WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Warner Robins city leaders met on Monday to appoint a new city attorney and decide on whether to move forward with a Perkins Field housing project.
Councilman Kevin Lashley, Charlie Bibb, Keith Lauritsen, and Mayor Randy Toms voted to appoint Julia Mize for the position. Councilman Daron Lee and Larry Curtis voted against it. Councilman Clifford Holmes decided to abstain from voting.
"As a person hiring you to do a job, I question, I want to know what can you do. Have you done this before? How can you help us now?"
Holmes says he has nothing against Mize. He says he reviewed her resume on Monday and didn't feel comfortable voting.
Later on in the meeting, Perkins Field developer Denis Blackburne with Woda Cooper Companies asked mayor and council to decide against revoking the land lease agreement.
"We have made a commitment to invest millions of dollars here and to make this place even more special and we just ask that the city honors its commitment," said Blackburne.
Back in August, city leaders approved leasing the field to the project developers who would build a 90-unit affordable housing complex with commercial space.
Councilman Daron Lee said the motion to revoke the land lease agreement was not brought before council properly.
He says the motion to reconsider the project came too late and says that the decision to cancel the contract could've only been made during the last session of council.
"A motion to reconsider or to rescind is out of order if the provisions of that resolution have already been partially carried out. Perkins Field developers have already done quite a bit of work as well as the development authority and the city," said Lee.
Ultimately, mayor and council decided to table the item.
Councilman Charlie Bibb later addressed alleged criminal activity in city. At the last meeting, councilman Daron Lee accused the mayor's office and former city attorney of spending tax payer's money on deals and development projects that were not made public. He called it a "municipal Ponzi scheme".
"Calling somebody, and saying they have a municipal Ponzi scheme is not something that's little. That's not something you can play with. That's not appropriate," said Bibb.
Mayor Randy Toms says the accusations are not true. He says he sat down talk to about the potential city project but decided not to move forward.
"The Federal Bureau of Investigation informed me that if there is a legitimate accusation of a municipal Ponzi scheme, that they are standing by for proof of that," said Toms.
He went on to stay, " I don't mess around with being accused of crimes."
Another item discussed included possible changes to the animal control agreement between the city of Warner Robins, Houston County, and Centerville.
Councilman Kevin Lashley says he wants to modernize the almost decade old agreement to match the areas growing size.
Mayor and council are expected to vote on the Perkins Field Project at the next meeting in two weeks.
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