At its Tuesday meeting, the Brundidge City Council voted 3-1 against the installation of a splash pad at Galloway Park that would have cost $200,000 in city money. The council has applied for two Community Development Block Grants to fund a splash pad park. The grants were not approved.

Prior to Tuesday’s vote, Mayor Isabell Boyd asked the council members for their comments.

Galloway Park is located in District 1, which is represented by Council Member Betty Baxter, who voted no.

“We don’t need a splash pad at Galloway Park. I have talked to others in my district and they are not in favor of a splash pad,” Baxter said. “We need to do other things such as Mims Creek. I vote no.”

Arthur Lee Griffin, District 2, abstained saying he was not in favor of the splash pad at the Galloway Park location but was 100 per cent in favor of the splash pad at another location.

A second vote was recorded by Margaret Ross, District 3, who said the money should be spent on other needs in the city

Byron Gaynor, District 4, said, too, that he does not want a splash pad, “not with $200,000 on the table.” He said there are other needs in the city that should be addressed, specifically a street sweeper.

Chris Foster, District 5, did not attend the meeting. Boyd voted in favor of the splash pad.

Boyd said there is good news for city residents in that they can now pay their utility bills with a debit card or online. She also said four buildings in the downtown area will soon be occupied and will give a facelift to Brundidge.

Chris Dozier represented Haynes Ambulance and discussed with the council concerns about the response time and the location of an ambulance at the former doctor’s building on South Main Street.

Dozier said the response time depends on the accuracy of location information and how well a location can be identified.

“Location verification is a big hurdle,” he said. “Our response time can be improved if residents mark their houses, preferably with three-inch reflective tape and from both directions.”
Kirk Barrett, Haynes manager of operation, said the doctor’s office is a staging area for a backup truck in the Brundidge area.

He said the call volume does not provide enough revenue keep the truck available at all times.
“There times when the truck is in other areas,” he said. “But having a truck at the doctor’s building provides better response time for people in the Brundidge area.”

Monique Mills, of Sensational Dollettes, dance team for ages five through 18, addressed the council and requested the use of Galloway Park beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for her dance program.

Mills said the Sensational Dollettes is designed to build self-confidence and teach self-respect and also has an educational component. The students will dance and them have supervised study.

The staff is made up of college students who are education and early childhood majors.

The council voted unanimously in favor of Mills’ request for the use of the Galloway Park facility.

Britt Thomas, city manager, reviewed the city’s financials and said the city is tracking well according to the city budget.

The Brundidge City Council meets at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Brundidge City Hall. The meetings are open to the public.