Совет мэра города Юарли утвердил план асфальтирования дорог и заслушал отчет о финансах за июль

Euharlee City Council at its Sept. 1 meeting discussed the street and road paving plan and heard a report from City Manager James Stephens about the city’s July finances. Stephens presented the next phase of the city’s paving plan, as well as asking the council to approve the paving contract. The bid was awarded to Polote Corp. in the amount of $256,335. The roads being paved this time around are Fawn View; Hunters View; Misty Hollow Circle; Remington Court; and Russell Road, according to Mayor Craig Guyton. “That cost is within $6,000 of the budgeted amount we have in our five-year plan,” Stephens said. Councilman Greg Free asked how those roads were chosen. “We know Covered Bridge Road and Milam Bridge Road are the worst, but there are things on those roads that are going to prohibit us from doing it right now,” Free said. “It’s the condition, but it’s also proximity,” Stephens said. “The cost is more efficiently utilized when they’re in the same location, and most of these are in the same subdivision.” Stephens said heavy equipment would be moving along both Covered Bridge and Milam Bridge roads, and it doesn’t make sense to pave them until the various projects are done. “Covered Bridge Road is not slated until next year because of the next phase of construction at Osborne Park,” Stephens said. “It involves bringing a crane in, which would damage the surface. Then Etowah Bend development is being built out on Milam Bridge.” Councilman Tim Abbott asked what the biggest obstacle was to moving faster with the repaving projects. “A mile of resurfacing runs a quarter of a million dollars,” Stephens said. The council unanimously approved the paving plan on a motion from Free and a second by Abbott. FINANCIAL REPORT Stephens also gave the council on overview of the city’s finances in July. The city saw about $1.5 million in total revenue, which was $52,686 over budget. However, total expenditures also were over budget, with $2 million budgeted versus $2.1 million actual. The excess revenue was predominantly due to a grant reimbursement from Bartow County from construction of the dog park, Stephens said. The overage in expenditures was mostly due to legal fees; liability insurance, which Stephens said will equalize out over the rest of the year; Public Works supplies and repairs; and repairs and maintenance at Parks and Recreation. The legal fees were mostly associated with litigation surrounding the Etowah Bend development, Stephens said. J.A. McWhorter Holdings LLC and Etowah Bend Developers LLC in 2023 asked the council to rezone about 152 acres at 83 Milam Bridge Road from RE-1, or rural estate, to R-1, or residential. The developers appealed the decision to Bartow County Superior Court, and the issue was litigated until May, when Judge Scott Smith kicked the question back to the council under the terms of a consent decree. The town held new public hearings in May and June, and eventually approved rezoning with a number of conditions. The development is expected to include a maximum of 299 single-family houses, with 35% of the property reserved as green space. “Our net unfavorable variance through the end of July is $60,179,” Stephens said. “I do anticipate it to level out some. I’m not saying it will come down to zero by the end of the year, but I do anticipate it will not remain at $60,000.” The city has about $484,000 in cash on hand through the end of August, Stephens said. The campground fees through the end of July are about $110,000, Stephens said, with about $61,813 in expenses. The city also received a total of about $206,965 in non-tax revenue over the course of the year so far, Stephens said.