By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

Bostwick Mayor John Bostwick reported that the Bostwick Community Center has been taken down and a parking lot is going in its place.

He noted that while they originally were going to use gravel they went with asphalt milling instead.
They plan to seed and straw the edges. Also, they will look into planting trees along the back of the parking lot as well as between the parking lot and the Methodist church.

Bostwick said they cannot stripe the lot at this point as the ground asphalt material has not set up yet and stripes will not stay on until it does.

They will try to pack the milling enough for them to stripe it, he said.
Bostwick said the Transportation Equity Act (TEA) grant they are using on this project includes angled parking on Church Street.
“That seems like a waste of money,” he said.

He added that he has spoken to their engineer at Williams & Associates out of Watkinsville. The engineer advised them to finish out the project and at the end put in for a revision.

The city’s revision request will be to use the funds that would have been used to create angled parking toward parking improvements such as bumpers or stripes and/or park improvements such as sidewalks or new grass.
Councilman Ken Johnson asked if they had plans to improve or repair the playground equipment. He noted that children from two different churches use it.

Councilman Damon Malcom added that the equipment needs work, in particular, new chains and seats for the swings.
Bostwick agreed that they need to take care of this.
During the council’s January meeting Johnson asked about the city’s junk and trash ordinance. Following that discussion the city sent out letters and since has seen a response.

Bostwick said they had received one letter informing them that the residents at one property were putting up a privacy fence while the residents of the other property are in the process of cleaning up their property.

Lt. Mark Williams in the Criminal Investigations Division of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office provided council members with radar sign information.

As noted on www.radarsign.com, “radar speed signs (also called radar signs, driver feedback signs, speed display signs, and ‘Your Speed’ signs) are built to alert motorists of their speed.”
He said the company out of Alpharetta makes a decent solar-powered product. He added that pricing is based on how many signs are bought.

Williams said a mobile radar sign like the county has runs about $4,000.

In other news:
• Bostwick said they had received one bid for the city’s cemetery project but he wants to get at least one more.
During their November meeting the council agreed to map cemetery plots at the Westbrook Cemetery.
• Also, Johnson reminded the council that Faye Craft will not seek reappointment to the Morgan County Planning Commission. They will look for someone else interested in serving on that board.
• Bostwick reported that they have had community service volunteers who have picked up trash along Highway 83 three or four times now.

Printed in the February 7, 2013 edition