Bethlehem Contracts for Bid and Construction Phases for Traffic Signal

• Who met: Bethlehem Town Council
• Date: Monday, June 6, 2011
• Location:
• Who was present: Mayor Sandy McNab; council members Tommy Parten, Larry Jones, Scott Morgan and Tommy Buchanan; town attorney Ron Bennett; town clerk Kathy Bridges

At Bethlehem's Town Council meeting Monday night, the mayor and council received an update on the planned signal for the intersection of Ga. Highway 11 and Carl-Bethlehem Road. The city was approved for the signal May 23. 

The council voted to approve a contract with McFarland-Dyer & Associates Inc. to enter into the bid and construction phases of the project. The bid phase for the physical road changes will cost $5,000. The firm will handle the preparation of bid documents and any requests for information, will evaluate all bids and award the contract. A separate bid phase must be held for signal design, at a cost of $4,271.25. 

Once construction begins, the firm will conduct weekly inspections to ensure contractors are following designs and standards. There will be an hourly fee for this phase, and Guy Herring, director of planning for McFarland-Dyer and Associates, did not have an estimate for the total cost of this phase.

 Other business

• Mayor Sandy McNab informed the council that the alcohol tax brought in $448.82 in two weeks. This figure is expected to grow as an additional business has been approved since this time. 
• Only 10 homes set out extra items for Clean Up Day this year. This figure was significantly lower than last year when a notice was mailed to all residents. This year, the council chose to only run the notice in local newspapers. 
• Council member Larry Jones brought up a complaint that was brought to him by a resident who is finding his neighbor's chickens in his yard. The man has called Barrow Animal Control and was told the chickens should be put up. He has spoken with the owner of the animals twice and has lodged a complaint. Jones asked what the man's options were. McNab offered to set up a mediation between the two property owners. 
• The town received its audit for 2010 performed by Hawkins & McNair, CPAs. The audit shows that as of December 31, 2010, the town had $33,995 in liabilities and $2,226,055 in total assets. The town brought in $240,693 in revenue, including $105,073 collected from the local option sales tax. Expenditures totaled $171,915, $125,381 of which went toward general government costs.