Hayes to hold listening session

ALBANY — A Dougherty County Commissioner is inviting the public to attend a listening session he is holding next week.

Second District Commissioner John Hayes, along with several other county government department heads, will be at St. Mark and St. John’s Episcopal Church at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“These meetings are strictly listening sessions,” Hayes said. “I’ll give a brief update on recent action the commission has taken, but the majority of the meeting is dedicated to listening to the concerns and cares of the people.”

Hayes said the meetings are held quarterly and that he plans to have each meeting in a different part of the district.

Coming with him Tuesday will be County Administrator Richard Crowdis, County Attorney Spencer Lee, Public Works Director Larry Cook, Dougherty County Police Chief Don Cheek, Albany/Dougherty Planning Director Howard Brown and Albany Fire Chief James Carswell.

Additionally, Ron Huffman, the architect for the planned botanical garden project at Radium Springs, will be on hand to answer questions about that project, Hayes said.

The meetings are designed to help bring the government to the people who, for whatever reason, can’t make it to the commission meetings.

“We need this thing to become contagious,” Hayes said. “I like to take our government to the people who can’t come to the meetings because the decisions we make affect them, too. I want to make sure they know we’re listening to their concerns.”

Hayes said several county initiatives were conceived out of discussions that originated at the quarterly meetings.

“The street light initiative, specifically, was an issue that came directly out of the meetings,” Hayes said. “That was a citizen-born initiative raised because of the safety aspect for both the citizens and the public safety.”