Fort Oglethorpe officials thought they had $800,000 in grant money to begin a streetscape on LaFayette Road.

Then, just one day after the city council received a petition with 1,350 signatures from people against the project, a representative from the state Department of Transportation called and said $500,000 that had been allotted to Fort Oglethorpe couldn’t be used for its designated purpose.

“Folks,” Mayor Ronnie Cobb told about 20 people gathered for a special called city council meeting on Tuesday, June 17, “the truth is that pool of money is about $300,000.”

The loss hinges on the fact that the council had planned to move forward on narrowing the road from five lanes to three, using the old traffic lanes for parking and beautification. The state funding that had been awarded could be used only for improving traffic flow, and the department commissioner who took office just a few months ago informed the city that narrowing a road doesn’t help traffic, officials said.

However, former Mayor Judd Burkhart said the city could still use the grant money if planners just designated it for parts of the project that don’t involve narrowing the road. Burkhart was mayor when most of the decisions were made, and he said city officials had always known the grant money they received wouldn’t be enough to complete the entire project anyhow.

“Later on, deal with the east side of the road,” he told the council. “It’s really going to be better for you because you don’t have enough money to do it all, anyway.”

City Attorney and Interim City Manager Ron Goulart said he plans to inquire into whether the funds can be moved to another project, like extending Patterson Avenue or Stuart Drive to connect with neighboring roads so motorists have more than one way to access those areas. Cobb said the city could then apply for additional grant money later for LaFayette Road.

However, he also expressed concern about not being able to do much with the available $300,000, which is from a transportation enhancement grant. Just putting the utility lines underground would run about $100,000, he said.

Several people who attended the meeting urged the council to find some way to use the funds on some aspect of the LaFayette Road project other than narrowing the thoroughfare.

“I think if we have $300,000 that we can use, I don’t care if we do just a 12-foot section,” said Barnhardt Circle resident Paula Muina, who is also president of the Post Community Association. “I think we should use it.”

Henrietta Gilbert, owner of Fort Oglethorpe Florist and a Downtown Development Authority board member, said many people had put a lot of effort into planning to get this far. The project has been ongoing since the 1990s, but has been cancelled or put off several times because business owners and others couldn’t agree on how to do the road enhancement.

“I’m very disheartened after sitting here and listening to all of this,” she said. “Let’s utilize what we have.”

While the council did not vote on the matter, Cobb said officials will continue to explore their options. He said it was his understanding that state officials in charge of the funding had been “bombarded with telephone calls” from people opposed to the project as long as the road-narrowing was part of it.

“It is just wrenching to me not to see something happen up there,” Cobb said. “The council and myself and the city manager, we haven’t quit. We’re just trying to tell everybody where we’re at.”

Insurance carrier dropped

In other business at the meeting, the council voted to drop its current insurance company, Travelers, since Selective Insurance offered an annual premium that cost $70,000 less for an annual premium of $223,727 compared to Traveler’s renewal rate of $292,273.

Only council member Charles Sharrock voted against the move.

“I am very uncomfortable with that kind of spread in (the quotes),” he said. “I’m concerned that there’s something not right about this coverage or that there’s something missing in it that I’m not seeing.

Travelers insurance covered the city last year after their former carrier, Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency, dropped them because of the high number of high-dollar claims and lawsuits the city had had.

Council member Steve Brandon said he appreciates Travelers assistance last year and that the decision to switch insurance agencies was not a reflection of the job the company had done.

“When we have this much of a difference (in price) and we’re obligated to the citizens with their money, it’s a tough situation to be in,” he said.

Also at the meeting, the council voted to place some surplus police property for sale on govdeals.com.

Council member Johnnie “Red” Smith was absent from the meeting because he was with his wife, who is undergoing cancer treatment. City Clerk Harold Silcox asked for prayers for Smith and his family.