As the Fayette County Board of Commissioners prepared to begin 2016, Chairman Charles Oddo issued a public statement reviewing the events and accomplishments of the previous year. His statement came before last week’s public vote on settling the long-running district voting lawsuit.
Amid some apprehension during the ongoing district voting lawsuit, 2015 began with the swearing-in of Pota Coston, the first black Democrat elected in the county’s history and the first commissioner elected by district. She served six months before her death in July due to cancer.
In her brief tenure, apprehensions eased with the realization that Commissioner Coston would work diligently “to help bridge a difficult situation in our county,” stated Oddo. “It was a pleasure for me, and each of the commissioners, to work with Pota.”
Oddo commended the county staff that worked to maintain a balanced budget and roll back the millage rate with no property tax increase. That helped the county achieve a AAA bond rating, one of four counties in Georgia to reach this level, according to Oddo.
In 2015, the County Clerk’s office responded to approximately 190 open records requests and facilitated the appointment or reappointment of 34 Fayette County citizens to various boards, authorities and committees while issuing approximately 70 separate public notices and producing 29 separate full agenda packages for viewing on the county’s website.
“The Clerk’s office operates as a team of two that regularly provides outstanding customer service to the citizens of our county,” Oddo stated.
The chairman commended the Board of Education for its work and celebrated last August’s opening of the Georgia Military College campus in Fayetteville. He also recognized the Extension Office which conducted more than 70 programs and events last year for nearly 1,800 young people and adults.
The report noted that 585 different classes and programs were administered by the county’s Parks and Recreation Department last year in various areas.
Oddo also pointed out several park improvements such as the installation of two solar waste and recycling compactors, the purchase of a minibus for adult trip participants and Special Olympics athletes, continuation of the Phase II Kenwood Park erosion control plan as well as landscaping at the entrance of the park, two new scoreboards at Kiwanis Park, and the installation of new fencing around McCurry football field. The addition of pavilions at Lake McIntosh and Lake Horton helped increase participation 54 percent at those two locations.
Calling it “a significant milestone,” Oddo referenced the new intergovernmental water franchise agreement with Peachtree City.
The resulting agreement successfully replaced numerous antiquated agreements with clearly outlined responsibilities, provides for efficient maintenance of Lake Peachtree, and ensures both the city and county will work together to maintain and enjoy this beautiful gem,” he stated.
Improvements for the county’s Water System in 2015 included the implementation of a new Leak Protection Program, improved USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) monitoring to allow better management of raw water reservoirs, upgrades to our water treatment plants, spillway repairs and continued progress in the dredging of Lake Peachtree “despite an unprecedented battle with Mother Nature’s rainfall,” according to Oddo.
The chairman praised county staff and local citizens for their response last June to a microburst in Tyrone as well as last month’s rain and flooding where those involved “pooled resources and worked diligently through the holidays to restore as much normalcy as possible to the citizens during a usually festive time of the year.”
The Fire Department completed its installation of a new weather warning siren system, with four new sirens bringing the total to 35. The county’s 911 Communication Center dispatched 148,606 law enforcement calls as well as 14,055 fire and EMS calls, a total of nearly 450 per day.
The Code Enforcement office was reorganized with some of duties transferred to the Marshal’s Office, and the two departments worked together to resolve code violation complaints, including those in Tyrone which asked the county for assistance last year.
The Public Works Division laid out more than 29,028 tons of asphalt and handled a variety of other projects, and that department’s work “saved the county thousands of dollars throughout the year,” Oddo stated.
While noting the 675 purchase orders worth $4.8 million created in 2015 by the Purchasing Department, Oddo also pointed out that contracts are now easily accessed through that department’s page on the county website.
“There is much that has been accomplished and noted … much left to be accomplished,” Oddo stated in conclusion. “But it has been those shining moments that make me feel honored to have been a part of the success of this county and honored to serve with the four gentlemen that sit on this board. I am indeed privileged to serve Fayette County and its citizens.”
