Speeding complaints crash into policy discussion for Dougherty Commission

ALBANY — An effort to slow down traffic in the Southgate neighborhood hit a speed bump that erupted during a Dougherty County Commission meeting that detoured into employee complaints concerning a commissioner.

The complaints date to August, and one of those was related to the February request from Eastgate neighborhood residents who appeared before commissioners asking for traffic-calming devices to slow down traffic, District 2 Commissioner Victor Edwards said.

In that instance, the commissioner said during a Monday telephone interview following the meeting, he had a conversation behind closed doors in Assistant County Administrator Scott Addison’s office. Edwards said he asked for permission to close the door because he did not want to embarrass an employee by having a conversation overheard by others.

The conversation occurred after Edwards said he was told that a speed study required to evaluate the need for traffic-calming devices was delayed because the city of Albany’s Engineering Department, which performs the work for the county, had equipment issues.

“My contention when he’s telling me the machines are broken, I’m telling him we are a $70 million (budget) county,” Edwards said. “Why can’t we buy our own machines?

“So I’m telling him your answer is not acceptable. I didn’t tell him he had to do anything. I wasn’t cursing. I didn’t violate any county policy.”

During Monday’s meeting, County Attorney Spencer Lee read aloud sections of county policy dealing with the interaction of commissioners with county employees and use of county property.

Edwards said that County Administrator Michael McCoy requested a meeting with him to discuss the complaints, which he refused. Instead, he said, such complaints should be addressed by the commission’s Government Affairs Committee or the commission chairman.

Separately, Edwards requested an orientation session for commissioners to let them know whom to speak with when a commissioner needs a letter drafted or about out-of-town travel expenses, he gave as examples.

Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas agreed with the idea of an orientation session.

The county administrator’s duty is to gather information about employee complaints involving a commissioner and respond to the commissioner to avoid liability to the county. Commissioners set policies that are implemented by staff.

“At the end of the day, no single commissioner represents the commission in telling staff members what to do,” Cohilas said. “I direct my inquiries 100 percent to the county administrator first, and I do that religiously.”

As for the traffic-calming devices, the speed study indicated that installing them at the location requested did not meet county policy because the vast majority of drivers were driving the posted speed or slower.

Edwards said he would have liked staff to come back with further recommendations on ways to address the concerns of residents, who reported several drivers have left the roadway on a curve and traveled into residents’ yards.

Cohilas and Commissioner Russell Gray said they support a discussion at a future work session about the issue.

“They came to the commission with their complaint in February,” Edwards said. “It’s going on nine months.”

The future discussion can include a way to deal with slowing down speeding drivers that does not include the “nuclear option” of speed bumps in every case, Gray said.

“I’ve mentioned before we need a graduated policy of traffic calming,” Gray said.

That could include flashing signs that post the speed of drivers as they pass to let them know they should slow down, he said.