6 months ago
Some Macon city council members say they still want some East Macon roads paved, with time running out in this fiscal year.
About $300,000 was placed in the budget this year to pave seven roads in the city, a project that should have been completed in the 1970's.
The council's public works committee expected to hear an update on Wednesday about the project's progress.
But instead, the Public Works Department told council the project is still on hold.
With about a month left in this fiscal year and the work still not done, many council members worry it will be forgotten.
They would then have to re-appropriate the money in next year's budget.
Public Works Engineering Department Manager Bill Causey says of the seven streets listed in the 2009 budget request, three of them are not actually streets.
That leaves four streets to be paved, with a total of ten occupied homes.
Howard Street, Tyler Place, and Mollie Drive are in East Macon, and Patton Avenue is on Unionville.
Causey says the project would cost the property owners about $33,000 in total, and cost the city about $282,000.
Council members suggested a variety of options, including paving one street at a time, or paving the street without a curb or gutter to get the work done.
The East Macon streets are in Ward One of the city.
Ward One council members Elaine Lucas, Rick Hutto, and Lonnie Miley say they have waited long enough for the work to be done.
They believe the project is a priority, but Bill Causey says the department must defer spending on capital improvements that are not emergencies.
Lucas says they have been on a "wild goose chase" in trying to get this project complete.
Andrew Blascovich with the mayor's office says with sales tax revenue down, they have to restrain spending in trying to balance the budget.
Council members asked the Public Works Department to come back in two weeks with a more definitive plan on what can be done.
They asked Public Works to talk to the people who live on the unpaved streets, and find out how they feel about the issue, and if they would be able to pay their portion of the paving cost.
Council also wants to know a breakdown of what each street will cost, and what order they would pave the streets, if they did one at a time.
