BY MELISSA PYLE
Telegraph Staff Writer
Lawtey City Council members voted to partially reimburse county costs while discussing their firefighting and emergency medical services agreement.
Councilwoman Emily Hoffman made a motion to amend the original agenda to include topics related to the fire department, including insurance, the agreement with the county, and an invoice that was submitted to the city for reimbursement.
Hoffman presented a bill from August 2023 for the rental cost of a generator at the fire department. Hoffman said the fire department gave her the bill to present to the board because City Clerk Lisa Harley told the department that the city would not pay the bill.
Hoffman said it would be in good faith to at least pay a portion of the bill. Hoffman said the firefighters stayed during a storm and needed a working generator.
Harley responded to Hoffman’s comments by saying she had told the fire department that the county, not the city, is responsible for the cost of the generator, but the bill could be presented to the board for consideration.
Hoffman explained that the department doesn’t have to be at the Lawtey station, but its services are a great benefit to the city. She emphasized that the city should help with even more funding to keep them there.
Hoffman said the city is awaiting a new agreement with the county for the use of the station and the city’s responsibilities under the agreement. Councilwoman Amy Blom said she has been requesting a new agreement since February 2023.
The discussion went on to include the terms of the agreement, the need for a new one, and what options should be discussed moving forward.
Hoffman made a motion for the city to pay the invoice with the city’s ARPA funds because it was an emergency-related item. Councilwoman Virginia Warner said the bill was from August 2023 and was not in last year’s budget. Councilwoman Debra Norman was also concerned about the four-month delay in receiving the bill but felt it would be fair to make a motion to pay at least half of the bill if the budget allowed.
In the end, council voted to reimburse the fire department half of the generator rental fee in the amount of $2,815.
Hoffman asked Dukes about insurance coverage on the city’s fire truck, and she was also concerned about leaks and flooring repairs at the firehouse. Harley said that the roof was repaired a few days ago and that the city tries to address any issues the fire department brings to the city as soon as possible.
Council members discussed how the county funds the fire department, but the city covers the cost of building maintenance, repairs and vehicle insurance.
A new agreement with the county is scheduled to be presented at the next council meeting. The board discussed having a workshop to look over the agreement once it’s presented.
In other business, citizen John Mercier, inquired about damage he had noticed on the city’s maintenance truck. Blom responded by saying she had looked at the damage to the tailgate of the truck and it was minor and did not warrant an insurance claim. She also stated that the truck had the damage for a while, and no one is certain about when it occurred or who was responsible for the damage. Mercier’s next question was regarding the insurance claim for a council member’s attorney’s fees, this began a lengthy discussion between board members.
City attorney Aaron Dukes said he had not yet spoken to a claims adjuster and was not sure how the process was going. When Dukes told Mercier that the board had agreed to reimburse the fees to Councilwoman Hoffman, Hoffman interjected and said, “No sir, that’s not true.” Hoffman said the board had only agreed to submit her fees as a claim to the city’s insurance. She wasn’t sure the city’s insurance covers such claims.
Hoffman explained that her original request was to have the board vote to pay the invoice, not just to send to insurance.
Resident Vyunda Strong also addressed the council regarding her previous inquiries about security of the water treatment plant. Mayor Jimmie Scott said he has contacted a security person to come evaluate the plant. Strong was also very concerned about some disturbing graffiti that was painted on a deteriorating city building that sits on Old Middleburg Road.
Lawtey Police Department’s Nathan Blom responded by stating that it is an active investigation. Blom said it has been reported to FBI Jax and that there is no need for residents to fear for their personal safety. There was concern about how the vandals were able to enter the building because all the entry points were locked, and this indicated they may have entered through the roof.
This revelation brought up a new topic of discussion with regards to the city’s liability when a person is injured on city property, even during an unlawful entry. Dukes said the city is liable, but the standard of care is much lower for trespassers than an invited guest.
The options for what to do with the old building were discussed during the recreation department’s update. Councilwoman Norman requested the posting of no trespassing signs and possible security at the location. The building needs major repairs and those costs may outweigh the benefit of keeping the building. The board will have to decide if demolishing the building is a better option, once a structural engineer gives an evaluation.
Harley gave an update on the tree removal project. Currently, 15 trees have been removed and the remainder of problem trees should be removed by Feb. 15. Harley did have to present an emergency tree removal bill to the council for approval in the amount of $2,000. This damaged tree cost was not included in the original request but was voted to be covered because it was deemed an emergency removal.
Scott reappointed mayor
The meeting adjourned and a separate meeting immediately began to appoint the position of mayor, vice mayor and department heads for 2024. Nominations for mayor were Jimmie Scott and Debra Norman. Scott retained his mayoral seat by a 3 to 2 vote. Vice mayor nominations were Virginia Warner and Debra Norman. Warner retained her seat as vice mayor by a vote of 3 to 2. All department heads remained the same and the position of city attorney will be appointed at the next council meeting on Feb. 5.
