The Canton City Council after a closed session on Thursday night voted to rescind its decision to enter into an agreement with the Cherokee County government to purchase park land.
The 37 acres on Marietta Highway near the river and adjacent to the Cherokee Lanes bowling alley was to be the site of a city park.
City Manager Scott Wood said "preliminary estimates for the cost of the new recreation park appeared to be higher than originally projected."
The total cost to buy the property owned by Garry Haygood was estimated at $425,000, including broker fees.
Wood said the county would pay 80 percent of the cost, with the city paying the remainder.
But the county's 80 percent would come from the city's $7 million allotment of the county parks bond, Wood said.
After learning the county planned to use a portion of the $7 million, Wood said "the Haygood property emerged as not as strong of a priority as it was earlier."
"The city still considers the Haygood property, or at least a portion of it, as important in the development of the walking trail intended to connect Boling and Heritage Parks," Wood said.
County Manager Jerry Cooper, who noted the purchase agreement expired on April 15, said if the city isn't interested in the arrangement, the county "would have no interest in acquiring the property."
Council members also voted Thursday night to change the prices for customers using its trash collection site on Ridge Road.
Beginning on May 1, the city will charge $20 per vehicle, $30 per trailer and $40 per box truck to anyone wishing to use the site.
The city currently charges a flat rate of $10 per vehicle.
Before voting to implement the rates, the council mulled the possibility of closing the site.
"It's a leaky bucket," said Councilman John Beresford, who supported closing the site. "It's time to stop that leak."
Mayor Gene Hobgood agreed, adding the city "needs to be saving money everywhere we can right now."
"It's an accessory in my opinion," he said of the site.
Councilwoman Pat Tanner argued the city needed to give the site the "opportunity to support itself."
Raising the fees, she said, may provide enough revenue for the site to become self-sustaining so the city can "continue to provide this service to our citizens."
Councilman Bill Bryan agreed, adding if the city closed the site, it may see "a junked-up looking mess" as people may leave their garbage and unwanted items on the side of the road.
The council also voted to allow Raymond Engineering Georgia LLC to solicit bids to replace the roof on a portion of Canton City Hall.
The clay tile ceiling over the old sanctuary of the building, the former home of First Baptist Church of Canton, suffers from leaks and drooping.
The council also considered the following agenda items:
* Heard from Diane Minick of the Upper Etowah River Alliance, who updated the council on the organization's educational outreach initiatives;
* Heard from John Cadle, who said he would like the city to display the photos of past mayors and to begin work on getting the Southview Cemetery up and running,
* Heard from John Rust, who said the fees charged at the trash collection site on Ridge Road may be too low. Rust also said he would like to see the city put up a fence and signage warning residents about the alum pond on Riverstone Parkway behind the Canton Mill Lofts and asked the city to not use paint to designate bike lanes at Heritage Park;
* Mayor Gene Hobgood commended the Canton Police Department and the Canton Fire Department for paying respects during the funeral procession of Army Spec. Gary Lee Nelson III, who died in Iraq earlier this month;
* Approved February financials, which shows the city as of Feb. 28 had had $3.9 million in its general fund;
* Approved a resolution to adopt the annual update to its capital improvement element and five-year short-term work plan for its impact fee program;
* Approved a resolution of need to prepare an urban redevelopment plan for the area along Interstate 575 between the northernmost city limits of Canton The Bluffs and the Cherokee County Airport with Cherokee County and Ball Ground to facilitate the creation of an Opportunity Zone;
* Approved a request from T.D. Farrell Construction to perform after-hours work at the Walmart on Riverstone Parkway for fa ade renovations;
* Approved abandoning a portion of right-of-way along Fate Conn Road;
* Approved the second reading of its utility deposit rate ordinance, which stipulates a deposit on all accounts are required at the time water and/or wastewater service is connected;
* Asked City Attorney Bobby Dyer to present a resolution to establish criteria for health insurance retiree class designation;
* Approved proceeding with the lower insurance premium and higher deductible option for its property and causality insurance contract;
* Approved a $32,819 contract with Strickland Pipeline to replace the Hillcrest main sewer line in the Cherokee Overlook neighborhood;
* Authorized the mayor and city manager to decide on appropriate professionals to respond to an Internal Revenue Service inquiry for a new municipal bond audit program;
* Denied a motion by Councilman John Beresford to rescind awarding a bid to Blount Construction for paving the city's six "worst streets;"
* Authorized the mayor to sign a consent order issued by the Environmental Protection Division for violations at its sewer plant; and
* Approved removing the proposed project to extend Hickory Flat Road from Marietta Road to Waleska Street from the Atlanta Regional Commission regional transportation plan.
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