The first meeting of 2024 for the Greensboro City Council lasted five minutes Tuesday night. The only real business was the approval of a beer and wine license for the Feb. 8 Jazz Legacy Project at Festival Hall.
Councilmembers also set a timetable for developing the 2025 city budget. The budget is not required to be approved until Sept. 30, but the city would like to start working on it earlier this year.
A reboot in 2024 could be important for the future of the city of Greensboro. Citizens of Greensboro and other interested parties will have an opportunity to be involved in two major decisions.
Mayor Corey Williams and the city council will soon begin the process of finding a new city manager following last week’s resignation, and fire, of Jarvis Sims.
He lasted eight months on the job. The mayor told the Lake Oconee News Tuesday that the plan is to interview prospective candidates in private.
The Georgia Open Records Act has set rules for any agency holding closed sessions to discuss or interview for the head of an agency such as the city manager.
At least 14 days before a final vote to hire a candidate, names, and information about the top three candidates must be released to the public, giving the citizens time to research and provide feedback. If discussions and interviews are open to the public then the agency can make its decision without delay.
So, either way, the citizens of Greensboro should be able to have input into the hiring of the new city manager.
At the same time, the final draft of the 2023 Greensboro Comprehensive Plan is available online for people interested in the city’s plans for the future of Greensboro at bit.ly/47pgurb.
A public hearing will be held Tuesday, Jan. 16, 5 p.m. at Festival Hall for residents and interested parties to provide last-minute feedback. The city council is expected to approve the plan at its regular meeting at 6 p.m., following the public hearing.
The 100-page document represents months of work since May of last year when the first public hearing was held. The plan includes public and private interest feedback with decisions made by a small committee comprised of city staff, community leaders, and the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission.
Plans and goals, some realistic, some optimistic, cover such areas as Needs and Opportunities, Broadband, Transportation, Housing, Economic Development, Land Use, and a Community Work Program.
The plan’s number-one goal is, to “continue developing as a center for business, entertainment, and community with a high quality of life and a strong sense of place.”
The challenge is how to build a vibrant city with logging trucks and other large vehicles running through downtown and very few restaurants, businesses, and attractions able to lure Lake Oconee residents to travel 10 miles to the city.
All this comes amidst controversies over the possible closing of the county courthouse in downtown Greensboro, the continuing drama over relocation of city hall to the old BB&T bank building and an ailing water and sewer system needing repairs.
Add to that, the upcoming election for positions on the Greene County Board of Education and Greene County Board of Commissioners.
City leaders have a lot on their plate for 2024. The selection of a strong city manager and determination to complete some of the long-range goals and visions with help from an interested and active public will be a good start.