2022 — A year in review: Warner Robins: The International City

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — The City of Planes, Trains and Heroes saw a lot of change in the last year.

Beginning the year with a newly-elected mayor, the City of Warner Robins saw several shifts within city hall, from expanded transparency to increased citizen involvement, as well as some major changes to the city’s classification plan that added several jobs to the roster, and modified others to have better correlating titles and pay.

Outside of city hall, the growing metropolis added several new businesses to its landscape and completed a number of ongoing projects for infrastructure expansions that will carry Warner Robins through 2023 and much further.

Constituents have watched as old faces have left, such as Police Chief John Wagner, and new faces have been welcomed in. The city has seen the revival of old traditions and the creations of new ones, too.

For a little insight into the last year, and the one yet to come, The Journal spoke with Mayor LaRhonda Patrick for more details.

“The majority of the goals I set, I did accomplish them,” Patrick began. “I think we’ve made a lot of great progress towards the vision I had for the city. I’m very pleased with the teamwork of the departments, of the city and staff, and I’m very pleased with the community feedback I’m receiving for the work I did in my first year.”

For Patrick, the city can boast several highlights in its last year. The city completed a full budgeting process dictated by their charter for the first time in decades, Patrick said. Meanwhile, the city was able to roll out raises to its employees citywide, and establish sign-on and retention bonuses with its base-rank firefighters and police officers.

Making progress on a project that has been in discussion for years, the city has worked to make several land purchases to developing a downtown area or “city center,” and returned the city’s annual Christmas Parade to Watson Boulevard.

In moving into the next year, the mayor said she hopes to spend more time within city hall with her staff, working one-on-one with department heads and directors, and managing issues more directly.

With several projects and problems either ongoing or upcoming as Warner Robins enters the New Year, Patrick was able to provide some detail on what they may look like.

Downtown

In 2022, the city began the process of making a number of land purchases in and around Commercial Circle as they worked to develop a downtown area and city center. According to Patrick, the city is nearing the end of these purchases, as they begin the process to close on the final properties. As these properties are purchased, sometime in the summer Patrick said, the city would begin demolishing old properties.

Hiring

The year 2022 ended while several city positions remained opened; the police chief position is currently filled with an interim, as well as the city administrator position. The position of chief financial officer is also still open. The new year’s goal, according to Mayor Patrick, is to find directors for all departments. With the city “interim strong,” Warner Robins is working to develop succession planning in the future.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

One of the platforms to Patrick’s campaign was the construction of a Vietnam Veterans Memorial within the city.

Later in the year, the mayor told the public on a number of occasions during city council meetings that they could expect a land purchase soon. The land purchase never came.

According to Patrick, the focus has shifted from a single property, to “other areas near our original focal point.”

Transparency and Citizen Voice

Coming into her office in January, some of Patrick’s earliest work was the creation of a number of committees within the city, many with citizens as members, and an expansion on transparency. This effort, Patrick said, will continue, with some things found from previous years being “unearthed,” alongside a solution.

The Building Permit Investigation

Warner Robins has been found to play host to a number of properties that are fully using water and sewer, but without paying the tap fees necessary to use this infrastructure.

Since early 2022, Patrick and her staff have been working to reset policy, find properties without paid tap fees, and find the root cause of the issue. In 2023, Patrick said this investigation remains ongoing, and the city will be developing “best practices,” alongside checks and balances to ensure that policies are followed.

Homelessness

As 2022 came to a close, the City of Warner Robins began rolling out several projects to assist local people without homes. Starting by developing the Greater Houston Coalition to bring the community together on the issue, the city also assisted Table Church to start their warming center.

In 2023, the city is working to purchase a building capable of housing 70-plus people and programs to assist those living there. According to Patrick, they’re working to have the building ready before winter begins at the end of the year.

Supporting Robins AFB

As a large portion of Warner Robins’ community, Robins Air Force Base brings a lot to the area, both monetarily and communally.

Patrick said the city is working to develop a “task force” that will help to develop workforce housing within the city, supporting the growing population coming from the base. This is not limited to just long term solutions, but quick, short-term plans as well.

Infrastructure Changes

Last year saw several changes to infrastructure, with roads developing and water lines installed. At the same time, there were several members of the city’s community that were adversely affected by the city’s current infrastructure.

People living near the bank of the Baygall saw continued flooding this year, though the city has done work to clean the debris and trash from the stream’s bed, and neighbors living within Harper’s Ridge have held complaints of dangerous traffic and even continuous water leaks in their area.

Patrick said that in the coming year, the city’s goal is to address the problems they can, and assist other agencies with the ones they can’t.

Smart City Projects

With the city officially becoming a smart city in 2022, it’s finally time to use the infrastructure to develop projects for the good of the community.

Right at the top of 2023, the city, alongside the other local municipalities and the county, will be installing Flock cameras, a group of cameras that will be placed at major thoroughfares and shopping centers to help track any violent crime or missing persons. These cameras will join the fleet of previously installed Flock cameras to cover an even larger area in Warner Robins.

“My goal for the upcoming year is to maintain the bigger projects, see all the projects that are pending right now actually come to fruition, or at least get in a reasonable position, and also focus on our city employees and staff,” Patrick said. “It’s been an honor and a privilege that I do not take for granted to serve our city at this capacity. I am grateful and blessed to be able to serve every day for our entire city here in Warner Robins.”

As 2023 continues, The Journal will focus on all these projects and more.

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