City Council Considers Landfill Dirt Budget Amendment

The Canton City Council will decide during their Thursday evening meeting whether or not to spend $120,000 to purchase dirt to seal up the city landfill.

According to Mayor Gene Hobgood, the original dirt that was intended to top off the landfill was unacceptable and inadequate to do the job.

"It was too sandy," he said. "They need red clay for a better seal."

Hobgood said the $120,000 budget amendment will cover the costs of acquiring the dirt and sealing the landfill.

The city will also look to return five acres of land it was given by Hickory Log Bluff, LLC for a public safety facility in the Bluffs area.

"It was meant to be a training center, but the land wasn't acceptable for that use," Hobgood said.

A condition of the donation stipulated that if no project was started on the land before January of 2008 then it would revert to the developers.

The undeveloped property is still on the city books and the city must issue a quitclaim deed to get the land back on the tax rolls.

City Manager Scott Wood is expected to give a briefing to the mayor and council on the potential of Cherokee County addressing the gradient at the intersection of Ash Street and Hidden Valley Drive. 

"We wanted to find out what it was going to to reduce the steepness down to Hidden Valley Drive," Hobgood said.

He suggested a plan where the city would fund the gradient work and the city would take over maintenance costs for the road.

The council will also decide a planning case brought forth by Community Baptist Church, which wishes to relocate its services to The Market Center at 111 Mountain Vista Blvd.

According to Hobgood, the city's Planning Commission suggested the council approve the move, but a business owner who operates within the strip mall spoke out against the proposal. Hobgood is not sure whether or not the council will give the final okay.

The agenda for tonight's meeting can be found attached to this article.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at Canton City Hall, with Councilman Bill Bryan expected to be absent from the proceedings. If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, Canton-Sixes Patch will host a live stream of the meeting starting at 6 p.m.