On Hall roadways, spraying better than mowing

GAINESVILLE - Hall County motorists won't see roadside mowing crews nearly as much next year according to Public Works Director Ken Reardon.

That's because he plans to use environmentally safe spray chemical to cut down the growth instead of mowing it down with tractor mowers manned by county inmates; Reardon told county commissioners the spray program promised to save the county around $100,000 by reducing the need for tractor mowers using inmates, not to mention fuel and maintenance cost.

Hall has 825 miles of roadway to maintain during mowing season with 12 tractor mowers using 16 inmates, four officers, 15,680 gallons of fuel and it costs $58,750 to maintain the tractors. Reardon added that mowers cause accidents which damage adjoining properties and injure workers. Hall Corrections Assistant Superintendent Jimmy Hightower says the inmates would be used on other projects.

"It will prevent having to hire people for these other areas you're going to need," Hightower said.

Reardon said spraying is safe; the county won't do it under windy conditions that could cause the spray to drift onto property owners' landscaping. He plans to use the spray next year on approximately 200 miles of roadway beginning in January and mowing would be cut from four cycles down to just two.


"It reaches 15 feet from the edge of the road and it attacks the weeds," Reardon said. "We want to start during the dormant season with spraying in January, May and July."