Ringgold City Council is moving forward with the replacement and repair of several sewer and water lines in the city.

Council voted unanimously to repair 150 feet of sewer line that runs through Catoosa County Board of Education property off Sparks Street.

“When we smoke tested we got a lot of influx and infiltration (of stormwater),” said city manager Dan Wright. “It is a publicly owned line because it runs through county property.”

Councilman O.C. Adcock made the motion. Councilman Bill McMillon seconded.

Council voted unanimously to replace another sewer line that runs through a vacant lot behind the feed store at the corner of Nashville and LaFayette streets. Mark Teeter owns the land.

“When we (ran the camera through) that line, it revealed it was an old clay line broken up badly,” Wright said. “You hate to split a lot like that with a sewer line, and we are going to have to replace it anyway. I discussed it with one of the owner’s of the Shop-Rite Plaza, and he had no problem if we wanted to (bring the line) down McClain Street to the end there and get on the edge of their driveway and turn back up and run (the line) back up to LaFayette Street.”

Mayor Joe Barger said the change in the sewer line should cause no problems.

“It would help us get the old line out of service and make it where we are not tying up a valuable lot by a sewer line running through the middle of it,” Wright said.

Councilman O.C. Adcock made the motion. Councilman J.B. Petty seconded.

Council also voted unanimously to relocate sewer and water lines at the intersection of Sparks Street and Nashville Street. The move is in preparation of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s project to try to improve traffic problems at the intersection by the addition of turning lanes.

“This is long range, but the DOT is working on trying to move it up,” Wright said. “We are still one year or so away from the project.”

Months ago, Ringgold City Council began developing a traffic plan to help ease conges-tion in downtown during peak school traffic hours. Barger said that requests for meetings with the school system have failed.

“We are trying,” he said. “But as of yet we have not been able to get such a meeting.”

Council voted unanimously to allow city employees to replace the Depot Street water line. Petty made the motion. Adcock seconded.

“We had received some rough quotes of $85,000, with $51,000 of that being labor,” Wright said. “I believe we can save some money by doing it with city employees.