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Cusseta-Chattahoochee pushes SPLOST and tourism projects while weighing higher garbage costs or bringing service in-house
Summary
County Manager Thomas Weaver proposed using Hotel/Motel and SPLOST funds for a City Hall welcome center, Riverbend Park fishing pier and campsites; at the same meeting he outlined an uptick in residential garbage costs and presented an in-house alternative that could save roughly $92,000 annually (truck purchase not included).
County Manager Thomas Weaver told the commission at a July 28 work session that the county has resources and proposals ready for tourism and recreation projects and should act while funds are available. Weaver asked the commission to approve signatures and to place projects on the regular meeting agenda for formal votes.
Weaver described three main tourism/recreation proposals: convert a small room in City Hall into a welcome center usable by the Chamber of Commerce or other groups; build a fishing pier at Riverbend Park (to the left of the existing boat dock); and develop campsites with power and mound septic systems to attract overnight visitors. He said the county's Hotel/Motel balance stood at $813,251 and that 2025 SPLOST receipts had already exceeded $500,000. "The current balance is Hotel/Motel is 813,251.00, SO it needs to be spent," Weaver said on the record.
Weaver also asked for quotes to repair the City Hall room, to build the pier and to provide power for campsites, and discussed adding a small restroom and water-fountain station at the busy King Street basketball court.
On solid-waste services, Weaver told commissioners that the county received notice from its hauler indicating a residential contract cost increase; he gave approximate figures on the record: "Our annual cost to GFL would be going from 312,000.00 a year to 342,000.00 a year, just for residential," Weaver said. He said county staff analyzed an in-house option that could save about $92,000 annually, excluding the capital cost to buy a truck (which Weaver said the county could purchase with SPLOST funds if the commission chose). He asked the commission to keep the matter on the agenda so the full board could review the contract and options.
The manager said the county is also enforcing payment at the recycle center (charging for tires and construction debris) and exploring on-site credit-card processing to reduce evasion; he said cameras and staff-rotation measures are being used.
What happens next: Weaver will collect quotes and the commission will consider SPLOST/Hotel-Motel project funding and whether to approve contracting changes or an in-house transition at a subsequent regular meeting.
