FLOWERY BRANCH -- The Flowery Branch City Council has approved a bid to replace a large portion of water line that city officials say is inadequate.
City Manager Bill Andrew said that several hundred feet of water line in the area of Lights Ferry Road at Morrow Drive is too narrow to provide proper water pressure to the nearly 50 residential units it covers. He said the two-inch-wide line is also too narrow to support fire hydrants in the area, which has required fire officials to use water from other areas of the city to fight fires.
The council voted to accept a bid from Mack Jones Enterprises, Inc to replace the line with six-inch piping for just under $250,000. Andrew recommended the bid from Jones to the council before the vote.
"Mr. Jones is a local contractor," Andrew said. "He's worked with us in the past and is well known to our public works director."
The project will also include installing five fire hydrants in the area, and Andrew said the project could start as early as September.
The city will need to dig into their funding to pay for the project. Andrew said the city had intended to pay for the water line using money from a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, which was supposed to bring in $200,000. However, early projections show that the city will fall short by over $50,000. Andrew said the city can pay for the remainder of the new line using money from the water/sewer capital fund.
Hall County Schools to meet with Flowery Branch about school realignment
Andrew also said at the meeting that Flowery Branch city officials have asked to meet with Hall County School Board officials at a public meeting to discuss the looming realignment of several schools in the South Hall area.
He said the school board has agreed to meet with the council to answer questions and clear the air on what the rearranging will mean, particularly for the nearby Flowery Branch High School, within the next couple of months.
The school board has discussed a redistricting that would open a new high school in South Hall and relocate several schools in the area, including Flowery Branch High.
