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Fire, Police Needs Dominate Council Work Session

As the Cave Spring Fire Department deals with aging equipment, Assistant Chief Johnny Gomez is actively searching for solutions. During the Oct. 6 work session, Gomez updated the City Council on efforts to obtain funding for critical equipment.

Next month, the department will receive new fire packs, an acquisition made possible with grant funding. Gomez is also working on an application with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to secure low-cost financing for a new fire truck. With new trucks costing more than $1 million, affordable financing is critical.

Engine 16, according to Gomez, is more than 20 years old. With delivery times for new trucks taking up to three years, Gomez said the city needs to begin planning for a replacement well in advance.

The fire station itself also requires repairs. Council is set to consider a request to replace the rear bay door at its Oct. 13 regular meeting. The estimated cost is $2,750.

The Cave Spring Police Department is also facing challenges, according to Acting Chief Debbie McCain. McCain emphasized the importance of hiring another officer as soon as possible to address recent personnel changes.

McCain said activity has increased, reporting 1,020 total activities for the month of September, including 800 keep checks, 11 traffic stops, 16 incident reports and two thefts. Of the 1,020 activities, 20 were categorized as 911-dispatched calls.

The city has also been asked to contribute funding for a school resource officer to patrol the Georgia School for the Deaf campus, where the Northwest Georgia Charter Academy is located. The funding would cover benefits, certain equipment and an estimated $2,500 to $3,000 per year for sexual misconduct liability insurance.

Council was also presented with several options for new signage for the police and fire departments. The proposed signs would be consistent in appearance with other city signage and would identify the fire station as Sam Stewart Hall.

DDA Update

Marley Peals, director of the Downtown Development Authority, reported that the city had a good turnout for the 9/11 remembrance service. The city also had more than 300 visitors during the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Fall Ramble. Brittney Darlington, director of special events for the Georgia Trust, said Cave Spring was a pleasant surprise for participants because of the city’s historic resources and ongoing preservation efforts.

The 18th annual PigOut was also a success, Peals added. The event featured more than 75 cars entered in the car show, 15 barbecue teams competing, more than 60 vendors and more than 1,000 attendees.

Peals also provided an update on several upcoming events including:

  • Oct. 17 - Coffin races, skeleton run and Halloween parade
  • Nov. 11 - Veterans Day service
  • Nov. 14–15 - Merchant open house
  • Dec. 1 - Tree lighting ceremony
  • Dec. 12 - Christmas parade

Other Updates

  • Stagecoach Pizza has submitted a beer and wine license application. The application is complete and is expected to be considered at the Oct. 13 council meeting.
  • The fire department responded to 27 calls in September, bringing the year-to-date total to 213.
  • City Hall will soon have vacant office space upstairs due to the loss of a tenant. Interested renters should contact City Hall.
  • Municipal court collected $960 last month, including $775 from a 2021 citation.
  • The city billed $136,529 for water and sewer services last month, plus $26,026 in other services, including fire, trash, leak insurance and loan repayment. System water loss was 19.81%.
  • The Rome Shakespeare Festival would like to rent the community center for a summer camp in 2027. According to Peals, the event would bring 25 to 30 children and their families to Cave Spring.
  • City Manager Stephen Walker is in the process of completing the floodplain administrator course and recently completed safety coordinator training. As a result of completing the training, Walker was able to submit a grant application that resulted in an award of $3,832 for the purchase of personal protective equipment, signage and other safety equipment.
  • Due to EPD requirements and utility line placement, the city is having to reassess plans to drill a test well on a Davis Road property. The backup site is not desirable because of its distance from existing infrastructure.

Following the work session, council met in executive session to discuss personnel and a lease agreement. No action was taken.

The next meeting of the Cave Spring City Council will be Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m.

Cave Spring Police Department vehicle


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