City of Perry will no longer assist Loaves and Fishes

During Monday evening’s pre-council meeting, Perry council revisited a situation relative to the nonprofit organization, Loaves and Fishes, which has an office located on Main Street.

At their June 15 work session, Assistant City Manager Robert Smith brought before the council a request from the organization to resume assistance previously rendered by the city. According to Smith, for several years prior, only to be disbanded in what he believes to be March due to the onset of COVID-19, once a month, the city would send two employees, a mini dump truck, and a trailer to Macon to bring food back to the organization’s Perry office. The roundtrip time, Smith said, was four hours.

Smith informed that around two weeks before the June 15 work session, Loaves and Fishes requested that the city resume this assistance. Upon seeking the input of City Attorney Brooke Newby, Smith said that to resume this service, without a formal agreement, would violate the state’s gratuities clause, regarding the use of public resources for the betterment of a private organization. Smith continued that he informed the organization that the city would no longer provide the service, but was asked by the organization to bring the matter before mayor and council for consideration.

Smith presented a few options to the council as to what could be done. One was that the city could continue to provide the service with no formal agreement, which Smith reminded, would be in violation. Another would be that the city continues to assist with a formal agreement. Lastly, the city could altogether end the assistance.

Prompted by a question by Councilman Robert Jones, Smith noted that the service could be an inappropriate use of city resources and the city would desire to see private organizations stand on their own.

Councilman Riley Hunt explained that the organization fed needy families and was open seven days a week, and reiterated that all the organization is asking of the city is to send two men and a truck and trailer one time a month for four or five hours. Hunt made the point that surely there was something that could be worked out which would allow the continued city assistance, adding, “We just can’t, as a civilization, let this continue and let people go on without food.” Hunt confirmed that the organization was a ministry in itself, separate from the First Baptist Church in Perry, and ultimately asked for the issue to be tabled for further consideration.

Smith listed some possible issues with providing the service, which included the confirmation of the possibility that if one entity requested the assistance, then others may as well. He again reminded of the violation of the gratuities clause without a formal agreement. City Manager Lee Gilmour added to the list by clarifying for Mayor Randall Walker, that the city would be responsible for the employees if they were hurt while providing this service.

Gilmour noted that there would be no harm in Hunt’s suggestion to table the issue to allow for more follow up information to be gathered to assess other avenues to be taken in deciding.

When the issue was again presented before council Monday evening, Gilmour provided information to the council, among which, was confirmation that Loaves and Fishes was a legal corporation, therefore, there would be no issue if the council decided in the direction of entering a formal agreement with the organization.

When asked what the recommendation would be regarding the issue, Gilmour stated that the recommendation of staff would be to cease providing the service. Council later concurred.

“I don’t doubt that they provide a good service. My concerns are that, number one…what do you all, as council, do when other groups are coming in and requesting the same type of service, or something else, to provide.” Gilmour added another concern, citing that the council may find themselves in difficult positions deciding between types of groups coming in.

Also concerning for Gilmour, regarding any social service, was as the city continued to increase in size, the demand for these types of services may increase, as will the cost, taking up more and more of the operating budget.

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