Fairgrounds to get new emergency access point
By SARAH FAY CAMPBELLsarah@newnan.com
Coweta County will be constructing a new emergency-only access drive into the Coweta County Fairgrounds.
Currently, there is only one way in or out of the fairgrounds complex off Pine Road.
The emergency access drive will lead to a subdivision. The home on the property burned, said County Administrator Theron Gay.
“I commend staff for finding this property and relieving the pressure point,” said Commissioner Al Smith.
“We will be looking to make that fairly short connection for emergency access,” said Gay.
In other meeting business:
• The board briefly discussed the need for improvements at the intersection of Belk Road and Hwy. 34/ Franklin Highway.
Commissioner Al Smith brought up the issue when the board was discussing moving forward with road improvements on Nixon, Glen Winkles, and Couch roads.
Gay said that issues with getting that intersection improved include that it is in the city of Newnan and it deals with a state route. There is also a railroad crossing.
“I know there are some striping issues,” Gay said. He said he has tried to talk with Georgia Department of Transportation about the issue “a dozen times.”
“They promised me they would take a look at it. At this point, they have not done anything with it,” Gay said.
“I want to make sure that that road is not left unattended,” Smith said.
Commissioner Tim Lassetter said he had a constituent send him an e-mail about the intersection this week. “He forwarded one of my comments to one of the city councilmen,” Lassetter said. “It may be in the city, but a lot of us travel that area as well.”
“I may call the city and ask them to call GDOT in conjunction with me,” said Gay. “Maybe that will be a two-pronged approach.”
Lassetter added that he would like to see improvements to Sanders Davis Road added to the “next group of roads that go out to bid.”
• The board approved proclamations for Miss Clara Day, honoring Clara Coleman Bates on her 105th birthday, for Older Americans Month in May, and for former Commissioner Robert Wood’s 70th birthday.
• The board approved a proclamation honoring Marco Weijers. Weijers, who lives in Heerlen, The Netherlands, “has been faithfully dedicated to the care and maintenance of the military gravesite of Albert Partridge.”
Partridge was a Newnan resident who died nine days after Germany surrendered to the Allies. He is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery.
Dick Stender of the local American Legion post was on hand to accept a copy of the Weijers proclamation.
“I just wanted to thank you,” Stender said. “And as I have said at every speaking opportunity I have, we who live in Coweta County are truly blessed. We are blessed because we have a caring and patriotic citizenry, a caring and patriotic government, with people who know how important it is to say thanks for serving,” Stender said.
“We in America often do not appreciate the cost of freedom,” Stender said. “But in the Netherlands, they who have lost their freedom, at one time, express their thanks in very, very meaningful ways,” he said. “One of which is never letting our boys be forgotten.”
• The board approved a proclamation thanking Weyman Jenkins for his service to Coweta County, including his time with the Coweta County Development Authority and the Development Authority of Coweta County.
• The board confirmed the incorporation of the Business License Department into the Finance Department, and the Code Enforcement Department into the Building Department.
• The board approved the adoption of policy guidelines for county employees who supervise community service workers.
“As our community service continues to growâ ¦ we thought it was time to establish” regulations for county employees, said Gay. “We felt it was good to place it in a policy and have you guys be able to adopt it.”
• The board executed a capacity agreement associated with housing state inmates at the Coweta County Prison.
• The board approved a contact agreement with Jonathan Hickman for state court public defender services.
• The commissioners approved the tax redemption of two parcels, by Precision Concrete and Smart Growth Development LLC.
