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6A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, December 14,2022
Votes expected soon for crucial Dawson public safety projects
File Photo
By Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
The B oard of
Commissioners is set to
vote on the next phases for
two of Dawson County’s
highest-priority public
safety projects during their
last meeting of the year.
During the board’s Dec.
1 work session, Dawson
County Sheriff’s Office
Maj. Greg Rowan request
ed the formal approval of a
$3 million pre-set budget
for the county’s radio sys
tem upgrade project,
which has been bid out to
Federal Engineering.
At their Dec. 15 voting
session, commissioners
will be able to vote on that
request as well as a
$271,000 bid for the
planned emergency opera
tions (EOC) and E911
center.
Both projects will be
paid for using funds col
lected for Dawson
County’s seventh special
purpose local option sales
tax, which voters approved
in March 2021. SPLOST
VII included a planned
$5.5 million for the EOC/
E911 center and $3 mil
lion for the radio system
upgrade, for a combined
$8.5 million budget. These
projects must be funded in
full before any other initia
tive in the SPLOST project
list.
The county’s radio sys
tem was last upgraded
about ten years ago. Its
current problems include
lacking coverage through
out the county when porta
ble radios are used and
inside buildings, heavy
static, radios not transmit
ting to consoles inside the
dispatch center and an
inability to communicate
with Hall, Forsyth,
Cherokee and Cobb
Counties.
Recently, final specifica
tions were completed for
the radio system project
after the board approved
draft plans in July.
During his June 16 pre
sentation, Brian Barber
with Federal Engineering
told the board that the 700-
800 mhz option would
provide for dedicated
emergency services radio
frequencies and better in
building coverage, among
other benefits.
If approved, company
Jericho Design Group’s
EOC/E911 bid would
include conceptual plans
for the new building,
stamped-and-sealed archi
tectural and engineering
plans, final designs and
supervision of construc
tion, said county
Purchasing Manager
Melissa Hawk.
By extending the
requested project deadline
to the end of June 2023,
the county will save
$44,000, Hawk added.
Currently, the upstairs
portion of Fire Station 1 or
headquarters serves as the
EOC, while the E911 divi
sion is hosted in a small
room at DCSO’s location.
With the planned two-sto-
ry building, each division
would have about 6,000
square feet per floor, for a
total of 12,000 square feet
on the premises.
“We’re hoping that this
goes on at the same time
as the radio [project] so
that when the radio system
is going in, they don’t have
to move it from the current
911 and put it over at the
new location,"’ Hawk said.
On that particular point,
she elaborated that both
EOC and radio system
project money would be
needed to complete the
radio system, a view that
BOC Chairman Billy
Thurmond has also shared
previously.
“We’re trying to do the
best we can with this
building to save money to
go toward the radio sys
tem,” she added.
District 3 Commissioner
Tim Satterfield empha
sized having DCSO and
dispatch employees “sit
ting at the table” while the
design is happening for the
combined EOC/E911 cen
ter.
Emergency
services upgrades
Fire and EMS Chief
Troy Leist asked the coun
ty commissioners on Dec.
1 about using $172,650 of
remaining SPLOST VI
funds for several key safe
ty fixes.
“If the board remem
bered when we talked
about this in the budget
process,” said Thurmond,
“we did talk about using
SPLOST funds to do these
capital projects that we
weren’t going to fund
through the general funds.
So this fits right in line
with that.”
The BOC is expected to
vote on authorizing the
funds during their Dec. 15
voting session.
Leist cited the need for a
Lucas CPR device, staff
vehicle for the depart
ment’s community risk
reduction officer, battery-
operated extrication equip
ment and three sets of air
rescue lifting bags.
He also requested
upgrades to Fire Station
l’s bathroom, which he
said “needs some tender
loving care” and multi-sta
tion security upgrades for
all eight of the county’s
fire stations.
The department’s previ
ous director, Danny
Thompson also discussed
some of these needs dur
ing Aug. departmental
hearings for the FY2023
budget.
At that time, Thompson
and a division chief, Jason
Dooley, also pointed to
events like the July 2019
killing of Amy Gibson in
front of Station 7 as a key
reason for the security
upgrades.
Leist also told the com
missioners that since his
arrival, someone has made
threats against people at
Fire Station 1.
“So I think it’s time that
we upgrade the station’s
security features like the
doors, much like what we
have in this building with
the [badge] cards and
make it more secure,”
Leist said.
Dawson County Humane Society
a no kill shelter
Doggie Spotlight
Meet Peck! He is timid, sweet, playful boy who is looking
for a place to call his own. Peck loves playing outside with
his kennel mates. He came in from a hoarding situation
that brought in many unsocialized dogs. As a result of his
upbringing he is timid upon first meeting him but with the
right family and patience he will become a loyal companion.
Come schedule a meet and greet to see if Peck is the perfect
fit for your family!
706-265-9160
Peck
For more information contact the 706-265-9160 | 633 Martin Rd, Dawsonville
Dawson County Humane Society Adjacent to the Rock Creek Sports Complex
Visit our RESALE SHOP & BOUTIQUE
Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | 54 S. Lumpkin Campground Rd.
All proceeds benefits
the Humane Society
Bradley M. Maple
CPA, PC
706-216-2362
2390 Thompson Rd • Ste 100
Dawsonville
ANH Collision
Specialists
706-216-0992
103 Industrial Park Road,
Dawsonville
Dawsonville
Veterinary
Hospital
706-265-8381
CITY OF DAWSONVILLE, GEORGIA
SPECIAL LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX
SCHEDULE OF PROJECTS CONSTRUCTED WITH SPECIAL SALES TAX PROCEEDS
From Inception Through June 30, 2022
Project
Original
Budget
Current
Project
Budget
Prior Year
Project
to Date
Current
Year
Total
Percent
Complete
SPLOST # 6
Road, Streets, Bridges and Sidewalks
$ 1,250,000
$ 1,328,391
$ 632,207
$ 691,935
$ 1,324,142
99.68%
Water and Sewer Projects
2,750,000
350,000
316,313
-
316,313
90.38%
Park and Recreation Facilities
2,250,000
2,450,000
2,436,522
-
2,436,522
99.45%
Farmers Market Facility
1,000,000
1,138,186
1,080,436
9,000
1,089,436
95.72%
Public Works Facility and Equipment
400,000
342,000
292,101
-
292,101
85.41%
City Hall Acquisition
2,000,000
2,039,200
2,039,198
-
2,039,198
100.00%
$ 9,650,000
$ 7,647,777
$ 6,796,777
$ 700,935
$ 7,497,712
98.04%
SPLOST # 7
Road, Streets, Bridges and Sidewalks
$ 2,000,000
$ 2,000,000
$
$ 4,980
$ 4,980
0.25%
Land Acqusition
485,000
485,000
-
107,300
107,300
22.12%
Water - Sewer Projects
2,120,000
2,120,000
-
-
-
0.00%
Public Works Facility and Equipment
121,000
121,000
-
-
-
0.00%
Parks and Recreation
605,000
605,000
-
-
-
0.00%
Downtown Revitalization
304,000
304,000
-
-
-
0.00%
City Hall Facilities
545,000
545,000
-
165
165
0.03%
$ 6,180,000
$ 6,180,000
$
$ 112,445
$ 112,445
1.82%
Total All SPLOST Projects
$ 15,830,000
$ 13,827,777
$ 6,796,777
$ 813,380
$ 7,610,157
55.04%
Reconciliation to Capital Projects Fund:
Total Expenditures - Capital Projects Fund $ 813,380
SPLOST VI and VII Expenditures - current year $ 813,380
*Note: The current project budget for SPLOST VI was amended in the current year to more accurately
reflect the projected revenues that will be received under the referendum and actual costs for
specified projects.