Forsyth Fast Facts

Items of note from the Sept 8 Village Board meeting

BOARD DECISIONS

• Trustees authorized Mayor Hap Gilbert to sign a grant funding certification sent by Rep. Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) who said he has “...successfully attained a legislative grant for $200,000” for the Village. (See next issue for details.)
• Two temporary outdoor display permits were approved which will allow Decatur Christian School to display outdoor banners through Sept. 30 and HomeTown Buffet to hang a banner through Oct. 11 on the west side of its building.
• Trustees followed a recommendation by Village Engineer Chuck Hunsinger to award three contractors a total of $43,245 for work on the 2009 sanitary sewer improvements project. Included in this amount is cleaning approximately 5,900 feet of sewer along with needed remedial work earlier identified from telescans. Digging will be avoided and no lawns damaged during the work, according to Hunsinger.
• Trustees approved pavement repairs throughout the Village as proposed by Public Works Director Larry Coloni. Funds will come from the street and parks operating budget. 
• Entler Excavation submiteed the low proposal for the construction of the Cox/Elwood streets storm sewer. Trustees voted to accept the company’s proposal of $61,864.50.n Trustees approved Petersburg Plumbing & Heating Co. as the low bidder at $8,750 for boring under West Forsyth Parkway in three locations and under one driveway where a sump pump drain line will be extended to three properties. 
• Trustees accepted recommendations from the Plan Commission for a sign variance at the new Maroa-Forsyth Grade School located south of County Highway 20 and from the Zoning Board of Appeal for a construction variance allowing a garage at 1324 Clement Avenue located east of Rt. 51 near Good’s Furniture.
• Mike Heneghan was appointed as an alternate to the Plan Commission.

PENDING

• Deputies from the Macon County Sheriff’s Office said a Forsyth ordinance allowing battery-powered vehicles to be operated on sidewalks/bike paths supercedes state law and hampers their efforts to answer residents’ complaints about golf carts on the paths. Trustees plan to take a closer look at the ordinance during their Sept. 21 Board meeting.
• Mayor Hap Gilbert will confer with Decatur Christian School officials about changing the traffic pattern for parents picking up their children once the school day ends. Deputies from the Macon County Sheriff’s Office reported a traffic backup along County Highway 20 while parents wait to turn on Grant Street where the school is located.
• Trustee Eric Morr has asked that trustees revisit the topic of employee pay increases during the Sept. 21 Board meeting. Morr said signs of an economic recovery signal the time to reopen the discussion.
• Hickory Point Drive opened to traffic Sept. 9 with remaining sod and seeding to be completed after Sept. 14, according to a report from Village Engineer Chuck Hunsinger. Other infrastructure updates include completion of a storm sewer as part of the Ruehl Street improvements project with driveways to be completed by Sept. 18 and landscaping by Sept. 25.
• Design work on improvements to County Highway 20 should be completed by the first of the year, according to report from Village Engineer Chuck Hunsinger.n Village Attorney Darrell Woolums and Village Engineer Chuck Hunsinger are working with the property owner west of Hundley Road concerning a flood easement as part of a proposed drainage project. 
• Installation of handrails and seeding remain to be completed on the Grayhawk bike path project, according to a report from Village Engineer Chuck Hunsinger.n On Sept. 14, the Public Works Committee will review a Public Works department proposal for a curb side tree limb collection policy. 
• Public Works Director Larry Coloni reported that 400 new water meters remain to be exchanged for old ones as his department continues to expedite the process. About 10 percent of the meters have shown discrepancies between the outside module and the actual water consumption.

OTHER NEWS

• Village Attorney Darrell Woolums advised trustees that the Village has no liability for sanitary sewer backups. (See next issue for details.) 
• The Village agreed to contribute $3,000 to the new Maroa-Forsyth Grade School for payment of 10 trees to be planted by Walker’s Lawn & Landscaping as part of the school’s $30,000 landscaping contract with the firm. The Village’s gift helps support a requirement to be designated a Tree City USA.