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Deputy raises complaint about Lumpkin animal control officer; council approves employee raises and surplus property declaration
Summary
Deputy Kawand Hodges urged the council to act over a March 27 incident involving Animal Control Officer A. Viera; the council also declared a rental property surplus and approved staff pay increases and a raise for Mr. Shephard.
At the April 8 Lumpkin City Council meeting a deputy identified in the minutes as Kawand Hodges delivered public comment and urged the council to take action regarding an incident involving city Animal Control Officer A. Viera.
“Action should be taken against Viera, as he represents the city,” Deputy Hodges told the council while reading an incident report about an event on March 27, 2025. The mayor pro tem thanked Hodges for his comments; no formal response or disciplinary action was recorded in the minutes.
During the same meeting the council approved a motion to declare a city-owned rental house surplus. The minutes contain inconsistent addresses for the property (the staff text references 325 Liberty Street while the motion form cites 316 Liberty Street); the council approved the surplus declaration 6–0 and staff was to follow up on sale or disposal procedures.
Councilwoman B. Cullefer moved and the council approved raises for employees who reached 90 days: $2.00 per hour for full-time employees and $1.00 per hour for part-time employees. A separate motion increased Mr. Shephard’s hourly rate to $27.15; both motions passed 6–0.
What’s next: The council record shows no disciplinary action recorded in response to Deputy Hodges’ complaint; the clerk’s office and public-safety staff are the logical contacts for follow-up. The clerk will process the approved pay changes and the surplus-property process will proceed under staff direction.
