CITY HOLDS EMPLOYEE HEALTH FAIR

The City of Bainbridge had a great turnout at their annual Employee Health Fair on Thursday, April 21.  Memorial Hospital and Manor was on hand doing lab work and blood pressure screenings, the YMCA did a body fat analysis on participants and there were numerous other agencies available for screenings and information.  Thanks so much to everyone who helped make this event a huge success!

TAKE A WALK IN THE SHOES OF A BAINBRIDGE CITY OFFICIAL

April 19 and 20 of 2011, the city of Bainbridge underwent a total staff change.  Thirty seven students of Bainbridge High School’s class of 2012 took over the city for Student Government Day!  Students chose the area in which they were interested and shadowed the director of that job.

Today, Hannah Williams and Bernard Burke became the city story-teller as the Communications Director.  As part of their job as the Bainbridge story-tellers, Hannah and Bernard traveled around the city and reported on the other 35 students.  In Public Works, Blair Nix worked in the shop, learned about the department, and even learned how to fix a trash truck!  Under the Police Chief, Halle Thomas learned how to take complaints from the Bainbridge citizens.  One of the complaints she received regarded the lack of sidewalks behind the hospital.  In Purchasing, Khadeeijah Cooper and Jessica Rogers learned how to make street signs and also made some with their names printed on them!  Austin Sapp, who worked in the Gas Department, learned how to detect gas lines and change batteries in a gas line locator.  Diamond Bouie was a part of the Sewage Treatment Plant staff today.  She learned about the microorganisms placed in the water for cleansing and which pipes serve which purpose.  Steven Bench shadowed the Athletic Supervisor this afternoon.  He comments that he enjoyed learning about how the new baseball complex is kept up and run.  J.D. Poole learned about what a Fire Chief of Bainbridge does every day.  He told about his experience with a hidden fire alarm, his attempt to write a burn permit, and his visit to court.  At the Public Safety building, Allison Whitaker and Kristin Pollock learned about the procedures and rules for arresting a person.  Meanwhile at City Hall, Kelly Brooks, Quiana Childs, Sarah Bush, Dillen Thomas, Emily Ward, Stacey Martin, Jodie Sanders, and Hannah Brock discussed renovation plans and profits from recreational complexes with the City Manager, Chris Hobby.

Story and Photos by: Hannah Williams and Bernard Burke

Communications Directors, Student Government Day 2011

BILL REYNOLDS SPORTS PARK III RIBBON CUTTING

Thanks to everyone who attended the Bill Reynolds Sports Park III Ribbon Cutting and Baseball and Softball Opening Ceremonies on Monday, April 11!

EMPLOYEES OF THE SECOND QUARTER

Congratulations to Cpl. Brian Boyett (left) and PSO Shannon Dunaway for being named Employees of the Second Quarter!

On March 8, 2011 Bainbridge Public Safety received a call for an unknown medical problem at a home on Garland Ave.  Cpl. Boyett was the first to arrive at the residence.  He entered the home to find a heavy layer of black smoke inside.  A few minutes later, PSO Dunaway arrived and the two realized there was an elderly women inside.  While Cpl. Boyett searched for the cause of the fire, PSO Dunaway and two neighbors removed the 104 year old woman from the house.  Due to these officer's quick response, her life was saved.

What a heroic act by two of Bainbridge's finest!  Thank you for helping to keep our community safe and secure and congratulations on this honor.

DOWNTOWN FASHION SHOW PICTURES

CITY STAYING BUSY

April is set to be another busy month for the City of Bainbridge.  We kicked off the month by hosting nearly 200 young athletes for the Georgia-Florida Junior Tennis Championships.  We had a such a great turnout for the tournament and truly appreciate everyone who helped make the event a big success and all of our citizens who showed our visitors great hospitality while they were here.

Head to the new Bill Reynolds Sports Complex for Youth Baseball and Softball Opening Ceremonies on Monday, April 11 at 5:30 p.m.  League games will begin once the ceremonies are concluded.  Leisure Services will also be hosting the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Bill Reynolds II on Saturday, April 23 at 11:00 a.m.  There are three age categories, 3 and under, 4-6 and 7-10, and there will be a prizes awarded to first, second and third places for the prize eggs in each age category.   There will also be a drawing for extra prizes, so be sure to register!  The event is free and you can call Leisure Services at 229-248-2010 to pre-register for the event. 

City departments will be hosting over 30 juniors from Bainbridge High School during Student Government Days on April 19 and 20.  On Tuesday, April 19, students will tour different parts of the City, such as the Sewage Treatment Plant, Public Safety, Public Works, City Purchasing and the Firing Range.  The following day, they are each assigned to a City Division Leader or Department Head to shadow during the day.  They will also hold mock Planning Commission and City Council meetings.  Student Government Days are a great way to educate our youth on the functions of the City, as well as get them involved in the local government.

Thanks to everyone who attended and participated in the Spring Fashion Show and Brown Bag on Saturday, March 26.  We had a great turnout and the participating merchants did a great job putting their looks together.  The First Saturday Market held on Saturday, April 2 was also a great success and we truly appreciate everyone who was involved.  We had some great vendors offering things such as produce, handmade jewelry and soaps, cakes and pies and much more!  The next First Saturday Market will be held on Saturday, May 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon in Willis Park. 

ASK THE MAYOR - APRIL 2011

Mayor Reynolds,

Chief Funderburke is saying that the way the Public Safety Department is currently functioning is not working anymore.  Why are the Mayor and City Council insisting to keep things “as is?”

The Mayor and City Council spent a lot of time discussing the Public Safety model at their retreat on Saturday, March 19 after the department heads left.  Through that discussion, we determined to remain committed to the Public Safety model.

 The Public Safety model is a huge cost saving to our taxpayers.  Studies show that it would take a minimum of $1.5 million per year to split the police and fire departments.  That equals to three additional mills of property tax for each person in the City.  Secondly, the public safety model allows for more officers to be on patrol at any given time.  This helps Bainbridge keep the public safe.  While Bainbridge has a higher than desired incident of property crimes (larceny, theft, etc.), our violent crime rate is very low compared to other Georgia cities.  Finally, the public safety model increases efficiency and productivity among our employees.  With a majority of officers assigned to patrol, there is less down time with no need for officers to work overnight shifts.  Furthermore, the average response time of public safety is a little more than one minute, far below the nation’s average response time.  Because of our short response time, the City’s insurance rating is very low, which in turn, saves all of our citizens on their insurance premiums.

It is true that some cities in Georgia and the nation have abandoned the public safety model, but others have adopted it.  The city of Social Circle is one example.  In fact, they used Bainbridge as their model in implementing the public safety concept.  We feel the Public Safety model is a good fit for the City of Bainbridge and the City Council has reaffirmed their commitment to Public Safety. 

Sincerely,

Mayor Reynolds