February Is Black History Month
Council Asked For Lower Rent At Children's Facility
For the second time in recent months, a problem with a youth home facility came before the City Council. Monday evening, a rent reduction was asked by the home, only a few months after a similar facility was asked to leave the city.
Barbara Brimer, representing Shine-N-Stars appeared before the city panel to plead her case for lower rent. The facility occupies the west wing of the old Piedmont Hospital and Nursing Home building. It originally rented for $2,000 per month, but the Piedmont Health Care Authority reduced the monthly lease fee to $700.
Late last year, the Health Care Authority's bond issue on the old hospital and nursing home was satisfied, and the contractor turned the building's ownership and operation back to the city. After reviewing the costs, the city returned the rent to the original $2,000.
Mrs. Brimer said this would prevent the operation of the facility, but added she would pay for half the maintenance over $500 and all the expense for damage caused by the residents.
She pointed out that the original rent was for the entire nursing home facility, but the area used by the present operation was smaller. She said the state required one shower and one bathroom for every five children. Another requirement is that each child be allotted 70 square feet.
According to Mrs. Brimer, her operation pays the city all utility bills, plus buying all meals from Piedmont Health Care Center.
She told the council that state funds were late in arriving. Medicaid payments ware currently 2-3, even 4 months behind, and this amounted to more than $100,000. Professionals work on the staff and Mrs. Brimer said malpractice insurance, alone, cost about $2,000 per month.
Shine-N-Stars had an average of nine children in residence last year, but had 10 this year, with four units for emergency cases.
When the matter was put before the council, only Councilman Doug Goss asked a question. He asked when city officials could inspect the facility. Mrs. Brimer said the best time would be during school hours, and she would be happy to arrange an inspection tour.
This marked a complete reversal in the council's attitude toward children's homes. While some officials claimed to have visited Piedmont Adolescent Living Service, workers at that service said this was not true. Only Mayor Charlie Fagan had visited that home prior to its closing.
Fagan told Mrs. Brimer, "We will take it under consideration and let you know."
City Clerk Bill Fann told the council he had received bids on replacing the windows at the Clyde Pike Civic Center. Fann said there were 48 windows in the building, not counting the ones that had been replaced. He explained the 24 windows in the front of the building should be the first to be replaced, and this could be done at $399 per building. He said Window Works would build each window to fit the space.
The council unanimously supported a motion to proclaim February as Black History Month in Piedmont. This coincides with state and national designations
In council reports, Councilman John Lawrence invited everyone to the Black History Month program at the Bethune Community Center Feb. 24.
The only other business conducted by the council was approving bills totaling $319,020.90. Of that, $172,377.64 was for electrical energy and $32,107.79 was for the operation of the water, gas and sewer utilities.

"State-Of-The-Schools" Report to Be given At News Week's City, School Meeting.
The City School Superintendent will deliver a "state-of-the-school-system" address to the mayor and City Council next week. The occasion will be the annual meeting between school and city officials.
Supt. Matt Akin said he would cover a broad range of subjects, and one of the most noteworthy will be a report on the system's finances. The schools' "unreserved" fund currently has a balance of about $500,000, the superintendent said. When he took the job only a few years ago, that fund balance was only $10,000.
Akin has implemented a number of cost-cutting measures, many of them patterned after those used by Mayor Charlie Fagan in balancing the city's books.
While Akin says he is proud of the achievement, he was quick to point out the $500,000 figure was far short of state guidelines. According to the state Department of Education, the unreserved fund should have a balance equal to three months of operating costs. Akin said it costs about $500,000 to operate the schools for one month.
"We're not where we ought to be," Akin noted, but added he was continuing to look at more ways to improve the cost-effectiveness of the local education system.
Another topic to be brought before the council will be an update on the instructional programs. One of the featured projects will be the "after-school program," that provides tutoring in reading. Until recently, there were 60 students attending the afternoon sessions, but that number has grown to 80.
High school students have been pressed into service to help younger students with their reading, but Akin will ask the council for assistance in employing Jacksonville State University students to help expand the program and improve the tutoring quality.
Capital improvements will also be covered, and the new football practice field will head the list. Akin said the local Athletic Boosters Club was paying most of the tab for the field, but the city had helped on many occasions. "The city crews have dropped whatever they were doing to move power lines for us," he said.
When the football opens in August, the Field of Champions will have a new surface. Plans call for the sod to be removed from the field and sprigged in the practice field. New grass will be planted in the stadium and the superintendent predicted a healthy stand of grass should be ready for the opening game.
The city assistance will be requested for developing a junior high school baseball practice field. Akin said he would propose the vacant lot on the west side of the old armory building. With continued development, the site could be used for season games.
One long-range plan will be mentioned to city officials. Akin said a career-technical building on the high school campus is still a needed addition. There are currently 25 students that board a school bus each day. They are transported to the county technical training facility in Jacksonville to attend classes. In addition to about an hour of travel each day, the cost of the training and travel comes to nearly $100,000 per year. "These students are important, but if we had the $100,000, we could pay two teachers to teach 150 students, if needed."
Before hiring the teachers, the building must be designed and constructed. Even then, the curriculum has not been established. Akin said welding and machine shop skills appeared to have a great deal of appeal in the Piedmont area, and there was the possibility of adding health care classes. The school already has saws and other equipment that could be used to teach carpentry and cabinet making.

Large Tracts Of City Property Are Being Offered As Surplus
One of the city administration's goals has been to expand the business and industrial community. As a part of that commitment three buildings and the adjoining property have been declared surplus and will be offered for commercial use.
The old Southside Elementary School building, the old City Barn and a small commercial lot on Ladiga Street were declared as surplus property. The school and the 12-acre campus will probably carry the highest price tag, according to officials. The 12 acres is located in the middle of a residential area, already has all utilities on the property and could easily be the site of a small subdivision.
One planner suggested the school's gymnasium could be easily converted into a private building for the use of the development residents. It could also house a small indoor swimming pool.
City Clerk Bill Fann the building and property will be put on the market immediately. If there are no serious prospects by spring or early summer, an auction would be conducted.
The old City Barn consists of a large metal building with garage bays, a large storage shed and a large vacant lot on the east side. It, too, will be put on the market for commercial use. City officials have made no mention of offering this property for auction.
The third property is a small lot on the north side of West Ladiga Street that formerly house Guttery Insurance Agency. The site has been turned over to the Commercial Development Authority for commercial use. The authority has already advertised for proposals for the property. Once the proposals are received, they will be reviewed and awarded to the developer that has the best plan for a business that will be an asset to the downtown area and produce tax revenue.
The property will be awarded to the developer at no cost.
It will be interesting to see if the barn and the school building are sold in coming weeks. In the southern end of the county, four large pieces of property were declared surplus and placed on the auction block last weekend. While real estate representatives were continuing negotiations with the high bidders, there were no sales a the end of the auctions.

Strictly Personal
Who Is To Decide On A Person's Smoking Habit?
The City of Jacksonville has joined a growing list of other municipal and county governments in adopting a policy that I find objectionable, unnecessary and discriminatory...and it does not affect me.
Last week and ordinance went into effect banning smoking in all businesses and other public buildings. I don't smoke, but is it the government's job to tell anyone they cannot enjoy a cigarette after a meal if they are in a restaurant.
I haven't smoked a cigarette in more than seven years, but smoke doesn't bother me. As a matter of fact, when I was seated in the non-smoking section of a restaurant, I wasn't conscious of other people smoking anywhere in the establishment.
Some restaurant owners went to the expense of installing "smoke-eaters." These are devices similar to filtered exhaust fans that allow almost no smoke to escape from the area in which it released. In reading the accounts of some recent Jacksonville City Council meetings, a group requested this action. They armed themselves with studies proclaiming the dangers of "second-hand smoke."
I wonder if I am the only one who gets really tired of hearing about studies. Anyone can make any study produce any results. I once read where the definition of a drug was any substance that, when injected in a mouse in sufficient quantities, it produced a paper.
Anti-tobacco studies have become very popular over the past couple of decades, and vocal non-smokers have become somewhat obnoxious. There are those who have quit and think everyone else should and those who have never smoked and are jumping on the bandwagon.
Folks, it is no easy thing to quit smoking. I am finally losing some of the weight I gained when I quit in January of 1999. I allowed myself to eat more to soothe the cravings. Anyone who has not gone through nicotine withdrawal really doesn't understand the strain it puts on your nerves, mind and body. I must admit that health was not the prime consideration for my stopping. Cigarettes just got too darned expensive. I was recently in a store when a customer bought a pack of name-brand cigarettes. That pack of 20 tobacco sticks cost more than $3. I couldn't believe it, but that's another story.
Birmingham and other Jefferson Counties have banned smoking in public places, but I have yet to read where a city or county official has consulted with restaurant owners about the situation. These folks work hard, pay taxes and have rights. I have mentioned the smoke eaters, exhaust systems and partitions that could be employed to separate the smokers and non-smokers.
I wonder why elected officials never thought to ask for a group of restaurant owners to meet with them and discuss solutions. It would have been a far more equitable solution, and these would be real people in the community working together to solve a problem. It wouldn't require some alleged expert's questionable study.
I further suggest that the anti-smoking group will come to Piedmont and other cities to make their demands. I believe these people represent a minority. Three friends and I recently visited a restaurant in another county. The hostess greeted us and asked if we preferred smoking or non-smoking seating. I kept quiet, but two of the others said, "First available, please." None of use smoked, but being seated several feet from someone who might light a cigarette simply wasn't as important as getting a seat and enjoying a meal.
By the way, no government has banned the use of snuff or chewing tobacco in restaurants. The spit cans and brown teeth are much more disgusting than an occasional whiff of smoke
I don't smoke, and I will not start. I advise everyone not to smoke. It is a dirty, smelly, expensive habit that is become less and less sociably acceptable. If you don't start, you won't have to go through the throes of quitting.
While I discourage the use of tobacco, I am more disturbed by those in government who continue to give in to the demands of any minority, thereby infringing on the right of others.