Emergency repair of Harbor Road OK’d

Repairs to Dobson Road are already underway

Gordon County’s Board of Commissioners approved emergency repair of Harbor Road after assessments of flood damage revealed a bridge would be needed at the washout site.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, Gordon County Administrator Jim Ledbetter said without the emergency repair, the road would have to remain “closed indefinitely.” The 5-0 vote in favor of emergency funding allows the county to immediately begin soliciting proposals for the repair work.

“There are parts of the work we cannot do,” Ledbetter said, referring to the limitations of county crew who are already working on repairs to nearby Dobson Road. “We’ll essentially be putting in a bridge.”

According to Ledbetter, a worst case scenario for Harbor Road repair costs would be around $350,000, but he expects it to be lower.

“It will likely be between $100,000 and $200,000,” Ledbetter said.

Dobson Road wasn’t completely washed out like Harbor Road, but county crews have been working to shore up the stability of the road, including preparation to install new piping. That work is expected to take at least a couple of weeks.

Included in new business agenda items Tuesday night was the unanimous approval of an AT&T contract

to cover off-contract phone lines not on the county phone system, and also an agreement with Dalton Communications for emergency radio service, a vote that ended with

a joyous sigh of relief from Gordon County Emergency Management Agency Director Courtney Taylor.

The radio service agreement will save the county tower maintenance costs, while also resulting in greater coverage, according to Ledbetter, who said the service is $49,000 per year with an initial $350,000 radio equipment purchase cost. That yearly price includes eight tower coverage, as opposed to the three towers that currently cost the county around $43,000 to maintain.

Board members also approved the filling of a vacant position at the county Board of Elections and Voter Registration office. Ledbetter also asked that the future of hiring for vacant positions be moved back to the pre-COVID procedure that doesn’t require board approval for already budgeted positions. That notion was agreed to by members of the commission.

Also approved by the commission was the re-appointment of Jim Rosencrance for a three-year term to the Northwest Georgia Library Board ending June 30, 2024, and the re-appointment of Commissioner Bud Owens for a three year term to the

Region One EMS Board ending June 20, 2021. Owens’ appointment was approved by a 4-0 vote with Owens abstaining.

Surplus items were also

declared by the board, including computers from the IT department to be recycled.

Another unanimous 5-0 vote allowed for the spending of $12,250 for

an archaeological survey at Brookshire Park, a requirement for receiving a $175,000 grant to make improvements at the site.

The next meeting of the

Gordon County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18, in the conference room of the county administration building, 201 N. Wall St.

Blake Silvers Repairs to Dobson Road are underway. The road has been closed since late March after flood damage from heavy rains across the area.

Blake Silvers Harbor Road remains “closed indefinitely,” according to Gordon County Administrator Jim Ledbetter, but the repair process could be sped up with the declaration of emergency funds to build a bridge at the washout site.

Blake Silvers While Dobson Road wasn’t completely washed out, county crews work to shore up the stability of the road bed and install new pipes.

Jim Ledbetter

Blake Silvers Work by county crews to stabilize and repair Dobson Road should take at least two more weeks, according to Gordon County Administrator Jim Ledbetter.