Perry City Council hears drought restrictions, draft of quarterly operations report

PERRY — City Manager Robert Smith provided a draft of the city’s first quarterly operations report during Tuesday night’s city council meeting. 

During the pre-council meeting, Smith said what they envision in the report is to provide Mayor Randall Walker and the council with information that may be pertinent to their decision-making and constituents. 

Smith shared a draft of the report, meaning they still have to ensure it is accurate before sharing it on the city’s website. He said each major function has a section. 

A major function is the general fund, where 87% of revenues have been collected and spent. Smith said property taxes are collected by the end of the calendar year. He shared that they can expect to see the revenues exceeding.

Smith said the city is on track for the water fund. However, the gas fund is different because of two factors: higher prices in last winter’s cold weather, and ongoing increases. 

He said revenues and expenditures are exceeding what the city originally budgeted for, citing difficulty in anticipating certain issues. 

The report will also have data from the Perry Police Department and Fire Department. So far, PPD data says crime-related calls are 2,517 and non-crime calls are 40,631. 

In fire and emergency services, the data is divided into fire station one and fire station two. According to Smith, 75% of the responses come from station one. 

Smith shared Public Works data; in the Woodlawn Drive area, the city is averaging 1.92 million gallons of water used per day. The city is permitted to produce up to 4 million in the area.

Tucker Road averages 1.13 million gallons, but the city can produce two million in the area. 

Frank Satterfield Road averages about 2.74 gallons per day, almost to permit, according to Smith. He said data showed the need for the new wastewater treatment facility on the east side of the city. 

Smith encouraged the mayor and council to provide their input. 

“I think this will be a good thing for us moving forward, good thing for you all as public officials, but also a good thing for the public,” he said. 

The report will be published on the city’s website once finalized.

During pre-council, Smith explained the city’s response to recent severe drought. 

Houston County is in level one restrictions. Smith said they will keep the community informed about water conservation measures. 

If the weather continues to be dry, a level two restriction will prompt further decisions from the city. 

According to the city’s drought contingency plan, level two restrictions mandate outdoor water use restrictions and a notice sent to all customers prohibiting unnecessary use of water. If customers utilize water in a non-approved way, they could be locked out of water usage, Smith said. 

The city will also allocate water to essential functions over ornamental, and implement industrial recycling. 

“It’s very dry in the state of Georgia. The state is taking it very seriously and very soon could be coming back to you all with some restrictions to put into place,” Smith said. 

The city is currently at a level one drought and encourages water conservation. 

To see more tips, click here. 

Early in the regular meeting, the mayor and council recognized various employees for their service. 

The city presents an Employee Service Award to those who have worked for the city for five years or more, up to 20 years. 

Those recognized for five years of service include: 

• Donnie Brown, Solid Waste Operator III
• Pam Collins, Building Custodian III and Crew Leader
• Alan Everidge, Chief of Police
• Cory Gaston, Fire Sergeant
• Kim Morton, Senior Detective Sergeant
• Deonte Solomon, Solid Waste Operator III
• Holly Wharton, Director of Economic Development

Those who have served the city for 10 years include: 

• Nadan Jeanjulien II, Fire Lieutenant
• Chad McMurrian, Senior Engineering Service Manager
• Andrew Rowell, Fire Lieutenant 

Finally, Lieutenant David Hill was recognized for his 20 years of service with the city. 

Mayor and Council will hold their pre-council meeting at 5 p.m. and the regular council meeting at 6 p.m. on May 5. Everyone is invited to attend, and the agenda is available here. Both meetings are also livestreamed on YouTube.