Gray City Council members held their January meeting looking toward the new year that will include some changes due to it being an election year.
Mayor Ed Barbee called the Jan. 6 meeting to order. In his mayor’s report, Barbee simply said 2024 was a great year, and he looks forward to another in 2025.
First on the agenda were representatives from Ryland Environmental, including John Nail from Dublin and Jay Smith from Milledegville.
The company took over trash collection in Gray last year following issues with the prior company. Nail stated that Ryland’s relationship with Gray was important to the company.
“We will be here any time you need us,” he stated. “We can’t promise perfection, but we will respond to any issues.”
Mayor Pro Tem James Collins said he appreciated that Smith got back with him so quickly when he called.
The representative said they had a system that could help track down issues that the city may want to utilize. He said he started his career with Ryland on the back of a truck.
“If there is anything wrong, we want to fix it,” Nail said. “I have a degree in accounting from Georgia Southern, and I ended up working in trash. How does that work?”
Smith noted that the company wants to provide good service.
“Let us know how we can improve,” he said.
Nail added that they are always working to improve routing and efficiency. He said the company likes to support the community and offered to provide trash cans that can be put out for events and festivals.
Council members voted to move their All Committees Meeting to Jan. 27 due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
The third item on the agenda was qualifying fees for the Nov. 4 city election. All of Gray’s elected offices will be on the ballot. Since 2021, the city has operated without representation for District 4 due to the failing health of Councilman Benny Gray, who currently resides in a nursing facility.
The approved qualifying fees are $216 for mayor, $198 for mayor pro tem and $162 for each of the four council seats.
Council members approved a beer, wine and liquor pouring license for the new owner of Ben’s Bent Axle with a unanimous vote. The only divided vote was for item 5, a resolution to approve closing documents for the purchase of a five-acre property on Highway 18 East. The purpose of the purchase is to drill multiple water wells for the city. The current test well, however, was not viable.
Councilman Terrell Fulford made the motion to approve the purchase, and the motion passed with a vote of 3-1. Collins opposed the motion.
Council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with the Jones County/Gray Chamber of Commerce for the 2025 hotel/ motel tax funds. The motion was made by Fulford.
Councilman Terry Favors made the next motion, which was to approve a resolution for various budget adjustments necessary to conduct the affairs of the city. The motion was approved unanimously.
Council authorized a letter to GEFA requesting the extension of a current grant for lead service line inventory. Favors made that motion, and it was approved unanimously.
The final motion was to approve audit services by McNair, McLemore, Middlebrooks & Co. for the city’s 2024 audit.
Comments included a question about the test well property and statements by Collins about the Board of Commissioners’ Jan. 7 hearing with tax assessors and the city’s hearing dates scheduled to opt out of HB 581.
The next meeting of the City Council is its All Committees Meeting Jan. 27.
