January 13, 2026 City Council Meeting Minutes

Minutes                                                                                                               January 1, 2026

The Mayor and City Council held their regular City Council meeting on January 13, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at Winterville City Hall, 125 N Church Street, Winterville, Georgia.

Attendees:

Mayor Dodd Ferrelle; Mayor Pro-Tem, Bruce Johnson; Council Members Jonathan Mosley, Heidi Spratlin; Timothy Pierce-Tomlin; City Attorney David Ellison; and City Clerk Wendy Bond.

Mayor Ferrelle called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Approval of Minutes:

Councilperson Pierce-Tomlin moved to approve the minutes of December 9, 2025. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Spratlin and approved unanimously.

Old Business

Athens-Clarke County Emergency Management IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert &

Warning System). Councilperson Pierce-Tomlin moved to adopt the agreement as presented. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Johnson and approved unanimously.

New Business

The First Item of New Business: 2026 Committee Appointments.

Councilperson Spratlin moved to keep the committee appointments as stated:

• Public Finance: Mosley and Johnson

• Public Safety: Pierce-Tomlin and Spratlin

• Public Works: Johnson and Mosley

• Communications: Pierce-Tomlin and Spratlin

The motion was seconded by Councilperson Johnson and approved unanimously.

Councilperson Spratlin moved to keep the committee appointments as stated: Public Finance, Mosley and Johnson; Public Safety, Pierce-Tomlin and Spratlin; Public Works, Johnson and Mosley; Communications, Pierce-Tomlin and Spratlin. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Johnson and approved unanimously.

The Second Item of New Business: 2026 Civic Calendar. Councilperson Johnson moved to

approve the civic calendar as presented. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Spratlin and approved unanimously.

The Third Item of New Business: 2026 Mayor Pro-Tem. Councilperson Pierce-Tomlin moved to nominate Councilperson Johnson as Mayor Pro-Tem. The nomination was seconded by

Councilperson Mosley and approved unanimously.

The Fourth Item of New Business. WVFD Officers.

Councilperson Pierce-Tomlin moved to approve the slate of officers for the Winterville Volunteer Fire Department as presented:

• Chief: Michael Gabriel

• Assistant Chief: Chuck Thornton

• Captain: Mike Hembree

• Lieutenant: Ray Durie

• Training Coordinator: Jason Stanley

The motion was seconded by Councilperson Spratlin and approved unanimously.

The Fifth Item of New Business: TSPLOST Intergovernmental Agreement with Athens

Clarke County. Councilperson Pierce-Tomlin moved to authorize Mayor Ferrelle to sign the IGA with ACC as presented, with the condition that the Winterville project (Five Points roundabout project) remains on the ACC list. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Johnson and approved unanimously.

The Sixth Item of New Business: New Business License. Councilperson Johnson moved to

approve a new business license for Amelia Butler’s, Intricately Interwoven as recommended for approval by P&Z. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Spratlin and approved

unanimously.

Committee Reports:

Public Finance – (Councilpersons Mosley & Johnson): Clerk Bond has not prepared financial

statements through December 31, 2025 pending final year end entries. Documents are available for public review upon request.

Public Safety (Councilperson Pierce-Tomlin & Spratlin) Councilperson Spratlin gave a verbal

report. Chief Young is planning a Public Safety Day with a public cookout in April.

Fire Department – Chief Michael Gabriel submitted a call report.

Police Department – Chief Young gave a verbal report and commented on the importance of the new flock cameras and helped in solving a hit and run accident within the city.

Public Works – (Councilperson Johnson and Mosley) Councilperson Johnson gave a verbal

report. There are plans in place for renovations and upgrades to the Pittard Park playground.

Communications – (Councilperson Pierce-Tomlin & Spratlin) Councilperson Pierce-Tomlin gave a verbal report. Melissa Metzger has resigned as editor of the Gazette and the city is searching for a replacement.

Cultural Center – Samantha Marx gave a report on the Center and the Auditorium.

Museum Report – Jonathan Scott gave a verbal report of his plans for the museum for this year.

Marigold Market & Food Hub – Sarah Hovater gave a verbal report.

Library Report – Sam Watson gave a verbal summary of her submitted report.

Clerk’s Report – No report.

City Attorney’s Report – No report.

Mayor’s Report – Mayor Ferrelle stated City Council will hold its semi-annual retreat in February. He gave a tour of the city to the Georgia Council of Arts and thanked David Matthews-Morgan for his assistance with city grants. Discussion on an Open Container Ordinance continue at a future meeting. Mayor Ferrelle also reported he continues working with Georgia Power regarding permission to mount Christmas decorations on power poles during the holidays.

Public Comments – Citizen Sally Leitch asked about sidewalks on Robert Hardeman Road. Mayor Ferrelle addressed the issue and the cost associated with sidewalk installation.

Adjournment: Councilperson Pierce-Tomlin moved to adjourn. The motion was seconded by

Councilperson Spratlin and approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

Wendy L. Bond, Municipal Clerk