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Residents urge traffic signal at Grayson Ridge and press county on ARPA grant transparency
Summary
During public comment March 18, a resident asked for a new traffic signal and red-light camera at a Grayson Ridge intersection after a recent crash; a separate speaker urged the county to disclose vetting and results for roughly 64 ARPA grant recipients who received about $4.8 million.
Several residents used the public-comment period at the March 18 Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners meeting to press the county on traffic safety and federal ARPA grant oversight.
Gwendolyn Ward, who said she lives in the Grayson Ridge 55-plus community, told the board she was involved in a January crash turning onto Grayson Highway and asked the county to install a traffic signal at the community entrance and consider a red-light camera at the nearby Webbgen House intersection. "We desperately need a traffic light there," Ward said. Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson told Ward that Department of Transportation director Louis Cooksey was present and could meet with her after the meeting.
Lisa Rutherford said her research into local ARPA and pandemic-related grants found approximately 64 organizations had received more than $4.8 million in federal awards. She said many grantees were recently formed, some list principal addresses outside Gwinnett County and a few list PO boxes or residential addresses, and she asked what steps the county has taken to vet, monitor and report on how those funds are used. Rutherford said county data collection for reporting was expected to commence in 2025 but said she found limited responsive documentation so far and urged greater transparency.
Norman A. Carter Jr., a Snellville city council member who also represents Commissioner Watkins on the Parks and Recreation board, praised recent county support for Evermore Senior Village and thanked the commissioners for assistance that had benefited the community.
The board did not take immediate formal action on any of the public comments during the meeting. Chair Hendrickson indicated DOT director Louis Cooksey could meet privately with the traffic-safety commenter after the session; county staff did not make a public response to Rutherford’s ARPA transparency questions during the March 18 meeting.
