RINGGOLD, Ga. — Catoosa County is near agreement with Fort Oglethorpe to let the city’s inspector approve the rest of construction on the West Chickamauga basin sewer project, county officials said.
The county’s contract with Arcadis, the engineering firm for the project, to provide an inspector recently expired.
“We envision an agreement with Fort Oglethorpe like we have with Ringgold to perform inspection on county-financed projects within their respective sewer basins,” said Chad Young, Catoosa Public Works Authority board attorney.
The city would do the inspection and be reimbursed by the county for expenses. Once the county completes construction, the project will belong to Fort Oglethorpe to operate.
Arcadis had proposed a contract change for increased inspection costs until the basin project is finished.
A work stoppage was ordered for more than three weeks on the project earlier this year after county and state environmental officials found a number of violations, including a claim the contractor, East Tennessee Grading, disturbed an area inside the buffer zone protecting West Chickamauga Creek.
Also Monday, County Manager Mike Helton introduced Chuck Taylor as the county roads department supervisor. He has been an employee of the Florida Department of Transportation for 21 years.
Mr. Helton and Catoosa Projects Administrator Christal Thomas said 125 tons of trash were turned in by county residents during free hazardous waste Amnesty Day at the Santek garbage transfer station Saturday.
“We had 631 vehicles drop off that (amount),” Mrs. Thomas said, adding the traffic flowed smoothly.
Mr. Helton said the response was so overwhelming, “there is no doubt it helped clean up the county. Many participants asked that we consider doing this again.”
