BY MELISSA PYLE
Special to the Telegraph
The Lawtey City Council meeting began with the introduction of new rules and a podium for public comments. The rules are set for a five-minute maximum per speaker and speakers are to address council from a newly installed podium. The podium and time slots were useful when the biggest issues of the night were discussed: buildings.
Particularly, the future of two old city buildings: the recreation building on Middleburg Road and the train depot building that sits next to city hall.
The building in Middleburg Road Park has been condemned, but at the previous council meeting, Chairman of the Recreation Board Isaac Williams presented council with a vision report that had a wish list from citizens. He discussed the future of the property, for not only Lawtey, but all of Bradford County. Williams approached the podium at the request of Councilwoman Debra Norman to give an update on recreation department plans.
Williams presented the council with a bid from an engineering firm for $4,800 to create a design proposal. He said before the city can move forward with solicitation of funds whether private or public, they need to have a design plan. He also expressed concern over the scope of the project being too large for a volunteer recreation board to handle and suggested the city create a revitalization committee.
The council responded by saying the city could not approve the $4,800 until there are three bids submitted. Councilwoman Virginia Warner explained that the surplus in the city is for emergency funds. Discussions continued with the suggestion of possible fundraising efforts that can cover the cost of the initial design plan. Williams explained that with his experience in project management he knows the $4,800 cost is a low, fair bid. Council agreed to discuss the building plan costs at the upcoming budget workshop.
Other council members expressed the need to demolish the building over safety concerns before moving forward, but Williams reminded council that citizens do not want one block removed before there is a plan in place Williams had stated this stipulation at the June meeting when presenting his report to council. The citizens are concerned the revitalization plans will be forgotten if there’s no plan in place prior to demolition, he said.
Come Together Day
Williams said he’d like to present the project during the upcoming Come Together Day. It is a community event to be held at the park on July 26 where there will be food trucks, vendors, games and music. Williams said it would be a chance to show those in the community what the city is actually working on for the future of the property.
The event is not a city sponsored event, but the recreation board is working in conjunction with Sheila Cummings, chair of the Bradford School Board, to bring this fun festival back to life. The group is hopeful funds raised can be donated to the restoration project at the park.
Train Depot
The old Lawtey train depot building has sat empty with an attached pavilion for years. The building once sat next to the railway and was said to have housed city hall at some point in the past, but the plans to use it as a museum were never fulfilled and the building is now seen as wasted space.
The attached pavilion is still usable for events and council plans to keep it, but council members voted to remove the old depot building. Members approved a motion to accept bids for removing the building at no cost to the city, with the contingency that contents of the building would not be included, specifically discussing the possible value of the old safe inside the depot. Anyone interested in the building can contact city hall.
In other business:
—the first budget workshop is scheduled for July 24 at 6 p.m.
—the next recreation meeting scheduled for July 21 at 6:30 p.m.
— Come Together Day is July 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Middleburg Road Park.
—the next city council meeting is Aug. 4 at 7 p.m.
—Police Chief Jerry Feltner presented quotes to the council for the purchase of new radar equipment, seven automated external defibrillators and tasers for patrol vehicles. The equipment will be paid for with traffic camera funds at a cost of $48,828. Council approved the use of the funds for the purchase.
—City attorney Dan Sikes said he’s currently working on an audit letter for Reddish and White.
