WR Council upholds judge’s decision

Warner Robins Mayor and Council met Monday evening for its second regular scheduled meeting of the month. At the end of the meeting, mayor and council went into a closed session to discuss personnel matters and potential litigation.

After over an hour of being in closed session, mayor and council re-entered the regular meeting to come to a vote on two matters, the first being creating a new code enforcement officer position, which was unanimously approved. In the second matter, mayor and council voted to uphold the administrative law judge’s decision on the hearing of Warner Robins city employee, Cedric Allen.

Allen was terminated from his position on Dec. 4, 2019 based on his actions when he engaged in a verbal confrontation with a customer on Nov. 14, 2019, wherein a racial slur was used. Allen requested an appeal hearing for his termination.

The appeal hearing for Allen was held on Jan. 27, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2020 with administrative law judge Rabb Wilkerson presiding. Defense attorney Charlie Cox represented Allen, and former Warner Robins City Attorney Fred Graham was the prosecutor for the hearing.

Wilkerson presented his ruling to the city on March 2, which his recommended disposition stated, “Having considered the evidence before me and having found a lack substantial evidence to support that Mr. Allen is guilty of the offenses as alleged by the City, I reverse the City’s decision that his employment be terminated and order that he be reinstated with pay from the effective date of his termination.”

On Friday, March 6, interim city clerk, Kim Demoonie formally requested that the mayor and council review the final decision rendered in Allen’s employment appeal hearing held Jan. 27 and 31. Demoonie stated in her request that she disagreed with the final report made by Administrative Law Judge Wilkerson for the following reasons: Wilkerson failed to consider anyone but non-employee testimony, Allen’s lack of response to the mayor’s assistant’s Mandy Stella’s request of him to return to his desk and Allen not abiding by page 73 of the city employee handbook, referencing “Courtesy is Important.”

Mayor and council unanimously approved Monday, May 18, to uphold the decision of the administrative law judge, but by reinstating Allen as a code enforcement officer to the building and transportation department as well as a 60-day suspension.

In other business, Mayor Randy Toms gave an update to council on the plans to build a new visitor’s center with a Vietnam Veterans memorial. Toms said he spoke with the property owner Monday morning, which resulted in the owner being ready to move forward with donating the land to the city. Toms also shared that Buc-ees, a new convenience store/travel center that is currently being built, expressed their interests in being a partner with building the memorial.

“We are ready to move forward with this project,” Toms said. “Now we just have to go back and see if there was a contract established, and if so, is it still valid. I also want to address that it was never our intention to close the current visitors center and train museum that will remain open. But I believe this new center will be instrumental for tourism in our city.”

Toms also shared the city has about $1.6 million from the hotel-motel tax to spend on the project. The project is also a SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) that was approved on in 2012. Toms said he expects construction to begin in the early to mid part of 2021.

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