Newspaper Page Text
February 7, 2018
Page 7C
■
Exporter
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
As Forsyth city council
sets its list of what it
would like to accom
plish in 2018, gateway
improvements and eco
nomic development were
tied for second behind
a tie for first, priority of
annexation and blighted
properties/code enforce
ment. Gateway improve
ments were defined as
making the roads that,
lead into downtown
Forsyth more attractive.
Economic development,
refers to encouraging
growth of existing and
new businesses.
The emphasis in gate
way improvements is on
Tift. College Drive and
North Lee Street, from
where they exit. 1-75 and
come toward downtown.
Proposals for improve
ments include repaired
and upgraded lighting at.
the interchanges as well
as better litter control
and landscaping at. the
exits. That, is combined
with landscaping and
signage along the roads
as they lead to Forsyth’s
business district.
‘The advantage in
Forsyth is the dichotomy
of the interstate and
downtown,” said Mayor
Eric Wilson.
“First, is getting them
off 1-75 to stop [and then
come to the business dis
trict] ,” said council mem
ber Greg Goolsby.
Closely connected with
gateway improvements,
but. considered important,
enough by council to give
it. its own listing among
priorities, was building
an archway across N. Lee
Street.. Goolsby initiated
adding an archway to
the list of 2018 priorities,
saying it. will bring more
people to downtown.
He said an archway
will show ownership by
the city of its gateway
streets. He cited an arch
way in Macon with the
name of the city and a
heart.. It. was suggested
the archway be modeled
on the Tift. College arch.
There was no discus
sion of an exact, location
for the archway, although
it. tied for third on coun
cil’s list of priorities for
2018 with preparing for
a 2020 SPLOST referen
dum.
Wilson said that, eco
nomic development, was
also one of council’s top
priorities in 2017 and in
2016, when Wilson took
office and first, held a city
retreat, where council
members voted on their
priorities for the year.
Goolsby said that, one
aspect, of economic devel
opment. should be the city
becoming more involved
with development, of the
Indian Springs Industrial
Park, which is in the city
limits.
“We need something
in the entertainment
realm,” said council
member Dexter King.
‘This is something I have
been aware of all my
years with Department,
of Corrections. They bus
[cadets] in on Sunday
and drop them off until
Friday evening. Those
guys go to Macon.”
Council member
Michael Dodd said the
city should also attract
travelers off of 1-75 to an
entertainment venue.
“We should work on
recruitment, of a major
sit-down restaurant, like
Applebee’s or Cracker
Barrel and a touch-free
car wash. It. would fit.
well in our footprint.,”
said council member
Julius Stroud.
“[Forsyth economic
development, director]
Michael [Norris] is work
ing with the guy from
EC-G [Electric Cities of
Georgia], but. it. comes
down to demograph
ics,” said Wilson. “New
residential growth drives
community growth. The
community drives for the
electric provider.”
“Department, of
Corrections [cadets] and
Georgia Public Safety
Training Center [train
ees] are a captive audi
ence,” said King.
In 2017 council set. get
ting a new city hall as
its top priority. Because
there is action toward a
new city hall, it. was not.
included in the 2018 pri
orities, although a loca
tion and a specific plan
for a new city hall has
not. been announced. City
employees have moved
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out. of the old city hall,
which needs repairs, and
it. now sits empty on the
square. The city’s utility
customer service employ
ees have moved into the
Public Safety Complex,
and the city manager,
mayor, economic devel
opment. director and
their staffs have moved
into the upstairs of the
Welcome Center.
Council contracted with
Clark Nexsen, a Macon
architectural design
firm, and has discussed
building a city hall near
its public safety complex
on Kimbell St. It. bought,
some additional property
near the public safety
complex in 2017. It has
held numerous closed
door sessions to discuss
“land acquisition, etc.”
during 2017.
At. its Jan. 21 meet
ing council voted, 5-0,
to advertise to rezone
the land it. purchased
to “Institutional” and to
make setbacks required
on it. 0 instead of 25 feet..
Hall said that. Clark
Nexsen has developed a
rendering of a potential
city hall with the offices
Forsyth wants but. there
is not. enough room for it.
with the 25’ setbacks.
“As soon as we do that,
[get. the zoning changes
made], he’ll be ready to
come and do more,” said
Hall.
Council member Melvin
Lawrence asked that,
the city study the rates
it. charges for utilities,
possibly to lower some
of them. He also asked
if telecommunications
companies are paying
the city fair rates for
using city poles. Council
asked Hall for data from
the tag reader the city
has been using on a trial
basis to read car tags.
“A bypass is not hap
pening. We need to focus
on trucks by-passing the
weigh station and coming
through Forsyth,” said
Goolsby.
Hall said that. part,
of the problem is an
app directing drivers
through Forsyth, includ
ing residential areas, as
the most, direct, route. It.
is especially a problem
when big trucks follow
the app.
A Wellness Initiative/
Mayor’s Fitness
Challenge was discussed
but. not. included as a sep
arate priority for 2018.
Wilson said there is a
10-week challenge set. up
on a website that, can be
adapted locally.
“The idea is to decrease
sedentary lifestyle and
decrease adult, and
childhood obesity,” said
Wilson. “We want, to
involve as many local
entities as possible, like
the hospital, health
department, and gym.”
Wilson said that, the
wellness program for
city employees reduced
Forsyth’s insurance cost,
by $160,000 and lowered
the co-pay by $500. He
said the program for
employees allows them to
take 20 minutes each day
to walk, and they earn
15 minutes off for each
mile they walk up to two
days off.
Anyone can par
ticipate at. any level in
the Mayor’s Fitness
Challenge. Wilson said
he saw a sign advertis
ing the Mayor’s Fitness
Challenge in another city
and immediately began
gathering information
about, it. because it. is
something he wants to do
in Forsyth. Goolsby sug
gested tying in a health
fair and screenings with
the challenge.
“There are a lot. of pos
sibilities in 10 weeks,”
said Wilson. “A seminar
on healthy eating is one.”
“I would love to help
out. on this,” said Stroud.
At. its Jan. 21 retreat,
council appointed Dodd,
Stroud and Goolsby to
an ad hoc committee to
study the city’s service
delivery strategy with
the intention of asking
county commissioners to
appoint, three members
to the committee. Wilson
directed the city’s three
members of the commit
tee to meet, within the
next, two weeks because
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the city has a June
deadline for the five-
year review of its service
delivery plan.
The state requires that,
local governments have
guidelines for delivering
services to their citizens
and review those guide
lines periodically. The
city and county have to
work together on their
plans.
Hall said that. Middle
Georgia Regional
Commission is working
on updating Forsyth’s
service delivery plan.
However, the maps in
the plan the Regional
Commission has pre
pared only show city
services within the city
limits whereas the city
provides services, espe
cially water and sewer
age, to residents and
businesses that, are in
Monroe County but. out
side city limits.
The city’s desire to
annex some of these
areas is pertinent, to the
future service delivery
plan. Since the update
is the plan for the next,
five years, Hall said it. is
important, to get. expand
ed maps in it..
Council member Dodd
asked Hall to request, an
accurate map of the city
and the areas that. get.
services from the city.
Hall said that, she has
such a map; Dodd asked
that. it. be posted so that,
it. is available for review.
Russellville
Baptist
Church hosts
SouthernStyle Quartet
SouthernStyle Quartet will be in
concert at Russellville Baptist Church
on February 18 during the morning
worship hour.
The quartet consists of Terry Baker
of Forsyth, Roger Freeman of Gray,
and Kristin and Danny Fitzgerald
of McDonough. All have performed
gospel music for many years with
other groups before coming together
as the SouthenStyle Quartet.
The concert will be during the 11
a.m. worship service. A love offering
will be taken for the group. Rus
sellville Baptist Church is located on
Russellville Road just off Georgia
Highway 42 south, aout 15 minutes
from downtown Forsyth.
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