Dalton City Council approves street resurfacing contract

Charles Oliver, The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
·4 min read

Sep. 19—The Dalton City Council on Monday voted 3-0 to approve a $1.718 million contract with Bartow Paving of Cartersville to mill, resurface and restripe 4.52 miles of city streets.

Mayor David Pennington typically votes only when there is a tie, and one council seat is vacant.

Public Works Department Director Chad Townsend said streets are regularly evaluated by the department's staff. He said the Public Works Department tries to keep streets on a 10- to 20-year resurfacing schedule depending on the amount of traffic the street has and its condition.

The streets that will be paved are Eleventh Avenue from East Morris Street to the end, Fairfield Drive, South Hamilton Street from East Morris Street to Brickyard Road, Kingsridge Road from the cul-de-sac to Westchester Drive, Sheffield Place from the cul-de-sac to Kingsridge Road and Westchester Drive from the cul-de-sac to Dug Gap Road.

The contract calls for about 50% of the work to be complete by Dec. 31 and for 100% to be complete by May 31, 2024.

The council members also voted 3-0 to approve:

—A $381,340 contract with ActGlobal of Austin, Texas, to replace the synthetic turf on the fields at the Mack Gaston Community Center and Joan Lewis Park.

—A $26,000, three-year contract with Rent.Fun of Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a self-service kayak vending machine at Haig Mill Lake Park. The $26,000 covers a one-time activation fee for an eight-unit smart locker. The city will receive 50% of the revenue generated by the machine. The city will have two one-year options to extend the agreement after the first three years.

—A $21,134 amendment to an agreement with Croy Engineering of Chattanooga for testing of construction materials at the Dalton Municipal Airport as part of a rehabilitation project for the airport apron.

The council members also held the first reading of a proposed amendment to the city's vehicles for hire ordinance to remove any provisions in conflict with updated state law.

"(This state law) preempted local administration of ride shares and taxis," said Assistant City Manager Todd Pangle.

The Georgia Department of Public Safety now regulates taxis and ride shares, not local governments.

The council members also held a public hearing on a proposed update to the comprehensive plan for Whitfield County and the cities of Dalton, Cohutta, Tunnel Hill and Varnell.

Dalton City Administrator Andrew Parker said for Dalton the updates are "primarily related to projects that have been completed in the last five-year period and future projects to take place over the 2024-28 period."

Some of the projects that were completed in the previous five years were an upgrade of the Gordon Street Bridge, completing a master plan for downtown Dalton and the overhaul of the Riverwater Drinking Water Treatment Plant.

Some of the projects scheduled to be completed in the next five years are installing sidewalks, curb and gutter and drainage on North Thornton Avenue from Tyler Street to Memorial Drive; streetscape improvements to Cuyler, Gordon and Pentz streets; correcting drainage issues and installing sidewalks, curb and gutter and drainage on South Thornton Avenue from Walnut Avenue to Threadmill Road; and correcting drainage issues and installing sidewalks, curb and gutter and drainage on East Morris Street from Walnut Avenue to Fredrick Street.

The city also plans to complete the Mill Creek greenway walking and biking trail from the Crown Mill area to Haig Mill Lake Park and complete the renovation of the John Davis Recreation Center. Both projects are underway.

The plan also calls for moving Fire Station 2 at 2024 Abutment Road further south to improve coverage on the south end of the city and turning the current site of that station into a training center. City officials have discussed funding that project with a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners plans to put on the ballot next year if voters approve the measure.

After local hearings, the plan will be sent to the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for review and approval. State law requires the plan to be approved by Oct. 31 for each government to maintain Qualified Local Government status to receive state grants, loans and permits for the next five years.