Improvements continue at Hiram’s Ben Hill Strickland Sr. Memorial Park with gates, fencing, sidewalks and other perimeter enhancements.

The City Council chose low-bidder William Graham Grading to do the work for $227,402, using Hiram’s street funds from the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST). The bid is about $72,000 under budgeted projections, Jonathan Jones of Elite Engineering told the council July 14.

“William Graham and many of the subs are local contractors, many in Hiram,” said Jones in recommending Graham.

Councilman Charles Schafer wondered how the city could be protected from inferior quality and cost overruns in installing curb and gutter, sidewalks, fencing and a beautification strip of grass between the curb and sidewalk, given that the highest of three bids was more than $289,000. “That won’t happen,” replied Graham, whose business is based in Dallas.

“Mr. Graham did the amphitheater [at the park] and came in at or below budget,” said Mayor Carmen Rollins. “If you don’t like what I do, you don’t have to pay me,” said Graham.

Jones suggested that the proximity of the contractor and subcontractors might have contributed to the lower bid. He said the only change order could be “hitting rock or a utility, and that’s not likely.”

William Graham Grading also built parking lots in the first phase of park renovations, Jones added. “The best contractor in this instance is the low bidder,” he said.

Rollins added that subcontractor JTE of Hiram also did the wrought iron work in Phase 1.

The mayor said remaining park improvements include a new restroom and “another pavilion built with inmate labor a little later.” She said the two existing pavilions have heavy use.

Jones said Elite has completed the engineering and permitting for the restroom.

In other business July 14, when all votes were unanimous, the council amended its budget to reflect anticipated hotel/motel taxes of $24,000. The city had projected $50,000 in revenues assuming collection began in January, but the tax collection didn’t begin until April.

“We’re not supposed to overestimate what we take in, and we’re supposed to spend what we take in,” said Rollins.

The council also voted to collect a 4 percent franchise fee from AT&T Uverse, although Dallas and the county are collecting 5 percent. Councilman Charles Schafer made the motion to collect the lower amount from Uverse customers through AT&T.

Don Barbour of AT&T told the council there are several hundred Uverse customers in Hiram and now about 1.3 million nationwide. The service “is not widely available in Georgia” but is accessible in Paulding, Cobb and Bartow counties, said Barbour.

AT&T’s Internet Protocol television uses new technology to integrate TVs, computers, home phones and wireless devices with two-way interactivity. Features include programming DVRs from PCs or wireless phones, displaying personalized content and applications from the Internet on TV, DVR playback on any TV, photo viewing on televisions and viewing home telephone call logs on TV screens.

“It’s good competition with the cable provider,” said Barbour.

City Clerk Terri Holley said utilities contribute about $275,000 annually to Hiram’s budget through franchise fees.

Rollins asked the council to recommend any streets for this year’s state Local Assistance Road Program (LARP) funding, and Schafer suggested Arnold Lane and other subdivision streets in disrepair.