PICKENS, Ga. — The Jasper City Council met on March 7 to discuss several 2022 events, approve bids for several projects, and to recognize an employee of the Jasper Police Department.

City Projects

The council continued discussions on the proposed downtown bathroom project. The council was provided with drawings of the bathrooms, but Councilman Sonny Proctor raised concerns over the safety and ordinance compliance of the plans. At the recommendation of City Manager Sonia Jammes, the council voted to table the drawings and discuss them with the designer during a later meeting. After the vote, Proctor noted his desire to move the project along as quickly as possible.

Conceptual drawings for updates to the Fire Station, however, were approved unanimously by the council. Councilman Jim Looney noted that the drawings had been through both Public Safety and the Fire Department and were ready for further action.

Conceptual drawings for the Jasper Fire Station were approved by the council.

City Manager Sonia Jammes introduced an agenda item that would enter the city into a contract for work on Gennett Drive “with great pleasure and enthusiasm.” The council approved a $249,000 bid that gave an estimated completion date of 90 days after the contract is signed. Jammes said, “If it is approved tonight, then I will go ahead and get that contract signed tomorrow, and we will try and get that alleviated as soon as we can for our citizens.”

Taking action on other projects, the council also approved a $24,170 bid to dredge Cove Creek, a $24,995 bid to pave JL White Drive, and an $11,613 purchase of a wet well pump.

Events

North GA Family Partners will be hosting three of the events approved during the meeting. Super-Hero Day at Lee Newton Park, hosted on June 16, is one of the events NGFP received approval for. June Ash, NGFP’s Executive Director, says local first responders are invited to the event “to come meet our families in hopes that maybe the kids, if they ever have to have the police, or fire department, or EMT show up at their house, maybe they’re not so afraid of them.” The council also approved the organization’s Jeep Fest Camping event from Aug. 31 through Sept. 5, and a long table event on Sept. 10.

Good Samaritan Health and Wellness, a “not-for-profit, Community Health Center, which provides health services to our community regardless of ability to pay or insurance status,” also had an event approved by the council. They plan to celebrate their twentieth anniversary with a family carnival at Lee Newton Park, said Development and Communications Manager Leslie Long: “We wanted to do something for the community, just to thank our patients and those who’ve supported us for the last twenty years.” Long also said they would also like to include other non-profits at the event, currently planned for June 11.

The last set of events to be approved by the council will be hosted by Jasper’s DDA. The “Second Saturday” events are planned for May, June, July, and August’s second Saturday. Chairman Jack Dunn spoke at the meeting, explaining the DDA would host the events with the intent to bring more visitors into downtown Jasper and experience what the town has to offer.

Other Business

Interim Police Chief Matt Dawkins recognized Lieutenant Chad Childers during the March 7 meeting. He spoke about a time Childers had bought groceries for an elderly citizen who was living on a fixed income. “Chad’s generous actions speaks volume to his character … to help ease the burden of someone he knew was in need and had never met. This type of action has a huge impact on the citizens within the City of Jasper. Your selfless act is the epitome of human kindness,” he said. During the committee reports portion of the meeting, Dawkins noted that during February the Jasper Police Department experienced a 16 percent increase in answered calls with a total of 794 calls, and also experienced an increase in disorderly conduct and domestic calls.