Warner Robins council approves funds to expand public transportation service

Warner Robins council members approved Monday funds to expand its fledgling public transportation service.

Council members pledged more than $160,000 over two fiscal budgets, approving more than half of that Monday from the current budget's general fund.

The city started the service in December with two buses. In March, the city began charging a $1.25 daily ride fee.

The routes include a total of 26 stops.

Sheryl Frazier, executive director for the Warner Robins Housing Authority, said the funds will allow the city to ultimately put a total of six buses on the road and increase the frequency that buses pass each stop to an hourly basis.

Also, more stops are expected to be included on the routes.

"When we started this, we looked at the city's long-term transit plan and we just bit off the smallest piece that we thought we could do with the funds that we had, and now it is ready to just take off," Frazier told council members earlier at their pre-council meeting.

The move comes after requests from businesses who desire workers that use the buses and from residents who are utilizing the service.

In other business, council members moved $250,000 from a fund set aside for the city's animal shelter to the general fund Tuesday, which did not sit well with three animal welfare advocates at the meeting.

Dee Allison, president of the Humane Society of Houston County, told council members the move would only make things worse.

"I have a level of concern tonight when I hear about the movement of the money for the animal shelter because when I look down here and I see where the euthanasia budget is higher than the food rate, that kind of tells you something right there," Allison said.

Allison said rescue groups attempt to make a big dent in pulling strays from the shelter for adoption, but those volunteers can only do so much.

However, Councilman Tim Thomas earlier noted that the funds had set idle for several years for potential expansion of the shelter. He noted that the number of animals that are taken to the shelter has decreased from 4,500 to 2,500 a year since the shelter opened.

The funds transferred would be used in part to secure consulting services in connection with the city's tax allocation district.

Also, council members approved $150,000 for the Warner Robins Convention and Visitors Center for the annual Warner Robins Independence Day Celebration.

City officials hope sponsors will help offset the cost of the event.

To contact writer Becky Purser, call 256-9559, or find her on Twitter@becpurser.

This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Warner Robins council approves funds to expand public transportation service ."