By: Robin Ford Wallace, Reporter

The Trenton City Commission washed its hands officially of home sales last week as, at its regular November meeting, it gratefully accepted the one bid it received for a house city police had seized in a drug operation.

“I know you’ll be glad to get out of the real estate business,” Mayor Anthony Emanuel congratulated Police Commissioner Sandra Gray.

Ms. Gray opined that she was, and that the Trenton Police Department could seriously use the money.  She and, after the meeting, City Clerk Lucretia Houts recapped the history: 

The house, which is on Scenic Drive, was seized by city police last year. It was put out to bid with a minimum value of $85,000, but as no bids came in at that price the price was lowered to $75,000. At the commission’s Nov. 13 meeting, the commissioners accepted an offer from Jennifer Hartline for $75,001.

But Ms. Houts specified that the city is not precisely making a killing off the deal. “We have to give 10 percent to the person living in the house and 10 percent to the DA,” she said. 

Additionally, said Ms. Houts, there were back taxes owed on the residence to Dade County that had to be paid before the police department claimed the net. “It’s probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $30,000 they’ll end up with,” she said.

Otherwise, the Nov. 13 meeting – held on the Tuesday rather than the second Monday of the month, as is customary, to accommodate the city’s Veterans Day observance on the 12th – was an uneventful one, and poorly attended though all the commissioners were present.  

Mayor Emmanuel, giving his monthly financial report, said that in this last fiscal quarter real estate taxes were rolling in sufficiently to balance the city’s revenue-to-expenditure ratio. “There’s good news finally,” he said. “The turnaround is encouraging.” 

He said he had high hopes the city would finish the year at breakeven.

The mayor also pointed to the city’s recent road improvement work. “I would hope that as you have driven around our fair city you have noticed that we are paving,” he said.

Streets Commissioner Greg Houts gave a more detailed report, saying the paving crew had been working on the road in front of Citizens Bank and Trust as well as on Sells Lane and Georgia Avenue by the county transfer station.

 “We’re shorthanded when it comes to paving,” said Houts. “Our equipment is fairly new but our workers are fairly old.”

Houts presented the commission with the deed to Glenview Drive, and the commissioners duly voted to accept the road for maintenance.  Houts explained that the road requires upgrading to accommodate school buses. 

The commission discussed similar plans for Cedar Breeze Drive in the same area, on land previously owned by the late Mildred Carson, currently the property of Linda Getter. “They are anxious to sign that property over to the city so we can go ahead and pave,” said the mayor.

Fire and Utilities Commissioner Tommy Lawson warned the commission that the switching mechanism on one of the sewage system’s backup generators was out and might end up costing the city to repair.  “We’ve got one bid for $4,000-some to fix it,” he said.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Chuck Cannon had nothing to report this month, but he did approach the mayor about getting city employees a pay raise. “It’s been a long time and these people are suffering like everybody else,” he said.

Emanuel made no promises. “We know it’s been a long time, and I’m optimistic that we’ll be at a zero budget by the end of the year,” he said. If so, he said, there might be some hope for raises and the matter could certainly be looked at again.

Dade County Chamber of Commerce Director Debbie Tinker reminded the commission of the Chamber’s annual Christmas parade and Christmas on the Square event coming up Dec. 8. This year’s theme is “The Music of Christmas,” and anyone wishing to enter a float in the parade or book a stall on the square may call the Chamber of (706) 657-4488.

Ms. Tinker said that the Chamber is working on the Christmas event in conjunction with the Dade County Public Library, as it did for Halloween festivities. “This partnership seems to be working very well,” she did.  She said the library offered attendees a chance to get indoors and out of the weather during these outdoor festivities.

Library manager Marshana Sharp invited all to a Dec. 6 financial planning and credit protection lunch-and-learn session offered at the library from 12:30–2:30 p.m. The event includes lunch and is free courtesy of the United Way, but attendees are asked to preregister by calling (706) 657-7857.

Finally, Mayor Emanuel extended his congratulations to the Lady Wolverines softball team on their recent surprise win of the state championship. “There’s no luck involved,” he said. “You work very hard to make it happen.”

The Trenton City Commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting is slated for Dec. 10.