May 2014 Watkinsville City Council meeting breezes by with no major incidents

Nothing very exciting occurred at the May 2014 meeting of the Watkinsville city council Wednesday evening at the Community Center.

Christine and Russ Mills answer the Council.

About the most shocking news was that Mayor Charles Ivie cannot locate the original plans for the flat roofed building that is the Community Center in possibly replacing the leaky roof (which got a stern test with the rains Wednesday evening).

He apparently looked at every set of blueprints in the storage of the very 1970s looking community center.

Christine Mills answers questions about her proposed building permit.

A new house was approved for the loveliest street in Watkinsville at 35 Harden Hill Road with the building permit for the Russ and Christine Mills family.

The approval was unanimous after a few cursory queries from Council members Mike Huff and Marci Campbell.

Mayor Ivie received approval of the monthly reconciliation report and gave a SPLOST breakdown and preview of the 2015 fiscal year budget.

The City will be receiving bids soon on the demolition of the house on 9 Water Street in anticipation of building a comfort station and parking.

While I salute the initiative on the current leadership in taking on this task, I must point out that when the general public does not know it can park at the Church on Main Street to go shopping, I doubt very highly that they are going to know about a comfort station a block off of Main Street.

I do hope the venture is highly successful for everyone but I remain dubious and critical of all unnecessary discretionary governmental expenditures.

Another potential boondoggle could be the proposed Watkinsville Woods off Jackson Street, as donated by Dr. Roy Ward. Council members Brian Brodrick and Marci Campbell are going to do their best to make sure that does not happen, with the assistance of Troop 80 of the Boy Scouts (who were there in numbers) and committee meetings.

Marci Campbell

They discussed the results of the first meeting with various members of the community about concerns not only about the passive walking park, but sidewalk planning disasters inherited from lack of administration in the past. Mayor Ivie said it would cost about $25,000.00 to buy the right of way and remove the light pole in the middle of the sidewalk on Main Street.

Mayor Ivie, clerk Julie Sanders, Council members Link and Brodrick.

Again I want to be explicit in my support for all things Watkinsville but must maintain a healthy dose of skepticism about everything.

Even though I think he a great volunteer fire fighter I cannot stomach council member Mike Link's constant no vote on beer and wine permits.

And during the citizens' comments, I had to register my disapproval over how the city handled the attempted request of me two months back for me to jump out of an airplane to the benefit of the neighboring Extra Special People, Inc. to the tune of $600.00 for the city.

I tried to remain dispassionate while chastising the city officials for not even calling me to say whether they were or were not going to go through with the donation and whether I was going to join a large of group of volunteers to go leap out of a small plane strapped to someone else to raise funds for those less fortunate.

Watkinsville City Attorney Joe Reitman, Jr.

After the requisite jokes were repeated by city attorney Joe Reitman, Jr., the fact remains of potential liability in such activities, but not just mine. I would have certainly signed a hold harmless agreement and agree to indemnify the city against any potential claims of damage that might occur given an accident or other potential disasters.

The larger issue is the insurance liability of the city paying a donation to a charity and any residual claims that may derive thereof should be examined by a third party.

I would not want to sue the city should some disaster occur, but at the same token I should not be expected to prevent my heirs from seeking compensation should some horrible event occur.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and don't waste a perfectly good plane ride by jumping out over a field in Monroe to help the developmentally disabled.

Magnolia trees have been planted up by the Oconee Cultural Arts Center and the Mayor visited IMI to learn about stainless steel and the requisite ultra polishing it takes to make it laboratory or medical grade. Otherwise all remains well with Watkinsville.

Council member Brodrick showed a panoramic view of the new patch of woods given the city, and commented about tulip poplar tree grove in the middle.  Brodrick spent a good part of his youth traversing woods of a similar thicket and density. There remains a lot of work to do before it is ready for people to trek en masse on the city property.

I look forward to seeing the plans for the paths and other areas engineered by the Scouts of Troop 80 and other people on behalf of the city.

I hope the working title of Watkinsville Woods remains with lots of benches and places of scenic splendor.

I hope the comfort station gives aid to travelers with clean restrooms and cool drinking water to all bikers and visitors to the county seat of Oconee County.

I appreciate the city government and how it functions with input from locals.