School Street Project Cost Increases

The voted Thursday night to increase the city’s existing purchase order for the School Street Improvement Project by $100,000, a move that City Manager Brian Bulthuis said is necessary because of snags hit during construction.

“We hit a lot of rock when we were doing the project, so we had some cost overruns,” Bulthuis said.

The now $2.3 million beautification project includes widening of the road, and installing sidewalks, curbs and gutters. It is expected to be completed either by the end of the year or at the beginning of 2013.

The board also approved acquisition agreements and documents for right-of-way and easements for two properties, and approval of acquisition of right-of-way and easements for a third property on South Main Street as part phase 2 of the Senator Russell Avenue Project.

The approximately $700,000 project, which will run between Dallas and Morningside streets, will be a continuation of the phase 1 beautification project, and will include curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Bulthuis said the city still has 1-2 properties to acquire and hopes to begin construction by the end of the year. Once work has begun, it will take 6-8 months to complete.

At the beginning of the meeting, the board recognized Robert Arnold, who is retiring as Director of Camp Acworth after working 11 years with the camp.

“You’ve made a difference to our children,” Mayor Tommy Allegood said. “They won’t remember what they learned, but they’ll remember how they were treated.”

Alderman Butch Price said that the camp is known as being a very safe place and that’s a heavy responsibility to be the person in charge.

“A person who can do it and can do it successfully has had a gift bestowed upon them,” Price said. “And, Robert is one of those people who has that gift.”

Alderman Bob Weatherford said that his son now wants to be a teacher because of Arnold’s influence.

“I personally can’t ever thank you enough for what you’ve done for him and for this city,” Weatherford said.

In other business, the board:

• Voted to allow the Mountain Lake Boy Scout District to use Dallas Landing Park  Oct. 26-28 for its “Outdoor Leader Training”;
• Voted to allow Cub Scout Pack 9161, Pickett’s Mill District, to us Proctor Landing Pavilion A on Aug. 25 for Pack Day Out;
• Voted to allow the Kennesaw Cub Scout Pack 2096 to use Proctor Landing Park Sept. 28-30 for a campout;
• Approved an agreement with AMEC Environmental and Infrastructure, Inc., to remodel the existing hydrology study, conduct a cross-section survey and provide assistance with the FEMA LOMR application for the Tanyard Creek Park Multi-use Train Pedestrian Bridge in the amount of $10,300. Expenses are reimbursed through a Community Development Block Grant;
• Authorized the police chief to sign a Cooperative State and Local Task Force Agreement between the Acworth Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, effective Oct. 11, 2012-Sept. 30. 2013;
• Approved the new Municipal Court bond schedule;
• Approved annexation and rezoning requests by Fidelity Bank and Piedmont Bank for 8.33 acres on Cobb Parkway from Cobb County general commercial to City of Acworth commercial;
• Approved a stipulation letter for a special land use permit to establish a bed & breakfast on Northside Drive for property currently zoned single-family residential;
• Approved a stipulation letter for the conceptual site plan for phase 1 of the Dogwood Forest Senior Living Facility for property on South Main Street currently zones as mixed-use;
• And approved the draft five-year and annual update to the comprehensive plan’s short-term work program and capital design element.