Help may be on the way for those who live along Casey Drive.

For about a decade, the Richmond Hill street has suffered from pot holes and other wear and tear. Richmond Hill city manager Mike Melton introduced a plan at Tuesday’s city council meeting that could potentially open up funds for the repair work.

Melton said the city has been trying to get help from the state for ten years for the $250,000 Casey Drive resurfacing project. He said the city can contribute funds to the project, but cannot afford to take it on alone. Recently, the state Department of Transportation sent out a letter saying state aid has been cancelled for the fiscal year 2010.

However, Melton introduced a motion to council to ask the DOT to curtail an allotted $53,000 aimed for Vast Drive, a sparsely populated road off Edsel Drive, and utilize those funds to help finance the Casey Drive project. The motion was unanimously approved. Melton said he will now approach DOT with the proposition and hope they go along with it.

"It may not be enough the fund the whole project, but it’s a step in the right direction," Mayor Pro-tem and councilman Floyd Hilliard said. "It’s just the first stage of the financial part of it. We’re going to get DOT to try to share some more of the costs with the project. In the meantime, this motion puts it on the table and shows the DOT we’re serious about this project."

Council discussed the option to curtail $40,000 that DOT has allotted for future work on Timber Trail Road, but opted to stay on track with those funds. Mayor Richard Davis said the city is holding off on any work on Timber Trail until the county straightens out the road. He said he has spoken to County Commission Chairman Jimmy Burnsed about it, but he does not know when the county will straighten Timber Trail.

In other business, council unanimously approved a resolution in favor of the Coastal Greenway Project. The Project aims to create a connecting walking trail all along the Georgia coast, including Bryan County. According to the resolution, Richmond Hill is not required to fund the project but will be responsible for the maintenance of the part that lies within the city limits.