Lyons Introduces New Hires

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At the regular monthly meeting of the Lyons City Council on June 12, City Manager Jason Hall introduced two new employees of the City of Lyons to Council members. “We have not had anyone new be hired since before COVID hit,” Hall reminded Council. “Last month, I introduced you to our new Community Liaison Alysa Marsicano, and today I’m excited to introduce you to our new City Code Compliance Officer Chris Failla and Recreation Department Program Coordinator Ryan Brewer.”

According to Hall, the City has not had a code officer in several years, but will benefit greatly from this added resource. Failla has 26 years of experience in the field, as he spent 19 years working with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, 14 of which were with Civil Division. He holds an Associate of Science degree in criminal justice and has spent 7 years working with the Judicial Court System. Failla recently joined the community this Spring as he and his wife moved from Sebastian, Florida, to Alston. Failla’s family has already become active in the area. His son attends Brewton-Parker College and plays on the college baseball team as an outfielder.

Though originally from Apopka, Florida, Brewer also has close ties to Brewton-Parker and the area. His wife, Sadie Brewer, serves as the assistant softball coach at the institution. Brewer is a 2021 graduate of the University of West Florida where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management. He has experience in travel and competition sports management, as he worked for USA Travel Ball and Greater Orlando Baseball with his father, former St. Louis Cardinal Rodney Brewer.

Action Items Annexation Several parcels of land near the town of Santa Claus owned by the Generation Farms landholders will be annexed into the City of Lyons through the 100% Annexation Method. This request for annexation was presented to the Council on May 12. Per normal procedure, the City of Lyons notified the Toombs County administration of this requested change through a letter, which has had no response or objection. The annexation will remain pending until August 9 to allow any objections to be made.

According to Generation Farms’ Chief Legal Officer Zoltan Pinter, the group desires to annex the properties to move forward in their plan to create housing for workers. This plan requires utilization of the City’s sewer and water services, which, along with taxes, will generate more revenue than expenditure for the municipality.

Ordinance

The Council voted to approve an ordinance update regarding the movement of new and pre-owned manufactured homes, following the second reading of the change. This update omits language that contradicted a previous section of the ordinance regarding cost of permits. The change allows the ordinance to address payments.

Now, Article III of Ordinance Chapter 14 section 14-88 discusses the price of moving permits, while Chapter 14, Article III Section 14-91 reads, “When moving a previously permitted manufactured home under this article, the owner or agent shall obtain a moving permit from the city.”

Reports Real Squeal

Lyons Main Street Executive Director Daphne Walker informed the Council that 14 professional barbecue teams are already registered to participate in this year’s Real Squeal festival in October. Walker said that all volunteers from the event last year have agreed to work at the event this year, and that the event may even feature a skateboarding tournament.

Juneteenth

Coordinators from the Toombs County Juneteenth Jubilee thanked the Lyons City Council for their support of the event, which was held on Monday, June 20. The event featured 30 vendors and over 15 resources tables, which provided the public with opportunities to donate blood, register to vote, and learn more about programs within the community. Around 350 people participated in the event, and the group plans to host another Juneteenth celebration next year.

Next Meeting

The next City Council work session will be Tuesday, July 26 at 6 p.m., and the next meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 2 at 6 p.m.

GENERATION FARMS ANNEXATION – The Council approved the annexation into Lyons of several parcels of land near the town of Santa Claus owned by Generation Farms. This annexation (shown in the shaded areas) will remain pending until August 9 to allow any objections to be made.