JULY 2021 NEWSLETTER

Dawsonville Profile

City News for the Residents of Dawsonville—JULY 2021

  Message from your Mayor…….  

I hope everyone has enjoyed a great summer. Vacations are about over and school is about to start back. Please be cautious as you drive through our city as the schools start back in operation in early August. This is a critical time when we get many new school children walking, and many people walk in the streets.  We hope that you will look out for them as you move around each and every day.

In case you hadn’t seen it, the City is installing a skate park in Main Street Park. Additionally, we are about to install exercise stations, which will allow people to walk and exercise in a safe environment.  The paving for the floors of the two pavilions which will be available for rent, should be finished within the next 30 to 45 days.

We have worked with our Sheriff, Jeff Johnson, to provide additional law-enforcement support within the city by paying for two deputy sheriffs to provide services seven days a week, 12 hours per day in our city.  Many things are   going on in our city.  No serious problems, but we want to provide a law-enforcement presence within the city, and this is an easy and convenient way to do it. These deputies will patrol just like any other deputy, and will be here for us to call upon as needed. Additional deputies from the county will continue to patrol around the city just as before.

If you need anything from the City please contact me, our council members, or the city staff for assistance.

A  message from your City Manager Bob Bolz ……. 

Main Street Park continues to grow while receiving tremendous use during summer weather. The concrete pad for the skate park has been poured and the elements are being manufactured. We hope to have this open later this summer, with a target of September 3rd for a Grand Opening. Two new picnic shelters have been constructed and we are awaiting installation of electricity, barbeque grills, fire boxes, and concrete floors. Pads have been poured for 14 fitness stations and installation is underway and a new bicycle rack is to be installed near the playground. Our new dog park located on Memory Lane is open and receiving a great deal of use.

The July 9th food truck night was held at the Farmers Market to large crowds with most food vendors selling out by 7:30 PM. After the event, a movie night paid for and sponsored by Local Church Dawsonville Campus, formally Mountain Lake Church was held on the amphitheater lawn, showing the Disney movie, Moana. The crowd was good, and everyone enjoyed this event. Our next food truck night is scheduled for August 6th at the Farmers Market.

The city is researching solar power, EV and other alternative fueled vehicles options and opportunities to make our city greener.

In a past report, we offered to all our water-sewer-garbage customers an opportunity to participate in a survey regarding recycling being offered by the city. We have approximately 1,699 utility customers and of that number, we only received 41 responses to our survey, or less than 3% of our customers. Of those 41 customers, the following results were determined:

• Would recycling benefit our community: 50% (20) strongly agree, 35% (15) agree, 10% (4) neither, 5% (2) strongly disagree
• Willing to pay for service: Yes 52% (21), No 48% (20)
• Willing to separate recycle items: Yes 85% (35), No 15% (6)
• How much willing to pay: Up to $10 – 62%, Not willing to pay 38%
• Curbside 60%, Drop Off 40%

Renovation and paving of Main Street, Memory Lane, Jack Heard Street, and Howser Mill Road should start by summer’s end.  Also, extensions to the Allen Street sidewalk should start soon and will better connect the Farmers Market to the sidewalk along Hwy 53, Main Street Park, and the City Hall Municipal Complex.

Dawsonville is the birthplace of stockcar racing.  The Dawsonville History Museum is home to the newly renovated Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, which displays many Georgian men and women who pioneered the beginning of NASCAR with their great contributions to the safety and raw talent of racing.  Everyone knows Dawsonville to be the Home of our current NASCAR Champion, Chase Elliott, featured in one of the newest exhibits on display with his championship trophy and trophies from the 2020 season, and the all-time Most Popular Driver, Bill Elliott, who’s career from beginning to end (in trophies) is on display in the Elliott Family Room. 

We are currently excited to unveil our newest interactive exhibit on July 1st, for students, where they will be able to slide into the driver’s seat in a drivers suit, and watch their friends.

If you are interested in having your City business featured in the month newsletters, please contact Sara at City Hall by calling 706-265-3256 or click here to email Sara.