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WILLIAMSON - A plea went out to patrons and supporters of the Williamson Library from the Williamson Library by email on January 13, 2022. The email asked for letters of support prior to the next meeting of the Williamson City Council on Thursday, February 3. Pike County Times was contacted by a concerned citizen a week later, and this began a series of articles and coverage from the February 3 Williamson City Council Meeting.

This is part 3 in a series of articles on the Williamson Library. Please read parts 1 and 2 below to get caught up to speed before diving into more information contained here. Pike County Times laid out the timeline from 2008 when the Pike County Commission was looking to open a satellite library in Williamson for the J. Joel Edwards Library until the opening of a stand-alone Williamson Library City many years later.

In the Beginning

A plea went out from the Williamson Library to patrons entitled “SAVE THE WILLIAMSON LIBRARY!!!” on Thursday, January 13, 2022. Outgoing Library Assistants Kristy Lucio and Ashley Malone wrote the following email that brought in 35 letters of support from the community prior to the February 3, 2022 Williamson City Council Meeting.

The email read as follows:

"Dear patron,

There have been some concerns voiced over the necessity and importance of the city library. The library is not a source of income for the city, but a service offered to the citizens in the area.

As a loyal patron and friend of the library, we are asking that you help us to ensure that the library is here for many years to come. We know that the library is important for many reasons, including internet and computer use and help, books and other materials for recreation and learning, programs like Craft Days and Mystery Dinner Theater, where people can come together to laugh, bond and make friends- building a sense of community.

Can you please voice your opinion about the library and the need for it in a short (or long!) letter or email addressed to Williamson_ga @ att.net. [Note from the Editor: I have added spaces in this email so bots don’t grab the email address and start spamming the library.] There is a drop box outside City Hall at 71 Midland St. in case you’d rather send a paper letter. You can make a difference! Thank you!”

Patrons ages 8 and 12 (letters above) all the way up through 94 years of age responded with both emails and hand-written letters in support of the library.

Letters mentioned the library being “the glue that holds our community together” as well as the fact that the library provides needs for those who don’t have internet and those who are homeschooling and school kids alike. One citizen mentioned specific resources that are offered such as “internet access, children’s programs, and opportunities to connect with others.” Members of the Williamson United Methodist Church also signed letters of support for the library.

Some mentioned the donation of their time, money, and books to the library as well as the time spent at the library itself and the fun that they had at library events. Louse and Ronda Thacker went so far to say, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” and said that the Williamson City Library is not broke financially or otherwise and is an asset to the community.

Bobby Harrison voiced support for tax funds for the library and pointed out that the city library provides services for not just the citizens, but also to neighbors and friends in the community. And so many supporters of the library told city council members how they use the library and how much it means it them to have this resource available to them. Some named specifics like appreciating help from the staff over the years as well as appreciating all of the resources that the library provides.

The District Literacy Specialist from the Pike County School System, Kimberly Johnson, Ed.D., sent a letter to council members to let them know that she had worked with Library Assistant Kristy Lucio to help the Williamson Library become a L4GA grant community partner to promote the development of lifelong readers and writers. This included the grant providing equipment and materials needed to provide hundreds of books to families who attended the mystery dinner, the summer ice cream social, the children’s bike parade, and other family-oriented events. She urged council members to do a survey and needs assessment before they make a decision to close the library and “pause to seek answers rather than making a decision that may bring unintended consequences for the citizens of our community.”

Former Election Supervisor Lynn Vickers urged the Williamson Library to remain open where students can read books, work on computer assignments for school, and have quiet time, where adults can check out books to increase their knowledge and have access to computers that may not be available to them, and where Williamson voters come to vote.

One person called the possible closing a “cultural travesty” and another said the library is “the heart of the city.” Another person noted that there is a sign at the library that says, “A library is not a luxury, but a necessity.”

The Town Hall Meeting

The February 3, 2022 Williamson City Council Meeting was attended by Mayor Steve Fry, District 1 Council Member Stephen Levin, District 2 Council Member Angela Martin, District 3 Council Member Tom Brown, District 4 Council Member Carol Berry, District 5 Council Member Steve Davis, and City Council Attorney Rob Morton. On the agenda for public comment about the library were: Bob Harrison, Jr., Richard Wallace, and Robert Gordan. They were asked to speak before the meeting began along with the City Council listening to the many comments from the public.

The meeting had a lot of people there in attendance with many being there specifically to support the library. Robert Gordan asked everyone who was there in favor of the library to stand. The picture above doesn’t show everyone there, but it does show that more than ¾ of those shown were in support of the Williamson Library.

Comments addressed many issues concerning the library and the community. One citizen said that she doesn’t have internet so her grandson goes to the library to do schoolwork. He is 12 and wrote the note in yellow above in support of keeping the library open. Another gentleman pointed out that the library also helps people better themselves. Many pointed out the sense of community that comes from having a library that anyone from the community can walk into and use.

Many comments addressed the concern about how much it costs to run the library. One said that the library isn’t supposed to bring in a lot of money because it brings the community together. Randy Martin asked how much money was in the City of Williamson bank account and was advised that there was $776,126.58. Part 2 of this article series has an open records request to show that there was a total income of $1,641.29 for the year 2021 with a total operating cost of $21,050.00 for association dues, office supplies, library activities expenses, library utilities, maintenance and repairs, and both regular and overtime library wage. Subtracting the total income of came to a total of $19,408.71 for 2021 with service being provided to about 90 patrons a month.

There was also support for the City Park, Caboose, and the helicopter. A lot of people from outside of the physical city limits helped make these projects and the library a reality. It means something to the community for these places to be a part of the community. Robert Gordan brought a rousing applause from the audience when he ended his time before commissioners by saying, “Do you want your legacy to be that I helped close the library?”

Danny Martin spoke as a resident of Ashley Glenn and on behalf of the HOA by saying discussion about closing the library was not on the agenda or in their minutes, and that they want everyone to enjoy everything. “This isn’t coming from our neighborhood,” he said.

There was a suggestion by Keith Crawford to shut down the internet at night so people can’t sit in the parking lot use it because it is a safety issue. Former library assistant Kristy Lucio addressed that issue a few comments later as well how up to date the computers are when she spoke. She advised that the computers are up to date with Windows Edge and that the internet system there is very good. She advised that there are cameras there to record what happens in the parking lot after hours and that the Neighborhood Watch is almost as good as the cameras. [Note from the Editor: I have spent numerous hours using the wi-fi at the J. Joel Edwards Library as well as the late night hours wi-fi outside of the courthouse by the Sheriff's Office for security. If I had a dollar for every hour spent up at the courthouse in the late night hours, I could buy at least one tank of gas (and maybe several) for my thirsty truck. I am thankful for places that provide wi-fi for citizens who have crappy internet like mine!]

Richard Wallace praised council members for listening to the community on the library. He said that the church was struck by lightning and had to go to the library until they could get their electronic devices replaced. He said that he spends a lot of time at the library and that he appreciates the help of the librarians there. He said that they mentor there and that the library is a community center. “You can’t put a dollar value on what a library does in a library. Do we want to be known as the city and community that closed the library?”

Richard Riley said that it sounds like people are calling are basically calling Williamson two cities with voting members as one part and Williamson residents outside of the city as the other. He told Mayor Fry that he should be a unifying force and not dividing on something like this and said that people can agree to disagree. Mayor Fry responded and said that he got phone call after phone call on the day that he received a phone call from Pike County Times and that his phone calls even included one from Senator Marty Harbin asking why the Williamson Library might be shut down. He said that he was frustrated that day but that if it was written in the article, he said it and stands by it because Pike County Times records conversations for accuracy. He said that he was frustrated with the number of calls and the sentiment that people were talking about the library and wanting to look at more data about it, and Pike County Times called at the tail end of it to catch that frustration. He said that a lot people came together from places outside of the city limits of Williamson to make the library, the walking trail, the Caboose, and the helicopter exhibit a part of the community in Williamson. He pointed out, however, that he said “some” and never “everyone” in Ashley Glenn in his comments and that no one ever said outright that they wanted to close the library. [Note from the Editor: There is an apology to Ashley Glenn residents in the Mayor's comments at the meeting itself.]

One gentleman named Bob Harrison, Jr. pointed out how much chicken has cooked to help pay for things to be done in the City of Williamson. Pike County Times noted how a couple of chicken fundraisers that helped make the library a reality! He and council also reminisced on running water lines through City when members of City Council were in the ditch helping to physically put together the pipe that needed to connect the city to the City of Griffin’s main water line. “As far as the library goes, I’d like to see it stay open. It’s part of the community, and it reminds me of the people that were before me. The same for the helicopter and caboose. It reminds me of what a great place this is to raise a family,” he said.

Council Member Tom Brown stressed that he did ask for a discussion with data about the library, the number of patrons served, and the cost of operation before new employees were hired, but he said that nobody said that we were going to close the library though that was one of the options. [Note from the Editor: Readers can read that entire email verbatim in Part 1 of this series of articles.] He said that he was concerned that an employee had resigned two weeks into the new year and wanted to have a discussion about the library/gather data so he could know who is using what in the library. He said that it was $19,000 in 2021 but that it will be $32,454 in 2022 which means that it almost double from last year and is 16% of the city’s budget. He noted that he donated his first 1 ½ years salary back to the city so he is investing in the city as well. He stated again that he simply wanted data in order to make an educated decision on the library. He also invited people back to future council meetings.

Milla Riglin is one of the new library assistants. She said that she would be willing to volunteer for 2 days a week in order to ensure that the library stays open. The father of the part-time librarian stressed that community is about people and that there is great customer service there. He also said that no one is going to agree on everything, but he asked people to go by the library when things are going on so they can feel the excitement and sense of history that goes along with it.

Madison Brentlinger said that she grew up and would never support closing the library. She also said that people who have papers due at 11:59 p.m. are thankful for wi-fi after hours. Rep. Beth Camp gave an update on redistricting and the homestead exemption for seniors from the school system that is going through state legislature. She said that people don’t all have internet access at home and said that public libraries build people. “I wouldn’t have been able to be successful without being able to read as a kid and a young adult.”

The City Council Meeting

During Council Member reports given after the meeting official began, Council Member Carol Berry walked council members through the timeline on the two former librarians leaving and the need to hire their replacements immediately in order to continue operations of the library until the February 3, 2022 Council Meeting. Library assistant Ashley Malone graduated from college and was able to get a job in her field which necessitated her departure. Not too long later, Library Assistant Kristy Lucio got a job offer that she couldn’t turn down so she also turned in her resignation.

She said that Council Member Tom Brown did ask not to hire anyone until after a discussion could be had about the library but that she felt the need to handle the situation at the library rather than holding off in order to bring someone in to be trained by Library Assistant Lucio before she left her position since both positions were being filled by new people. Council Member Berry walked through the interview process and brought in two new hires though they were told that there was no guarantee of their job positions until it was voted on by the City Council. City Council voted 5-0 in favor of hiring Morgan Matthews, a college student at Gordon, and Milla Riglin, who will be working 1 day at City Hall and 4 days at the library.

Council Member Stephen Levin voiced his support of 100% for the library. He said that his mother was a librarian and said that the library is the center of the community and part of the reason he moved to Williamson. He said that he couldn’t have gotten where he is today without the library and that he supports fully funding it as well as making upgrades that may be needed in the future.

Other items in the meeting were many. Council Member Tom Brown advised that AT&T has committed in writing to provide service to every house in Williamson by the 3rd quarter of this year. He also asked about water loss in the city which brought on a discussion about the City of Griffin coming to Williamson to use ground penetrating radar to look for leaks in March. There was also a discussion about the pallet company and a suggestion that the smaller cities band together to pay a little extra for policing in order pay than they would singularly.

Council Member Steve Davis asked about getting the speed limit reminder sign back up and working. Council Member Brown asked about signs for a weight limit on 2nd District Road and a suggestion was made to contact the concrete companies who work around the area and ask them not to use the road because it is being torn up by the heavy trucks.

City Attorney Rob Morton gave his appreciation to the city, the council, and city clerk for their gifts, support, and calls after his Dad passed away. He said that his Dad, Tom Morton, loved the City of Williamson and that he ate many a biscuit there in the Caboose on Friday mornings. Rob has some memorabilia for them from Tom. He also advised that Planning Commission is going through policies and that he anticipates some discussion on proposed policies later on. He also advised that the School Board has asked for tax relief for Seniors in the community with ads running in the Pike Journal Reporter and that the Bicentennial Celebration Kick-Off was held on January 10.

Mayor Fry said that planning has already begun for the Wisteria Festival which will be held on the first weekend in April. About 70 vendors already have paid spaces. He said that the Church of Joy usually holds VBS in the park in the summer but that they will be holding it at their church this year.

Mayor Fry apologized to the members of Ashley Glenn Subdivision for his comments in part 1 of this series of articles and commended everyone for coming together in support of the library. He also advised that he attended a meeting in Thomaston about LOST (Local Option Sales Tax) and that negotiations have begun on this.

The Library Report for last month showed that 81 patrons were served with 33 using computers there. They also brought in $70.25 for the month. Lowell Camp of Camp Investments donated 10 plywood bottoms for broken chairs in the library. If anyone would like to help do the replacement, please contact City Clerk Karen Brentlinger at City Hall.

There were several big conversations throughout the meeting including a continuation from earlier discussion about the use of 2nd District Road and how difficult it was for trucks to make some of the turns on other roads. Rep. Beth Camp said that if there were DOT needs with roads that she would be happy to help set up a meeting in a month or so. It was said that there are 6 roads coming together right here and that there have been some serious wrecks including at least 3 people who have died here.

There was discussion about how to address a request to change the current alcohol ordinance to something similar to the City of Zebulon which allows for retail packaged distilled sales within the city limits. There is a business owner who would like to open up a liquor store in the Rustic Lantern shopping center. It was advised that any new business would maintain the current hours there from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. only and not be open on Sunday. Council members made a motion for City Attorney Rob Morton to explore the options so this business owner can consider whether it wants to move forward or not.

There was also a discussion with City Attorney Rob Morton on how much work he was doing for the city and whether he would be ok with a change for now for more hours and upping the contract for a few more hours until the city can get its ordinances up to date, etc. Attorney Morton made it clear that he had not approached anyone about this and that he would be ok with a change in hours to the legal services that he provides to the city along with a change in how much he is paid if this is what the mayor and council want. Motion to accept the change for $2,000 per month for unlimited hours for legal services.

The open meeting ended around 9:25 p.m. and Pike County Times did not remain until the end of the Executive Session after being there since about 6:40 p.m. The issue of the whether the Williamson Library would remain open was resolved through the unanimous votes to approve the hire of the two new librarians.

Closing

Members of the community came out in large number to support the Williams Library at the city council meeting. Williamson City Council members were attentive as members of the community spoke their opinion on the library as well as the situation overall. It seemed like the residents of Williamson came together as one group regardless of whether they actually lived within the city limits or not.

With the hiring of the two new librarians being given unanimous approval during the meeting, Williamson City Council members have made their support of the Williamson Library known at this time.

Those who use the library should continue using it and support it every way possible from helping fix the chairs as was mentioned in the meeting to making donations and supporting the library by attending future events.

Here is a link to the Williamson Library so readers can see what services are provided at the library. There are also links to two Pike County Times articles from 2011 and 2012 which show the work on the library which brought it to completion so it could be used by the community.

Click here to read more about the Williamson Library and the services that are provided to its patrons.

Click here to read an article from 2011 entitled, “Work Has Begun on the Williamson Library.” Pictures tell how much work into this project to make it become a reality.

Click here to read the article entitled from January of 2012 entitled, “City of Williamson Library Becoming a Reality.” The many pictures and extensive list of all who came together to make this project a reality shows a community that bonded together for the good of everyone both within and outside of the actual city limits.

Thank you to First Bank of Pike for sponsoring Pike County Times’ Breaking News Alerts! First Bank of Pike has been serving customers in Pike County and the surrounding area since 1901 and offers Personal and Business banking with a personal touch. Services include checking, savings, money market, certificates of deposit, and IRA’s. Mobile Banking and Bill Payment services are also available! Click here for more. Please let First Bank of Pike know that you appreciate their sponsorship of Breaking News Alerts on Pike County's only FREE online newspaper!

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WILLIAMSON - A plea has gone out to those who are patrons and supporters of the Williamson Library to send letters of support prior to the next meeting of the Williamson City Council on Thursday, February 3. Pike County Times was contacted by a concerned citizen earlier and began making phone calls to find out what was going on.

This is part 2 in a series of articles on the Williamson Library. Please read part 1 below to get caught up to speed before diving into more information contained here. Pike County Times has received open records information from the Pike County Library and has requested open records from both the City of Williamson and the Pike County Board of Commissioners regarding the library and its beginning that goes back to 2008.

How Much Does It Cost to Run the City of Williamson Library For a Year?

Pike County Times obtained The City of Williamson’s Profit and Loss for last year that states income and expenses from the beginning of January through the end of December for the year 2021.

According to this documentation, the City of Williamson Library brought in $450 from Library Activities and $1,191.29 from Library Income for a total income of $1,641.29 for the year 2021.

Also, according to this documentation, there were expenses associated with the Williamson Library. Association dues, office supplies, library activities expenses, library utilities, maintenance and repairs, and both regular and overtime library wage. This amount comes to $21,050.00.

In order to find the total operating expense, one must subtract the total income of $1,641.29 from the total operating expenses of $21,050.00. Click here to view the documents.

The total complete operating expenses for operating the Williamson Library in 2021 was $19,408.71, and it served about 90 patrons a month during this time.

Who Accepted What When and What Was the General Agreement on Who Would Receive Services?

Pike County Times requested any and all documentation (minutes, deeds, documents, etc.) regarding the transfer of the Williamson Library between Pike County and the City of Williamson and a copy of Williamson's budget as well as any documentation that shows how much it costs to run the Williamson Library on an annual basis. This request had been made already by Council Member Tom Brown and filled by the City.

It would have cost 4 hours at $18.23 an hour for the clerk pulling information for a total of $72.92 with no charge for scanned copies for Council Member Brown's request. The city has the ability to waive costs when it chooses, and it did. Especially for a council member who has asked for history that is pertinent to an upcoming meeting. There was no charge to Pike County Times because the time to fill my request was less than 15 minutes per Open Records Laws because it had already been filled for someone prior to my request.

Council Member Brown then sent an email on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 asking for a clarification between his request for information the Williamson Library, which is listed above with a waived cost amount, and a request for a water loss report for the city, which did not have a cost amount to be waived when he received the document. "Please correct the record to reflect that no fee was due and no fee was waived. I want to make sure that I was not given any special treatment due to the office I hold, nor was it an unreasonable request," he wrote in his email.

[Note from the Editor: Sometimes there is a fee to be paid for digging for open records that costs more than 15 minutes of time by the person filling the request, and sometimes there isn't. In this case, the information requested by the council member is something that is quite pertinent to city business, and I don't know of anywhere that charges its own people for asking for information like this.]

Pike County Times also put in the following Open Records Request. "Pursuant to the Open Records Act, I request an emailed copy of any and all open records requests including responses that have been placed with the city since the library story was printed on the 20th. Thanks for your help on this matter."

[Note from the Editor: Now why would Pike County Times put in an open records request for open records requests? This is a practice that I have done since my early days watchdogging the Pike County Commission. You never know what you're going to find so I just do it from time to time for kicks and giggles. Sometimes it's boring, and sometimes it's interesting.]

A Timeline on the Williamson Library From 1/2 Inch Thick Printed Open Records Requests

Minutes from the J. Joel Edwards Library, Williamson City Council, and Pike County Commission show a hotly contested argument on whether the library in Williamson should be a branch of the J. Joel Edwards Library or a stand-alone library for citizens around the Williamson area. In the end, the Williamson Library became a stand-alone library that sees quite a few patrons every month.

How did it come to be?

In the January 3, 2008 Williamson City Council Meeting, Library Board Member Paul Faulds approached the Williamson City Council and advised that he had been given the old bank building and would like to move it onto city property for a library. He asked whether the city would be willing to deed two acres to Pike County for the library. The city voted to look into property across from the current bank location to see if it was two acres and asked Mr. Faulds to come back with more finalized details.

In February 7, 2008 Williamson City Council Meeting, Mr. Faulds was back before the council to present plans for the new library site. He said that the branch library is temporary and would later be converted into a permanent structure. He asked for help with grants to see if a rural development grant would help in the cost of preparing the site.

In the March 12, 2008 Board of Commissioners Meeting, Mr. Faulds gave an update on the Williamson Library project. He said that the usual cost to build a library is $2,000,000 but that an operational library could be built for $200,000 in Williamson with the moving of this United Bank building. He asked if he should continue looking for grants and working on this project. CM Marro advised commissioners that Mr. Faulds is asking whether $24,132 in J. Joel Edwards Library impact fees could be freed up for use on this project. It was said that if the county went ahead with this, they would need to indebt the library impact fees and recoup this money in future impact fees. The cost of the library would come out of the Pike County operating budget. Chairman Fry was concerned that this would open things up for all departments and said that he would like to see the impact fees collected in Williamson before they are spent. Commissioner Swift made a motion to approve moving forward with the Williamson Library project and included approving the design concept and asking the county attorney to move forward with the deed from Williamson to the county. This was a 4-0 vote in favor.

In the April 9, 2008 Board of Commissioners meeting, there was a discussion of the City of Williamson library site. The county removed three large trees under the direction of our Road Department though the stumps needed to be removed. It was projected to be over $500 worth of work into removal if the county did it, but the commissioners had a consensus that Mr. Goolsby could make this decision and do it if needed or go with the bids that had been obtained. The Board of Commissioners at this time consisted of Chairman Steve Fry, Commissioners Tommy Powers, Jake Garner, Parrish Swift, and Roosevelt Willis along with County Manager Steve Marro and County Attorneys Rob and Tom Morton.

The land had been deeded to Pike County by the City of Williamson and would be for a branch library. Discussion then went to costs for this endeavor. If this was to be a branch library, an extra $12,000 per year would need to be allocated to the Pine Mountain Library System for the books that come in on an annual basis. CM Marro advised that preliminary numbers for increasing the costs to operate the new library did not include moving costs which may run $80,000 to $100,000 rather than $40,000 as originally discussed.

There were also a number of Library Board members who were calling the county and voicing their opposition to this project. [Note from the Editor: A vote was taken by the Library Board on the Williamson Library almost a year later. No vote was taken prior to that. Pike County Times was at that vote. And while there was a heated discussion on whether I was going to be "allowed" to attend prior to the meeting taking place, it was a public meeting of a county board, and yes, I attended.] Chairman Fry suggested that since the building was being donated, maybe it could be a library of sorts or a museum rather than a part of the Pine Mountain Library System. At this point, the only thing that had been authorized is the transfer of land from the City of Williamson to the county.

During the April 29, 2008 Board of Commissioners meeting, funding was the topic of discussion. The total short-term need for moving the building would be $30,520.00 which included the footings, move, roof, and survey. United Bank donated $12,500 toward this move. Then the discussion moved to Impact Fees and their use for this project but while the draft intergovernmental agreement had been made, there had been no movement on this. Public Works Director Todd Goolsby had been told by CM Marro that this was a dead issue. County Attorney Morton advised that he had been told that this was not moving forward as well. Library Board Member Paul Faulds advised that the Library Board did not vote on this matter and that some of the members would not like this project to happen.

Chairman Fry suggested a compromise so the county could take advantage of the land that the City of Williamson was willing to donate to the county and United Banks offer to help with moving costs. He suggested moving the building but the library not joining the Pine Mountain Library System. He also suggested getting it set up with computers and needed items for citizens on that side of the county but holding off on a budget until the commissioners could see exactly how much this project was going to cost.

Discussion then went to the bid process which had gone through the Library Board rather than the county because the county had authorized it to be done that way. Mr. Faulds advised that the bids went through a formal procedure. Commissioner Willis asked about the general consensus of the 9 members of the Library Board on this project. Library Board Member Keith McClelland advised that the general consensus was that this was a bad idea and that some members were “vehemently opposed” to the library in Williamson. Mr. Faulds said that this decision was made by the commissioners when they approved the Capital Improvements Element, but County Attorney Morton advised the CM Manager Marro though that the Board of Commissioners had been given incorrect information. Commissioner Swift was in favor of the idea but unhappy because this had not been brought before the Library Board for a vote.

So, a motion was made to stick behind the motion that the Board of Commissioners had made and allocate money out of Impact Fees for the moving of the library and getting it set up. He also said that he didn’t think that the county could move forward with the amount of money that would be needed to run this but was looking at a short-term allocation of resources. Commissioners voted 5-0 to move the library.

In the May 14, 2008 Board of Commissioners meeting, CM Marro rebutted some of the things that had been said in the April 29 Commission meeting which he was not able to attend. He said that Mr. Faulds was NEVER told (emphasis from the minutes) that impact fee money had to be used on the Williamson Library before it was used anywhere else, that the Board of Commissioners had only voted to move forward on the transfer of donated land only and not the entire project, that Mr. Faulds informed CM Marro that the building move had to be done by the first week in April so the Commissioners “did not, had not and could not see or understand any costs associated with this project,” an assumed funding scenario had been provided that the county manager thought would far exceed the costs, how do we repay the $3,000 to $4,000 that has been taken from the Road Department budget for this project, he pointed out that Mr. McClelland said that the Library Board of Directors said that there wasn’t support for this project, and that it is not necessary at this time, that the Pike County Impact Fee program did not mandate a library in Williamson based on Mr. Faulds’ discretion rather than meeting the data criteria for the library in the program, and that the Library Board of Directors, not the County Manager, was responsible for placing the bid to move the building and ought to sign off on the contracts since the contracts are worded to the Pike County Library Board of Directors.

Later in the meeting, the discussion of the Williamson Library came up again. County Attorney Morton said that the deed was prepared for the City of Williamson for the United Bank building. Chairman Fry said that the Board of Commissioners voted to move the building and use it as an exhibit/meeting place and that he wanted to see how far this can go with volunteer staffing for maybe a Williamson private library and county meeting place. At this point, commissioners had a consensus that if this project was going to cost any more money, the City of Williamson was going to have to chip in for it because the county was done.

In the June 5, 2008 Williamson City Council Meeting, City Attorney Jack Park advised that the Quite Claim Deed for the property had been given to Pike County for the new library. The Mayor and City Clerk had signed off on it. This matter was now completed.

There is a Pike County Library System Williamson Branch Update from the Pike County Library Board of Trustees dated November 6, 2008 which reads as follows: “All funds applicable to the Williamson Branch were depleted with site development, moving of the building, and foundation work. The board continues to investigate grant opportunities and fund-raising efforts, which would enhance the ongoing services of the library system. Donations to specifically benefit the Williamson branch will be accepted at the above address. (PO Box for the Pike County Library Board of Trustees.) Checks should be made to Pike County Library Board, Williamson.”

In the November 6, 2008 Williamson City Council Meeting, Chairman Steve Fry of the Pike County Board of Commissioners spoke on Mr. Faulds’ behalf at the beginning of the meeting. He advised that one of the issues on this project was going to be the $12,000 annual dues that are required to be a part of the Pines Library System. [Note from the Editor: I pulled this straight from the minutes and decided to make things more clear because I've had a call about this already. This would have been a cost to join the Flint River Regional Library System serving member libraries in Butts, Fayette, Lamar, Monroe, Pike, and Spalding Counties and not the Pines Library System. The Pines Library System is the public library system for the state that the Flint River Regional Library System is a member of. We can check out books all over the state and return them to our local libraries because of this membership on a state level. But the $12,000 fee is regional to the Flint River Regional Library System.] The library would also have to be staffed and open a certain number of hours in order to be a part of the system. He said that as a Williamson city resident and not as a member of the Board of Commissioners that the city might want to consider making this a stand-alone library. Council Member Swyryn said that he was surprised that some of these problems were not foreseen and handled before the project got started.

Mr. Faulds then came into the meeting and gave an update on the progress of the library. He said that all funds were depleted with the site development and moving of the building. [Note from the Editor: Probably the note from the Library Board of Trustees above.] He advised that the Library Board is still applying for grants and making an effort at fundraising for the project.

The Pike County Library Board of Trustees met on February 5, 2009. Members included Cheryl Fulghum, Mary Milner, Luanne Fowler, Paul Faulds, Jerry Robinson, Keith McClelland, Lynn Hubbard, and Branch Supervisor Pat Robertson. There were revised Constitution and Bylaws which include changing the name of the library from the Pike County Library to Pike County Library System to include the proposed Williamson Library. Because this had been a controversial topic, a vote was taken to determine where members stood on the issue. Of the 7 members present, 3 were in favor, 3 were opposed, and 1 abstained. After more discussion, a second vote was called with the vote being 4-2 in favor of the Williamson branch.

The Williamson Library was a topic of discussion at the March 5, 2009 Williamson City Council Meeting. By this time, Steve Fry was no longer the Chairman of the Pike County Board of Commissioners. He is now the Mayor of Williamson. Mayor Fry advised council members that the Library Board was supporting the decision to allow the Williamson Library to be a county branch of the Flint River Regional Library System and that commissioners are waiting on aid for the library. Members on the Williamson City Council included: Mayor Steve Fry, Council Members Eddie Lane, Benson Hilley, Allen Crenshaw, Carol Berry, and Attorney Jack Park.

The Pike County Board of Commissioners met on March 11, 2009. Board members at this time were Chairman Doug Mangham and Commissioners Tommy Powers, Roosevelt Willis, Parrish Swift, and Don Collins. Library Member Paul Faulds said that he wasn’t coming before the Board for tax money or impact fees. He said that the Williamson Library project has not stopped and that the Library Board wants to change its bylaws to include the additional branch library. He also asked for a letter of support for the library from commissioners and said that he is looking for private donations though some are concerned about the $12,000 annual fee to be a part of the library system. He then asked commissioners to commit to $40,000 per year for salaries and utilities as well as stating that the Capital Improvements Fund had a $1,000,000 cost for the Williamson library and they wanted to finish it so that impact fees could be used for the Zebulon Library. Mr. Faulds said that the total cost for this library project would be $250,000. He said that he has already received letters of support from Concord and Williamson and that he would like a letter of support for the future from the Commission. Commissioner Willis that he would like to see something in writing from the Library Board showing their consensus on this project. Commissioner Swift suggested a workshop be held with the Library Board and Commissioner Willis agreed. Discussion was tabled until after the next item on the agenda about whether to donate the building to Williamson.

Commissioners then discussed whether to donate the old United Bank building in Williamson to the City of Williamson for use as a museum or office. Commissioner Powers said that he had asked to place this on the agenda because with the bad economy, Pike County needed road work and a courthouse and that this is a bad time for the library with a cost of $40,000 a year. Commissioner Powers made the motion to give the building to the City of Williamson to be used for office space or a museum or whatever they would like to use it for and that the $20,000 pulled out of impact fees be pulled out of contingency. Motion was seconded but then withdrawn. CM Marro said that both he and County Attorney Morton are on the April 2, 2009 agenda for the Williamson City Council and that he’d like to have this discussion added to their agenda. The prior discussion about letters of support, $40,000 a year, etc. were pulled off of the table. Motion to postpone the discussion about giving the Williamson Library to the City of Williamson. 3-1 with Commissioner Collins opposed.

On March 31, 2009, Library Board Member Jerry Robinson wrote a letter to the Pike County Board of Commissioners since he could not attend the meeting in person. He advised that he has served on the Library Board longer than any other member currently serving and that he wanted to voice his concerns about events that lead up to the Williamson Library. He said that he felt that the Library Board was “mislead” about the Williamson Library and that the Williamson Library was never brought before the local library board for approval. He felt that the Library Board was given “1/2 truths” about what the commissioners wanted and that library impact fee money never should have been spent for moving a building when it was known that many library board members opposed it. He said that library in Zebulon needs at least $30,000 for improvements including handicap doors to meet ADA requirements, termite damage in two walls that needs to be repaired and repainted, a need for ceiling fans to cut down on utilities, and the parking lot needs repaved. He closed by thanking commissioner for taking the time to listen to the local Library Board’s concerns.

In the April 2, 2009 Library Board of Trustees Meeting, members were reminded to give their input to the Board of Commissioners for the April 6, 2009 Board meeting.

In the April 8, 2009 County Commission meeting, there was more discussion about the Williamson Library. Chairman Mangham advised that a workshop was held with the Library Board and that a discussion had taken place. Commissioner Powers said that he felt that a majority of the Library Board was not in favor of a library in Williamson.

Motion by Commissioner Powers to give the building and the property to the City of Williamson and let them do what they want to with it. Second by Commissioner Swift for discussion. Commissioner Swift said that he hated to give anything away but that he feels like the Library Board is hesitant with the Williamson Library because they have needs with the existing library. Commissioner Collins wanted to attempt to recover the funds spent moving the building and said that he understood that the county and City of Williamson had been in discussion about an intergovernmental agreement related to the collection of impact fees in Williamson. County Attorney Rob Morton advised that he and CM Marro had been authorized to discuss this with the city. In one of the proposals, the county would provide administrative services related to planning and zoning, billing and permitting, and code enforcement. The mayor and city council had not taken action on this. There was a letter from Mayor Fry that outlined 7 or 8 issues including the old fire station that the city wanted back. There was a whole lot of discussion on this from moving on from this to if we kept the building the outside needed to be finished to needing a discussion in Executive Session. Motion to table until the end of the meeting. Motion to withdraw the motion regarding the Williamson Library. Approved 4-0.

In the July 9, 2009 Williamson City Council Meeting, there was discussion about vandalism in the city that included the newly moved but not usable Williamson Library. Library Board Member Lynn Hubbard was at the meeting to give an update on the project. According to the minutes, there was disappointment from the Council that the county has not done anything with the building and that the county refused to turn it over to the city of Williamson. Some of the Council members stated that they are getting complaints from citizens about what appears to be “an abandoned blighted building” sitting in downtown Williamson.

In the August 6, 2009 Williamson City Council Meeting, Library Board Member Lynn Hubbard advised Council members that the Library Board will not do anything until the Pike County Board of Commissioners tells them what to do. Mayor Fry advised Council members that he had spoke to the Commissioners and informed them that the Caboose Club had volunteered to do work on the building as well as other groups and that Pike County needed to cooperate and finish the building or allow Williamson to finish it. Mayor Fry and Councilman Hilley volunteered to go to a Pike County Commission meeting and try once again to resolve this matter.

In the September 3, 2009 Williamson City Council Meeting, vandalism was a problem again. Mayor Fry presented another letter that he wanted to send to the commissioners asking when they would begin work on the old bank building or would they consider giving the bank building to the city. Mayor Fry presented Commissioner Don Collins with the letter at this meeting.

In the September 9, 2009 Board of Commission Meeting, Commissioner Collins made the motion to give the library building in Williamson and the land that it was sitting on back to the City of Williamson. Commissioner Willis advised that a letter had been received from Mayor Steve Fry requesting not only the library building but also part of the old fire station too. Is the motion only for the library building? Yes. The motion passed in a 4-0 vote.

In the October 1, 2009 City of Williamson Council Meeting, City Attorney Jack Park advised council that the deed to the library and the property it was sitting on were complete and needed to be filed at the courthouse. Mayor Fry advised that he had received the key to the library and that the building appeared to be in good shape when he inspected it. He advised that over 4,000 books had been donated and that local residents had expressed interest in volunteering to restore the building.

In the November 5, 2009 City of Williamson Council Meeting, Mr. Edd Sanders agreed to help provide assistance with carpeting at the Williamson Library. The Edwards Family had agreed to give more assistance to help get the library up and running, and to honor their contribution, their name would be included in the name. A special library account had been opened with about $1,000 and more would be added from SPLOST money. The building needed to be lowered, and the estimate is about $6,000. There was discussion but no action was taken at that time.

In the December 3, 2009 City of Williamson Council Meeting, Mayor Fry mentioned that the Edwards Family might donate more toward this project but that they are not interested in their name being a part of the building. Just a plaque to show where it came from. Getting the building lowered was discussed and Council Member Ryan Edge mentioned a friend who does this type of work and that he would get a quote. Chris Avery had an idea on this too so it would also be looked into. And the evaluation by Precision Planning is pending. They want to do a $3,500 analysis and Council wasn’t sure that this was necessary. Georgia Power is ready to turn on the lights as soon as they get an address for the building. All are in agreement about decorating the library so people will see that something is being done there. Members on the Council are Mayor Steve Fry, Council Members Allen Crenshaw, Eddie Lane, Carol Berry, Benson Hilley, Ryan Edge, and Attorney Jack Park.

In the January 7, 2010 City of Williamson Council Meeting, the Library and Education Center had a physical address of 65 Patton Street. The City had purchased a power pole and had it erected so that temporary power could be available in a few days. The septic tank has been purchased and was installed by a volunteer. [Note from the Editor: The January 7 minutes say that it was purchased AND installed by a volunteer, but that is corrected in the February meeting.] The estimate for lowering the building remains the same though Andy Allen knows someone who might be able to assist for a lesser cost. Mayor Fry is also checking on some jacks that could help lessen the cost on the project too. The outside lighting for the project will likely run in a line of eight lights from the Library down toward the Caboose. It is hoped that this will help with security. Members on the Council are Mayor Steve Fry, Eddie Lane, Carol Berry, Benson Hilley, Andy Allen, and City Attorney Jack Park.

In the February 4, 2010 City Williamson Council Meeting, the minutes from the previous meeting are corrected as noted above in blue. Williamson One Stop will be holding a cookout fundraiser for the Library Fund on February 6. Lenny also made a $500 contribution to the Library Fund prior to the meeting. Electricity should be forthcoming shortly. And there was more discussion about lowering the building. Mayor Fry was going to talk to someone from Dynasty Homes about this.

In the March 4, 2010 City of Williamson Council Meeting, the Mayor was scheduled to meet with someone from Ideal Homes about lowering the library, and Andy Allen was also checking with someone. The Williamson One Stop will be hosting a cookout on Saturday, March 6 to benefit the library. Georgia Power still had not installed the lights but advised that this should be done in a couple of weeks.

[Note from the Editor: This is the end of my open records so I am going to include my own articles below to show how the work was done on the library as well as show before and after pictures. There are some open questions about impact fees that I can't answer, and I am not going to track down. I will say that the Board of Commissioners took care of the J. Joel Edwards Library by providing for their needs like repairing the walls with termite damage and making sure that the library was ADA accessible. At this point in my opinion, it's water under the bridge and if mistakes were made, we need to learn from them and move on.

I am grateful to all who worked with me to get these open records. There is more than 4 hours in just the open records part of this article. If you appreciate reading in depth history like this, please drop a donation to Pike County Times through the links at the bottom of the page. You can sign up for Breaking News alerts through the link below. Pike County Times is a labor of love for our community, and I greatly appreciate all those who support what I do through donations and sending tips to Pike County Times when something is going on in our community.]

Click here to read more about the Williamson Library and the services that are provided to its patrons.

Click here to read an article from 2011 entitled, “Work Has Begun on the Williamson Library.” Pictures tell how much work into this project to make it become a reality.

Click here to read the article entitled from January of 2012 entitled, “City of Williamson Library Becoming a Reality.” The many pictures and extensive list of all who came together to make this project a reality shows a community that bonded together for the good of everyone both within and outside of the actual city limits.

Closing

Pike County Times requested and received open records from the J. Joel Edwards Library, the Pike County Commission, and the City of Williamson. Thank you to Rosemary, Angela, and Karen for working with me to quickly get the information that I asked for from each entity.

It took hours to pull everything together in a chronologically ordered, easy to read history, but this is the process that is followed with Pike County Times articles. History matters.

PLEASE NOTE: Notification will be going out for the next Williamson City Council Meeting to be held on Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 7 p.m. with a Town Hall Meeting at 6:45 p.m. where anyone can speak without being on the agenda. The meeting will be held at the Williamson Methodist Church. The public is invited to attend.

This article is going to end with a public service announcement about voting. Pike County Times has always been an advocate of people running for office as well as voters getting educated and making their voice heard at the ballot box. People in our own neighborhoods and community HAVE to listen to us on a local level, and it is easiest to make a difference on a local level.

Many are upset about things they are seeing now, but how many were eligible to vote in the November 2021 election and chose not to? It was a 15.70% turnout.

In the Williamson City Council Post 2 race, Angela Martin received 41 votes and Miranda (Randy) Martin received 31 votes. Angela Martin won this race by 10 votes. 10 VOTES. 465 people were eligible to vote. This was a 15.70% turnout.

In the Williamson City Council Post 3 race that was uncontested, John T. Brown received 57 votes. 465 people were eligible to vote. This was a 15.70% turnout.

Click here to see the election night breaking news page.

If voters are unhappy with what they are seeing, there is always an opportunity to make a difference in an upcoming election.

Yes, it's THAT important.

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WILLIAMSON - A plea has gone out to those who are patrons and supporters of the Williamson Library to send letters of support prior to the next meeting of the Williamson City Council on Thursday, February 3. Pike County Times was contacted by a concerned citizen earlier today (the original article was printed on January 20, 2022) and began making phone calls to find out what was going on.

A quick history of the Williamson Library shows a small library in the heart of town that serves about 90 patrons a month. People come by to check out books, use the wifi, fill out government paperwork on computers, and fill out job applications.

The library was donated to the City of Williamson by Pike County Commissioners at very little cost to the city 9 years ago. The Williamson Library has been a part of the community as well as the city budget since renovations were completed and an open house was held on December 17, 2011 to welcome the public to the new library. [Note from the Editor: Mayor Fry gives a history of the Williamson Library in today’s update to this article. The Library has been around for 9 years and not 20 as was originally printed in my article. Pike County Times takes full responsibility for that error. There are links at the end of the article to show the work done to make the Williamson Library possible.]

Pike County Times was advised in a call to the City today that the reason for the discussion does not pertain to finances. This is simply a case of one member of the City Council asking for a discussion of the closure of the Williamson City Library at the next meeting.

PLEASE NOTE: Notification will be going out for the next Williamson City Council Meeting to be held on Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 7 p.m. with a Town Hall Meeting at 6:45 p.m. where anyone can speak without being on the agenda. The meeting will be held at the Williamson Methodist Church. The public is invited to attend.

Those who would like to send written support for the Williamson Library can drop off a letter at the Williamson Library, put it in the drop box at Williamson City Hall, or send an email to williamson_ga@att.net

The Mayor and members of City Council are as follows: Mayor Steve Fry, Post 1 Stephen Levin, Post 2 Angela Martin, Post 3 Tom Brown, Post 4 Carol Berry, and Post 5 Steve Davis. Click here to go to the Williamson City Council website.

Click here to read more about the Williamson Library and the services that are provided to its patrons.

UPDATE 1.22.22: Pike County Times Received a Phone Call From a City Council Member Yesterday

Council Member Tom Brown contacted Pike County Times in reference to the original article that went to print on the 20th and was also posted on Pike County Times’ Facebook page. He did not like the title to the article, “Closing the Williamson Library to be Discussed at Next Williamson City Council Meeting” because he thought that could be misconstrued.

“At NO time did that email say we ARE closing and WILL BE holding a vote to close the library,” he said. [Note from the Editor: Emphasis is his and not mine.] Council member Brown said that this is a new topic that will come on their agenda that they will discuss. He said that it is possible that the citizens might tell council members, “You know it really doesn’t make sense to keep the library open—it’s costing us a fortune,” but he emphasized that the bottom line on this is that the city needs to gather the information, and council members discuss the entire situation.

“There has been NO discussion about shutting it down outside of saying, Hey, let’s find out what we’ve got. Let’s see where we’re going,” said Council Member Brown. [Note from the Editor: The emphasis on NO is his and not mine.] He said that he’s only been on the City Council for 2 years, and he is finding out a lot of things that get misconstrued.

He advised that current library assistant Kristy Lucio’s last day is yesterday. Back in December, the Council voted to approve making her full-time and increasing her pay. He read his email to me and sent it to me so I could include it in my article. [Note from the Editor: I also obtained this email through a simple open records request to the City so I could see all of the header information to know when it was sent and who received it.]

Council Member Tom Brown sent the following email to the Mayor and Council members as well as the City Attorney on January 12, 2022. The email reads verbatim as follows:

“Good Afternoon,

I saw Kristy's resignation on Facebook. So we are now down the additional full time personnel we had approved. The likelihood of finding a full time attendant will be difficult at best with Kristy's experience and great attitude.

It may be time to consider closing the library, or offer it to the County as a satellite facility. or close it all together.

The additional personnel we approved could be utilized to assist the Clerk, fill in for absences or vacations. This would reduce the need for part time employment.

I would respectfully ask, before we advertise to fill this vacant position, we discuss this at the next council meeting.

I wish Kristy well in her new career.

Thanks,

Tom Brown”

Council Member Brown also advised that that not only did Kristy Lucio’s full-time job position come open, but the part-time position held by a college student named Ashely Malone also came open when she received a job offer. Both positions have been filled since that time.

He then said that the City of Williamson is paying an additional $13,000 to get additional police patrols from the county and that the citizens want more. He said that the city doesn’t have a lot of pockets of money to reach into so the library and these police patrols need to be part of the discussion of citizen funds. He then spoke about those who live outside of the city itself and how this discussion might affect them.

“I know that citizens outside of the city proper use the library so I know that might affect them, but unfortunately, those people didn’t vote for me or any of the other council members in, and we have to go by what the residents want. But if they ask us to spend more money for police protection, we don’t have a lot of choice on how we end up doing it,” he said.

But then he said that we’re not even there yet and haven’t had this discussion. And he said that all this “hand-wringing and the sky is falling kinda stuff” is simply not true. He emphasized that this is simply a discussion that will be taking place.

He then said that this discussion will be taking place in the public view where it is supposed to be, and said that council members will be asking the folks that vote and pay taxes in the city, “What do you want to do with your money?”

“If they want to continue to invest in the library, then that’s what we’re going to do. If they want to invest in additional police support and we have to do part-time in the library being open, then that’s what we’re going to do,” he said. “But until we get to that stage, it’s very premature to say that the library is closing and everybody should come and make a speech. We’re just not there yet.”

He then said that he can’t tell me the number of things that come before the city council and nothing ever happens. “My personal opinion on whether to keep it open or not doesn’t matter. I took an oath to the City of Williamson, I will vote whatever the city residents and the folks who actually pay for it ask me to do. This is not my call, and it wasn’t my call to bring this up either.”

He said that he has had residents come to him and ask him to bring this up because some days you go by the library and you don’t see anyone there. Some days you may see a lot. And there may be a hundred a month. He emphasized that this would be a reason for a discussion about the library and stressed that this is all this is. He said that he has had people approach him both ways about keeping it open and closing it too.

He closed out the telephone conversation by saying that this is a common conversation that cities, counties, and states are having to hold right now to determine how much money they are willing to pay to keep libraries open.

“We are wanting to discuss the health of and the future viability of the library. Closing is an option. Keeping it open is an option too. There is no specific topic that we are discussing more than the other. I took an oath to protect the ordinances and the laws of the City of Williamson. My personal opinion doesn’t matter… If they want it open, it will stay open. If they want it closed, then we’ll need to look at that and see if it makes sense.”

He said that the citizens deserve to be heard, and that he wished more citizens would get involved by attending meetings. [Note from the Editor: As sometimes the only one in county meetings, I wish the same. People can complain mightily and show up for one thing every so often, but the decisions that are made in these day to day meetings affect us whether we want to admit it or not. It’s better to be involved and proactive than to get involved too late.]

Discussion About the Library With Mayor Fry

Pike County Times then spoke to Mayor Steve Fry by phone and asked about the Williamson Library in general and whether a discussion of the Williamson Library would be on the next agenda.

Apparently, there have also been some rumors going around regarding possible closure of the library--including a possible discussion at an HOA meeting of a subdivision located with the city limits--and rumors are flying around that the city doesn’t have enough money to pay to keep the library open. Mayor Fry addressed rumors about the city and its coffers first of all. “That is very far from the truth,” he said.

“Our city is in a very envious position among many cities small and large. We have almost $700,000 in the bank and pretty much zero debt.” He then went on to discuss the business of running a library. He said that the City of Williamson is not trying to run the library like business where a profit is made. “It’s a service that we offer to the citizens and the community,” he said.

Mayor Fry said that some within the city limits have expressed a reluctance to allow the library, the city park, or any other services to be used by anyone outside of the city limits of Williamson even though there are people with a mailing address of Williamson in Spalding and Hollonville and all the places in between. “We treat everyone the same,” he said.

History of the Williamson Library And How It Ties to Today

The Edwards Family donated the library building to Pike County when Steve Fry was the Pike County Commission Chairman. The City of Williamson donated the land for the building, and the county paid $6,000 to move the building to its current location and set it up. Then Edd Sanders, who was the warden at the detention center at the time, arranged for prison labor to do all the renovation and reconfiguration using donated materials. “It was a labor of love kind of thing, and the community helped,” Mayor Fry said.

It then sat there deteriorating until the county decided that it did not want a satellite library in Williamson. Then Steve Fry was elected mayor in Williamson. Around January 9, 2009, Mayor Fry wrote a letter to the Edwards Family saying that the City of Williamson would be happy to take over the ownership of the property and the building. “We will renovate it, convert it into a library, and make it available to all the citizens in the county.”

He said that now there are some within the city limits who get upset when resources within the city are used by those who live outside of the actual city limits. They don’t want anyone outside of the city limits to even be able to park in the library parking lot and use the wi-fi that we have there, he said.

“They want to be to live in their little subdivision, ride their own golf carts around, they have their own playground, their own pool complex that they pay HOA dues for--$60 a month per household, I pay it too—and they want to have their little community, and they don’t want to pay for anyone else’s playground, park, or other cultural type of things.”

He then added that at least one council member who is upset that citizens know about discussion on the library because council members are getting backlash on it.

Open Records and the Second Email Dated Yesterday

Pike County Times put in an Open Records Request for the two emails sent to the mayor and members of council that are printed verbatim above and below. According to Georgia’s Open Records Law, the public and the press “has a right to see, inspect and copy all ‘public records’ which include “documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, computer-based or generated information (this includes emails), data, data fields, and similar material prepared and maintained or received by an agency.” Click here to read more about Georgia’s Sunshine Laws.

The second email was sent by Council Member Angela Martin early in the day on Friday, January 21, 2022 to the Mayor and Council as well as the city attorney. This email also discussed the Williamson Library. This email was likely prompted by the article written by Pike County Times entitled, “BREAKING NEWS: Closing the Williamson Library to be Discussed at Next Williamson City Council Meeting” that was written the day before.

Council Member Angela Martin’s email is printed verbatim as follows:

“I visited the library this morning because I have never been inside as a resident and now as a City Council member, I wanted to just see what it was all about. During this visit I was bombarded by employees and a few residents being accusatory that the council was trying to shut the library down. Per Kristy she has been shown emails from council members saying that they want to shut it down. I do not appreciate being blindsided in this manner! First of all, I read the email below that Councilman Brown sent and it calls for a discussion not a vote to shut it down! Why is communications that were between council members being discussed and/or shared with the public or other employees within the City?! This makes me question how much other council business is being shared without consent or a open records request? It’s my understanding that there are sunshine laws in affect that prevent this?! Some please explain this to me!

Whatever the outcome this matter needs urgent attention because it’s apparent there are rumors and/or discord towards council members being stirred up in the city.

Thank you, Angela Martin”

[Note from the Editor added 1.24.22: I was contacted by Council Member Angela Martin by email on Saturday, January 22, 2022. She was concerned about my comment, which read: “Apparently, Council Member Martin was not aware that these written communications between council members are subject to Georgia’s Open Records Law” and was featured directly under her name prior to the addition of this note in blue.

I went back and reviewed this in depth tonight, and I am uploading this entire statement in blue because she stated her opinion in a different way that may strike a chord with readers. However, I am not removing my comment--which should have been in blue to begin with because it was an opinion, and I might not have said it to begin with except for having Covid. But I said it, and I am not deleting it because my opinion on this hasn’t changed. Georgia’s Open Records Law is there to protect the people from our government and not the other way around.]

Where Do We Go From Here?

Pike County Times spoke with Council Member Carol Berry about the procedures that are following in hiring for the Williamson Library. She advised that both job positions came open around the same time with one being expected and the other unexpected. College student Ashely Malone graduated and received a job offer which opened up her part-time position at the library, and Kristy Lucio received a full-time position unexpectedly which opened up her full-time job position at the library.

Council Member Berry advised that six applicants applied for the two positions, and the City followed regular procedures in hiring replacements for both positions. She also advised that both replacements were told that the City cannot promise that the library will remain open but that this would be part of the discussion at the next City Council meeting.

Mayor Steve Fry advised that because the topic of the whether or not to keep the library open is known in advance and could come up for discussion by the Williamson City Council, he is going to put a discussion of the possible closure of the Williamson Library on the agenda. This abides by the Open Meetings requirements for publicly advertising items that are reasonably expected to come up on their next agenda.

He said that people have a right to have to know what is going to be discussed on the agenda. He did add that sometimes items come up last minute and are true emergencies, but this would not fit that situation because there is already a discussion going on by email about what to do with the Williamson Library. “If I know it’s going to come up, I need to put it on the agenda,” he said.

Mayor Fry said that there have been a lot of people that this discussion of possibly closing the library is not striking very well with. “The library, the caboose, the parks, the things that we do, the little festivals that we put on, that’s what makes the place a community and not just another group of buildings along the highway,” he said.

Closing

PLEASE NOTE: Notification will be going out for the next Williamson City Council Meeting to be held on Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 7 p.m. with a Town Hall Meeting at 6:45 p.m. where anyone can speak without being on the agenda. The meeting will be held at the Williamson Methodist Church. The public is invited to attend.

Those who would like to send written support for the Williamson Library can drop off a letter at the Williamson Library, put it in the drop box at Williamson City Hall, or send an email to williamson_ga@att.net.

The Mayor and members of City Council are as follows: Mayor Steve Fry, Post 1 Stephen Levin, Post 2 Angela Martin, Post 3 Tom Brown, Post 4 Carol Berry, and Post 5 Steve Davis. Click here to go to the Williamson City Council website.

Click here to read more about the Williamson Library and the services that are provided to its patrons.

Click here to read an article from 2011 entitled, “Work Has Begun on the Williamson Library.” Pictures tell how much work into this project to make it become a reality.

Click here to read the article entitled from January of 2012 entitled, “City of Williamson Library Becoming a Reality.” The many pictures and extensive list of all who came together to make this project a reality shows a community that bonded together for the good of everyone both within and outside of the actual city limits.

Letters to the editor can be sent to editor@pikecountytimes.com

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