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By Sarah Brown – Managing Editor

The Cordele City Commission met on Tuesday May 7, 2024 at 9am at the Cordele City Hall Courtroom with Chairman Joshua Deriso, Commissioner Vest Beal Shepard, Commissioner Isaac H. Owens, Commissioner Royce Reeves, Sr., Commissioner Wesley Rainey and City attorney, Tommy Coleman in attendance.

We started the meeting with a presentation from Mr. Eric N. Groom, Jr. from the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia.

Department Heads

Municipal Court

256 – Total Cases

227 – Traffic

29 – Criminal

10 – Bench Warrants

26 – License Suspensions

Fire Department

Reporting Period March 25-april 19

50 – total calls for service.

3 – structure fires

5 – grass fires

19 – medical calls

4 – motor vehicle accident

2 – gas leaks 

Police Department & Codes

Cordele Police Department : Reporting Period March 25 – April 29

51 – Part 1 Crimes

2 – Robberies

5 – Motor Vehicle Thefts (3 recovered )

38 – Thefts

7 – Entering Autos

9 – Shoplifting ( 7 arrests)

22 – Other Thefts

3 – Burglaries (residential)

65 – Part 2 crimes

147 – Incidents

18 – Community Contacts

105 – Citations

94 – Warning

1,481 – Total Calls for Service

Animal Control:

109 – Total Dog and Cat intake

68 – City

39 – County

2 – other

68 – Calls received

26 – follow up with animal complaint

87 – Adoptions and rescues

Codes Department:

5 – Abandon Vehicles

32 – Weed, junk, prohibited items, and dumping

Agenda Items

Agenda item number one was proclamations.

1. International Firefighters Day, May 4, 2024. This proclamation was presented to the Cordele and Crisp County Fire Departments by Commissioner Isaac Owens.
2. 55^th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week, May 5-11, 2024. This proclamation was presented to City Clerk Janice Mumphrey and Assistant City Clerk Alicia Williams by Commissioner Vesta Beal-Sheperd.
3. Drinking Water Week, May 5-11, 2024. This proclamation was presented to Debbie Wright and her team at the Utilities Department by Commissioner Isaac Owens.
4. National Hospital Week, May 12-18, 2024. This proclamation was presented to many employees of the Crisp Regional Hospital by Commissioner Vesta Beal-Sheperd.
5. National Police Week, May 12-18, 2024. This proclamation was presented to employees of the Cordele Police Department and the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office by Commissioner Isaac Owens.
6. National Mental Health Month proclamation was presented by Vesta Beal-Sheperd.

 

Agenda item number two was to consider and approve an event permit for a Family Event – Food Truck Friday, Friday, May 10, 2024, at the Community Clubhouse, 11:00 Am – Until. Organizer is Cordele Main Street, Monica Rentfrow, Director.

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

Agenda item number three was to consider and approve and event permit for a Family Event – Celebration of Juneteenth at the Community Clubhouse, June 16, 2024. Organizer is Cordele NAACP Branch, Commissioner Isaac Owens, President. Family activities for everyone. This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number four to consider and approve a voting delegate and flag bearer for the Georgia Municipal Association Annual Convention. They chose Commissioner Isaac Owens to conduct both the voting delegate and flag bearer. This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number five was to consider and approve the request for items listed from 212N 2^nd Street (Old Boys & Girls Club) 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 six was to consider and approve the 2024-2025 Classic Main Street MOU. This item was properly moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Agenda item number seven was to consider and approve the Fireworks Tax Grant and the Required Ten (10) percent match.

Background information: The fire department applied for a Fireworks Tax Grant from the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council to assist with purchasing SCBAs and was awarded $25,000.00. The grant is a matching grant with $22,500.00 being funded from GFSTC Grant and $25,000.00 by the department.

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

Agenda item number eight was to consider and approve the office training reimbursement agreement for the police department. There was a lot of discussion on this item and was decided that further information was needed and that it would be tabled for a future meeting.

Agenda item number nine was to rescind alcohol license approval for Clubb Zodiak. There was a lot of discussion on this item and was decided that further information was needed and that it would be tabled for a future meeting.

Agenda item number ten was a discussion on the decriminalization of marijuana. There was a lot of discussion on this item and was decided that further information was needed and that it would be tabled for a future meeting.

Additionally, a National Tourism Week proclamation was presented to Marlene Kimball by Commissioner Isaac Owens.