WARNER ROBINS – The City Council started the process of land appraisals for the proposed new Law Enforcement Center at a Monday meeting that became testy at times.

A dispute between Mayor Chuck Shaheen and Mayor Pro Tem Bob Wilbanks centered on a guest Wilbanks invited from Wachovia Bank.

Wilbanks, after a vote approving City Attorney Jim Elliott to start the appraisal process, said he wanted to authorize the architects and builders to get moving on the project.

“You need to talk to me first,” said Shaheen. “Bob, you’re springing new stuff on us.”

“This is not personal,” Wilbanks replied, then turned to the architects and builders and asked what could they be doing in the next 90 days to move the project forward. He then introduced Adrian Johnson of Wachovia Bank to talk about funding.

“I’m not going to stand for this,” Shaheen said. “I should have known about this guy coming before the meeting started.”

Wilbanks said he spoke with Gary Lee, the city’s Development Agency director, before Monday’s meeting about discussing the financial side of the project.

“We don’t do things like that,” Shaheen said. “Council members need to talk to me instead of going directly to department heads. All I’m asking is let me know.”

“We’ve got to work together,” said Wilbanks.

Without taking a vote, council members agreed that Johnson would meet later this week with Shaheen and the matter would be taken up at next week’s council meeting which will take place Tuesday because of the Presidents Day holiday on Monday.

The center, proposed for the site now occupied by Perkins Field, has a price tag of between $7.5 million and $10.5 million. In addition to the Jimmy Perkins Memorial Field site, another site on Prince Street was presented to the council Monday by Jim Mehserle of JMA Architects and Mark Christensen of International City Builders.

Council members discussed the plans, costs, minority contractor participation, and possible future needs of the center before agreeing to direct Elliott to get appraisals on the two proposed sites.

Complicating matters for the council is the fact that Perkins Park is to be used strictly for recreation purposes under the Land and Water Conservation Fund project, which gave the city $30,000 for constructing recreational facilities at the site. The site occupies about 6 acres west of the Homer J. Walker Civic Center, bordered by Watson Boulevard, Mulberry Street, South Young Avenue and Magnolia Street.

When the city council approved Perkins Park in August, many did not know about the land restriction.

“The vote was based on information at hand at that time, and we found out more information since then,” said council member Tom Simms who voted to approve the site. “That has delayed the issue.”

Since the August vote, new members took seats on the council: Mike Daley, Daron D. Lee and Paul Shealy.

Shealy said he wants to move forward on the issue. “It’s not helping to delay this any longer,” he said.

The council’s decision from August has the weight of law, he continued, but Mayor Chuck Shaheen said the law could be rescinded.

“I think we’re putting more emphasis on the site than on the necessity of the building,” said Lee. “It seems as though by building it in a certain place we’re making a point. Perkins is not the best place for it.”

Also up for discussion next week will be funding for the project. The council’s August vote OK’d $10 million for the center, but just $5 million was approved for construction in the 2006 SPLOST.