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Out with the old, in with the new

City upgrades sidewalks

By Michael Butler

East Tallassee is getting a makeover alongside Central Boulevard. The stretch from the East Tallassee Shopping Center to East Tallassee Church of Christ is getting new sidewalks.

"They're in bad shape," Tallassee mayor Johnny Hammock said. "The roots are popping them up. It's a hazard. People with a disability can't get down them with a wheehchair. A lot of people walk for exercise right there. You can trip and fall. Not only are they replacing them. When they pull them out, they're cutting the roots and getting it level. They're putting wiring inside the cement to keep them from shifting and cracking."

The city passed a gasoline tax in May of 2017. Funds collected are being used towards this project, Hammock noted.

"We were at two cents for a municipality. We went to four cents like everyone else around us. We earmarked that extra two cents for potholes, street repair, sidewalks, gutters and things of that nature."

Work has already been done at the Senior Center and Community Library parking lots.

"We did a lot of striping downtown. We striped East Patton and Oak Heights to the bridge," the mayor added.

Hammock expects to continue with improvements.

"The account grows every week and I'm spending it. I'm going to beautify this town," he stated. "East Tallassee is a corridor coming into our town. Everybody thinks of the corridor coming in from the interstate. That's a corridor too. Plus, I wanted to do something for the people in East Tallassee. I've got to get out and walk the sidewalks. We've got to identify the worst areas. I knew East Tallassee was bad."

The cost of the sidewalk project in East Tallassee is $31,000.

"Nobody wants to raise taxes. I sure don't," said Hammock. "I want to let you know where you're tax dollars are going."

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