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By Sarah Brown – Managing Editor

The Cordele City Commission met on Tuesday August 6, 2024 at 9am at the Cordele City Hall Courtroom with Chairman Joshua Deriso, Commissioner Vest Beal Shepard, Commissioner Isaac H. Owens, Commissioner Wesley Rainey and City attorney, Tommy Coleman in attendance. Commissioner Royce Reeves, Sr. was absent.

The meeting started with a public hearing to amend the Official City of Cordele Zoning Mao for the following areas; All of existing Parcel #C39 006 from R-4 (Multi-Family Residential to HC (Highway Commercial). This property is owned by HI Tesh, LLC/Harry Patel. Parcel #C039 006 is located south of the newly constructed QuickTrip on 16^th Avenue, east of I-75, west of GA Highway 90, and north of 24^th Avenue.

We then heard from Downtown Development Director, Monica Rentfrow, who came with some exciting news. Cordele has been mentioned and featured in a railfan video on Youtube. She also mentioned that a few buildings have recently been bought downtown and gave some statistics showing an increase of people visiting downtown both new and recurring.

 

Department Heads

Cordele Fire Department – Reporting period June 26^th – July 29^th

Total calls for service – 64

Fuel spills – 3

Brush fires – 4

Medical assists – 26

Motor vehicle accidents – 7

Structure collapse – 1

Cooking fire – 1

False alarms – 18

Power line down – 1

Extrication – 1

Vehicle fires – 2

 

Cordele Police Department – Reporting period June 25^th – July 29^th

Part 1 crimes – 55

Robberies – 3 (businesses with 1 juvenile arrested and 1 vehicle recovered)

Motor vehicle theft – 5 (4 recovered, and 3 juveniles arrested)

Aggravated assaults – 12 (2 arrested)

Larceny/Thefts – 29 ( 7 entering autos, 9 shoplifting, 5 adults arrested and 2 juveniles)

Other thefts – 2

Burglaries – 6 ( 5 residential, 1 business, with 2 juveniles arrested)

Part 2 crimes – 170

Incidents – 143

Citations – 62

Warnings – 37

Community contacts – 14

Total calls for service – 1394

 

Cordele Code Compliance

Abandoned vehicles – 9

Inspections – 20

Cases open – 19

 

Cordele Animal Control

Intakes – 145

City – 62

County – 74

Other entities – 9

Calls – 74

Citations – 13

Warnings – 9

 

Thanks to donations and grants the shelter will now be able to provide microchips and sterilization for the animals.

 

Agenda Items 

Agenda item number one was new appointments to boards:

Cordele Historic Preservation Commission: Cassandra Reid

Board of Zoning and Appeals: Jason Faircloth

This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number two was the reappointment to the Housing Authority Board: Mattie Gwyn: Reappointed as Resident Commissioner to succeed herself for a one-year term beginning September 18, 2024; expiring on September 18, 2025. This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number three was to consider and approve bank signatories for the bank account established for tourism funds. This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number four was to consider and approve the request for items listed from the Cordele Police Department to be declared surplus and to dispose of the surplus items via GovDeals.com. This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number five was to consider and approve the State of Georgia and Local Government Memorandum of Understanding Concerning National Settlement with the Kroger Co. and the acknowledgement and agreement to be bound to Memorandum of Understanding.

Background and Summary:

This MOU between the State of Georgia and Local Governments is regarding the new proposed national opioids settlement reached with the Kroger Co. All documents must be executed, without altercation, and submitted on or before August 12, 2024, in order for local governments to be considered for initial participation calculations and payment eligibility.

This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number six was to consider and approve the second reading of an ordinance repealing Section 12-15 of the City Code of the City of Cordele; Adopting a new Section 12-15; repealing all ordinances in conflict herewith; and for other purposes.

There was a motion to amend the ordinance to include the options given by the court of a payment plan or extended court date. This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number seven was to consider and approve the second reading of an ordinance setting compensation for the chairman and members of the Cordele City Commission; repealing all prior ordinances in conflict herewith; and for other purposes. This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number eight was to consider and approve the request to amen the Official City of Cordele Zoning Map for the following areas; all of existing Parcel #C39 006 from R-4 (Multi-Family Residential) to HC (Highway Commercial). This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number nine was to consider and approve alcohol licenses for:

Lux of Cordele LLC DBA Lux Bar

Beer and wine – consumed on premises, liquor by the drink.

502 E 16^th Ave, Suite F Cordele, GA 31015

Ronak Patel – Owner

Wal-Mart – New Management

Beer and win – consumed off premises.

1215 E 16^th Ave Cordele, GA 31015

John Mincey III – Store Manager

This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number ten was to consider and approve an event permit for Crisp County Middle School Cheerleaders Charity Event on Saturday, August 10, 2024 at the corner of 16^th Avenue East and Pecan Street and 16^th Avenue East and Greer Street from 10:00am-1:00pm. The organizer is Crisp County Middle School Boosters (Cheerleaders).

This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

 

City Manager’s Report

Land Bank meeting on August 13, 2024 at the Crisp County Power Commission at 1:00pm.

Propel Meeting on August 15^th, 2024 at the Crisp County Power Commission at 8:30am.

Home Buyer workshop on August 10^th, 2024 from 10:00am-4:00pm at the J.R. Dowdy building.

Redding spoke on property taxes within the city. City residents pay both city and county taxes. This is due to the county being in charge of providing services that everyone has to have such as, elections, sheriff’s office, airport, health department, etc.

 

City Attorney’s Report

City Attorney, Tommy Coleman, informed the commission of process of indictment when an elected official is arrested under a felony charge. The process would start through the District Attorney which would send information regarding and indictment to the Governor. A panel of three people is then chosen consisting of city council and other officials. They then make a determination of whether that person should be temporarily removed from office during the indictment period. They have to determine if the indictment of the alleged crime related to their performance or activities. A decision will be made in 14 days, sometimes longer by the Governor if such person is removed from their position until the end of their term in office. At this point the City of Cordele is not involved in this process.

There was also discussion in replacing a Commissioner Reeves if it is decided that he be removed temporarily. The city is currently in the process of creating an ordinance to enable the commission to appoint a replacement for Reeves before the Governor.