Final meeting on projects coming

Columbia County residents will get a final chance to make their infrastructure needs and wants known Thursday at a capital improvement projects meeting.

The third and final meeting on the issue will occur at 6 p.m. at the Evans Government Center auditorium.

Residents will first hear from county officials about the plan for a project list, which would be funded with a bond issue of about $40 million that must go before voters in a November referendum.

After the presentation, residents will be able to speak with individual department heads about what projects they think should be added to the list.

A preliminary list of needed projects already has been drafted, including millions for such things as transportation and stormwater improvements.

County Commission Chairman Ron Cross said the response from residents in the two previous meetings has been positive to the idea of a capital improvements process.

To pay off the bond issue that would fund a project list, commissioners have said it would involve about a one mill increase in property taxes, or about an extra $40 a year on an average $100,000 home.

"I've attended both of the meetings, and there hasn't been a lot of discussion and real concern, which is good,'' Cross said.

"There have been some special stormwater projects that people are looking at, particular to a special district-type thing, but there really hasn't been all that much conversation about the thing," he said.

Cross said he is most excited about funds that could be included for more development at Wildwood Park.

"If we could get a little money there to get some utility studies started and kind of push that along, I'd be happy," he said.

Cross said that when commissioners next meet, on June 20, they could finalize the project list and then vote on whether to send it to the November referendum.