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Valleywood Road drainage concerns council, but fix would be costly |
2009-10-19 |
By Martha Barksdale |
 Pamela Megill has been hired as Tyrone’s new town clerk. (Staff photo by Martha Barksdale) Outside, the rain poured down on Tyrone Town Hall Thursday night. Inside, rain and its consequences were on the minds of the town officials and residents who had gathered for the town council meeting.
Residents of Valleywood Road, one of Tyrone’s few remaining gravel roads, are greatly inconvenienced by runoff after rains. Town Engineer David Jaeger said the ditch designed to handle water runoff becomes clogged with gravel, and water flows over the road, creating deep ruts. A lake on Valleywood also overflows.
Public Works Director Renee Holt estimated that the town spends about $5,000 a year to have the road scraped and regraveled and the ditch cleared. Jaeger said rectifying the problem with culverts could cost as much as $175,000. The council decided to ask Fayette County if its road department could help with clearing out the ditches before making any financial commitments to further road work.
Rainy weather also figured in the council’s decision to cut the upper field at the town’s soccer field and see if it is suitable for play.
Many youth soccer games have been cancelled this season due to rain and muddy fields, and representatives from the league said it would help tremendously to have another field available as they try to make up games that have been cancelled.
The council heard the latest update in the negotiations between the town and the Georgia Department of Transportation about upgrading the railroad crossing at Valleywood and East Crestwood roads. Town Attorney Dennis Davenport said GDOT is now saying it may have to change its original plan to reroute the crossing. He did say that Tyrone’s portion of the project--acquiring rights of way--should come in well under the $225,000 cap the council set.
Mayor Don Rehwaldt said he thought that with the state’s current budget crisis, it is unlikely that this project will be funded anytime soon.
New Town Clerk Pamela Megill was on the job at her first council meeting Thursday night. Town Manager Chris Venice introduced her as coming from Copperas Cove, Texas, with 10 years experience in municipal government.
The mayor said they have winnowed down the 46 applications for the town manager position down to 10, and are seeking additional information from those top 10. Current town manager Venice will be leaving at the end of the year.
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