Three months after closing on donated property for a future recreation space, Dawson County’s Parks and Recreation department is asking to apply for a grant to add trails on the land, according to the Board of Commissioners’ Feb. 2 agenda.
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Longtime county resident Anne Styles and her family have donated 120 acres of land off of Ga. 183 and Elliott Family Parkway for public use.
On behalf of Parks and Rec, director Matt Payne is asking the board for permission to apply for the 2024 Georgia Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant, the Feb. 2 agenda stated.
The grant would fund the construction of biking and walking trails at the Styles Park property, something for which board members have previously voiced support.
The pre-application process for the grant starts in June 2023. Officials are expected to determine the exact amount to request at a later time. If awarded, the grant would be a 50/50 match.
Similarly, the board will also be able to review a lease agreement that Rocky Hill Cattle Company has had for the Styles land to produce and raise cattle, according to the agenda.
This 77.41-acre property was part of the Styles land that was donated to the county in 2022.
The board will have to decide whether to continue with the lease or make changes to it.
The BOC’s work session will start at 4 p.m., and the voting session will immediately follow. Meetings are held the first and third Thursdays of each month.
People can attend meetings in person at the BOC’s assembly room in the Dawson County Government Center. The courthouse is located at 25 Justice Way in Dawsonville.
The meetings will also be live streamed on the Dawson County Government's YouTube channel starting at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Voting session
A formal decision on an additional school resource officer is expected during the board’s Feb. 2 voting session.
A vote for a new Dawson County Sheriff’s Office SWAT is also on the agenda. Sheriff Jeff Johnson previously requested a vehicle for better SWAT ballistic protection and other response options. If approved, this vehicle would be funded through Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds.
There is a scheduled vote on prospective bids for the roundabout project at Ga. 53 and Dawson Forest and Thompson Creek Park roads. County staff has requested the board approve the lowest bid of $1.5 million from Vertical Earth for the project.
Board members will also have the chance to vote on whether to approve funds for an expanded traffic study of Lumpkin Campground Road, north from the Forsyth County Line to Dawson Forest Road and from the corridor’s intersection with Ga. 53 to Ga. 400 in Dawson County. DCN will report more on these projects later this week.