The City of Newnan voted Aug. 26 to proceed with Phase 1 of a multi-phase plan to rehabilitate and improve Farmer Street Cemetery, accepting consultant-produced construction documents and directing staff to solicit bids for the work.

Staff presented final construction documents prepared with Pond and Company and described a phased approach: Phase 1 focuses on masonry and decorative aluminum perimeter fencing along Farmer Street, rehabilitation of the drive entrance and drive circle, expanded parking, stormwater updates and the first segment of an accessible visitor path. The consultant estimated Phase 1 at $664,500 and Phase 2 at $681,500; no dedicated funding was previously assigned for the project.

After presentations by staff and remarks from Dr. Danny Allen of the African American Alliance and the African American Heritage Museum and Research Center, who thanked the council and the Farmer Street Cemetery Commission for long-term preservation efforts, council members asked about the presence of potential burial sites shown on the survey mapping and how construction would avoid disturbing them. Staff said the project team and scope account for known anomalies and that contractor qualifications and construction administration would require sensitivity to possible unmarked graves; staff indicated that handling discoveries would be a criterion in the request-for-proposal (RFP) and in contractor selection.

When asked about funding, staff confirmed the recommended source is the city's unassigned general-fund balance (staff reported approximately $25.9 million in unassigned fund balance that morning). A councilmember moved to proceed with Phase 1 using unassigned funds and to release the project for bids; the motion carried on a voice vote with no opposition.

Staff will return with a contract recommendation after bid evaluation; council will vote before any contract is awarded. Council emphasized that the construction team must be experienced in sensitive work around potential burial sites and that improvements will be sited to avoid known mapped anomalies.