The Richmond Hill City Council met in regular session Tuesday night in lieu of the Nov. 5 meeting, which has been cancelled for local elections. The council discussed speed enforcement in school zones and an amendment to the Revenue Ordinance of 2019.
Capt. Raymond Fowler, commander of the Patrol Division for Richmond Hill Police Department (RHPD), made a presentation to the council about a Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) list of roadways, updated to include streets previously unidentified in and around school zones.
Capt. Fowler said the list is intended to help RHPD work toward installing speed detection devices including flashing lights, signs warning of drivers’ speed, and additional signs and right-of-way usage that may need to be cleared with GDOT.
According to Capt. Fowler, Blue Line Solutions, of Chattanooga, Tenn., helped RHPD gather data on vehicles driving through Richmond Hill school zones where the posted speed limit is 35 mph. From the data collected, Capt. Fowler said 85 percent of the vehicles recorded were driving at least 11 mph over the posted speed limit.
However, the implementation of speed enforcement tools on the roadways could still take time. He projected it might not be in place until the 2020 school year begins next August due to the popularity of the type of project and Blue Line Solutions’ ever-filling schedule. The council approved the list of roadways unanimously.
The council also approved an annual amendment to the Revenue Ordinance. According to Assistant City Manager Scott Allison, the amendment is a housekeeping measure to add recent approvals and fix typographical errors.
Advanced voting continues through Friday, Nov. 1 at the Wetlands Center in J.F. Gregory Park from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and elections are Tuesday, Nov. 5, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
Mayor on intersection safety
Richmond Hill Mayor Russ Carpenter issued a statement Monday following a wreck Friday at the Harris Trail and Highway 17 intersection.
“The City of Richmond Hill has been working with Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) for six or eight months, specifically about signal issues there and lane realignment,” he said. “This is an ongoing endeavor. The City is doing everything working with our partners at GDOT to ensure the safety, and improve the safety of that intersection. There should be more coming on this soon hopefully as we work with GDOT to make things better at that intersection.”