Watkinsville City Council cruises through brief agenda with due diligence and consideration

The process of municipal government approval of expenditures varies greatly given the gamut of getting done what needs to be accomplished. The agenda is what controls the course of the evening's activities, and it has been done flawlessly and expertly by Julie Sanders at the City of Watkinsville for as long as I can remember. Tonight was no exception to her consistency and rule

I have always enjoy attending the Watkinsville City Council meetings and finding out what happens in our county seat. This evening they added white plastic chains to keep the adoring media throng from taking photos behind the city council members' backs during the meetings. I would hope that council continues to do so well without the annoying media snooping around behind them at their meetings.

The meeting seemed to flow well regarding of any artificially constructed barriers to prevent any unnecessary media intrusions. Some smart aleck in the audience actually dared to tell Clerk Sanders of an apostrophe out of place. I truly hope I did not embarrass her or the city too much with my silly query.

Perhaps the most immediately visible and tangible result of the meeting Wednesday at the Community Center was approval of the umpteenth version of the Jack's Food Mart at 42 Greensboro Highway. Not that it really matters, but this may be the third version of the convenience store and gas station since the turn of the century. Rakesh Mahey and his wife appeared at the lectern to let the approval goes through unanimously for the business license but were only approved 3-1 for the beer and wine permit when City Council member Mike Link predictably voted against as is his religious conviction and wont.

Much more profound in terms of long term impact may yet derive from the future Caterpillar vendor that Ken Beall's appearance on behalf of his client Industrial Finishing Specialist in a new 7,2000 square foot building on lot 10 of 1061 Business Boulevard where they will be super heating fluidized sand to remove bubbles and such from Caterpillar rejects from their strict quality control standards in Bogart. The Watkinsville business essentially moved next door to accomplish such obscure feats as fixing 1,000 hanging chains in one month so the assembly lines can move smoother over yonder in Bogart.

Young Samuel Brannon will be selling bait over the internet for Southern Strong Baits at his home at 126 Muscat Court in Watkinsville. He will have no signs advertising the business. Neither will Glen Wood with his home consultancy in fiber optics and communication for The Pierce Group at 255 Elliot Circle.

Kaitie Bryant will be bringing her distinctive photography style and studio to 54 South Main Street in a home brought back by former State Representative Bob Smith, who was supposedly painting at 4 o'clock in the morning according to Mayor Charles Ivie. Council member Mike Huff inquired as to what the Mayor was doing at 4 am, and the Mayor responded that his early rising was part of his normal patrol.

Kaitie Bryant

The Mayor brought up the matter of a lease with the Oconee County Little League with the understanding that Rocket Field will be used by OCAF occasionally and that Park Field in Harris Shoals Park should be upgraded as much as possible.

The League will pay the light bill and maintain the infield year round. City Attorney Joe Reitman, Jr. will be sending Clerk Sanders the proper verbiage drafted from a Social Circle intergovernmental agreement between the City and the Board of Education.

Councilman Brian Brodrick interceded on behalf of a fence once destined for the surplus stack and will instead be reinstalled.

A trailer and a bunch of brown chairs will be sold from the city coffers however. The trailer will have a reserve price of $2,300.00 and the chairs will be sold in lots of six for $5 each.

The sewer will be attached to the area behind the City Garage down behind the Health Department off Main Street for some $7,500.00. Big six axle rigs will no longer be tolerated on various residential connectors such as Whitehall/Simonton and South Third Street, and with the passing of the ordinance the City of Watkinsville Police Department will now have the enforcement statute to back them up. So look out Publix Trucks trying to take a short cut over to the east side of Athens.