Dallas is renovating its City Hall lobby to be more worker- and public-friendly, is making progress in expanding sidewalks, building water wells and developing what will be called the Civil War Memorial Trailhead Park and is considering expanding recreation opportunities.

The City Council at its Dec. 7 meeting also heard that water rates are rising and voted to pursue a new method of securing the lowest possible bids, including upcoming bids for sanitation service. City Manager Kendall Smith said BidBridge works “like a reverse auction on eBay,” with bidders allowed to continue lowering prices until a deadline. The standard practice has been to solicit sealed bids, locking in prices that might have been lowered.

Smith told the council that Georgia Municipal Association “sees nothing wrong” with the process, which costs the city nothing. All bidders must meet prequalifications.

“We determine who is the lowest qualified bidder,” said Mayor Boyd Austin, and the city isn’t required to accept the bid of an unacceptable low-bidder. Smith said the city is continuing with the current sanitation provider, who has agreed to keep operating at the current rate while the city rebids the contract.

The council voted to accept the lowest of three bids, $37,755, to move the City Hall lobby counter out to give workers more room and be “more inviting to the public.” Austin added that the GMA’s Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency recommends bulletproof glass and raised counters so the public can’t see documents, comprising “a considerable part of the cost.”

The council agreed with the mayor’s recommendation to name the downtown trailhead the Civil War Memorial Trailhead Park to take advantage of the area’s Civil War history and tourism attractions. “I hope we can get a Civil War marker from the [Department of Natural Resources],” he said. “The design was based with that in mind.”

The council also discussed dedicating a portion of the trailhead to with William J. Hardy Camp of Sons of Confederate Veterans to construct and maintain a Civil War Memorial. The council discussed the action in closed session as a real estate matter. Austin said the dedication “ties in with our tourism effort.”

Smith said the city has a DOT notice to proceed with sidewalk construction and bids are due Dec. 18. Work will begin next spring on sidewalk legs on E. Memorial Drive toward the library, Polk Street, N. Johnston Street, Main Street (formerly West Street), Seaboard Drive and Foster Drive to Seaboard.

The city manager said the wellhouses are 48 percent complete, that 5,800 feet of 8,167 feet of pipeline has been installed and “hopefully, in a couple of months we’ll have water coming from wells.”

The well water will supplement the city’s supply from Cobb/Marietta Water Authority (through Paulding County Water System), which is raising rates 23 cents per 1,000 gallons. New rates will be seen on February water bills.

Michael Hendrix, 2009 pool manager at Sara Babb Park, recommended that the city expand its parks and recreation programming to bring in more revenues “while keeping kids off the street.” He suggested such programming as sewing and scuba diving classes, as well as day camps.

Austin asked Hendrix to meet with the council’s Community Development Committee and suggested “finding substantive use for Coleman Camp Park.”

Hendrix said parking is insufficient at Sara Babb Park and that the park could be expanded. “I think it can grow,” he said.

In other business Dec. 7, the council:

• in the meeting’s only non-unanimous vote, extended New Year’s Eve alcohol pouring hours to 12:55 a.m. Councilman Kelly Carter, Mike Cason and James Kelly voted against the extension, and Austin cast the tie-breaking vote, joining Councilmen Frank McTyre and Griffin White and Councilwoman Nancy Arnold in approving the request.

• voted to pay $700 per month for indigent defense in Municipal Court rather than paying hourly;

• voted to authorize Woodard & Curran to analyze the existing customer base and enterprise fund budget before recommending water and sewer rates;

• amended an ordinance to reword a section related to cash bond for development construction, closing loopholes, said Austin. City Attorney Glen Stinson said he is about caught up and that further amendments to the book of city ordinances are next;

• heard that the city’s new wastewater treatment plant is ready for the design phase and funding must be determined. Austin said use of bonds or “other structures” to fund construction might be preferable to Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority loans;

• authorized the Finance Committee to authorize a contract for dam design engineering at Braly Lake, where the dam blew out in flooding;

• heard from Austin, also Finance Committee chairman, that “it looks like things are holding their own,” that interest on SPLOST reserves is almost zero and that the city had opened a money market contingency fund to draw interest upon the advice of a consultant;

• adopted a resolution for parking signage for South Johnston, Griffin and Spring streets that is eligible for state funding through Atlanta Regional Commission and requires a 20 match from local SPLOST funds;

• added $8,500 to a contract with Paulding DOT, which is improving the intersection of U.S. 278 and Old Harris Road, to install sidewalks on both sides for ADA compliance;

• reappointed Brian Ragsdale to a three-year term on the Dallas Board of Appeals, Andrea Anderson and David Holt to two-year terms on the Dallas Planning Commission and Griffin White to the Paulding Chamber of Commerce board of directors, as well as appointing Jonathan Crew to a three-year term on the Historical Preservation Commission.