The City of Adel has several projects in the works that city officials say will provide better services to citizens and spur on economic development.
The Adel City Council recently accepted a $445,629.02 low bid from The Scruggs Company of Hahira for Alabama Road improvements (including roadwork and drainage) needed for the Walmart Supercenter project. The contractor is working on the Alabama Road improvements while construction is underway on Walmart Adel.
The completed Walmart Store #7194, with a total building area of 124,331 square feet, is scheduled to be turned over to the retail giant by March 7, 2016, for placement of inventory and then opening to customers. Walmart Adel is expected to employ about 200 people.
Walmart should bring to our community as a whole, through sales taxes and ad valorem taxes, an estimated amount greater than $1.5 million per year, said City Manager John Flythe.
Local officials are looking at proceeding with an Alabama Road bypass project around 2017. The bypass will extend from Highway 37 to Highway 76.
Over the past few years, more than $200,000 has been spent in engineering fees and utility relocation work on the proposed bypass road, and this project was in process long before the Walmart discussions began.
Several retail and fast food companies have made inquiries about opening new stores in the Walmart area, Flythe noted.
Another major project for the City of Adel in upcoming months will be a natural gas line expansion north of Adel.
Adel has already signed a contract for the line to run through the City of Sparks, and a contract is pending with the City of Lenox. Under the agreements, Lenox and Sparks would each receive a 5 percent franchise fee on natural gas sales.
John Flythe anticipates that a bid will be awarded soon, and before the first of 2016, the gas line expansion should be under construction. Farmers and asphalt plants would be among the customers served by the gas line in northern Cook County. There should be less than a seven-year payback on the investment.
The project began when the City of Tifton asked the City of Adel permission to serve potential natural gas customers in the northern part of Cook County, Flythe said. “When we (Adel city officials) looked at it, we decided the City of Adel could do the project instead.”
Another upcoming project for the City of Adel will be, depending upon delivery of equipment, installation of an electronic metering system for gas, electric, and water customers. Flythe said installation should start during the middle or latter part of the first quarter of 2016. The change to electronic metering should be completed by the end of 2016.
“We will do all the electric customers first, then gas, and then water,” Flythe said. The project will involve 800 gas meters and 2,600 to 2,700 electric meters. City personnel will install all the electronic meters. The City hired and trained a couple more employees for the work.
An advantage of the new system is that will allow reading of every meter at the same time, and the reading of all meters won’t take 12 days to complete. Also, “the customer will be able to look online and see what the meter is tracking for his usage any time he wants to,” Flythe said. “This will be customer-friendly.” A graph will show the customer’s usage of a utility and information charting the history of the customer’s usage will be provided.
During the coming year, the City’s very successful paving project will continue, the city manager said. “We have received a lot of compliments on it.” More than 3 miles of paving has been completed. State and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds have supported the paving work, with SPLOST signs erected on the completed streets. Georgia Department of Transportation staff graded the streets recommended by the City and that determined how much in state funds was received for the roadwork.
The City Council voted recently to accept a $345,197.55 low bid from Reames & Son for the City’s 2015 Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant (LMIG) project, leveling and resurfacing improvements to various city streets.
The scope of work has included: Leveling and resurfacing improvements to Dottie Street, East 5th Street, Dianne Street, Kent Drive, Rose Street, North and South Cleveland Avenue, East 6th Street, South Martin Luther King Drive, West 9th Street, West 10th Street, North and South Pine Street, South Oak Street, 8th Street, and South Burwell Avenue. The LMIG grant requires a $60,000 match; the balance will be paid with SPLOST funds.
Flythe also noted that a contract should be awarded soon for construction of a sidewalk on Highway 41 South. The sidewalk will improve access for pedestrians to the area of the Adel Post Office and Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) offices.
The City Council voted recently in favor of Resolution 15-09, Transportation Enhancement Act (TEA) Grant Project. The authorization resolution allows execution of a contract for the project. The entire project will be about $400,000, with the City’s cost on the budgeted item at about $60,000.
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