Hello, everyone.
Thanks for joining us.
I'm Frank Malloy.
And I'm Leah Johnson.
This is Eyewitness News at 11.
Bibb Schools Superintendent Romain Dallemand will be sticking around for the next three years-- that is IF he agrees.
Tonight... the school board extended the superintendent's contract, and made some changes--
Candace Adorka was there and joins us with the details. Candace?
The school board discussed the terms of the contract in a closed door meeting last Monday and again tonight - After tonight's session, the board voted to extended an offer of employment though 2015.
They're offering the same base salary-- 198-thousand dollars a year.
A million dollar life insurance policy-- that's double the current amount.
Car allowance of 800 dollars per month-- that's also double.
The school district would reimburse up to 25-hundred dollars in expenses each year-- that would stay the same.
Dallemand would get 60 days of sick leave by 2014, 25 days of vacation-- possibly more--, disability insurance and other benefits.
One main change is in the performance goals-- those would be based on the macon miracle strategic plan. That document is now part of the proposed contract.
The offer passed with a 5 to 3 vote
Board members Susan Sipe, Lynn Farmer and Gary Bechtel voted no.
Bechtel says the contract amounts to a back-door pay increase-- and he thinks the superintendent and other board members pushed to pass the contract now, instead of next year when three new board members take office.
Bibb Schools Superintendent Romain Dallemand will be sticking around for the next three years-- that is IF he agrees.
Tonight... the scho
ol board extended the superintendent's contract, and made some changes--
Candace Adorka was there and joins us with the details. Candace?
The school board discussed the terms of the contract in a closed door meeting last Monday and again tonight - After tonight's session, the board voted to extended an offer of employment though 2015.
They're offering the same base salary-- 198-thousand dollars a year.
A million dollar life insurance policy-- that's double the current amount.
Car allowance of 800 dollars per month-- that's also double.
The school district would reimburse up to 25-hundred dollars in expenses each year-- that would stay the same.
Dallemand would get 60 days of sick leave by 2014, 25 days of vacation-- possibly more--, disability insurance and other benefits.
One main change is in the performance goals-- those would be based on the macon miracle strategic plan. That document is now part of the proposed contract.
The offer passed with a 5 to 3 vote
Board members Susan Sipe, Lynn Farmer and Gary Bechtel voted no.
Bechtel says the contract amounts to a back-door pay increase-- and he thinks the superintendent and other board members pushed to pass the contract now, instead of next year when three new board members take office.
<its the conclusion you know versus the conclusion you don't know. So that's basically what happened, they know 3 of us would be opposed and 5 would be in favor.>
Board vice president susan middleton was one of the yes votes. She says based on the superintendent's evaluation-- most board members thought he was performing well, and wanted to give him a chance to make a real difference.
<I feel like this is a fair contract for him, the term ends 2015 and the board that comes on in january can begin to deliberate however they want to in terms of the superintendent but he needs to have the opportunity to finish what he's begun in terms of the strategic plan for the district.">
The superintendent himself wasn't in the public portion of the meeting, so no indication what he thinks of the contract-- but right now the ball is in his court. He could sign on the dotted line or come back with a counter offer. We'll keep track.
Thank you Candace.
You can also read about this story at 13WMAZ-dot-com.
Also tonight...nthe school board voted to pay 38 thousand dollars in attorneys' fees from a summer lawsuit.
Last June, Board member Gary Bechtel, along with Lester Miller and Brenda Sutton, who were running for school board positions at the time, filed a lawsuit challenging the map of voting districts that the county would have used in the election.
Those maps were based on census conducted in 2000, rather than the most recent 2010 census.
The county eventually agreed to use the redrawn maps... but the suit did delay the July school board elections until August.
At today's hearing, the plaintiffs were asking for $60,000 in fees-- $38,000 from the school board, and $22,000 from the county.
Board members voted unanimously, with Bechtel recusing himself because of his role in the suit.
Some members of Macon city council say they shouldn't have to foot the bill for the consolidation transition.
According to the charter... The city and county must split the cost... Which right now comes in around 250-thousand dollars each.
That money is for a handful of consultants hired by the transition task force.
A council committee did not pass a resolution to pay their share by a 2-2 vote.
They would have needed at 3-2 vote to pass it... Committee member Henry Ficklin was not at tonight's meeting.
A few members say they're against taking money out of the city's general funds to pay for services council did not approve.
<I think there ought to be another source for funding this consolidation money, because what is happening is we have just written a blank check to the transition committee because it's like they're sending directives to us and they're making all the plans and then giving us the bill>
Other council members asked the city attorney to determine their legal obligation to pay... Since the transition team... Not the city... Hired the consultants.
State Senator Cecil Staton told 13WMAZ....
"whether or not they are legally bound to pay for it, they are almost morally bound to pay since they are part of it."
He says the committee's decision was "petty and political, and not indicative of what we need if we're going to pull this community together."
State Representative Allen Peake... Who wrote the consolidation charter... Says the transition team is working to raise outside funds to cut down costs.
But he says the charter states the two local governments must pay for the services.
<listen, this is part of being part of the team, of moving this thing forward, of making sure we have a consolidated government that is set up in the best, most efficient manner that can be done. We need consultants, we need experts in that area to help be able to address the specific and technical challenges that we have ahead of us. So, again, I'm just flabbergasted quite frankly.>
If the city decides to
take the money from their unallocated reserves... They will have over one hundred and sixty thousand dollars left in that fund.
Other council members asked the city attorney to determine their legal obligation to pay... Since the transition team... Not the city... Hired the consultants.
State Senator Cecil Staton told 13WMAZ....
"whether or not they are legally bound to pay for it, they are almost morally bound to pay since they are part of it."
He says the committee's decision was "petty and political, and not indicative of what we need if we're going to pull this community together."
State Representative Allen Peake... Who wrote the consolidation charter... Says the transition team is working to raise outside funds to cut down costs.
But he says the charter states the two local governments must pay for the services.
<listen, this is part of being part of the team, of moving this thing forward, of making sure we have a consolidated government that is set up in the best, most efficient manner that can be done. We need consultants, we need experts in that area to help be able to address the specific and technical challenges that we have ahead of us. So, again, I'm just flabbergasted quite frankly.>
If the city decides to
take the money from their unallocated reserves... They will have over one hundred and sixty thousand dollars left in that fund.
The Macon Police Department Bomb Unit could soon be armed with new tools to help safely destroy any explosives it finds.
Officers told Katelyn Heck why the equipment could save lives... without blowing up the city's wallet.
Cracks and decay... Just two things that blow lieutenant Wilton Collins' trust in this almost 20-year-old bomb containment unit.
<in the past several years, it's just gotten older and even though it's one inch think, double-ringed, we still get a little concerned. So, we try to call the Air Force's EOD unit and they would come up and we would use their trailer, but ours, I just didn't feel safe about using it.>
If the Macon Police Department Bomb Unit finds an explosive... They place it in the cylinder surrounded by 2 one-inch thick pieces of steel to contain the explosion and project it straight into the air... But Collins says some bombs are too complex for this trailer to safely handle.
<say the package or the bomb has been enhanced, it may have a biological component to it, it may have a chemical component to it, now the technology is there where they want it completely contained in a big ball, but if there's still a biological component with it, they have filters that actually filter out any threats that would hit the public>
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency offered the city over half a million dollars in grant money to pay for the new trailer... And a bullet-proof vehicle for the city's SWAT team.
<if you've got a shooter, like at Virginia Tech or some other place, and he's just shooting everywhere, you pull up in a vehicle and your vehicle provides zero protection for that. The police officer pulls up and the bullets go straight through it, not this. The Bearcat's completely armored; SWAT team comes up, and it will actually take rifle shots directly to it.>
There are 15 bomb units in Georgia that work directly with a SWAT team... The state agency chose the Macon squad as one of eight to receive the grant money for the armored vehicle.
Katelyn Heck 13WMAZ Eyewitness News
Lieutenant Collins says they hope to have the two new units within a week... if the full council approves the grant during tomorrow night's meeting.
It's official..... as of tonight's city council meeting... The city of Warner Robins will be getting a disabled-accessible park.
At tonight's meeting.... representatives from the Lions Club explained their plans... And the need for a park to fit the needs of children in wheelchairs.
The club has pushed for such a park for nearly four years... And now the first step in the process is complete.
The new park will be at the intersection of Moody Road and Pleasant Hill Road in Warner Robins.
A state judge upheld the closure of two daycare centers in Warner Robins.
They are branches of the Unique Tutoring and Individual Children's Academy.
The two day cares are located on Evergreen Street, and on Russell Parkway.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning shut them both down Friday afternoon.
Their emergency order said multiple violations left the children in "imminent danger."
Among other violations, the report said in late September... a 4-year-old special needs student wandered unsupervised to the Dollar General next door.
The report also showed the daycare hired a van driver with a criminal records, without doing proper background checks.
State inspectors also found multiple health and hygiene issues.
We spoke with two parents...who had considered applying to the daycare.
< I just changed my mind. I thought it might was a good daycare cause of the area where it's located, but I don't want my baby coming here if the children aren't supervised. >
<yes, it's out the window. It makes me want to check daycares more throughly instead just looking at the outside and the area. >
We spoke with the owner of the daycare center, who said she had no comment. Their lawyer did not return our calls.
The doors of an Atlanta Elementary School also closed today After carbon monoxide made as many as 42 people sick.
Tonight, the superintendent announced he's confident the school is safe enough for students and teachers to return... and says system leaders are planning to take immediate preventative action to avoid a repeat.
<There are no carbon monoxide detectors, there are fire alarms, of course. But there are no carbon monoxide detectors and yes, we have already had that discussion on whether we should put them in the schools.">
First responders cleared out Finch Elementary around 8:30 this morning...after the leak was discovered.
While about 40 people were taken to the hospital...many of them treated at Grady Memorial...the rest of the students were transported to a Middle School until parents could pick them up.
Investigators believe the leak is coming from the main furnace in the school, and may have built up over the weekend when the building was closed.
For tips on how to spot and prevent Carbon Monoxide related illnesses... look for our webstory at 13WMAZ-dot-com.
People living in 8 apartments at a Warner Robins complex... had to find somewhere else to stay tonight...after fire burned part of an apartment building.
Investigators say the Heritage Apartment complex caught on fire around 8 a.m.
Four units got most of the severe fire damage...but before the flames were under control...eight apartments total had been at least partially burned.
No one there was hurt.
Thank you for joining us... Eyewitness News Mornin' starts at 5 a.m.
Until then, the news is always on at 13WMAZ dot com.
Letterman's next...and he's got Led Zeppelin.
As we leave you...some holiday scenes from downtown Warner Robins, courtesy of Jennifer Moulliet.
Have a great night, everytone.