Toccoa Approves Joint Agreement with Stephens Co.

The Toccoa City Commission signs off on an intergovernmental agreement with Stephens County Commissioners to cover a number of issues.

City commissioners unanimously approved the agreement at their meeting on Monday.

Under the agreement, Stephens County will be responsible for paving Memorial Drive between Big A Road and the Toccoa By-pass.

Once that section of Memorial Drive is paved, the agreement calls for the city of Toccoa to be responsible for all future maintenance of Memorial Drive between Big A Road and the Toccoa By-pass, making that stretch of road a city street.

The agreement also calls for the city to provide its ladder truck to assist the county’s volunteer fire departments as needed and to continue to provide mowing and brush work at the Stephens County Park on Highway 123.

Also, the agreement requires the city to waive water and natural gas tap fees and provide water hydrants free of charge at the site of three fire stations being built by Stephens County throughout the county with SPLOST VI funds.

Toccoa Mayor Terry Carter said he appreciates the work on both sides that went into finalizing this agreement.

“We appreciate the attitude and cooperation that I experienced first-hand with Chairman Bell and also with the county administrator,” said Carter.

Stephens County Commissioners approved this agreement on August 11 after tabling and making changes to an original agreement proposed and approved by the Toccoa City Commission in July.

The need for such an agreement arose out of issues of jurisdiction surrounding Memorial Drive and the planned re-surfacing of the road.

Stephens County has plans to re-surface Memorial Drive between the By-pass and Big A Road in the coming weeks and months using SPLOST VI funding.