Hogansville City Council Discusses Traffic Cameras

The first bit of new business for the Hogansville City Council at their June 15th regularly scheduled meeting concerned the agreement with Redspeed over the traffic cameras in front of Hogansville Elementary School. The Georgia State Legislature has voted to make amendments to speed enforcement programs, including Redspeed, such as requiring visual digital signs that display the speed of cars. There will also be changes in fees charged for violations. Redspeed will supply the new digital signs at no cost to the city. Redspeed also offered the city the opportunity to sign a ten- year contract to replace the five- year contract the city is currently in, but the council voted to agree with the amendment and stay with the current deal. However, the city can opt out of the agreement at any time, without penalty. 

     City Manager Lisa Kelly then reported that the new sidearm mower has arrived and is operational. Two local cities are interested in purchasing the old mower, if the council would vote to declare it surplus equipment, which they did. Next, the council heard from Kelly about three offers by contractors to make repairs on the gazebo in Calvin Hipp Park. Since the estimates from the companies-Russell Arrington Construction, The Caleb Stanley Company and Right Angle Roofing-covered different repair alternatives, the council tabled a decision until the city could get estimates from each on specific upgrades. Mayor Jake Ayers also asked that each company give a price on what a totally rebuilt gazebo would cost. 

     Lastly, the Georgia Legislature approved community LHOST homestead exemption sales tax, for each county that votes to approve it. The one cent sales tax referendum will be on the ballot this November, which would help residents with their property taxes. The council voted to approve the exemption for Hogansville residents. If they had not, and the voters approved LHOST in November, city residents would not have been eligible for relief.

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     Kelly reported that 137 kids visited the Strozier Park splash pad on Saturday June11th and over 100 were present the prior Saturday. The public hearing for the proposed UDO amendments concerning data centers has been rescheduled for Monday, July 6th at 6:30 pm at the Royal Theater.

     Chief Jeffrey Sheppard stated that 39 kids attended the first day of Junior Police Academy on June 15th, which is the most ever on opening day. The suspect who murdered Hogansville resident Lerocco Boyd on Oak Street in 2021 and was scheduled to go on trial in the near future, pled guilty and was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. There was a 55.56% reduction in Redspeed violations from the first month the cameras were used last fall until May of this year. One of the HPD police cars will be fitted with new electronic devices, including a driver’s license reader, by Zebra, who is the department’s vendor, and the car will be on display in Orlando at the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention. After the convention, the HPD will get to keep the almost $100,000 in upgrades at no cost to the city.