Grovetown was prepared for '04 growth

Grovetown spent 2004 growing at a breakneck pace, officials say.

In a recent summary statement of how his city fared in 2004, Grovetown Mayor Dennis Trudeau said his city was prepared for such growth and was able to keep up with an influx of new residents and businesses.

"We're racing down the track trying to stay ahead of the train," Trudeau said.

At Monday's city council meeting, Trudeau detailed how the city performed in 2004, reading end-of-the-year reports from each department, including each department head's accomplishments in 2004 and goals for 2005.

A report from the city's new planning and zoning director, Henry Taylor, showed his department issued 319 residential building permits in 2004, along with 26 mobile home permits and 23 commercial building permits.

"That's quite a bit," Trudeau said, adding that several subdivision developers received approval on final plats and even more await plat approval.

And as the city's population increases, the number of dirt roads is decreasing, officials said. The city's Streets and Sanitation Department paved several roads in 2004, including Lakeview Drive and Whiskey Road.

The department also has begun 2005 plans.

"We have got three streets under contract right now to be paved - Berzelia Road, Adams Lane and Mount Pleasant Road," Trudeau said. "They are all short strips, but they need paving. Of course, the county is working on Dodge Lane. So, we'll probably be paving that this year. That should just about take care of all our dirt roads in the city."

Trudeau said all city departments finished 2004 in the black, including the Water and Sewer Department, despite a $532,812 water/sewer infrastructure payment to the county for water and sewer services. Todd Baldwin was hired to head the department after the Public Works division split from the Water and Sewer division in July.

"They have kind of kept ahead of the curve," Trudeau said. "(All the departments) are really keeping a sharp pencil and only really buying what they need.''

Each department is now preparing for more growth and more residents. The De-partment of Public Safety responded to 10,506 calls in 2004, which is nearly 700 more calls than in 2003.

Chief A.L. Robinson said his department, which provides law enforcement and fire and rescue services, will be acquiring more equipment and hopes to establish a full-time drug/vice enforcement unit this year.

Already a month into 2005, all city department heads expect a year similar to 2004, one spent preparing for growth.

"It looks like we had a good year last year," Trudeau said.