Knight wants focus to be put on Open Pond Rd. and Old 179N

The Grady County Board of Commissioners held a special called meeting last Thursday afternoon to discuss the hiring of a new finance director. Commissioners also took care of some routine items of business at the 4 p.m. meeting before retreating behind closed doors to discuss personnel.
A $10,316.17 invoice from attorney Laura Benz for legal work done for the months of July and August was presented for payment by county administrator J.C. (Buddy) Johnson III.
Commissioner June Knight asked where the money to pay for the bill would come from and the county administrator said it would be drawn from the professional services line item of the county’s budget for Tired Creek Lake.
Commission Chairman Ray Prince asked if Johnson had reviewed the invoice to insure any work done by Benz at the request of consultant Will Butler was not included in what the county was being asked to pay. “Will is paying that himself. Just want to make sure not being double billed,” Prince said.
Commissioner LaFaye Copeland said she had just received a copy of the bill and would like time to review it herself before voting on it.
After some brief discussion, the board voted to table the matter until the Nov. 6 meeting.
The board also voted 4-1 to ratify verbal approval to purchase rip rap for the State Park Road project and concrete pipe for the Old 179 North project. Commissioner Knight expressed her opposition verbally and maintained her opposition at the Thursday afternoon meeting. “If y’all would put as much emphasis on 179 and Open Pond Road as you do for State Park Road we would be a lot further along. You can’t go down Open Pond without running off the road. I’ve seen one truck on 179, but a bunch on State Park,” Commissioner Knight said.
The administrator also requested payment of the $10,000 annual contribution to the Archway Partnership with the University of Georgia. Commissioner Knight asked what did Archway do for the county. Chairman Prince, Vice Chairman T.D. David, and Commissioners Keith Moye and LaFaye Copeland all shared information regarding projects Archway had assisted the county with over the last several years. After hearing this and that the membership contribution was included in the budget, Knight joined her fellow commissioners in unanimously approving payment of the invoice.
Johnson also asked the board last week to authorize the advertising for a new county clerk/human resources director. “We need to make a lot of changes around here,” Chairman Prince commented.
The board voted unanimously to begin advertising for the vacancy created by the resignation last week of county clerk Carrie Croy.