Whitfield commissioners approve more than $2 million for road paving

Published 1:15 pm Thursday, July 11, 2024

Members of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners voted 4-0 Monday to approve a $2.654 million amendment to the Public Works Department capital budget, adding $2.154 million from the 2024 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) for paving; $250,000 from the 2024 SPLOST for replacing dilapidated and damaged cross-drain pipes; and $250,000 to replace a three-ton asphalt roller, a nine-wheel traffic roller and an 80,000-pound lift for performing vehicle maintenance and repairs.

Board Chairman Jevin Jensen typically votes only when there is a tie.

The county plans to resurface 30 miles of county roads this year.

The board members also voted 4-0 to postpone until their August meeting a vote on two ordinances that seek to cut red tape and costs for some residential developments.

“We did want to have an additional hearing with some of our stakeholders, and we haven’t had a chance to set that meeting up yet,” said Jensen.

One of the proposed ordinances would create a definition of a minor subdivision as a “subdivision of five or fewer lots, which does not require the construction of a new road for the purpose of lawful access.” The other would exempt minor subdivisions from land disturbance permits if all the structures are one- or two-family homes, the land disturbing area is less than one acre and “no portion of the minor subdivision is within one linear mile upstream of and within the same watershed as any portion of an Impaired Stream Segment as defined by Georgia (Environmental Protection Division, or EPD).”

At the commissioners’ May meeting, some developers expressed concerns about the impact of the county’s stormwater ordinance on home construction. One of the major concerns expressed was whether the rules that apply to large subdivisions should also apply to developments of just a few houses.

“It’s going on the homeowners,” said developer Bryan Spence at that meeting. “That’s where it goes every time.”

Spence said an entry-level house in Whitfield County is now $230,000 to $240,000. He said the stormwater requirements add $5,000 to $6,000 per house. The board members held first readings of both proposed ordinances at their June meeting.

“Our goal is to match, but not exceed, what the state EPD requires for stormwater and erosion control,” said Jensen at the June meeting. “We also want to be competitive with surrounding counties to keep our building costs low and regulations at a minimum.”

“After the discussion at our May commissioners meeting with various developers and additional research by county staff, we proposed minor subdivisions of five lots or less that can be exempt from stormwater planning and erosion control permits,” he said. “This is similar to Catoosa’s (County) ordinance and less restrictive than Bartow’s. The larger subdivisions will still require these plans and permits prior to construction.”

The commissioners also voted 4-0 to:

— Approve a $90,000 contract with Musco Sports Lighting to repair a field light pole at Riverbend Park that was damaged during a storm earlier this year. Insurance will cover all but $25,000 of the cost.

— Buy under state contract a 2024 Ford F-250 Crew Cab with utility bed and ladder rack for $66,755 and a 2024 Ford F-150 Crew Cab four-wheel drive for $49,605.

— Approve a $39,926 contract with Tri-State Roofing of Chattanooga to re-caulk all of the joints at the county parking deck across from the courthouse.