Contract for Construction of Taylor Street Parking Lot on City Council Agenda

The Acworth City Council could approve a contract with a paving company to construct a public parking lot near downtown during their regularly scheduled meeting Thursday night.

According to the meeting agenda, the contract to build the parking lot and improve Southside Drive between Taylor Street and the Cowan Road Connector has been tentatively awarded to Baldwin Paving Company Inc. in the amount of $1,448,000. An extra $50,000 has been added to the purchase order to cover any unexpected cost overruns, and the 2011 SPLOST budget for these tasks has been amended to $1.75 million to keep the budget in line with the true costs of the project.

The lack of parking along Main Street in the heart of historic downtown Acworth has long been an issue for both visitors and business owners who work in the area. Three hour parking restrictions enacted in 2011 that were meant to keep parking spaces open for visitors caused some business owners and their customers to speak out against the enforcement of the restrictions.

Other city business on Thursday’s agenda includes the purchasing of three new 2015 Ford Explorers for the Acworth Police Department at a cost of $99,000, the authorization to auction off 8 surplus police vehicles, and the formal transfer of almost $8,000 to Horizon Field. Some of the money being transferred to the special-needs playing field was raised by the most recent iteration of the Covering the Bases fundraiser.

The regular meeting of the Acworth City Council will begin at 7 p.m. at Acworth City Hall, 4415 Senator Russell Ave.