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AMERICUS – The Americus City Council (ACC) held its June regular meeting on Wednesday, June 21. At that meeting, numerous Board Appointments were made for the Americus-Sumter County Airport Authority, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Alcohol License Review Board just to name a few.

Terrell Templin was unanimously reappointed to serve another term on the Americus-Sumter County Airport Authority. Templin’s current term expires on July 1, 2023. Council Member Juanita Wilson made a motion to reappoint Templin to another term and Council Member Nicole Smith seconded the motion. The ACC voted and Templin’s reappointment was unanimously approved.

Council Member Daryl Dowdell made a motion to appoint Clifford Merritt to the Planning and Zoning Commission to succeed Michael Harris. The current term of Michael Harris expired on May 31, 2023. Council Member Kelvin Pless seconded the motion and the ACC voted unanimously to approve Clifford Merritt’s appointment.

The ACC also made four board appointments to the Alcohol License Review Board (ALRB). Council Member Pless made a motion to reappoint Mark Tyler to the ALRB and Council Member Wilson seconded the motion. The ACC voted and Tyler’s reappointment was unanimous. Council Member Dowdell then made a motion to reappoint Krystle Hannibal to the ALRB as well and Council Member Smith seconded the motion. The ACC voted and Hannibal was unanimously reappointed.

The ACC also voted to reappoint Paul Joiner to the ALRB. Council Member Nelson Brown made a motion to reappoint Joiner and Council Member Pless seconded the motion. The ACC voted and Joiner was unanimously reappointed to the ALRB.

James Miles was the fourth and final person to be reappointed to serve on the ALRB. Council Member Nelson Brown made a motion to reappoint Mr. Miles and Council Member Wilson seconded the motion. The ACC voted and Miles was unanimously reappointed to another term.

The ACC also voted unanimously to reappoint Fran George to the Lake Blackshear Regional Library Board. Council Member Brown made a motion to reappoint George and Council Member Smith seconded the motion.

The final board appointment was for Fred McLaughlin, who was unanimously voted in to serve another term on the Hospital Authority. McLaughlin’s current term expires on July 1, 2023. Council Member Brown made a motion to reappoint McLaughlin and Council Member Smith seconded the motion. The ACC voted and it was unanimous that McLaughlin should serve another term.

Earlier in the meeting, Council Member Juanita Wilson invited Mr. Terence Clemons to serve as the Honorary Council Member and Americus Mayor Lee Kinnamon presented Clemons with a proclamation.

In addition to Clemons being named Honorary Council Member, an award was given out to the Finance Department. The award was titled the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement for Excellence 2023. Twany Edwards received the award on behalf of the Finance Department. The purpose of the award is to commend the Finance Department on a “Job Well Done” The Finance Department received the award and Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

Council Member Daryl Dowdell also invited Ms. Patricia Sims-Tookes to speak about a tire and pothole issue on Cherokee St. St. According to Sims-Tookes, her daughter was driving Sims-Tookes’s Mustang on Cherokee St. and ran over a pothole and both the tire and the rim were damaged. . She explained to the Council what exactly happened and stated that the city should be responsible for paying the $938 that it cost to fix her tire and rim because, in her view, the city is responsible for fixing the pothole.

In a related matter, Council Member Dowdell made a motion that the city should pay the $938 for the damages, but the council voted 4-1 to deny Dowdell’’s motion. Only Council Member Dowdell himself voted in favor of the city paying to fix Sims-Tookes’s tire and rim.

The council did however vote unanimously 5-0 in favor of a request to seek bids for a new backhoe brought about by Americus Public Works Director Mike Sistrunk. Council Member Wilson made a motion to approve Sistrunk’s request and Council Member Smith seconded the motion.

Near the end of the meeting, Council Member Wilson stated that the ACC needs to address the violence problem in the city. She stated that she had received numerous emails asking the ACC what it will do about the violence. Mayor Lee Kinnamon responded by saying that he plans to have a meeting with the ACC and local law enforcement in the not too distant future to see if they can come up with ways to work together to stop the violence that has recently plagued the City of Americus.