talk with you later on about that.

Thank you.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our business uh as far as the uh call meeting here today, and there's no other items on the agenda, we'll be adjourned until six o'clock for our regular schedule meeting.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to the Making Bip County Commission special call meeting.

Today is Wednesday, uh, March the 18th.

The time is approximately six o'clock.

So I like to officially welcome everyone here, those are in person and those who are at home and officially call this meeting to order.

Uh, we'll begin this meeting like we always do, uh, with a prayer followed by a praise of allegiance.

So, those of you that can and will are able to, please uh stand and bow your head.

And I ask Pastor Billy Flowers from the House and Road Church to come forth and bring us the uh message today.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for today.

This is the day that you have made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Father, we ask you to bless Bibb County, bless our mayor, our leadership.

But we ask you to bless our citizens as we seek your face in this meeting.

Father, give them wisdom to face their unique challenges.

May they have insights, Father, into the needs of the communities within our county.

Give them servants' hearts.

Let them, Lord, work with humility and prioritize the needs of our citizens.

We pray for unity and peace, Father.

We pray for harmony and government and overcoming all political divides.

We pray for integrity in this place tonight, God.

We ask you to strengthen our leaders to act ethically within the framework of accountability to you alone, O God.

Father, we ask for protection.

We pray for safety over our leadership and their families as they sacrifice and serve.

God, we know you alone, place leaders.

We acknowledge that, God, that you raise and remove, we acknowledge that, Father.

But you have raised these commissioners and our mayor to serve our county for such a time as this.

So anoint them and use them for your glory.

Bless all of us, God, who call Bibb County home and help us to join, Lord, together in making Bibb a healthy and flourishing home for all.

And as we leave this meeting tonight, send us, Lord, from this place with a commissioning to do your work, your way, and for your glory.

In Christ's name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Of the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation.

Individuals.

Liberty and justice.

For all.

Maybe seated.

This time we'll move on to public comments on agenda items.

I believe that we have four of those.

Mr.

Ricker, would you like to make any comments before or would you like to have those four people come speak first?

Yes, sir.

You may.

Again, thank you very much for the time and opportunity to come and speak to you.

Very quickly, I want to go back and uh look at what happened back in 1922.

And what happened in 1922 was this drive-by shooting and investigation, found out the camera system didn't work to record and retrieve images.

That that was the violation that was confronting her.

She was counseled by the uh city attorney uh at the time, county attorney at the time, um, and signed uh an agreement.

Uh and the highlighted portion that says, I understand that by voluntarily surrendering, I will not be subject to the ban from obtaining future alcohol licenses, but that I will still be required to meet all necessary qualifications in order to receive a new alcohol license for any business in the future.

Um, based on that, uh she goes to the to the hearing when when the license was denied, permanent license was denied, uh, got to the hearing, and the judge uh uh at the air in Judge Crystal Jones uh made note of the fact that uh she did in fact understand that to mean that yes, she had to meet all of the qualifications, uh but that she wouldn't be subject to a ban, and this wouldn't be held against her and be a ban on her.

Um and she has met all the qualifications.

That's the only reason it came before you in the first place.

So the background check, the distance requirements, the engineer certification, and the certification of a working and operable uh camera system.

Uh, all of that uh has been certified so she meets uh all of the necessary qualifications uh to operate this business.

Based on the fact that she understood it was not a uh a ban or prohibition on future applications.

She's within enters into this five-year contract, has the improvements made, uh, which she testified that she would never have done if she understood that that past incident could be held against her.

So now she's in a five-year, five-year lease uh over there, uh, and an alcohol license that uh really um is being denied, I guess, based on uh character and whether or not she is or is not what she represents.

So, in that regard, uh we've got several of our friends that were here with her uh tonight that came up and wanted to say a word or two on her behalf in that regard.

So thank you very much.

I'll relinquish the rest of my time.

Yes, sir.

Thank you very much.

Uh the order doesn't matter, I'll just go in the order that I got it presented to me if that's okay.

Uh if the order doesn't matter, I'll just call them up as I got them presented to me.

Uh is that uh Miss Latricia Wright?

Miss Wright?

How are you doing, Miss Wright?

Good to see you.

You're speaking to that microphone over there so everybody can hear you, and you got up two, five minutes to speak.

Okay.

Um my name is Latricia Wright.

I'm a resident of East Macon.

And I'm standing tonight to speak in opposition of the license being approved.

I also have a letter from Miss Flora Mackey, um, who is uh a resident of East Pine Hill community and president of uh East Macon Pine Hill Neighborhood Watch.

And she's writing to formally express opposition to the approval of a liquor license for the proposed Lanita Hunt, owner of the 478 Lounge, LLC at Sherlington Plaza.

And the main thing here, um, we are concerned as a community uh about the sale of alcohol uh in the club, and also because as a result, research does show that as uh alcohol sales are in conjunction with a bar or a liquor store near a neighborhood, it increases the potential for risk for crime by 63%.

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency also states that the use of alcohol contributes to 40 percent of all violent crimes.

And I do recall that there has been some license pulled even from downtown bars that uh due to crime.

There were drive-by shootings and some fatalities occurred.

So within our East Macon area, our neighborhood is a residential community made up of families, seniors, and working residents who value safety, stability, and quality of life.

We are deeply concerned that the introduction of late-night establishments serving alcohol near our homes will negatively impact the area.

So at this point, we are asking uh within East Macon, the crime is down.

So we don't want to contribute to increasing crime in our community at this time.

We're just wondering, wanting to uh state here that as a residents, we have worked hard to maintain and improve the safety and appearance of our community.

We respectfully ask that you consider the long-term impact this type of business may have on the families who already live here.

Lastly, uh thus we do request, and and we're not in opposition to responsible development.

So if there's something else we can uh put in that plaza, because like I said, there is a liquor store.

You have the bar, and then there's a liquor store right there on the corner of the plaza.

So that that's that's not good.

It's not good.

And lastly, um we do request that the license be denied for 78 lounge in Shurlington Plaza.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Mr.

David Mockett, Mr.

Hawkett.

These are the individuals, Mr.

Rickard, that you requested here, these two.

These are your witnesses.

Are these your witnesses here?

Yes, okay.

I was reading the sheets from beginning.

I figured that one out pretty quickly.

Uh this is Mr.

David Lockett.

Mr.

Glock, I think you want to speak on behalf of the club.

Is that correct?

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

You may begin, sir.

Okay.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is David Lockett.

And foremost, I would like to thank this committee for granting me this opportunity to speak on behalf of Mrs.

Anita Hunt and her character.

I I just want to let y'all notice.

I spent 20 years in the United States Navy.

So therefore, I know a whole lot about honor and commitment.

Okay, I live on the east side of time, Macon, Georgia.

And Miss Anita been in the family for a little over six years.

I'm not here to rehash what happened four years ago at the rodeo club.

Unfortunately, that's that happened.

And it's gone.

But what I am here to speak on is on speak on is uh Miss Anita behalf of her good a good deed.

This club that she's well I won't call it a club called a bar lounge.

That's what it is, a bar lounge.

It's not a club, it's a bar lounge.

People come, relax, listen to music, have fun and go home.

And I don't think it's right that she's been denied to have her alcohol license re-granted to her based on something that happened in the past.

She's what I know is that this is her livelihood.

So when you take this away from her, you take it away for a livelihood, a way of making a living, a way of earning money to support her family.

Therefore, um like I said, she does a lot of things within the community for the kids that I know of.

She does what they call school give back programs, where she give a lot of school supplies away to the kids.

She does work shop, where she where males are young males are taught how to tie ties and to have proper grooming standard, and the young girls learn how to put on makeup the proper way.

I mean, a lot of stuff should count for a whole lot.

And not only that, she also have been committed to doing what needed to be done to have her alcohol license re-granted to her.

She was I know of she has uh went, took the extra step or hiring off-duty law enforcement personnel, which means a lot.

That's that account for a lot.

And she has she has uh did through all the qualifications as extra security on the outside of the club as well as inside of the club.

Well, like I said, bar lounge, not club.

And as I can recall, since I've been out, there's been a lot of situations happening downtown with this place called the Red Bull.

If anybody familiar with that, Red Bull, when a lot of incidents were happening down there, and as far as I know that place was re-granted license several times before license was decided to for the side to just close that place down and uh do a whip with it.

So my asking this committee to have some consideration and some passion to re-grant Anita Hunt her livelihood.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

The Delveyon Porter.

Good evening, everybody.

Um, I would first like to speak on Miss Lanita Hunt's um character as well.

Um I was already employed at the rodeo barn grill before Miss Lanita bought in for ownership.

Um and over the time with getting to know her, she's uh God fearing woman.

She helped everybody like Mr.

Lockett said, um, she she does what she can for anybody.

Me feeling like she should be granted her license back because fairness.

We all gotta be fair.

That's something that happened four years ago.

I believe in second chances.

I'm not sure if everyone here believes in second chances, but I just honestly believe that she should get her license back.

When I met Lanita at the club, I was already a bartender as I stated before we became friends.

Um she's on my potential with bartending.

She made me the bar manager months after that.

I became the club manager.

She took me on her wing as they stated before.

She's done this 15 years or more.

She took me on her wings, taught me a lot about business and being a business owner.

So with that, I just asked for grace, fairness, and Lenita.

Uh Ms.

Hunt, a second chance we're getting her license.

That's all.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Appreciate you being here tonight.

Um Mr.

Rickers, any any follow-up before we begin.

Any follow-up, Mr.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Uh, we're gonna go ahead and do a couple other little things before, and then we'll we'll come back to this item here.

First of all, I got the approval of the minutes.

This is the approval of the minutes from February 17, 2026.

Uh regular commission meeting.

Again, a motion to approve.

Hey, second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

Okay, and then uh we've got a consent agenda, uh, items A through 000.

Uh, we're not including the uh item uh identified as PP for this 478, so that's excluded.

Uh just on the consent agenda for item A through OO.

A motion to approve the agenda as uh published.

Second by Mayor Pro Tim.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

Thank you.

That motion carries.

Uh and now we've got a uh a motion uh but pursuant to item PP motion to deny the alcohol license.

Uh Commissioner Howell, you made that motion.

Uh we have a second second by Commissioner Bailey.

Uh motion is second, and now we'll have discussion.

Uh Commissioner Stewart, I saw your light on second.

You have a question.

Thank you, Mr.

Scott.

Sure, yes, sir.

I appreciate that.

Um I'm just gonna start pretty much where I started in in pre-commission uh by saying Mr.

Lockett really uh hit the nail right on the head.

I'm the very first person.

I told this to Ms.

Hunt.

When alcohol licenses come up with these vice marks, we have too many vice marks in in uh in East Making.

And I'm the very first to say nay to that, and usually uh Commissioner Bronson does as well.

Um but this came down to her livelihood.

You know, it came down to her uh the way she uh takes care of her family.

And we have, and I hope my East Making neighbors get behind with great fervor.

We have three liquor stores on Sheryl and Drive.

Uh we have one right there near our neighborhood, of course, Ms.

Wright, right there at uh Bowden Golf Course.

Miss Wright is my neighbor right down the street from me.

Ms.

Dawson's the president of our neighborhood association, I'm vice president.

Uh right there at Bowden Golf Course.

We have another one right there at Pine Hill, uh right there in the corner, right across from Sheridan Plaza.

And we have one down the street where the old Lee's chicken used to be right there across from Cadence Bank.

So I hope those of us who are uh against alcohol in the community uh go with great fervor against these liquor stores because whether you get it at Ms.

Hunt's place or you get the liquor store, it's still liquor.

And so I'm looking at it from the standpoint of looking at her livelihood.

And um and Duke, I don't know the proper protocol here.

I know last week last time around we voted twice.

Can I make a motion again in this one?

This is the motion.

Okay.

This is you're speaking from a mo this is a motion to deny the license.

Okay, so I can't make a motion to approve it.

Not yet.

Okay.

Unless it's unless this fails, you cannot do it.

Okay.

So once again, I just want to make sure that we are, you know, we are across the board on this issue.

Um, as I mentioned to her, Ms.

Dawson told me earlier, she says, Well, how could you uh do that?

And I say, Well, I you know, I've getting calls from both sides, you know, and I mentioned that earlier.

I'm getting calls from both sides, some for, some against.

And the seats that we sit in, we have to make those decisions.

And mine came down to the decision of making sure that she had a livelihood.

She and her husband who's sitting beside her have a livelihood uh for their family.

With those stipulations, of course, that we talked about last time, and I think she understands that we're very serious about those stipulations.

But uh, that's why I'm I made the motion as I did, and I stand behind that motion.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Cato.

Listen about that when I was just wondering if we were gonna go back over some of the other stuff.

No, man, we've already voted on everything on the agenda.

All we got to do is.

Yeah, we've got it.

We got a motion on the floor right now, so we're gonna handle that.

Um we have a motion and second.

Any further discussion on this alcohol license?

You know, discussion will call for a vote.

Uh, all those in favor of the denial, uh, please say aye.

All those opposed to denial say nay.

Uh it's five to three denial, uh, is upheld.

Uh the uh other item on the agenda, we've already did the consent agenda and everything's passed.

Did you have a follow-up question or something?

Yeah, I was trying to go back.

My light was on for trying to go back to EN.

I know you said we were gonna go all the way through OO, but I wanted to see if we could go back and talk about N.

It was nine B, I think on the other one, but I had to find it on this new one.

Yeah, if you want to make some comments on the code enforcement, but we've already passed that.

If you feel feel free to make some comments if you want to.

Um, so can I put another motion on there for it to be tabled again?

Well, that motion is already passed, Commissioner.

I thought we voted twice.

We did.

We just did the whole consent agenda and I pulled that out, and then we did the motion on the other, and then you turned the light on.

When you said OO, remember is that a letters are different from what we voted on in the first one.

It was nine.

So when we go from OO, then I still have to go back and find that one.

So it's not the same number that it was in the pre-commission meaning it now becomes OO.

We voted on the entire consent agenda that's previously published that covered everything we did today except for item PP, which is the only item we pulled out of there.

And item PP was the 478 denial.

Okay, so we don't have to go back and we can't no ma'am giving you the opportunity to make you you know how the vote went, but I'm giving you some opportunity to make some comments if you'd like to.

We've already voted on it.

I'm just on this 9A, because now it's on N.

I'm sorry, I say all, because I did hear you said we were gonna go through OO.

But I just want to say that we should at least consider the input of the citizens when we're making an ordinance like this.

We should have all talked to our citizens one through nine, talk to our citizens about what they think should happen or what's their input.

And then I just want to understand that if we have a charter, how is it that we can get past a charter from the consolidation that was voted on, and that we can just go against what the charter says?

And I guess that question is for Duke.

How can we get past the charter when the charter was put there for guidelines about how things work?

So the charter does say that the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer for making bib county.

Nothing that you pass, and and I have no position on this ordinance.

I'm not taking a position, I'm just explaining in response to your question.

Nothing that you pass with respect to designating code enforcement as code enforcement slash public safety changes the charter or the designation of the sheriff's chief law enforcement officer.

Any uh code enforcement officer who is post-certified that can engage in law enforcement activities has been sworn in by the sheriff and has the approval of the sheriff to engage in those those activities.

And so it's kind of what Mr.

McNeil had said earlier.

We in no way are going around the sheriff for law enforcement.

He has to participate in this process vis-a-vis the law enforcement, the uh code enforcement officers.

But the ordinance itself has no legal effect on that relationship at all.

He's still the chief law enforcement officer and does the charter is not being changed.

Okay, my last question.

And my last question is how much is it gonna cost the taxpayers to make sure that they get in, get this training in the um the pay, um, the pension, all the things that they're saying that this that they want, how much is it gonna cost for each officer?

So it doesn't affect the fence the pension in any way.

Um these particular officers, if they're already under a pension, it's the same pension.

Uh every new officer goes under a regular employee uh that we all have right now, so it does know a cost, additional cost associated with that regarding the uh incentive pay for public safety officers.

It depends on uh just like a sheriff deputy how many years you have.

So if you are a and and I think only five qualify at the minimal level for the current code enforcement.

If you're a code enforcement officer right now, um and you have five year or 10 years in, you'll get the base uh incentive pay that a deputy would get, which I believe is 2500.

If you're up to 25 or 30, I think you had 25 years last year, there at least 25 years, correct?

And yours was 5500.

So uh your check would have been 5500 at the January based on the preceding year, December 31st uh service time.

So the same would apply to a public safety, as the same applies to a public safety officer, which is a fire department, that's not underneath the sheriff, but it but yet they are a public safety officer than our public safety program.

They're not under the sheriff, it has nothing to do with the charter.

If we had to do something that was gonna change the charter without some exception to allow us to do that, then we would be having a different conversation that would be going up to uh to our local delegation to make decisions on that.

Since this doesn't change the charter in any kind of way, shape, or form, uh, and purely just designate somebody's public safety, it wouldn't have that requirement.

Okay.

Okay.

Commissioner Howell.

Yes, sir.

I'm just sitting here thinking and listening.

Uh and I guess this is a question for Duke.

Um the lawyer is getting paid to be the lawyer.

Okay, thank you very much.

The the Board of Education, uh, Wesley and College, those aren't those officers, don't the sheriff have to do the same thing with them?

Yes.

So even though they don't answer to the sheriff daily, they still have to have that's just how this works in our particular county, right?

That's right.

That's right.

And the concept is this when you were post-certified officer, if you were sworn in by the by the sheriff, you have law enforcement powers to a certain extent, but it's subject to the sheriff.

I mean, he's always in control of that.

Yeah, so even though even though they work for that's not their boss they report to every day, they're still this is just another arm of the sheriff's office.

They're county employees, right?

But their powers for law enforcement duties have to come from the sheriff being sworn in by the sheriff, yeah.

Ms.

Katie, we got a follow-up now.

Commissioner Stewart.

Because I I hear what you're saying, but their jurisdiction would be at Westlean College, Mercy University, and that's it.

B County Sheriff's jurisdiction falls over all of them.

But I was asking for code enforcement so that citizens don't get it confused.

Where does their jurisdiction jurisdiction lie?

Where does it end?

Where does it start?

Does it go into the deputies jurisdiction?

So those other people, they are here, but they don't have jurisdiction outside of where they are.

So that is not the same for me.

Well, uh, basically, the code enforcement has the same jurisdiction boundaries that a sheriff deputy would have because their employees are making Bibb County.

Uh ultimately, the sheriff decided who's gonna get sworn in in his county, and he makes that decision.

Uh final question, Commissioner Stewart, and we're gonna close this out.

Yeah, no, I appreciate that.

No, I just had and I didn't mention this earlier, but I've had people from code enforcement very high up in code enforcement come to me and it and say protect our our workers.

So I get that.

You know, protect us from a public safety aspect.

And I guess my deeper question goes to why it's basically, and I don't mean it's in a bad way, but housing inspectors doing the job of public safety when we have a sheriff's department that we could better man, better enforce.

Uh why are they doing that job?

Uh we're putting them, for example, to go out and clean out uh homeless encampments.

Why are they doing that job when the the initial base of that position is inspection?

Okay, anything else?

Got a question follow-up.

That's my answer.

Um excuse me.

Those were incorporated, it should have been those two items should have been incorporated in the OOMPP.

The two after executive session is probably executive session.

Yeah, we'll sit here.

I just can't find it.

Yeah, okay.

Isn't there?

Thank you very much.

All right, that concludes our meeting today, ladies and gentlemen.

Uh, we'll be in a in adjournment.

There's possi a potential that we may have a call meeting next week.

Uh we'll let you know as far in advance as we can do that uh for a couple of issues that uh are time sensitive.

Uh otherwise we'll be back here for our record April meeting.

Uh thank you very much.