Sandy Springs Shares Plan To Kick Off TSPLOST Projects

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Following last week's passage of the TSPLOST referendum, city of Sandy Springs staff are now working to implement a program to move those projects forward.

That plan was presented to the City Council during its Nov. 15 meeting. The program plan looks at steps needed to implement the TSPLOST projects, in addition to considerations related to staffing, procurement, as well as community outreach.

“In preparation for the referendum, we conducted significant preliminary groundwork,” said Sandy Springs City Manager John McDonough. “Following the vote of approval on election day, we were able to immediately begin structuring implementation plans to move our project list forward.”

Tier One projects for the city include traffic efficiency improvements; efficiency improvements at Johnson Ferry and Mt. Vernon; design and right-of-way acquisition to improve efficiencies at Hammond Drive; added sidewalks, a multiuse path connecting City Springs to the Sandy Springs MARTA station, and Perimeter Transit Last Mile Connectivity.

• Read more about the city's projects here.

With the passage of the referendum, Sandy Springs will move forward on design and right-of-way acquisition where needed, leading to construction.

To oversee implementation of these projects, staff members outlined an organizational structure within Public Works, dividing projects under three project managers, with supplementary staff added where needed.

Collection of the TSPLOST tax begins on April 1, 2017, with Fulton County cities receiving their share of the funding beginning in May. The city will use existing earmark funding and grants and impact fees as added funding sources.

To keep residents informed of the progress, the city will transition the TSPLOST referendum information area on its website into a TSPLOST project section, providing updates and links to pertinent documents and information. Public information meetings will be added to the calendar for community input, and the graphics team will develop a brand icon to clearly identify T-SPLOST projects.

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