Macon-Bibb County will purchase another 10 acres along the river just north of Amerson River Park, which will eventually complete the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail from River North to the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.
During Tuesday’s county commission meeting, Mayor Lester Miller said $1.8 million of the $2.1 million “bargain price” for the 10.1 acres owned by the Neel family will come from 2018 SPLOST funds.
Miller said the property is valued at $2.7 million and thanked the Neels for negotiating in good faith and effectively gifting the county the $600,000 in the difference from the appraisal.
The purchase fills in gaps in the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail extension and links 200 acres owned by UDA with the 23 acres in the 4000 block of Arkwright Road they agreed to purchase in March, and also shows support for the quest to establish the Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve, Miller said.
Macon-Bibb approved up to $2.3 million to allow for closing costs and other expenses with NewTown Macon and the Urban Development Authority each contributing $250,000.
“We will begin to work on a primitive connection to the trail over the next several months, probably beginning after the first of the year, but eventually be able to make that area of connectability all the way from the national park to Arkwright Road and branching out to other areas of Pleasant Hill and Rose Hill Cemetery, ” Miller said.
In public comments on agenda items, Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful executive director Asha Ellen appealed to spend some of the $1.8 million SPLOST funds to refurbish the Willie Billue Community Center in Fort Hill, but commissioners approved the trail land purchase in passing the consent agenda during the 6 p.m. meeting.
Commissioners also agreed to spend up to $600,000 from the 2018 SPLOST to buy a little over an acre on Walnut Street across from Daybreak to build a parking lot for Carolyn Crayton Park. They allocated 2018 SPLOST interest funds to multiple projects including the riverfront property purchase, public safety and City Auditorium renovations.
From school speed zone camera ticket revenue, the county also will spend $345,000 to fund a school truancy officer for three years and $109,000 for security cameras at Windsor Academy.
The county also distributed grants through the Department of Economic and Community Development, accepted grants and provided matching funds for the courts and GDOT’s Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant for roads.
They allocated money for gas wells at the landfill, an architectural feasibility study for the public works building, $2.3 million for computer software from the IT budget, secured funds from the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to pay a contractor for Lake Tobesofkee lifeguards from July of 2024 until June 30 and transferred funds for vehicle maintenance for the parks and beautification department.
Commissioners also opted into the Sandoz Opioid Settlement and approved a resolution in support of passenger rail from Savannah to Atlanta through Macon, and made provisions for open containers of alcohol in downtown for Bragg Jam’s music festival July 25-27.
Here are agenda highlights captured in social media posts during the meeting.
— This story was updated to reflect the county’s savings from the property’s assessed value. Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at [email protected] or 478-301-2976.
