Snow and ice causes big overtime cost

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville City Manager Kip Padgett said Tuesday night it might be another week or more before the city tallies up the cost of last week's snow and ice storm.

Padgett said city street department crews, supported by personnel from the city golf course and Parks and Recreation, worked over six days on around the clock shifts to get rid of the frozen stuff.

"We'll probably have some substantial overtime," Padgett said. "We usually calculate in our budget for one big storm during the year, but this one was bigger than what we're used to."

The early January storm dumped six to eight inches of snow on Gainesville and with sub-freezing temperatures, city streets were coated with dangerous ice.

MUNDY MILL AMENDMENT

Developer Wendell Starke Tuesday night got Gainesville City Council's go-ahead to start revamping the Mundy Mill project with their final approval of his Planned Unit Development amendment request, but a nearby homeowner still had questions.

Starke wants to build and market apartments instead of condos in his section of the failed real estate development that collapsed with the Recession. The City's approval came with 30conditions.Alan Shedd was opposed to the project from the beginning and still is for environmental reasons.

"Are we really looking at short term gains and not what's best for the community in the long haul," Shedd said.

HELP THE 'BRIDGE PEOPLE'

Gainesville City Council members sought public support to help the homeless who live under the city's railroad bridges. Councilman George Wangemann said he recently found a homeless man while on one of his litter clean-up outings with only a light sleeping bag and urged help.

"Especially with what happened last week with the weather," Wangemann said. "There ought to be more provision for these people."

Council member Myrtle Figueras said she knows of some efforts to help but called for more help, saying Gainesville has a large homeless population.

OLIVE GARDEN COMING

Gainesville City Councilman Bob Hamrick said he had some 'great' news for fellow members. Hamrick recalled inviting the 'Olive Garden' restaurant to come to town five years ago while he served as mayor and said it looks like they've decided to locate in the 'Queen City'.

"The City has issued, last month, a construction permit for Olive Garden, here in the City of Gainesville," Hamrick said.

Hamrick said the Olive Garden would locate on Beechwood Boulevard off Dawsonville Highway, where construction on a retail complex is now underway.