New Columbia County District 3 Commissioner Michael Carraway was sworn in prior to committee meetings on Tuesday, May 28.
Carraway recently won the District 3 special election to finish out the term for Gary Richardson and won the District 3 regular election for the next four year term. After being sworn-in, Carraway joined the Community and Emergency Services Committee as the vice chair and the Public Works and Engineering Services Committee as the chair.
During the CES Committee meeting, the committee approved moving resolution 24-30 regarding amending the fee schedule for the Columbia County Performing Arts Center, to the debate agenda of the full Board of Commissioners.
According to John Luton, community services director, the changes include increasing rates for renting the main lobby, increasing the rental fee for sound and lighting, removing maintenance fees, adding rental rates and staff rates for holiday rates and increasing the rental rates for ticketed concerts.
District 4 Commissioner Alison Couch asked when the last rate change was, with Luton saying there has not been one since the fees were originally set.
During the PWES Committee meeting, committee members approved moving the discussion about the installation of a mini-roundabout at the intersection of Riverwood Parkway and General Wood Parkway to the debate agenda for the full Board of Commissioners.
Kyle Titus, engineering services director, said the county has received several calls about the intersection. While making safety improvements, it was realized that operational improvements were also needed.
“Staff realized we could utilize the existing roadway surface and concept in the packet, implement a new mini-roundabout in this location to improve operational efficiency,” Titus said. “If we do it with internal forces, mainly roads and bridges and road construction working together, we can implement this roundabout for under $300,000.”
Carraway asked if the county had met with the Riverwood HOA to discuss landscaping, while District 1 Commissioner Connie Melear asked about the closing of a portion of Mansford Lane. Titus said yes, he had met with the HOA to discuss the landscaping and he had also met with the HOA and Columbia County School District about the closing of a portion of the road.
“The Mansford Lane exit or egress, we would be closing off, the ingress remains,” Titus said. “There is an entrance north of that just south of Champions Retreat and south of the Mansford Lane intersection. The reason we’re closing off the egress is because one, it complicates the roundabout… We met with the school board as well and the HOA at the same time initially. The challenge with having that right out off of Mansford Lane is and the school board is concerned with traffic utilizing their roads to get back around and we don’t want to implement these improvements and then have a bunch of vehicles make u-turns. So, it’s kind of a give and take, but there are still two locations they can exit.”
The committee also discussed the installation of a traffic signal and necessary equipment at the intersection of Harlem Grovetown Road and Old Louisville Road. Titus said a site distance study was done and there have been 22 accidents at the intersection over the last two years. It was determined to be the most cost-effective solution with an estimated cost of around $45,000.
“Hopefully by the start of the school year this intersection will have this new signal up,” Titus said.
The committee moved the item to the consent agenda for the Board of Commissioners.
Following his first two committee meetings, Carraway said despite some technical difficulties, everything went well.
“I’m looking forward to getting involved and understanding of what’s going on in the community and that process has started. I think in a couple of months i’ll have my feet on the ground,” Carraway said.
Stephanie Hill is the managing editor and covers Columbia County government for The Augusta Press. Reach her at stephanie@theaugustapress.com.
