September 3, 2024 – The Decatur City Council approved final design services for the repair of the Garfield Ave bridge, and updated the Animal Cruelty ordinance to further protect pets and animals.
On Tuesday night the Decatur City Council approved a contract for final design services for repair of
the Garfield Street bridge that runs over 22nd Street. The contract with engineering firm WHKS & Co.
will finalize a design for the bridge, which is currently rated in fair to poor condition. The design
contract is approximately $385,000 and will be paid for using State Motor Fuel Taxes.
The estimated cost for construction on the bridge is $3.8 million. The City has been approved to use
federal transportation funds for 80 percent of the cost, or up to $2.8 million. The project is anticipated
to be phased construction which will allow for one lane open in each direction. Construction would
NOT start until after the Brush College Overpass project has been completed, as this currently serves
as a detour route for that aforementioned project.
Council also acted to further protect pets and animals by updating the Animal Cruelty ordinance.
Updates to Chapter 47: ‘Control of Animals, Fowls and Dogs’ include additional guidance on the
appropriate care and treatment of animals, through the elimination of some grey areas in the language.
Additional language was added to the ordinance about what constitutes appropriate shelter for
outdoor pets and it bans the use of choke collars as a tethering device. The Animal Cruelty ordinance
is jointly enforced by the Macon County Animal Control and the City of Decatur.
The Council also approved a water services agreement with the Village of Forsyth. To benefit
both communities, an additional permanent connection point between the City’s and Forsyth’s
infrastructure will be constructed for emergency use. This connection will benefit both communities
and serve as a backup since there is currently only one water main servicing a part of the city north of
I72 and east of Route 51. The permanent interconnection will be funded jointly by Decatur & Forsyth.
