Cochran council accepts $996,080 CDBG grant, tables city manager contract and joins PFAS litigation

The Cochran City Council on Oct. 14 voted 5–1 to accept a $996,080 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to fund housing rehabilitation and neighborhood revitalization, tabled renewal of City Manager Richard Newbern's 2026 contract pending a personnel report, and adopted a resolution to join PFAS litigation.

The CDBG acceptance was approved with Councilman Lonnie Tedders, Councilman Gary Ates, Councilwoman Trecia Gardner, Councilman Shane Savant and Councilwoman Dianne Lester voting in favor and Councilwoman Carla Coley opposing. Daniel Gaddis of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs presented the city's Plan First Community designation and participated in related briefing materials on the city's housing programs.

On the city manager contract, Council voted 4–2 to table consideration until staff produces a personnel report. Councilmen Tedders and Savant and Councilwomen Lester and Coley voted to table the renewal; Councilman Ates and Councilwoman Gardner voted against tabling. Mayor Billy Yeomans presided over the session.

Council also approved several other measures: unanimous approval of a memorandum of understanding tied to the Plan First program (Plan First designation covers 2026–2028); unanimous adoption of a resolution to act as local issuing authority for the T-SPLOST Downtown Project; scheduling a public millage-rate hearing for Nov. 6 to consider a rollback millage rate of 10.727 mills (the action was recorded as five affirmative votes and one abstention by phone, Councilman Ates); and a resolution to join PFAS litigation, recorded with five yes votes and one abstention by phone (Councilman Ates).

Procurement items cleared by council included approval of a $120,200 bid from Brannon Motors to purchase two police vehicles financed through the Georgia Municipal Association, and approval of a $5,000 purchase from Cody Bear Hill and Empire for a police golf cart. Council also approved a one-year, $54,249.80 contract renewal for right-of-way maintenance services with Pulaski State Women's Prison (vote 4–2: Ates, Tedders, Coley, Gardner in favor; Lester and Savant opposed).

On community and event matters, the council unanimously approved requests from the Pilot International Club and the Cochran-Bleckley Chamber of Commerce to erect seasonal holiday displays. Council unanimously appointed Tyler Sapp to the Library Board for a term running July 1, 2025–June 30, 2029.

City Manager Richard Newbern's monthly report noted incoming solid-waste bids from Am Waste and Ryland; council will select a contractor at its Nov. 6 meeting with a new three-year contract to begin March 1. Newbern also reported staff participation in Country Fest planning and that the city was asked by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to mentor Manchester on housing-initiative implementation following Cochran's grant success.

During public comment, Kent Land described a $50,000 community improvement grant from Norfolk Southern and invited council and stakeholders to a Nov. 13 summit; Melissa Parker spoke about the upcoming Pumpkin Festival and Country Fest events.

Councilwoman Carla Coley requested that the personnel report scheduling be discussed in executive session and urged moving guest presentations earlier on future agendas; she also recognized October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and shared her survivor story. Councilman Shane Savant announced trick-or-treating on Oct. 31 and local school athletics schedules.

The meeting adjourned at 8:11 PM; an executive session for personnel was held from 8:11–8:36 PM.