Tifton Mayor Julie Smith speaking at the Tift County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday night, asking the commissioners to participate in a joint city/county meeting.

TIFTON — Speaking at the Tift County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday night, Tifton Mayor Julie Smith asked the commissioners to participate in a joint city/county meeting.

Reading from a prepared statement, Smith asked the commission to join the city in putting “our differences aside.”

“We cannot afford to take our eye off the community and those we serve,” said Smith. “We cannot be led astray or delay to later on just because there are hurtles and obstacles. Most importantly, we cannot continue to harbor ill will, ill feelings about something or someone.

“As elected officials, it is simply time for us to get over all of these issues and for all of us, or at least a majority of us, to stand up and work together.”

Smith laid out three topics she wanted the city and county to discuss at the meeting: getting SPLOST on the November ballot, starting discussions about service delivery, and the regional T-SPLOST, which is currently expected to be on the May 2018 ballot.

“Yes, the clock is ticking,” Smith said, referring to getting SPLOST on the November ballot. “However, if we’re committed we can get this done…We should not miss out on this opportunity, nor should we prevent the voters from speaking up.”

Smith also said the city would be willing to hire a facilitator to oversee the meeting.

“We’re ready to work together,” said Smith. “We need to work together.”

In the last two weeks, the city council and four members of the TCBOC have sent letters to the editor to The Tifton Gazette.

In the county letter, signed by chairman Grady Thompson along with commissioners Robert Setters, Greg Wood and Stan Stalnaker, the four of them argued that the decision to put a SPLOST vote on the ballot should not be made until the city and county worked out their service delivery agreement.

In the city’s letter, the council and mayor argued that they were two separate issues, and there was no reason to hold off putting SPLOST on the ballot.

Commissioner Melissa Hughes thanked Smith for speaking at the meeting.

“That was a big effort to come over here and ask us this,” said Hughes. “I really appreciate it and thank you very much.”

Smith suggested three meeting times later in the week.

Thompson said he’d need to wait until next week before he could meet, due to some upcoming medical procedures.

“The earlier the better, but certainly we could [meet] Monday or Tuesday,” said Smith.

Commissioner Donnie Hester, who argued at the Aug. 8 county workshop meeting that a SPLOST vote should be on the November ballot, voiced his approval for the joint meeting.

“People realize now that we need to work together, regardless of our differences, for the best of our community,” said Hester. “We have a tremendous community. We have a good board here. A lot of times we disagree, but we disagree to agree.”

Setters, who in previous meetings emphasized the need to work out the service delivery agreement before making a decision on SPLOST, also voiced his support of the meeting.

“I agree with Donnie,” said Setters. “We can meet next week. I certainly want to be there. One thing’s for sure, we can’t finish ’til we start. I’m not against starting.”

The board approved the $149,412 emergency purchase of an ambulance.

Recent mechanical issues have left three county ambulances incapacitated, with one of those three not expected to return to service.

The commission approved paying railroad company Norfolk Southern to upsize the storm drain pipes under the railroad tracks in south Tifton next to Southern Avenue.

In the past, the size of the current pipes has led to some flooding along the railroad, according to Jason Jordan, head of the Special Project Department, who spoke at the Aug. 8 workshop meeting.

This would be handled by the railroad company and cost around $99,900. The county would have to reimburse the railroad for it.

The board approved a $60,000 VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) grant to create a new position with the victim assistance program

The grant would fully reimburse the county for the cost of the new position.

In a 6-0 vote, the board denied Big Lots’ request for a $11.62 tax payment refund (commissioner Buck Rigdon was absent from the meeting).

The TCBOC also:

• approved a $17,950 maintenance contract with Vesta Pallas for E911 phone system maintenance.

• approved a $10,000 contract with Southern Georgia Regional Commission for Comprehensive Plan Update 2020.

• voted to pave Springhill Church Road and Sand Hammock Road.

• approved a $3,883.08 tax administrator supplement to the superior court clerk

• reappointed David Bryan to the Airport Authority

• reappointed Willie Gainer, Heath Barry, Steve Wood and Jimmy Taylor to the Animal Control board

• reappointed Dave Heizel and Richard Burton to the Keep Tift Beautiful Board.

The next meeting of the TCBOC is set for Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room located in the Charles Kent Administrative Building, 225 N. Tift Avenue.