THOMASTON MAYOR AND COUNCIL MET WED. ON RE LEE ISSUE

The Mayor and Council of the City of Thomaston met for a called session on 08/26/2020, at which much discussion, deliberation, and thought was given to requests that have been made regarding changes centered around Confederate imagery at the government complex. 

The Mayor and Council of the City of Thomaston unanimously agreed to the following: 

The City government is exempt from the provisions contained in our local ordinance which require a certificate of appropriateness from the Historical Preservation Commission. Typically, a certificate of appropriateness is required from the Historic Preservation Commission prior to any material change in the appearance of a historic property, a structure, site, object, or work of art within a historic district. The Government Complex is part of a historic district that was created by a local act, specifically, City Ordinance 818, which was adopted by City Council on August 17, 1993. 

State law exempts local governments from having to obtain a certificate of appropriateness. 

The City Government only need give the Commission prior notice of its intent to act. City Council also recognizes that state law has specific protections for monuments. Given the breadth of definition to the term “monument” in state law, any changes that were requested regarding the Government Complex could be construed contrary to the intent of the statute. 

As such, the City Council unanimously agreed to take no action that would appear to violate the law. The meeting that was scheduled to discuss the matter on September 8th, 2020 has been canceled. 

The Mayor and Council do recognize that this is an issue of significant concern and interest to the citizens of Thomaston; both those who support changes, as well as those who do not. The Mayor and Council appreciate the citizen input that they have received regarding this matter, and want to continue the discussion in hopes that all parties have greater understanding and respect for opposing views and ideologies. 

The City Council is going to continue exploring alternatives to address citizen concerns pertaining to this matter and welcome any public suggestion that leads to community unity. Thomaston is a great town, full of great people who I know can overcome the challenges we face as a society in today’s world. 

The Mayor and Council wish to express their thanks to City Manager, Russell Thompson and City Attorney DeAnn Wheler for their time, effort and due diligence in researching and reviewing all areas related to the sensitive and complex matter.