Representative Shaw Blackmon honored

Perry Mayor and Council met for its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday evening, during which, Mayor Randall Walker announced that State Representative Shaw Blackmon (Dist. 146) would be receiving an award. Blackmon was in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting.

“This evening, we have the pleasure of making the presentation of the 2019-2020 Champion of Georgia Cities Award, on behalf of the GMA, to our state representative, Mr. Blackmon,” said Walker.

At the end of every legislative biennium (a specified period of two years), the Georgia Municipal Association honors legislatures who have defined home rule both in their communities and under the gold dome. This honor is called the Champion of Georgia Cities Award.

“Representative Blackmon has been a friend of the city of Perry and to all of our local governments in the state of Georgia,” Walker stated. “More specifically, Representative Blackmon authored House Bill 779, which successfully increased the TAVT distribution for all municipalities.” The mayor went on to express, “The city of Perry is lucky to have a representative that values the principles of local control. As a member of the Legislative Policy Council for GMA and the mayor of Perry, Georgia, it is my honor to recognize Representative Blackmon tonight as a champion of Georgia cities.”

As he accepted the acknowledgement and award, Blackmon drew laughter from the crowd when he quipped, “Thank you. This is truly an honor, but it’s just for doing what they told me to do.” On a more serious note, Blackmon added, “I am grateful for the city of Perry, and I know we’re all in this together and doing what’s best and what’s right for the citizens of Perry, Houston County and all of Georgia. Thank you very much, Mayor and members of council. I’m grateful to continue to work with you and work on your behalf as hard and as best I can.”

In other business, as Tuesday’s meeting progressed, one citizen made a plea to mayor and council not to approve of the rezoning of two properties for which City of Perry Community Development Director Bryan Wood and the planning commission recommended approval.

Mark White of Kathleen spoke in opposition of ANNX-156-2020, which is the request for the rezoning and annexation from R-1 (county) to R-2 (city) of the property located on the east side of Talton Road. Additionally, White spoke against ANNX-157-2020—the request for the rezoning and annexation from R-1 (county) to R-3 (city) of the property located on the southeast corner of SR 127 and Talton Road. According to White, his home is located in front of the property referenced in ANNX-156-2020.

“I’ve just owned this property for 11 months now, and this wasn’t disclosed to me at selling that they were going to put subdivisions all around me. Obviously, I’m concerned about my property value,” White stated. He later mentioned fears of flooding and worsening traffic once construction got underway on the project being considered.

“There is a stream that runs in between my neighbor’s property and mine, which runs along 127,” he pointed out. “There are a couple of drainage pipes that run under the road at 127. So when they clear-cut this behind us, we’re afraid that this runoff is going to cause huge problems with flooding on our properties… as well as the traffic thing. ”

Of the ANNX-157-2020 property, White spoke even more passionately against the rezoning. “This one is a bit closer to my heart,” he started out saying. “I’m a 50-year-old man; a Gulf War veteran. I was standing in my front yard not a month ago begging to buy a variance. I don’t want them to give it to me. I wanted to buy it,” White stressed. “A 50-year-old begging to buy less than a half-acre to keep whatever it is that they’re trying to do off of me. And they refused. They mentioned compassion…. There’s so much compassion that he wouldn’t let me buy a variance to keep a subdivision 50 feet away from me.”

There was no action required by mayor and council on the annexation and rezoning projects Tuesday night. Once all of the agenda items were complete, the meeting was adjourned.

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