CENTERVILLE — The Rainbow House Children’s Resource Center is asking City Council to consider letting it take over the soon-to-be vacant Centerville Public Library.
The library, part of the Houston County Public Library system, is expected to move into a new facility near the end of the year.
Tian Foss, prevention programs director for the Rainbow House, asked Tuesday that the facility be leased to the Rainbow House for $1 per month with the city providing water, sewer and sanitation along with exterior maintenance and lawn care.
Foss said Rainbow House would use the facility primarily as a parent resource center, providing services such as parenting education and support, parent-child interaction support and a toy-lending library with developmentally appropriate toys for children.
She said current Rainbow House facilities are at maximum capacity, limiting the ability of the organization to offer an expanded range of parenting help in Houston County.
Foss said the Rainbow House has served as the county’s children’s advocacy center and child abuse prevention council for 26 years. She said the nonprofit agency serves to strengthen the community’s response to child abuse and neglect through prevention, intervention and advocacy efforts.
The council agreed to consider the proposal.
Also during its regular monthly meeting, the council unanimously passed three resolutions authorizing the taking of property for rights-of-way in relation to the Margie Drive extension project. The resolutions were in regard to rights of way at 110 Gunn Road, 96 Margie Drive and 401 Houston Lake Blvd.
Centerville City Attorney Rebecca Tydings said negotiations were still under way for rights-of-way at the properties, but the resolutions needed to be passed in case the matters had to be taken to State Superior Court. Mayor John Harley expressed confidence that satisfactory arrangements would be made prior to further legal steps.
In another matter related to the Margie Drive extension, the council authorized payment of $3,200 for appraisal services. The city is a partner with Houston County in the project, which will extend Margie Drive across Gunn Road to intersect with Houston Lake Boulevard. The project is a Houston County special purpose local option sales tax project.
In another spending authorization, the council agreed to spend $1,700 for improvements at the city’s recycling center. The money will pay for materials to pour concrete pads, with labor by city workers. Councilman Randall Wright proposed the measure, saying it will help facilitate growth at the center and provide for a safer movement of traffic.
Also Tuesday, the council unanimously decided not to increase the number of coin-operated amusement machines allowed at businesses.
The city now allows six such machines per business location.
A new state law increased the allowable number from six to nine, but city officials decided not to follow suit.
Centerville Chief of Police Services Sidney Andrews said the resolution generally referred to video poker machines.
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