COVINGTON, Ga. – Council members with the city of Covington voted to purchase The Charles Christian Tuller House at the April 15 city council meeting.
The property sitting on 3156 Spring St. containing 1.7 acres will cost the city $100,000 — with $5,000 in earnest money being put down for a 90-day inspection period.
As of now there is no set designation on what the building will be used for. According to the Tuller House’s website, it is currently used as housing for a substance abuse recovery program.
However, in a response to a concerned citizen commenter, mayor Fleeta Baggett suggested that there may be plans for it to be used in a number of ways.
“Right now we haven’t decided exactly what we’re gonna do with it,” Baggett said. “What we wanna do with it is that we want to put in a center in that we can do things to help the community as education and stuff for all of our homeless people that we have living on the street.
“And then when we get to the point, if we get to a time that we need to use it as a temporary warming shelter, not a homeless shelter, but a warming shelter, we will be able to open the doors for that for an emergency warming shelter.”
Baggett also mentioned that, no matter what, the project will be for the betterment of the community.
“This is something that will better that neighborhood and will help that neighborhood,” Baggett said. “It’s not something that’s gonna bring it down.”
A motion to approve the purchase was made by mayor pro-tem Susie Keck and seconded by council member Kim Johnson. The vote passed 4-2 with council members Charika Davis and Anthony Henderson voting in opposition.
While council members were split on the decision to approve the purchase of the Charles Christian Tuller House, they were all on the same page to add a parks and recreation component to the existing impact fee program.
A change order in the amount of $36,990 to Ross and Associates was unanimously approved to incorporate possible upgrades to the following parks and recreation items:
Central Park pavilions, bathrooms, skate park, mountain bike trail, gateways, bridges, and playground equipment
Academy Springs Park bathrooms, upgraded playground equipment, landscaping and pond improvements
Park at Covington Mill
Pocket Park at Brown Bridge Crossing
Bike lanes throughout the city along roads
Cricket Frog Trail tie-ins and crossing signals
Multi-use trails to be incorporated into the Turner Lake Road project and the Highway 278 CID project
Conyers Street Gym/Bakers Field improvements
Additionally, the council heard from Loucy Hay and Gail Rothman of the recently relaunched Newton Education Foundation. The duo explained the purpose of the foundation as well as bringing a proclamation forward that is requested to be signed by all municipalities in Newton County.
No action was taken at this meeting, but Baggett did provide some encouraging words on behalf of the city in regards to the foundation.
“It’s a great program, and I was able to tutor some on the side,” Baggett said. “I’m glad to see this starting back up and I look forward to being part of it.”
While no action was taken on this item on the agenda, council members did pass a number of other items this meeting including:
An approval to submit an application for the Rural Zone program (6-0).
An approval of a request by the Highway 278 CID board to submit an application for the TIP Solicitation grant along with the accompanying resolution (5-1; Davis opposing).
A final reading that will implement tariffs on city-owned car charging stations. Amounts listed are $.25 per kilowatt hour for level two chargers and $.46 per hour for fast chargers (6-0).
A final reading that will increase water rates from $0.15 to $0.25 a month depending on usage due to rising wholesale costs (4-2; Henderson and Davis opposing).
A renewal of cyber security insurance renewal with Gary Massey Inc. in the amount of $42,762.72 (6-0).
An approval of an additional cost of $91,400 to the existing contract with RJDE, Inc. that will not exceed the $1.5 million budget amount for the contract to replace 420 feet of sewer pipe (6-0).
A first reading to amend the unfit buildings ordinance (6-0).
Two alcohol licenses (6-0).
