At the Americus Mayor and City Council agenda setting meeting Monday, Frank Joiner, chairman of the Americus and Sumter County Airport Authority, gave an update on the recent progress and ongoing work at Jimmy Carter Regional Airport. Joiner said that all payments with the Americus-Sumter County Payroll Development Authority are current, weather equipment had been updated and updated insurance and increased limits of liability were in place.

As in last week’s meeting of the Sumter County Board of Commissioners, Joiner proposed to the City that another member be appointed to the authority. Joiner explained that “due to the specialized nature of aviation that someone with aviation expertise” was needed.” Mayor Barry Blount advised Joiner to meet with the authority to “draw up a resolution to present to both committees.” Blount also commented that the airport is “a great asset to our community and a lot of improvements have been made in that past two or three years.”

At Monday’s meeting, City Public Works Director Bernard Kendrick presented a report on city well No. 7 on Oak Avenue. The findings in an investigation conducted by Lane Atlantic determined that “the well had collapsed.” The firm “instructed abandonment” of the well. Kendrick said, “The well was a production well for 33 years and now there are only three production wells left in the city.” Kendrick added that Lane Atlantic advised to “establish a well at a new location in the vicinity.”

Council member Eloise Paschal asked Kendrick “what impact is that going to have on the city’s water supply?” Kendrick replied, “We need system redundancy and we are putting that strategy in place right now.”

Also at Monday’s meeting, Mandy Young, director of Community and Economic Development, reported that there is now a City of Americus Facebook page. “The page can be she explained.

Among other items discussed by the Mayor and Council include the following.

• The status of lighting for Joyce Myers Park. There has been an increase from 400 watts to 1000 watts for more adequate lighting.

• City administrator Charlotte Cotton read an amendment to the personnel ordinance updating the drug and alcohol testing policy for the transit system as mandated by the Georgia Department of Transportation.