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Reporter


Tuesday, June 2, 2009 www.lakecityreporter.com Vol. 135, No. I 18 75 cents


 CITY COUNCIL

 City

 reflects


 debt

 claim
 Council
 schedules debt
 workshop for July.
 By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.,qom.
 Two of Lake City's sup-
 posed debts to the county,
 one for $750,000 and one for
 either $50,000 or $100,000,
 both received initial rejec-
tion Monday night.,
 All five City -Council
members agreed to wait
until the new city manager
takes office in Lake City on
July 6 to have a workshop
about one of the debts the
Columbia County Board
of County Commissioners,
claim is owed by the city.
 An alleged $750,000 debt,
by Lake City to Columbia
County to cover three
years' worth of Emergency
Medical Service is an issue
for discussion at some point
after Wendell Johnson takes
the reins, Mayor Stephen
Witt suggested. ,
 City Council agreed to
.set up workshops to iron
out problems.
 Regardless of anything,
Witt told the Lake City
Reporter last week, the city
will have ambulance ser-
vice. He is certain about his
stance on the question.
 CITY continued on 3A


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Summer splash


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 Photos by
JASON MATTHEW
 WALKER/-
Lake City Reporter


(ABOVE) Mackenzie
Libasci, 3, splashes her
mother Lori with her feet
while resting on the side
of the pool at the at the
Columbia County School
Board Aquatic Complex
during an afternoon dip on
Monday. Many people from
Lake City and Columbia
County enjoy the cool,
refreshing waters of the
aquatic complex during the
summer months.

(RIGHT) Mackenzie,
concentrates as she
attempts to stand on her
mother's knee while playing
in the pool. The Columbia
County School Board
Aquatic Complex is open
daily during the summer'
months.


Johnson"

to start

July
New city manager
slated to begin
work next month.
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
 City Attorney Herbert
Darby told Lake City lead-
ers Monday night that
he and Wendell Johnson
have worked out almost all
of the provisions for
Johnson to take office
as city
manager.
 Johnson -
was select-
ed May 20
as the
city's next
city man- Johnson
ager.
 Darby
said Johnson wants
$105,000. The probable
next Lake City city man-
ager needs to take care of
personal matters, D'arby
said, and requested to
start work on July 6. -
 Darby said the written
agreement hopefully will
be finalized in the- next
few days, subject to. the
City Council approval at
its next meeting -- 7 p.m.
on June 15.
 Former City Manager
Scott Reynolds, who
resigned Feb. 19, was
being paid $100,000 a
year.
 Documents proving
Johnson earned a bach:
elor's degree in busi-
ness administration
from Columbia Southern
University have arrived.
in City Hall. Human
Resources Director
Carrie Correia obtained
them from CSU after,
first receiving a verbal
confirmation..
 City: Council has
stressed the need to'
confirm academic
credentials.
 "The date is firm on his
(Johnson's) commence-
ment," Darby said, "July
the sixth."


Lake City Police Department promotes 5 officers


Capt. Rudolph
Davis named public
information officer.
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
 Five Lake City Police
Department officers received
promotions and an LCPD cap-
tain was given a new assignment
effective Monday.
 .LCPD interim Police Chief Gary
Laxton named Capt. Rudolph
Davis as the new public informa-
tion officer for the department.


Lt. Joe Moody, the former PIO,
was placed in charge of the patrol
division, Laxton said.
 When Davis was promoted from
lieutenant to captain, Laxton said,
it created a vacancy. Laxton con-
sidered applications only from
sergeants and used seniority as
a deciding factor as he made the
appointments.
 Sgt. John J. Stock II was pro-
moted to lieutenant to head
up the service division, which
includes investigations, and
Sgt. John Blanchard was
promoted to the Office of
Professional Standards.


 Sgt. John Miles was promoted
 to investigations supervisor and
 LCPD School Resource Officer
 Eddie Black was promoted to
 investigator. Laxton said the
 School Board, is not funding the
* SRO post next year, and that posi-
tion will not be refilled.
 Assistant Superintendent of
 Instruction Lex Carswell said the
 decision was based on a projected
 drop of enrollment at .Summers
 Elementary School from ,800 to
 600 students, which does not jus-
tify having an SRO at the elemen-
tary school. Although the school
system saves money, Carswell


said, the decision was based on
enrollment figures, not monetary
figures.
 LCPD Patrol Officer Paul
L. Kash Jr. was promoted to
investigator.
 Each of the officers promot-
ed received a 5. percent pay
increase.
 The Lake City City Council on
Monday night approved Laxton's
request to remove one sergeant
position and add one patrol offi-
cer position.
 This saves the city about
$15,000 in its first year, Laxton
said.


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Voice: 755-5445
1 Fax: 752-9400


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Opinion ................ 4A
Business ................ 5A
Obituaries ......... ..... 6A
Advice & Comics ......... 3B
Puzzles ................. 2B


.TODAY IN
 HEALTH
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