From left are Rossville City Councilwoman Joyce Wall, newly elected Councilman Brad Buff, Mayor Teddy Harris, City Clerk Sherry Foster, newly elected Councilman Michael Hicks and Councilman Rick Buff. "I want to congratulate the new council members," Rick Buff said following their swearing-in. "I've known them both a real long time. We are not giving up on Rossville. We will get some things done. We are not through with this city. It can be a beautiful city to live in and call your home. Never be ashamed to say, 'I'm from Rossville, Georgia.'"In other business
The Rossville Downtown Development Authority Board recommended that Councilman Michael Hicks replace DDA board member Charles Whitener, who resigned his post. Hicks agreed to accept the appointment, which the City Council unanimously approved.The council also unanimously approved to appoint two officials to the Rossville Alcohol Beverage Board: Hal Gray and Steve Hudlow. They will fill the unexpired terms of Michael Hicks and Gary Anderson. As such, Gray’s and Hudlow’s terms will expire Dec. 31, 2017.Finally, the council unanimously approved to appoint Johnathan Lassetter, Carthell Rogers and Skip Williams to the Rossville Planning Commission to fill the unexpired terms of Pete Moore, Brad Buff and Charles Lusk. The new appointees’ terms will expire Dec. 31, 2016.
"We will we do neighborhood cleanups in 2016," citizen Carmen McFarland told the council earlier this month. "I don't know if churches are in fellowship with each other, but it would be great to have youth groups and the Ridgeland High School football team participate in the three annual cleanups. Getting the trash picked up would be fabulous in the new year."
Resident Brenda Pickett, who owns a home next door to the Dollar General Store on McFarland Avenue, said she picks up trash that blows from the store's parking lot onto her property and other properties nearby. Some of the trash comes from the boxes stacked by employees in the parking lot, she said, but many customers also leave their personal trash in the parking spaces.
"We need to maintain the beautification of the city," said Pickett. "I talked to Mayor Harris a few times about it."
Mayor Teddy Harris said the city will send Public Works Director Mark Harris to cite people to court who are throwing litter in the parking lot, and suggested that the Police Department begin sending police officers to monitor the store's parking lot as well.
"It is an ongoing problem," Mark Harris said.
Rossville resident/business owner Larry Rose Jr., of Rose Kawasaki, said the store was supposed to put up a fence to keep trash from blowing around.
"If it was in a written agreement, you should be able to do something about it," he told the council.
Mayor Harris said he will try to locate the agreement if there is one.
"I don't know of anyone that sweeps up or cleans the Dollar General," said Councilwoman Joyce Wall. "We need to send a registered letter to them [the Dollar General staff]."
Assistant store manager Justina Travillian said the staff lets people come pick up boxes should they need some, and the rest is regularly picked up by another company.
"We can try to pay more attention to it as much as possible," he said. "I guess we will ask someone to go out there every hour and sweep. That's the only thing I know to do. If they are going to start watching our parking lot, maybe that will keep people from littering.
"We go out there every day. We let citizens have boxes, but we don't let them make a mess."
McFarland said the police officers should take photos of the litter to document it.