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Politics & Government

Election Improprieties, Hwy. 92 Project Discussed at Collaborative Meeting

Officials with the City of Douglasville, Douglas County and the Board of Education joined together to host a town hall meeting Tuesday night.

One local resident was told by a law enforcement officer to take his questions to Henry Mitchell regarding improprieties within the Board of Elections outside a collaborative town hall meeting Tuesday night between officials with the , Douglas County and the.

James Quarterman brought documents with the Secretary of State’s logo listing violations committed by various county employees. He said the county was found guilty after several complaints were filed and asked Mitchell how long the Board of Commissioners would continue to allow such actions to continue.

“I’m not going to debate you on this,” Mitchell said.

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Quarterman replied by saying, “What’s the debate? I’m just asking you a question.”

Mitchell told those in attendance at the City Council Chambers that there were improprieties found but didn’t comment further.

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“I don’t have the findings, but I want to give you the information we have thus far,” he said.

Another issue discussed at the town hall meeting was the progress of the Highway 92 project. Peter Emanuel with the Georgia Department of Transportation said that construction bids for the three miles of the project in Douglas County are expected to be sent out in April 2014 and work should begin on the project one to two months later.

“We have moved fast and expeditiously,” Emanuel said. “The Congressman told the DOT we’ve got to get it done. Since then, we’ve been moving fast and furious.”

Construction and right-of-way acquisition for the three phases in the Douglas County portion of the project are expected to cost approximately $110 million. The total project cost, including seven miles in Paulding County, is around $165 million.

The work in Douglas County will run from the Interstate 20/Highway 92 interchange to the intersection of Highway 92 and Malone Road. It will include building three bridges and an interchange; adding lighting, traffic signals, noise barriers and landscaping; and widening the road from two to four lanes. The road work is expected to take two years to complete while the bridge construction could take up to five years to finish.

“We always like to start with the max because you know it doesn’t go beyond that,” Emanuel said.

This project has been in the works for more than 30 years.

“It’s going to get done,” Emanuel said.

Federal funds will pay for 80 percent of the project, and the state will pick up the remaining 20 percent of the cost. Work on the Paulding County portion of the project is expected to start around one year after the Douglas County work begins. Information on the project is available online at www.gahwy92.com.

Also discussed was the opportunity for Brownfield funding in Douglasville. Marcia Hampton, director of the Community and Downtown Services Department, said that properties that have had any kind of environmental contamination are eligible for Brownfield funding. One possible site that could receive funding is the current jail where officers change the oil in their cars. Other sites could include businesses like dry cleaners.

“It doesn’t have to be anything that’s 8 to 10 acres,” Hampton said. “It can be something that’s very small.”

Houses also could be eligible if there have been contaminants present, such as asbestos. Sites that are eligible for funding must be private properties and in the city limits. However, properties owned by the city are not eligible. Cleanup grants range in amounts from $500,000 to $1 million. The deadline for the city to submit its grant application is Nov. 30.

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