City Commission Recognizes Employees, Re-elects Mayor
By RNW Staff Writer Dawn Treglown
(Rome mayor Wright Bagby and City Manager John Bennett recognize city attorney Bob Brinson for his years of service)
Forty years is a long time to dedicate to anything, but Rome city attorney Robert Brinson has accomplished the feat by serving the city of Rome for four decades.
Brinson was recognized for his accomplishment and awarded a 40-year service pin by the Rome City Commission on Monday during the commission’s first meeting of 2009. He was the only city employee recognized this year for reaching that milestone.
Commenting on how he was able to remain with the same job for so long, Brinson joked, “Maybe I fooled a lot of people a lot of time.”
Four city employees were also recognized for 35 years of service. They are David Axley, fire department; Ray Elder, garage; Walley Ross, fire department and Hubert Thomas, street department.
City employees recognized for 30 years of service are Roland “Mud” Eldridge, water department; Julius Free, water department; Paul Haynes Jr., waste water department; Cal Hicks, building inspection; Ray Plymel, fire department and Steve Wilson, fire department.
A 25-years service pin was awarded to 10 city employees. They are Steve Bailey, fire department; Becky Diamond, city clerk’s office; William Hicks, solid waste department; Mike Moore, fire department; Robert Owens, fire department; Stan Rogers, cemetery department; Leigh Ross, water department; Brian Segrest, fire department; Ron Sitterding, community development and Harold Smith, operations office.
Twenty-one city employees also received service pins in recognition of 20 years of service. They are Deena Adams, human resources department; Chris Arrington, police department; Sherry Ball, water billing; Tim Brunson, water and sewer; Helen Gibson, water billing; John Giles, building inspection; Tommy Helms Sr., fire department; Ken Jones, police department; Johnny King, solid waste department; Jamie Lambert, fire department; Rod Machtolff, waste water treatment; Deborah Marshall, police department; Lisa McClain, business systems; Nathaniel McConnell, solid waste department; Barry McElroy, police department; Bekki Parris, community development; Debbie Powers, human resources department; George Schroeder, fire department; Sue West, police department; Julian Williams, waste water treatment and Arrid Wooten, solid waste department.
The Rome City Commission also unanimously re-elected Wright Bagby as mayor and Duane Reid as mayor pro tem. John Bennett was reappointed city manager.
During the commission meeting, Bennett also appointed the city’s officials and authorized agents, management staff and department heads. He said most of those were re-appointments, including Hubert Smith as police chief; Gordon Henderson as fire chief; Gene Richardson as municipal court judge; Ann Arnold as downtown development director and Joe Smith as city clerk and city commission clerk and secretary.
In other business, the city commission:
* Denied the request to rezone property located at 232 S. Broad Street from Office-Institutional (O-I) to Community Commercial (C-C).
* Approved several revisions to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC), including those concerning lighting, wind generation and protection of cemeteries.
* Approved the Metropolitan Planning Grant Application, an annual grant that provides money for transportation planning and transit planning. The grant provides $56,866, with the federal government providing 80 percent, or $45,508, of the money and the state providing ten percent, or $5,689 of the funds. The local share cost will amount to the remaining 10 percent, or $5,689.
* Agreed to place on first reading a request to close an unused portion of the back alley behind 302 Broad Street.
* Reminded the public that city offices would be closed Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The Rome City Commission will meet again on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 6:30 p.m. #in the Commission Chamber Room on the third floor of City Hall/City Auditorium at 601 Broad Street.
