Hogansville Council Works To Coordinate City Growth

By TODD PIKE
The first order of business at the September 2 Hogansville City Council meeting was selecting a traffic planning firm to help coordinate a future roadmap for growth in the city. Requests for qualifications were posted on the city website and facebook pages as well as the Georgia Procurement Registry. Of the twelve firms invited to offer bids, only three did so, with Atlas out of Atlanta scoring the highest on the city’s grading system. The council voted unanimously to accept the Atlas bid of $49,900 to be an on-call firm to help address Hogansville’s corridor plans and traffic planning issues that will arise with the exploding housing developments.
Two bids were made to the city to make repairs to the boardwalk section of the Tower Trail, especially the outdoor classroom, which will require a near total replacement. Right Angle Roofing and Renovations, who offered a bid of $48,500 and the guarantee of being finished with the project in three weeks time, was chosen by the council to make the repairs. Money from the Parks, Recreation and Trails SPLOST fund will cover expenses for the upgrade.
City Manager Lisa Kelly reported that all gas meters in the city and 95% of all meters are now on the Automated Meter Integrity (AMI) system. This technology allows workers  to implement tablets which use radio waves to read meters in a much faster and more reliable manner than in years past. The AMI system can also detect leaks on city lines and alert the city when homeowners are using much more water and gas than normal, which could be evidence of a leak between the homeowner’s meter and house. Kelly said from January to the end of August, Hogansville added 190 new utility customers.
As of the council meeting, 150 individuals have completed a Comprehensive Plan Survey, which asks what citizens want accomplished in  Hogansville in the next five years as far as infrastructure, recreational needs and any other concerns people may have. The Comp Plan is a roadmap for the city’s future and every citizen’s opinion is important. The survey can be found on the Hogansville city website and facebook pages.
In conclusion, Kelly reported that Amber Johnson has started her new position as the Public Works Clerk and Matt Iverson, who has over 20 years experience in public works, is the new Water Supervisor for Hogansville. The Troup County Chamber Of Commerce will hold a candidate forum for those running in the November Hogansville election at 6 pm on Monday, October 13 at the Royal Theater. 
Police Chief Jeffrey Sheppard reported that during the month of August, the HPD has reports of one rape, one robbery, one aggravated assault and eight thefts. The department conducted 498 service calls, 987 business checks, 50 house checks and made 1033 community contacts. They wrote 282 citations and worked nine accidents, including one with a fatality. Nineteen adults and one juvenile were arrested during the month. The HPD and Troup County NAACP will host a forum at the Royal Theater on Saturday, September 27 from 10 am-noon. The next Red Cross blood drive will be Friday, October 3 at the City Annex Building from 1 to 5 pm. 
The Hogansville Hummingbird Festival is less than two months away and volunteers are needed. Even if you can volunteer for only two hours, your help is needed.