Richmond Hill City Council honored former Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Murphy on Tuesday by officially naming the city’s planning and zoning building after the late developer.
In addition, the chair Murphy sat in on council was given to his family, along with a framed photograph.
During his remarks, Richmond Hill Mayor Russ Carpenter said Murphy made his mark on the city he essentially helped build as a developer, businessman and community leader.
“One can stand most anywhere in Richmond Hill and see tangible evidence of Johnny’s impact,” Carpenter said. “Whether it be tree lined streets in the neighborhoods he built, the Chamber of Commerce that he helped start, or the planning and zoning ordinances in this city that he implemented, all show Johnny’s wonderful impact, one that we are sincerely thankful for.
“We will never be able to repay Johnny for his impact, something he never sought anyway,” the mayor continued. “ But we show our appreciation, and we can make sure future residents know just how much Johnny Murphy did for Richmond Hill.”
Carpenter said naming the P&Z building the Johnny Murphy Building was both “befitting and ironic.”
“Befitting, in this building Johnny began his land development company, and lived there as well. Ironic, since it was sometimes in the planning and zoning department that Johnny displayed his strong-willed side,” Carpenter said, before reading from remarks given by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-1, given earlier on the House floor in honor of Murphy.
Murphy died in December 2018 after a battle with cancer.
Also Tuesday, council recognized June as National PTSD Awareness Month and presented a proclamation to the SD Gunner Fund, a Richmond Hill-based nonprofit founded by Hamilton and Britnee Kinard to provide service dogs to veterans and disabled children.
SPLOST goes to cop cars, radios
Mayor Russ
Carpenter suggested Tuesday night that anybody who needs a new car might want to go see Richmond Hill Police Department Capt. Ray Fowler.
Fowler, tasked with helping the department buy 10 new police cars using SPLOST funds for no more than $316,660 wound up getting 12 for $265,338, officials said after approving the expenditure of $493,333.33 for the cars and additional equipment.
That was under budget, council member said.
Council earlier approved the spending of up to $510,381 in SPLOST to replace police cars and related equipment such as computers, radars and radios, and touted the savings as more than $225,000 off manufacturer suggested retail price and $17,048.11 under original projections.
Council approved the purchases in three stages, including slightly more than $75,000 for heavy duty “Patrol PC” computers to outfit seven cars already in use. Another $11,000 will buy seven police radar systems for new patrol vehicles, and $26,195 for will go for 10 radio systems to replace radios scheduled for replacement, according to the city.