Family and friends of the late J. Dixon Hays were in attendance at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday night as a portion of a highway was dedicated in his name.
State Representative Doug Holt read house resolution 1177 passed by the Georgia General Assembly, which gave background information on Hays and dedicated a portion of Ga. Highway 11 and U.S. Highway 278 as the J. Dixon Memorial Highway.
According to the resolution, Hays, of Mansfield, died on Nov. 21, 2010. He was a dairy farmer in Newton County for 50 years and served on the boards of the Newton County Dairy Association, the Newton County Farm Bureau and Gold Kist Co-op. He was awarded the Distinguished Agri-Business Leader Award in 1982 by the Atlanta Farmers Club. He also served on the Newton Medical Center Authority for 32 years and on the Snapping Shoals Electric Trust Board for 13 years.
After the reading of the resolution, Holt unveiled the sign, which would be placed on the specified portion of the highway. He also gave the family copies of the resolution and smaller individual signs as personal keepsakes.
Holt said Hays was extremely influential in Newton County and he was an active community leader. He said he made the county better by working with several organizations in the community.
"Indeed Mr. Dixon was committed to serving his fellow man. He was a quiet, unassuming very effective leader to many organizations with purposes to benefit Newton County and this state," Holt said. "Newton County is a better place for his efforts and we owe him a great debt of gratitude."
Chairman Kathy Morgan said The Department of Transportation will make arrangements to place the signage on the highway.
In other business, Morgan said she approved for county engineer Tom Garrett to purchase speed activated radar signs for Brown Bridge Road near Riverstone Parkway.
According to a proposal from Garrett to Morgan, three firms sent in bids for the radar signs. Those included Mosley Electric Company for $9,200, Bass Signal Corporation for $15,400 with an alternative price of $17,000 and Moye Electric with a bid of $21,400.
Garrett recommended that the board proceed with Mosley Electric Company. Morgan said they would start the process as soon as possible. Commissioner J.C. Henderson made a comment to Morgan about the approved signs.
"I think as soon as we can get those signs up, which I know you said would be as soon as possible, I just feel like it will prevent another fatality there," he said.
Also at the meeting, Morgan told the board that the repairs at Crowell Road are moving forward but they are waiting on the right-of-way acquisition, which County Attorney Tommy Craig's office is handling.
The board voted to approve for the Garrett to seek bids, acquire easements and hire a consultant for construction administration & inspection for the Mt Tabor Bridge project. Garrett said the road was damaged during a flood in 2009 and it needs repairs.
The board tabled making a decision on the Kirkland Road resurfacing project. The board will discuss giving permission to seek bids for that project at their Sept. 4 meeting.
The council appointed Andre Cooper as the new District 3 Recreation Board representative. Commissioner Nancy Schulz said in May, Carl Wilkins contacted her and said he was devoting more of his time to his church and could no longer serve as a board member on the Recreation Commission. Schulz said Wilkins served the board well and she was very appreciative of his services to the board.
