PORTERDALE, Ga. – Keeping in line with municipalities all across Newton County, the city of Porterdale ushered in a new era at its first meeting of 2024 on Jan. 8 at Porterdale City Hall.

The meeting saw the swearing in of new mayor Michael Patterson and new council members Bekah Sue Sewell of Post 1 and Halima Muhammad of Post 2.

All new council members were sworn in by Judge Cheveda D. McCamy of the Newton County Superior Court, Alcovy Judicial Circuit. 

Patterson – who was formerly the Post 3 representative for the council – made sure to give thanks to those who formerly served on the council, specifically to former mayor Arline Chapman and former councilmembers Kay Piper and Linda Finger.

“I would like to personally thank them [the former council members] for their commitment to serve our city with excellence,” Patterson said. “This is a new day for the city of Porterdale and I am very honored to be part of it.”

Patterson then opted to share some words of encouragement to lead the city into its new era. The message for the city is to “commit to excellence.”

“Our commitment to excellence is a principle that goes beyond simply doing a job well. It’s a call to give it our best and be the best that we can be,” Patterson said. “In every aspect of our lives, whether personal or professional, the commitment to excellence is what sets individuals and organizations apart and I believe it’s about striving for greatness, pushing boundaries and refusing to settle for anything less than our best.

“It’s about setting high expectations for ourselves, for our teams and then exceeding those expectations. When we commit to excellence, we commit to a relentless pursuit of improvement.”

The mayor then gifted each of the council members with a challenge coin that states “a commitment to excellence.” This coin was given to challenge the council members to be the “best version of themselves” and to remember that “excellence is not a destination, but a journey."

Members of the council also elected a new mayor pro-tem, as Post 4 representative Jill Minnoia officially took the seat for 2024.

Post 5 representative Lowell Chambers clarified that the position rotates between posts each year. Former Post 2 representative Finger was the mayor pro-tem last year. However, since Post 3 representative Kelsey Peeples is classified as a “newer” council member — having taken over for Patterson — the rotation will move to Minnoia instead. This was approved unanimously at 5-0.

The council also unanimously appointed Chambers to be one of the signature authorities for checks for 2024. Each check from the city must receive two signatures, which typically comes from the mayor and a council member. Due to Finger’s exit from the council, Chambers decided to willingly fill that role.

During council comments, Sewell stated she was “excited” to be on council and also requested a weekly code enforcement update from city manager Frank Ethridge. 

Muhammad also seconded that excitement by stating she was “honored to serve” the people of Porterdale.

Peeples asked Ethridge about an update on the sewage project, as the crew went “MIA.” Ethridge said that a “disagreement” caused the crew to work on other projects, but that the crew is returning imminently. Peeples proposed a weekly update on the audits, as the city is “behind.”

Both Minnoia and Chambers spoke in response to a citizen commenter, who stated a light at the B.C. Crowell Park was on 24/7, constantly shining light into his family’s house. Minnoia and Chambers both stated that the light was an issue and that action needed to be taken on it.

“I would like to see us make some progress in this situation,” Minnoia said. “It’s been ongoing way too long.”

“I join Mrs. Minnoia in saying that this is an issue that we need to continue to discuss,” Chambers said. “This has been controversial, unfortunately, beyond the degree necessary… I think that it is something we can come together and resolve.”

Patterson concluded the meeting by reaffirming his plan for his first 100 days in office. The mayor wants to re-establish the historic preservation commission and the planning and zoning boards for the city, asking for volunteers to fill out paperwork at city hall.

He also stated that a new website design will take place, as the city has been in contact with three different website developers. 

Lastly, Patterson plans to set up bi-weekly staff meetings with department heads to encourage interdepartmental communication. According to Patterson, it's all a part of a plan “to work better together as a unit.”

The next scheduled council meeting is Monday, Feb. 5 at 2800 Main Street.