Lavonia City Council Approves 1st Read of 2023 Capital Improvement Projects

The City of Lavonia has a lot of big projects planned for 2023.

At their regular meeting last week, City Manager Charles Cawthon went over for the City Council and Mayor Courtney Umbehant the list of the planned 2023 Capital Improvement Projects.

At the top of the list is the Gateway Industrial Park/Lavonia Sewer Improvement project.

In the works since 2013, the project will enhance Lavonia’s ability to provide more sewer capacity from Lavonia along Hwy 59 to the Gateway Industrial Park.

To do that, Lavonia will also replace two ailing pump stations.

Monies to pay for the $ 6.3 million project are coming from the EDA, Appalachian Regional Commission, GEFA, and Hart County Water reserve funds.

In town, Cawthon said the City is planning to resurface streets in the Lavonia area that are failing at a cost of $80,000.  Funding to pay for the resurfacing will come from Local Maintenance Improvement Grant monies and SPLOST.

Cawthon told the City Council the City is also planning to replace the roofs on the Community Center and Train Depot next year at a cost of $180,000.

Another major project is more long-term and that is the Downtown Streetscape project, which will involve a complete overhaul of the City’s roadways, sidewalks, and landscaping, according to Cawthon at a cost of approximately a million dollars.

Streetscape money, Cawthon said, will come from grants and city reserve funds and will take place over the next two years.

Other Capital Improvement projects slated for 2023 include the purchase of a new street sweeper and two leaf and limb collection trucks as well as an update of Lavonia’s city codes and ordinances.

After hearing from Cawthon, Mayor Umbehant called for a public comment hearing on the list of proposed capital improvement projects.

After no comments were received for or against, councilman Andrew Murphy motioned to approve the first reading of the 2023 capital improvement project list.
That was seconded by councilman Jeremy Madden and it passed unanimously.