Powder Springs Mayor Al Thurman and other city officials answered many questions on Jan. 24, following their State of the City and Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Kickoff.
To about 120 at the Ford Reception Hall, Thurman involved City Council members and city department heads in presenting different phases of the city’s development.
U.S. 278 potholes: Concerning the excessive potholes on U.S. 278 between Richard D. Sailors Parkway to the Paulding County line, City Manager Pam Conner said this section is scheduled to be paved. However, Conner said she did not have an answer yet from Cobb Department of Transportation officials who did not have an answer from Georgia Department of Transportation officials.
Water bill problems: One resident, who said he has lived in the city for 47 years, remarked that his water was cut off in November even though he said he paid his bill. Others also said they had problems with their water bills at the end of last year. Thurman advised them to check with City Hall.
Sanitation rate: City Clerk/Finance Director Kelly Axt said there is no expected increase for this rate.
Youth activities: Through surveys, Thurman noted that senior citizens and the city's younger population both want the same things such as parks and restaurants which are being planned.
Skate park: Thurman said the city is looking for money to build a skate park on the other side of the bridge from the present Linear Park. Adjacent to the Silver Comet Trail, the Linear Park contains the covered basketball pavilion, playgrounds, a picnic pavilion, restrooms and a covered exercise pavilion.
Lucile Trail safety: Police Chief Tony Bailey said the only incident of which he was aware concerned a suicide by a man. Bailey said the trails are monitored regularly by the city's police force. He also noted that Powder Springs has just been named one of the top 25 safest cities in Georgia by the National Council for Home Safety and Security. To identify the safest cities in Georgia, the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics are reviewed. A total of 7,639 cities were factored into this ranking with populations ranging from 7,639 to 4,007,147.
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