Bethlehem Council Selects Contractor for Intersection Project

During the course of Bethlehem's Town Council meeting held last Monday, Sept. 12, the mayor and council covered topics running the gamut from property annexation to the Star Festival to the results of the bids for the Ga. Highway 11/324 intersection project.

In attendance at the meeting were Mayor Sandy McNab; councilmen Tommy Buchanan, Tommy Parten, Scott Morgan, Wayne Ridgeway and Larry Jones; Town Clerk Kathy Bridges; town attorney Ron Bennett; and Guy Herring of McFarland-Dyer & Associates.

Following a prayer led by Councilman Ridgeway and the unanimous approval of the minutes from the August 2011 council meeting, the mayor and council got right down to business. The council voted unanimously for the annexation of 3.1 acres of land into the town of Bethlehem. The Joyce Stephens property will be rezoned as agricultural/residential (AGR).

If you are a landowner with property near Bethlehem and are interested in annexation into the town limits, Mayor McNab welcomes your call at 770-307-7013. To learn more, visit the town of Bethlehem's website at www.bethlehemga.org where you can download a copy of the application for annexation with a list of documentation required.

The next order of business involved a bid tabulation and recommendation by Guy Herring of the professional landscape architectural, land planning, civil engineering and land surveying firm McFarland-Dyer & Associates regarding the proposed roadway improvements to the intersection at Christmas Avenue and east and west Star streets. The three lowest bidders from the pool of interested parties were Baldwin Paving Company Inc., Gary’s Grading & Pipeline, and ISC Inc. Herring recommended that the town of Bethlehem issue a letter of intent to the lowest bidder with a request for additional documentation and further suggested the scheduling of a pre-construction conference for 4 p.m. Sept. 23 at . Herring advised that additional documentation from the chosen contractor includes:

1. Performance and payment bonds for 100 percent of contract amount
2. Schedule of values (breakdown of bid amounts)
3. Certificate of insurance
4. List of sub-contractors to be performing work on the project
5. Georgia Security and Immigration Sub-Contractors Affidavit

The council voted unanimously to issue a letter of intent to Baldwin Paving Company Inc. per the firm's recommendations.

Due to the fact that McFarland-Dyer is currently working with utility companies that include the cty of Winder, Georgia Power and Windstream to learn more about the possible costs of moving the utilities for the completion of the project, no notice to proceed was issued. Herring estimated that the notice to proceed on the intersection improvement project would likely take place at the beginning of 2012. In the event that the utilities are currently located in the easements, the town may incur the cost to move them. However, if they are located in right-of-ways, the utility companies will likely absorb the cost.

During the remainder of the meeting, the council also addressed plans for the upcoming Star Festival on Saturday, Oct. 8. The council voted to pay for the construction of a moveable platform stage for performers at the festival, in addition to the rental of a tent over the stage.

Before the meeting came to a close, Councilman Jones observed that the flags at city hall require replacement and an executive session was called to discuss personnel matters.

The next town council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3 at Bethlehem's City Hall. If you have an item you would like to add to the agenda and wish to address the council at this meeting, contact Town Clerk Kathy Bridges via e-mail or by phone at 770-867-0702.

Check back every Tuesday for a new City Spotlight on one of two great towns in Barrow County, Bethlehem or Carl.