i,
Serving the HogansviUe-GrantviUe Area Since 1944
VOL. 77 NO. 2 HOGANSVILLE, GEORGIA- THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019 6 PAGES 1 SECTION 1 INSERT 50
Photo By Andy Kober
NEW FACE - With the exception of signage, this will soon be the face of the new city
hall in Hogansville. A timetable for interior work to the former PNC Bank building has not
been provided but city hall has to move for renovations to the Royal Theater.
p-
By ANDY KOBER Similar to Option A in executive sessions, allows
many repects, this plan elim- council members to discuss
ConversionoftheoldPNCi~ates the central council matters away from t.hepub-
bank building into meeting room but enlarges lic.
Hogansville's new city hall the conference room. The Council member
moved a step closer Monday center section is composed Reginald Jackson said the
evening, of work cubicles and stations walking distance was "not
It was during Monday's assuggestedbycouncilmem-far" with MiUiron estimating
meetingthe councilapproved her Theresa Stricldand. a distance of about 20 feet.
an interior design for the Common to both plans, Strickland expressed
building after considering the entry into city hall is a concerns with security and
two options, public lobby area that Mayor Bill Stankiewicz
The first and least expen- includes rest rooms. Butresponded the only areas
sive design, Option A, fea- access beyond theiobbyarea immediately accessible by
tures a council meeting room is limited, the public included the front
in the center of the building. Both designs were sub- lobby and restrooms. He said
Various offices are located mittedby 2WR Architects.that all other areas were
,:around the interior/exterior Council member Fred secure and access had to be
: walls. A customer service Higgins questioned the sig- granted. He added that with
i:i area is found to the left on nificant price difference and the exception of the lobby
" entering the building and City ManagerDavidMiiliron doors, other exterior doors
makes use of the formersaid it was due to the use of required a keypad or other
drive-through banking win- work stations and cubicles, device. Milliron also noted
dow. Strickland said the Option the surveillance system in the
In addition to various B plan was "not what I envi- bankbuildingwasbetterthan
offices, there is a conference sioned for cubicles" but did the system currently in city
:: room, map room, storage not ~iescribe her vision, hall.
area for files and storage area t~ considering Option A, On the motion of Jackson,
for secure files. Strickland expressed con- Option A was selected and
"['he cost for Option A was corn for the walking distance work can now progress.
estimated to cost $136,070. between the council meeting City hall will have to move
A second plan, or Option room and the conference in order for renovations to
B, was provided at an esti- room for closed sessions, the old Royal Theater to
mated cost of $180,576. Such sessions, also known as progress.
J
ByANDY KOBER
There are residents of
Hogansville apparently
looking forward to munici-
pal elections later this year.
71111]!I!!!LI!UIL!IJlIII
Aaron M llough : 2-A
Fern Tigner 2-A
During Monday's meet- seats whose terms are expir-
ing, the Hogansville City ing. Those seats include Post
Council adopted the qualify- 3 currently held by Fred
ing fees for council seats. Higgins, Post 4 currently
The qualifying fee will be occupied by George Bailey,
$108. and Post 5, held by Theresa
During discussionStricldand.
regarding the issue, council The qualifying fee was
member Theresa Strickland unanimously approved.
appeared confused when she Each year a mayor pro-
asked if that was the only tern is selected by the coun-
free rate. The qualifying fee cil members and again this
for the mayor's seat is high- year council member
er, but the mayor's seat does Theresa Strickland was
not expire this term. selected by unanimous deci-
There are three council sion.
Deputies Find Baby's Body
By JACK BAGLEY ered the baby's body. The
child's sex could not be
The discovery of the determined, and Deputies
body of a newborn baby believe the bag had been
inside a cooler bag is being beside the road near the
investigated by Troup woodline for several days,
County Sheriff's Deputies. perhaps even as long as a
According to a press week.
release, Deputies were Witnesses reported see-
called to Boy Scout Road ing the bag for several days.
north of LaGrange on The child was described
Sunday afternoon. On as white and between a few
arrival, they discovered the daysto a few weeks old. The
cooler bag beside the road. body was sent to the Georgia
When Deputies opened State Crime Lab in Atlanta
the cooler bag, they discov-
See DEPUTIES, Page 2-A
!
L ~ ,~lb~ ,~/~'~ ' t "'
ByANDY KOBER ate an additional $70,000. Though not an astro-
nomical amount, the added $70,000 would
During the city council meeting held help the city.
Monday evening, City Manager David Miiliron provided the permit fee recom-
Milliron reported that Hogansville is on the mendations to the council and stressed such
cusp of unprecedented residential growth, increases would not impact those renovat-
Hyperbole aside, Milliron noted the num- ing existing properties. They would only
ber of new homes scheduled to be constructed apply to new construction.
in the.Huntcliff subdivision. He also spoke Councilmembers did not discussincreas=
on another potential housing development ing the permit fees, but such a discussion
that could bring even more new homes to the could be revisited.
city. That generating additional funds is very
In. alI, Milliron suggested that 500 new important for Hogansville was evidenced
homes could be constructed in Hogansville earlier in the meeting.
in the next five years. Such would dramati- As has been done each year for some
cally change the city, bringing in over 1,000 time, the council authorized a $300,000 line
new residents and likely more. Add to this of credit at Community Bank to be used as
the planned development of housing for sen- needed.
ior citizens along Lincoln Street, and During discussion on the issue, Milliron
Hogansville could be a booming little city. reported that unlike most local governments,
More residents will bring more business Hogansville lacks sufficient "fund balance"
for the city's retailestablishments and restau- to provide for payroll and other needs pend-
rants. It will also create a larger tax base and ing receipt of funds from taxes, fees, and
additional use of city utilities, which will help other sources.
get the city on more solid financial footing. Most local governments maintain a fund
The impending growth also provides an balance to use during those times and repay
opportunity for the city to generate addi- the internal fund balance when revenue is
tional revenue in permit fees. received.
Previously, Milliron had recommended In Hogansville's case, with insufficient
an increase in certain fees but the council fund balance, city officials have to borrow
took no action, money and repay it when revenue is received
Du~. Monday's council meeting, but thatmeans l~aying interest on using that
Milliron'reportedthat based on currenf p~r- money." "
mit fees, upcoming projects would generate Milliron reported the line of credit was
$219,000 for the city. Should the fees be "very minimally" tapped during the budget
increased, those Same permits would gener- year.
Photo ay~y Kob~
NATIVE SON RETURNS - Hogansville native Moses Ector, who has enjoyed a storied
career in law enforcement, returns to serve as keynote speaker for the Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day celebration scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 20.
By ANDY KOBER Ector accepted a pos~on with the to make the police department a
Dekalb County Police Department, part of the community and the corn-
Former Hogansville Police heading up the department's munity a part of the police depart-
Chief Moses Ector will be serving Homeland Security Division. He ment. He was also responsible for
as the keynote speaker for the also served as an instructor at the department becoming a state-
upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Atlanta Metropolitan College. cerdfied police department. At the
Day celebration. In was in 2008that Hogansville time, Hogansville Police
The celebration has been desperately needed help with the Departmantwasthesmallestpolice
scheduled for 4 pm Sunday, Jan. police department. Poor leader- department to achieve state certi-
20, in the auditorium at Hogansville ship, questionable derisions, racial fr, ation.
Elementary School. issues and a lack of trust between In wasin 2013that Ecfordecid-
Since its inception in the community and the department ed it was time to retire again, with
Hogansville, the MLK Day cele- had resulted in little to no trust itbecomingeffecliveinMarch2014.
bration has been organized by among members of the commu- Ector's influence in the law
Hogansville City Council member nity or the city council, enforcement community has been
George Bailey, but not this year ThelateMayorJimmyJackson widespread.
though it appears Bailey continued contacted Ectorandconvinced him The law enforcement educa-
to work behind the scenes, to come out of retirement and help tion facility of Atlanta Metropolitan
A native of Hogansville, Ector his home town. Ector was hired as College was renamed the Moses
worked as a patrol officer in the Hogansville's Police Chief in April Ector Law Enforcement
Hogansville Police De0artment 2008. Leadership Academy, and he con-
and served in the US Army in Ector began making immedi- tlnL~3d teaching new offcers.
Vietnam. He was the second black atechangesinthedepartment, not- : !n addition, in July 2014, the
person to be hired by the Georgia ing early on that police officers had, Hogansville police station was
Bureau of Investigation and would "rolled up the windows in our patrol named the Moses Ector Public
remain with the GBI, rising to the cars, turned on the air conditioner, Safety Center, honoring
position of Deputy Assistant and became isolated from our citl- Hogansville's native son.
Director, before he retired, zens." Ector, and his wife, Cookie,
Not one to relax in the easy Building a repoire with the citi- remain regular visitors i in
chair, after he retired from the CBI, zens, it did not take long for Ector Hogansville. ,
