CITY COUNCIL MEETING CHEAT SHEET: missing Black History Month banners and new street names

The Milledgeville City Council held its final regular meeting of March on Tuesday, and it was more than an hour long.

If you're super bored, feel free to watch the entire meeting in the video below...

Or, feel free to read our recap below and then match up the "time stamp" with the video.

• :38 MARK: District 3 Councilwoman and Mayor Pro-Tem Denese Shinholster presided over the meeting in place of Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan, who continues to be out.

• 2:02 MARK: County Commissioner Emily Davis signed up to speak on the agenda. Davis said that a Black History Month banner featuring her mother – Geneva Bell Davis – is "missing and possibly destroyed." The Black History Month banner project debuted around downtown last month. Roughly two dozen banners honored history-making African-Americans from Milledgeville, and the banners are set to return next February.

Davis hinted that foul play was involved but didn't go into great detail.

"We kind of feel like we know what happened...We are just kind of speculating, and our gut is telling us something," Davis told the council, adding that the thieves likely stole several more banners "so it won't seem so obvious."

In all, four of the Black History Month banners initially were unaccounted for.

Added Davis: From what we've talked about, even Stevie Wonder probably knows what happened to (my mother's) banner."

Shinholster (7:54 mark) then explained the confusion surrounding the Geneva Bell Davis banner.  

"Ms. Davis' mother's banner is not missing. It's not missing, and neither are the other ones. I just want to make that clear with everyone," Shinholster said. "There is no one with the city (government) that would have any reason or desire to take the banner."

According to Shinholster, all of the Black History Month banners were removed after 30 days. After the banners were taken down, Davis was hosting a tour group that wanted to see the banners, so City Hall "made some alternative plans" and laid out some of the banners on tables for the tour group. Not all of the banners were laid out on the tables for the tour group, however. Among the banners not included was the Geneva Bell Davis banner. 

"In their haste, (public works employees) didn't get all of (the banners to display for the tour group)," Shinolster said.

• 25:40 MARK – Jim Frazier, an executive with Treevana Wellness and Sanctuary Cannabis, updated the City Council about a proposed marijuana growing facility across from Walmart. Frazier mostly spoke on safety and security measures at the new facility, informing the council that the facility will have "onsite 24/7 security," as well as "security cameras both inside and outside along with 24/7 perimeter surveillance" that must be stored for 45 days, according to state law.

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Also, according to the presentation, the company will "ensure that all employees are following security measures, state regulations and ensuring that only authorized personnel are allowed inside the secured operation area." 

• 48:00 MARK – City Manager Hank Griffeth began his city manager's report by informing the council about a new "lease commencement agreement with Verizon" to place a cellular antenna on the water tower on North Columbia Street near the old Mohawk factory. Similar antennas already adorn most other water towers in Milledgeville. 

Griffeth then addressed drainage issues on Herrington Drive, "especially the part of Herrington Drive that backs up to The Bellamy and Grove Park apartments and Baldwin Village." An engineering firm has been called in for "drainage improvements." The Council later approved a resolution to hire the engineering firm – Simonton Engineering LLC.

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The City Hall roof is leaking, according to Griffeth, and the City Council approved a resolution "to authorize with Tecta America Roofing for repairs to City Hall roof."

• 59:02 MARK – Approved were resolutions to re-name two small streets in the Milledgeville/Baldwin County Industrial Park, located on Ga. 22 West past Walter B. Williams Jr. Park, to "Earl Seagle Court" and "Henry Pope Way." Seagle and Pope were longtime members of the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Development Authority Board, which is primarily tasked with recruiting new industry to Baldwin County.

"They dedicated what they did, in the time that they weren't working, to making Milledgeville better, and I appluad both of these men," said Councilman Steve Chambers.

The members of the City Council then gave a standing ovation and recognized family members of Seagle and Pope, who were in the audience.

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