City Of Toccoa Planning to Move Forward on City Hall Renovations

THE CITY OF TOCCOA IS PLANNING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME RENOVATIONS TO TOCCOA CITY HALL.

ON MONDAY, THE TOCCOA CITY COMMISSION MET IN A WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS THE CITY HALL BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN TOCCOA.

TOCCOA CITY MANAGER BILLY MORSE SAYS THAT IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 25 YEARS SINCE THERE WERE MAJOR UPGRADES DONE TO ANY PART OF CITY HALL.

ACCORDING TO MORSE, THE FRONT PART OF CITY HALL FACING ALEXANDER STREET WAS BUILT IN 1932 AS THE TOCCOA POST OFFICE AND THE BACK OF THE BUILDING WAS BUILT IN 1991.

MORSE SAYS THE BUILDING NEEDS SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS AND RESTORATION AND $300,000 WAS SET ASIDE IN SPLOST VI TO USE ON THE WORK.

HE SAYS THAT MONEY HAS BEEN COLLECTED AND IS READY TO BE USED.

MORSE SAYS HE HAS A PRIORITY ORDER FOR THE PROJECTS.

“What I call weatherproofing or waterproofing this building is a priority, so the roof, there are some windows, caulking, so that certainly needs to be step number one,” said Morse. “What I am calling curb appeal, some things on the outside, masonry, stucco, concrete, and then some things on the interior might be a third phase.”

MORSE SAYS HE WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO DO THE WORK IN A PIECEMEAL MANNER WITH A PLAN TO USE CITY CREWS WHEREVER POSSIBLE TO SAVE MONEY.

MORSE ALSO RECOMMENDS CREATING A CITY HALL RENOVATIONS COMMITTEE MADE UP OF TWO COMMISSIONERS AND CITY STAFF TO OVERSEE THE RENOVATIONS.

“I think that is a way for the commission to be represented and get the work done without having to deal with a work session type environment,” said Morse.
COMMISSIONERS GAIL FRY AND TERRY CARTER WILL SERVE ON THE CITY HALL RENOVATIONS COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH SELECTED STAFF MEMBERS.