County wanted state money to help move water lines at $779,000 cost
A Feb. 8 majority vote of the Fayette County Commission not to be responsible for moving county water lines for the state roundabout projects along Ga. Highway 92 South at Antioch and Seay roads came with a reversal at the March 8 meeting.
Above, Fayette County Commission members at the March 8 meeting included, from left, commissioners Chuck Oddo and Steve Brown, Chairman Eric Maxwell, and commissioners Randy Ognio and Charles Rousseau. Photo/Ben Nelms.
The board, with Commissioner Randy Ognio opposed, voted 4-1 to approve the Memo of Understanding requested by the Ga. Department of Transportation (DOT) that will result in the Fayette paying to have county water lines moved out of the state right-of-way.
Commissioners by a 3-1 vote on Feb. 8 agreed to inform the DOT that Fayette is no longer interested in the two roundabouts to be located on Ga. Highway 92 South at Seay Road and Antioch Road. Commissioner Chuck Oddo was the lone vote favoring the project and supporting the county moving its water lines.
The vote to essentially kill the $8 million dual-roundabout highway safety project came because the majority of commissioners did not believe it appropriate to spend the $779,000 required to move county water lines out of the state’s right-of-way. The motion also included the request that the $8 million be used for other priority projects in the county.
Commissioners in December asked DOT officials to consider absorbing some of that cost, with DOT in a Feb. 8 email saying that will not occur.
Things changed when DOT indicated its intention to proceed with the project that has been years in the planning.
Addressing the issue on March 8, Commissioner Charles Rousseau said his previous vote to withdraw from the project might result in the county having to pay more to move the water lines than what it would have paid with DOT’s projected cost of $779,000.
Rousseau said he was reversing his former opposing vote based on fiscal responsibility.
Commissioner Randy Ognio said he would maintain his “no” vote, adding that he has always voted against the project.
Commissioner Steve Brown also changed his vote to “yes” after receiving assurances from Public Works Director Phil Mallon that other options had been researched and that DOT is too far along in the roundabout project to change direction.
It was noted that the competitive bid could result in the county spending less than the projected $779,000 to relocate the water lines.
Ognio also noted that the Fayette County Transportation Committee recommended approving the project.
Mallon in December said the project was driven with federal safety funds, with the idea of providing both safety and operational benefits, adding that the need to address traffic conditions was initially addressed more than a decade ago.
The roundabouts will be designed to accomodate four-lane traffic.
Additionally, said Mallon, the area between the two roundabouts will be designed as a four-lane stretch of road and will be outfitted with a continuous median, with the areas north and south of the roundabouts tapering down to two lanes.
The roundabouts will be re-striped to accommodate four lanes north and south at a future date as traffic flow along the roadway increases and if Hwy. 92 South is widened to a four-lane road.
