Valdosta council removes dormant housing appeals board, approves equipment and repair bids and a contract revision

The Valdosta Mayor and Council on April 9 approved several housekeeping and procurement items, including removing an inactive Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals from the city code, awarding bids for Public Works equipment and emergency repairs, and approving a revised extension of two school speed-camera contracts.

Planning Director Matt Martin described the code change as housekeeping, saying the housing board "has not met in many, many years" and that appeals are handled through existing construction-code processes or municipal court. Council moved and approved the ordinance deleting the housing board provision from the code by show of hands.

Public Works presentations included a request to buy a new baler (compactor). Larry Ogden told council the current baler is 35 years old, parts are difficult to source and the new unit would reduce downtime and hauling costs. The transcript records a sole bid from Compactor Rentals of America; the bid amount printed in the transcript appears misformatted and is recorded as a misprint in the meeting notes. Council approved the procurement by motion.

Motorpool Superintendent John Burton presented an emergency repair for the Public Works fuel island, recommending award to Barber Petroleum with a 10% contingency for unforeseen problems; the packet shows the total as $136,841.44 (transcript formatting appears as $136,84144). Council approved the emergency repair by show of hands.

Interim City Manager Al Grace asked council to extend two Redspeed professional-services contracts at two school locations for 10 more years with the city retaining the right to exit. Grace noted state legislation now requires a referendum for newly established camera contracts, which would limit expansion; he recommended deleting the last sentence of paragraph 5D (termination-cost language) as a remnant from the original contract. Chief Manahan told council that re-adding a removed camera would likely require a referendum under current law. Council moved to remove the sentence from paragraph 5D and approved the revised agreement by show of hands.

In his city-manager report, Al Grace said the new downtown community shelter — which council discussed naming for the late Janette Cudy — is nearly complete, with final electrical parts arriving and a ribbon-cutting planned for May. Grace said the city expects to take possession by July 1, 2026, and that architect Jimmy Conn has begun floor planning; he estimated about one year to complete relocation and move-in once designs are finalized.

Why it matters: The ordinance deletion removes obsolete language from the city code. The equipment and repair approvals affect Public Works operations and service continuity; the Redspeed contract action preserves existing camera locations while limiting automatic expansion without a public referendum. The manager’s report signals near-term completion of a community shelter and downtown facility moves.

Next steps: Staff will execute the procurement and emergency-repair contracts as approved, implement the contract language change, and proceed with the shelter ribbon-cutting and final move preparations.