City council plans to look into ordinances to help with nuisance issues

Dublin mayor and city council members promised to examine ordinances to tackle nuisance situations pestering residents.

The response came after citizen Jacqueline Denise Jaudon-Wright stood before them, and with obvious frustration in her voice, talked about a situation where her husband’s property was broken into recently. 

“I’m crying because I am very angry,” said Wright, who is usually upbeat and happy when she addresses the city council. “There is only so much that our city manager can do about the situation that is going on at the corner of South Church Street and Telfair Street.”

Wright and her husband have lived in a house in that area for 10 months. She said they have invested more than $4,000 worth of security equipment. 

“My husband is very angry because someone went into his man cave and stole his lawnmower,” Wright said. “Now we have to put private property and no trespassing signs out. It’s ridiculous that people have worked hard to have something nice and we can’t live in a city and respect other people’s area or territories. Every day something is going on on that street.” 

She said the problems are coming from a homeless shelter started by a man in that area. 

“I don’t feel safe,” Wright said. “It’s a nuisance, a bad nuisance. I would like to see us come together as a city and have crime watch where people can call in to a number and report what they see where we can get these derelicts off of the (streets). Soon school is going to be out, and when that happens there is going to be a lot of gang activity on the southside. I hope as a community, we can come together and get this mess cleaned up.” 

Dublin Mayor Joshua Kight did not hold back his frustration about Wright’s situation. Kight walked to school when he was a child. In the evenings, he would walk to the library and back to home.

“Every child in our town deserves to have that opportunity to be able to walk down the street safely,” the mayor said. “Some of the things you are saying Mrs. Wright goes to how our social order has started fraying. People are not taking responsibility for their own homes, their own property and their own children. That is putting a bigger and bigger burden on the government to try to step in and do what people should be doing on their own. It is such a shame.”

Kight said everyone has to take responsibility of their own lives and property. He then asked what could they do to help keep the streets safe and help people who want to invest in their property. The council has invested “a ton of money” in the Dublin Police Department with the FLOCK cameras, gunshot technology, body cameras, additional training and the gang task force that works with state and federal agencies.

“I think we’ve been successful at a big level,” Kight said. “We’ve got one of the major gangs in town who have been broken up and when you look at some of the major areas of crime they are down 30 percent during the last few years. There has been some success but there is also a lot of problems that are still out there. We can’t let up. This is not a problem that there is a solution to. We have to keep our foot on the gas, year after year, month after month.” 

Nuisance issues like trashy yards and people who should not be out on the streets also bothers Kight. People who have mental issues or drug addictions are creating many problems for the law abiding citizens who are trying to live their life and enjoy the amenities and businesses in town, he said.

“Some of that is beyond our control,” Kight admitted. “But to the extent that we can help, I think that our town needs to do everything possible. I know that we have our code enforcement department that is focusing on nuisance issues. As a city council, we need to give them every resource possible.”

That means more than just funding them fully. It means the possibility of doing more than they have in the past, including the potential of adding new positions and tougher penalties. 

“We need to do everything we can to empower staff to improve the quality of life and address these nuisance problems,” Kight said

During the next couple of months, Kight wants to find out from staff where they see roadblocks in the ordinances and let the council change them. 

“We want to empower our city to be able to make a difference in the lives of the people and the families who are living in town,” Kight said. “This is a work in progress and it’s important to hear personal stories from people so that it keeps us motivated and inspired to keep trying to make this town better.” 

In other meeting news, council members:

– Approved a resolution to accept the terms and conditions with Thomas and Hutton to do construction supervision for the Claxton Dairy and Woodlawn Roundabout.

“We have awarded the construction of this project to TES (Total Earth Services) and they are set and ready to begin,” said City Manager Josh Powell. “They need to order some materials so that they can begin construction of the roundabout.”

Once construction begins, it will take approximately 10 months to complete. 

– Approved the purchase of four Hach TU5300 Laser Turbidmeters from DWL Instrument Service, LLC in Loganville for a total price of $26,027.50. These laser will be used as a water treatment process at the surface water plant, Powell said. 

“This is a device that tests the water and is required by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which requires us to continually monitor the water at the plant for every filter that we go through at the plant,” Powell said. “This device tests the cloudiness of the water. It is one of the required tests that goes out into our system.”

– Heard from Beverly Brown, Laurens County Library director, gave a presentation regarding the budget request for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2027. Kight said the city provides funds each year to the Oconee Regional Library System and other organizations.

“We always ask those organizations to come in and tell us how they plan to use the money,” Kight said. “… We’ve been very supportive of the library.” 

– Approved the second reading of an ordinance to amend the FY’26 budget. The primary reason for the adjustment was because revenues were higher.