Chattahoochee County approves GDOT maintenance agreement for planned Wells Street roundabout

The Chattahoochee County Board of Commissioners on March 4 unanimously approved a Right‑of‑Way Mowing & Maintenance Agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation tied to P.I. No. 0015687, a project that will install a single‑lane roundabout at the intersection of State Route 1/State Route 520 and County Road 109 (Wells Street).

The motion to approve the agreement was made by Commissioner Damon Hoyte and seconded by Commissioner Gerald Douglas; the vote was recorded as unanimous. Chairman Charles Coffey presided over the meeting of the Board of Commissioners at 215 McNaughton Street in Cusseta.

GDOT’s correspondence accompanying the agreement describes a maintenance program for the project’s right‑of‑way, including mowing, pruning, weeding, pesticide and herbicide use under licensed supervision, litter removal, and repair or maintenance of sidewalks and multi‑use trails. The document in the packet also states the county will follow the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for temporary traffic control when work affects travel lanes.

Under the contract terms included in Exhibit A, the local government (Chattahoochee County) will bear the costs and liability associated with the maintenance work; GDOT’s documents state the department is not providing compensation for the work. The agreement references insurance requirements or the alternative of self‑insurance, indemnity language, and a term of 50 years unless terminated earlier by either party.

County Attorney Bin Minter had previously notified the commission that he planned to attend the March 27 Planning & Zoning meeting to help the board and staff understand zoning and construction‑related requirements; the maintenance agreement packet includes GDOT contact details and a requirement that, for significant landscaping or activities that may interfere with traffic, the county obtain and submit a traffic interruption report through GDOT’s prescribed channels.

The county packet included detailed planting and construction plans for the roundabout, and the GDOT letter directed the county to execute the agreement in the Contract Authorization Tracking System (CATS) so GDOT could route it for signatures and return a fully executed copy to the county file.

The commission approved the agreement without debate; the packet notes the county will receive and manage any required ongoing maintenance responsibilities if the project proceeds.