Jason Futch - reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
The Jennings Town Council held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 7, where several concerns were addressed with the council on roadways, yard debris and repair of a backhoe.
The meeting began with a roll call, followed by the invocation provided by Councilman John Prine. From there, Kellen Lindsey of Mittaur & Associates presented to the council some Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) paving projects that were planned for the upcoming year through an Engineer Services Agreement. The plan is for FDOT to resurface and repave Stephens Street, Mary Street and a portion of Florida Street.
The agreement includes engineer designs and specifications for the roadways, coordination with FDOT throughout the process, and submitting final estimates of costs associated with the project. It will also include topographic surveying on the right of way where the improvements will take place, geotechnical services, permit applications, and other services.
Once the designs for the road projects are completed, the project will be open to bidding.Once the bid is awarded, Kellen said that Mittaur & Associates will provide post-design services.
After a brief discussion, the Engineer Services Agreement was passed unanimously by the council.
After the consent items were passed, the discussion turned to the Town Manager Jennifer Hightower’s reports. She addressed several items, including some workshops that are planned to take place in the month. However, when it came time to discuss a vacant position at the Town Clerk’s office, the council became engaged in a 10-minute conversation discussing how the position was to be filled. One concern addressed by the council was how much experience the clerk should have. According to Hightower, the previous clerk had very minimal experience and needed to be consistently supervised. The council made a point to look into advertising the open position and seek someone with experience.
Josh Johnson, the Jennings Public Works manager, came forward next. He requested $12,581 from the council to repair a backhoe that the town owns. Johnson explained that it is a critical piece of equipment that the department will need for work. The need for repairs was believed to have been caused by years of neglect from prior years and the equipment aging. After a discussion, including whether or not to invest in a new backhoe, the council chose to approve the repairs.
Next, Jennings Police Chief Reginald Akins announced that the agency recently became Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) compliant and that revenue has been coming into the agency as a result of citations the agency issued for speeding. Chief Akins also stated the department is working toward getting a third officer so the evening shift can be covered.
Soon after, new business concerning new tires on the fire truck at the Jennings Fire Department was addressed. The request was to have all six tires replaced on the truck. Council members shared that they were not sure the request should be granted because the fire department is rarely called for service. The council requested that the fire chief would need to come to the next council meeting to address the situation with the tires, and chose to table the discussion for the next meeting.
During public comments, Princess Lock addressed the board concerning the road conditions, but her main focus was on the issue of unkempt properties. Lock noted that some of the properties residents were living on had tons of trash that needed to be cleaned up. “We need to hold them accountable,” Lock said.
Councilman Prine said that Attorney Michael Pope was in the process of drafting a letter that would be sent to the residents with f ilthy properties that need to be cleaned.
Hightower also said that the town had a contract with Hamilton County Code Enforcement, but noted that the only way they would enforce the code was if someone came forward and complained. Hightower said that she would provide the number to Lock so she could contact them the following day.
The next Jennings Town Council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4, in the Town Hall, located at 1291 Florida St.