James T. Drinkard

The meeting commenced with an opening prayer led by Pastor Damen Walker and the pledge of allegiance led by two cadets from the Veterans High School Air Force Junior ROTC program. Key agenda items discussed during the work session included an ordinance for a $7,000 budget transfer to install street lights on South Pleasant Hill Road as part of an improvement project. A change to the classification plan involved converting three captain positions in suppression to battalion chiefs to improve the supervisor-to-employee ratio for fire operations, increasing supervisory capacity and firefighter safety, at an additional cost of $12,000. A resolution was presented for a road name change within the joint industrial park to unify Lu Kenny Parkway and Pete's Way into a single road name. Furthermore, two individuals, Christine O'Brien and Mark Yarborra, were nominated for vacant seats on the Engage Warner Robbins board. The consent agenda covered the approval of previous meeting minutes, acceptance of a $2,000 grant from the Georgia Municipal Association for the economic placemaking collaborative to fund seven artworks under the adopt a box program, an amendment to the 2024 CHIP contract to reduce administrative fees from $45,000 to $27,000, a contract extension with Ardura for utility engineering services, and a $450,000 addition to a task order for the federally mandated lead and copper pipe identification and replacement project. Additional purchasing items included $129,144 for ballistic armor defense and equipment for the police department (with a 50% reimbursement anticipated), ratification of an emergency purchase for glass repair at the mechanical building due to interior damage from severe cold, and approval of the annual service and maintenance agreement for the Tyler software ERP system.

The meeting commenced with an opening prayer and pledge of allegiance, followed by the adoption of the agenda with the removal of an executive session item related to personnel. Key discussions included the presentation of three proclamations: one for Warner Robbins Kappa League Month (January 2026), one for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month (for which no representative appeared), and one recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19, 2026). Employee service awards were presented to four individuals for 15, 20, 30, and 35 years of service. The work session covered several items, including a resolution for securing a vendor for the Independence Day celebration fireworks, which specified a $65,625 contract for a 25-minute show in observance of the 250th birthday. Purchasing items included a $32,500 purchase for a Lexipole system for the fire department, a $32,500 vehicle purchase (2022 Ford F-150) for public works, and a $10,325 enclosed trailer for grounds maintenance. Discussions also involved an intergovernmental agreement regarding the floating local option sales tax to fund property tax millage rate reductions for homesteaded properties. Finally, a classification plan update proposed temporarily relocating the tax office from the finance department to the clerk's office for one year to allow the finance department to focus on implementing the Tyler Munis ERP system. A $1.3 million budget transfer was noted to clean up funding allocation for the previously approved rotary drum thickener replacement at the Sandy Run Creek Water Pollution Control Plant.

The meeting, noted as the last of the year, began with an opening prayer and the pledge of allegiance. Key proceedings included the adoption of the agenda. A significant portion of the session was dedicated to a presentation and donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) by the Warner Robbins Fire Department, highlighting their fundraising success, including a $79,000 donation for 2025 and $53,665 raised in 2024, and updates on MDA programs like summer camps and a new scholarship program. Employee service awards were also presented to Brighton Romel for five years of service. The session then moved to a work session to discuss agenda items, specifically addressing a council member's question regarding proposed site layout access, specifically a left turn access point from South Lake Road into a property under annexation and rezoning consideration, which staff indicated would be addressed with the developer.

The meeting commenced with an opening prayer led by Pastor Missy Blumthal and the pledge of allegiance led by Cadet Sydney Ascu. Key agenda items included recognitions for the Warner Robbins Fire Department personnel from Engine 7 for an act of valor saving a life during a fire incident on August 25th. Following this, four new police officers for the Warner Robbins Police Department took the oath of office. During the work session, the council discussed the agenda and land use cases, specifically a request to rezone over 55.5 acres into a Planned Development District for residential use, proposing 201 single-family detached units. Concerns were raised regarding stormwater drainage and impact on the adjacent Welston Hills neighborhood, which the applicant addressed by detailing proposed buffering, privacy fencing, sidewalk extensions, reserved area for stormwater management, and adherence to city ordinances regarding upstream/downstream analysis and stream buffers.

The meeting commenced with an opening prayer and the pledge of allegiance. Key agenda items included the adoption of the agenda (with items 5 through 7 removed), announcements, and the presentation of three proclamations: one for Arbor Day, one in honor of Black History Month (February 2026), and one recognizing Huntington Middle School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Week (February 8th through 14th, 2026). Following proclamations, the Council held a moment of silence for an injured police officer, Officer Matt Wall. The work session addressed land use items, including a request to revert a planned development concept from single-family detached style back to townhome style housing to provide a more affordable option in the low $200,000 range. Additionally, the Council reviewed an ordinance for the annexation and subsequent rezoning of property on both the north and south sides of Duskmore Drive near Lake Joy Road, involving zoning changes from R1 to R2, and R1/R2 to R2/C2 respectively, with significant safety and access mitigation commitments from the petitioner.