Upper Etowah River Alliance Fundraiser

The “Ball Ground Streamers” are working with the alliance on a used book drive fundraiser.  Please consider dropping off your used books here in the foyer at City Hall between now and July 31^st, 2021.   The cleanliness of our waterways is vital in our mission of providing quality drinking water to our customers.   We appreciate the work of the Ball Ground Streamers and the Upper Etowah River Alliance in achieving clean waterways.

Our system was recently tested for the presence of Trihalomethanes (TTHM).  What is TTHM? Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) are a group of disinfection byproducts that form when chlorine compounds that are used to disinfect water react with other naturally occurring chemicals in the water. They are colorless and will evaporate out of the water into the air.  If these byproducts form in large enough quantities they can present health concerns, so the EPA has established a maximum contaminant of 80 parts per billion in drinking water.  We are happy to say that there are no detectable levels of TTHM in the City of Ball Ground water supply.

Mayor Roberts and the Ball Ground City Council will meet in chambers at 7:00 PM Thursday evening. Of the 11 agenda items, the two most significant items to our residents will be the establishment of the annual property tax and fire tax millage rate. The fire tax is proposed at 3.292 the same as last year. This tax rate is simply a pass-thru, collected by the City and remitted to Cherokee County to pay for fire services within the City. The City of Ball Ground operational millage rate is proposed at 4.633, down from 5 last year. Most residents should see a slight reduction in their tax bill based on the 4.633 rate.

Good Morning Ball Ground:

The State of Georgia has enacted some new rules of the road when encountering bicycles on public roadways.  The previous law stated you needed to move over and give the bicycle at least 3 feet of room when passing.  The law now states that when safe and legal to do so motorists should make a lane change to give the cyclist even more room.  In the event it is not safe or legal to change lanes then the motorist must slow down to at least 10 mph slower than the posted speed limit, or 25 mph, whichever is greater.  At the very minimum, you MUST slow down the 10 mph under the speed limit AND provide at least 3 feet of clearance.  Again, making a lane change is the goal, when safe and legal to do so.   You can find more specifics in the Georgia Code Section 40-6-56 which became effective July 1^st, 2021.

Groover Street may be closed a bit longer than anticipated.  The weather doesn’t appear to be cooperating and the contractor must avoid opening up too large of a section at one time when rain is in the forecast, as the project could turn dangerous very quickly in heavy rains.

Have a great day Ball Ground.

Eric

Hello Ball Ground:

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Beginning today (June 28, 2021), Groover Street will be closed between Old Dawsonville Road and Civic Drive (near the Senior Center).

Construction will take place in this area to replace the storm drain that runs under Groover Street.  This storm drain is extremely old and has rusted completely thru – which is beginning to compromise the roadbed.

We anticipate the road will remain closed for approximately three weeks, as this drain is extremely deep, and given the road contains 4 water lines, 1 sewer line, 2 gas lines and underground fiber, cable and telephone, excavation will be a very slow and tedious project.

We apologize for any inconvenience and will do our best to get the project done quickly and correctly.

Have a great week.
Eric