Tuesday evening the Bainbridge City Council voted 4-1 to amend and approve a transfer agreement from the City of Corbin, Kentucky. 

The original agreement detailed Corbin’s offer for exchange of L&N locomotive 2132, its coal tender and the caboose No. 30. The agreement includes $5,000, a sister-city relationship and mention of Bainbridge’s role in preserving the train in all Corbin Rail Museum promotional material.

Councilwoman Roslyn Palmer presented additions she wanted to make to the agreement, including first right of refusal and clarifying that Corbin would be responsible for all costs related to moving the train and any possible subsequent damage, such as damage to the roads or power lines at the Boat Basin.

Palmer also suggested the council remove the caboose from the agreement and keep it and try to sell it separately, however the other present councilmembers said that they did not see a reason to try to keep the caboose.

“I think you made some valid points,” Councilman Luther Conyers said, addressing Palmer. “I don’t know why we would keep a portion of the train down there and let part of it go. If it’s going, let it all go.”

At the Feb. 3 City Council meeting, the council voted 5-1 to give Corbin the locomotive, pending negotiations of compensation.

Bainbridge City Manager Chris Hobby said that the city currently does not have formal plans for what to do at the Earle May Boat Basin animal park upon the train being moved, but that several options will be discussed and considered at the City Council’s annual retreat in March.

The council also unanimously approved a resolution that formally states Bainbridge’s opposition to Georgia House Bill 170, the Transportation Funding Act of 2015, which, as written, would remove local sales taxes on gasoline and severely impact the budgets of local boards of education.

“That’s probably the biggest issue,” Hobby said, “just the complete elimination of the education local option sales tax that the voters authorized to fund capital projects for the school system.”

The Decatur County School System would lose more than $600,000 a year. Last week, the Decatur County Board of Education approved a similar resolution opposing HB 170.

“I think it’s worth our effort to consider this resolution and to contact our elected officials, because it truly is, in its current form, bad legislation,” Councilwoman Glennie Bench said.