City Gives Mid-Year Report

Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse gives a mid-year report.

At Monday’s meeting, Morse updated Toccoa City Commissioners on where the city stood halfway through the year on meeting the commission’s goals for 2016.

Morse said that the city has made progress in a number of areas.

He said one of those areas is beautification.

“Progress has been made on Currahee Street and South Pond Street,” said Morse. “Our code enforcement officer is currently working 63 cases and 71 code violations have already been corrected this year. Our citizens are taking an active role in this beautification effort. The community clean-up day was a huge success.”

Morse says that numerous improvements have been made to Henderson Falls, Emory Johnson, and Alewine Parks and added that the Doyle Street Pool is off to a strong start, with some 2,000 people having used it already.

He went on to say that the city’s utility departments have also been working on improvements.

“The dredging at Lake Davidson is progressing nicely and the work is expected to be completed this Fall,” said Morse. “Several improvements have been made to our water treatment plant, including filter improvements, security fencing, and painting. Expansion of our natural gas system is ongoing as well as our bare steel replacement project.”

According to Morse, those utility improvements also include preparing to expand sewer on the Toccoa By-pass and working on utility relocation for the Highway 17 widening project.

In addition, work continues on updating the city cemetery records and the grill at the golf course has opened.

Morse said the city has done all this while maintaining a strong savings.

“Our financial position is strong and we have experienced positive growth in our departmental reserve accounts,” said Morse. “They exceed $1.8 million at this time and that does not include the Commission Reserve Account that has over $2 million in it.”

Overall, Morse said he feels like 2016 is going very well.

“I feel very good not only about the goals that the commission has established, but just our day-to-day operations,” said Morse. “I think we have a great staff and we are accomplishing good things.”

Toccoa Mayor Evan Hellenga agreed, calling the mid-year report very impressive.

“We are doing what we said we were going to do,” said Hellenga. “We are refurbishing all the parks, creating new sidewalks and repairing old sidewalks, the pool is now open and being utilized, we have opened the grill at the golf course, still seeking to build a pavilion and walking trail, the beautification efforts are continuing. A lot of positive things are happening. I am upbeat.”

Morse said a lot of work is still planned for the second half of the year.

That includes the installation of the Schaefer Center marquee, the beginning of the next phase of the downtown streetscape project, continued improvements at Toccoa City Hall and at the golf course, and continued work at the city parks.