City Council approves Harrison Park Committee

GILMER COUNTY, Ga. — At their latest meeting, the Ellijay City Council heard updates on the four-way stop at the intersection of North Avenue, North Main Street, and College Street. The council also approved the creation of a Harrison Park committee, and discussed contractor compensation for the Harrison Park restroom project. 11 special event permits for an event at White Path Creek Farms were approved during the meeting as well.

During the staff reports portion of the meeting, the council heard that a new four-way stop near City Hall had been working to reduce speeds in the area. It was also noted that Ellijay Police have been reminding drivers of the new traffic pattern and have not yet begun enforcement with citations. In a Facebook post from June 6, The Ellijay Police Department noted it would be 30 days before they begin issuing non-crash citations. The same post also said that a “raised crosswalk/speed table at N. Main and Hipp Street” is another traffic calming measure that will be implemented soon.

The council approved the formation of a Harrison Park Committee, but did not move to appoint any members during the June 20 meeting. The council also discussed potential compensation for Denny Stover. Councilmember Al Fuller introduced the discussion at the meeting, noting that Stover had “helped facilitate the building of the restrooms at Harrison Park” by acting as a contractor. Fuller said Stover had already been payed $2,500, but asked the council to consider options for further payment. “Without Denny, we could not have even started this project, ” he said, emphasizing the savings afforded to the city by his help. Discussing proper procedures, Councilmember Kathryn Lancey responded: “If we don’t have anything in place, prior to the services that he’s providing us, then I don’t see how we could possibly come up with any kind of figure that would be fair.” While the council took no action, Councilmember Sandy Ott added they “definitely want to recognize him and all the hard work he’s done.”