Macon-Bibb County will borrow $50 million through general obligation bonds to begin 2025 SPLOST projects before the penny sales tax can accumulate, under a deal passed Tuesday evening.
Mayor Lester Miller is eager to begin a variety of projects, especially the plan to repave portions of 459 roads over the next several years under the Paving the Way program.
After a comprehensive review of all the county roads, nearly 130 miles are set to be resurfaced at a cost of $44 million that will come from SPLOST revenue, GDOT’s Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants, LMIG, and the general fund.
The county’s procurement department is seeking paving contractors to work simultaneously in different regions to maximize miles paved before colder temperatures set in and pause operations.
Nearly $15 million has already been allocated in the first phase of the repaving. Since 2020, 45.5 miles of road have been resurfaced, according to a county news release.
Miller said the current commitment amounts to about 20 years worth of roads being repaved in about a year.
At Tuesday’s meeting, county commissioners also agreed to rewrite its 2021 Complete Streets Policy that codified the intent to design and maintain roads “in a manner to promote safe and comfortable usage for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and others using alternative means of transportation.”
While the ordinance change stated Macon-Bibb is committed to streets being safe and user-friendly, the newly approved language expands exceptions to the policy that could be allowed upon review of the county manager or a designee.
Routine maintenance that does not change the “roadway geometry or operations,” and emergency repairs were already two of eight stated exemptions that could be granted, but the new wording does not limit the county to that specified list and opens the door for other exemptions to the policy.
Miller said the revision is to clarify the process and keep the county’s paving project from getting bogged down by reviews of each street by the Complete Streets Compliance Committee.
“For example, if we were going to pave a thousand roads, you don’t want that to have to go through a particular committee that’s only an advisory board,” he said. “Otherwise, we’d all be gone before we start paving roads.”
In May, Bike Walk Macon Executive Director Rachel Umana appealed to county commissioners and the mayor to take advantage of the repaving project to restripe streets in new configurations that narrow lanes to reduce speed or make other adjustments to make roads safer for all modes of travel.
To repave and stripe them just as they were would be contrary to the ordinance, Umana told the Complete Streets Compliance Committee in the spring. She also led the Pedestrian Safety Review Board to appeal to the county to align the unprecedented paving projects with the Complete Streets policy.
Umana was not aware of this week’s change to the ordinance until contacted by The Macon Newsroom.
She is hopeful the county will still review the resurfacing projects especially in areas with high rates of speed and crashes as it could be many years before those roads are touched again.
“Resurfacing can take decades and is often our easiest and most affordable opportunity for making small, quick but impactful design improvements through striping changes — like crosswalks, road diets, or intersection changes — that can really improve safety and accessibility,” Umana said in an email.
Tuesday’s revision also strips Umana, as Bike Walk’s founder, and a dozen other community representatives from their ad hoc, non-voting roles on the committee.
The new ordinance encourages them to continue attending committee meetings, but like all members of the public, they must now contact the county clerk’s office if they wish to address the committee with a proposed project.
Going forward, the committee only will consist of the voting members from county departments of engineering, traffic, public works, facility management, parks & beautification, Macon Transit Authority, MATS Citizens Advisory Committee, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Macon-Bibb Planning & Zoning.
Under the revised ordinance, the committee should respond to citizens’ recommendations, determine the feasibility of the proposal and issue a recommendation within 30 days of the request, but the committee is only required to meet every three months.
They are no longer mandated to issue a bi-annual report that delineates the amount of sidewalks, curb cuts, bike lanes, multi-use facilities and transit stops created, collision and safety statistics, percentage of projects completed and number of projects implemented in low to moderate income census tracts.
Other agenda items
In addition to the road paving project, Macon-Bibb also invested 2018 SPLOST funds for nearly $353K in continuing renovations at the City Auditorium, and $233.5K for lighting at Memorial Park Gym.
They shifted budget funds for landscaping contract workers, and earmarked $350K for tipping fees for trash that is dumped at the Mead Road Transfer Station.
Commissioners agreed to a $100,000 advertising campaign for Middle Georgia Regional Airport and approved a $60,000 annual lease renewal for two buildings at the airport.
The county accepted a $117.6K grant for the adult felony drug court from the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and agreed to participate in the Purdue-Sackler Opioid Settlement, which compensates communities for the harm caused by addiction to the drugs.
Commissioners approved seven alcohol licenses but denied the HMK Express application for 1105 Gray Highway for failing to provide required documentation.
Here are highlights from the meeting captured in social media posts during the proceedings:
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 478-301-2976.
