The City of Cedartown will continue to provide a transit system for its residents, aided by some timely grants and a reorganization of staffing for the program.

The Cedartown City Commission Thursday night agreed to hold a public forum on a proposed new contract with the Georgia Department of Transportation. The public hearing will be held preceding the regular monthly meeting of the commission, which is 7 p.m. Monday, July 13.

City Manager Charles Akridge presented two options to commissioners: the first involved hiring one full-time driver; the second would utilize two part-time drivers. The commission decided to pursue the hiring of two part-timer drivers.

“That will save us money than if we had one person at 40 hours per week,” Akridge said.

The two new hires will replace an existing driver who is retiring, Akridge said.

The city’s transit system, which currently exists as a single bus, was scheduled to end on June 30. The city has operated a transit system for several years, providing transportation for the elderly to the city’s senior center, and also providing access for dialysis patients and others to local treatment centers.

However, the city was required to let its transit system expire because the Polk County government started up its own countywide transit system. The DOT grant program that funds local transit systems does not allow two systems to operate separately within the same county.

However, during recent budget discussions and extensive cost-cutting, the Polk County Commission decided to end the countywide transit system as too expensive. The buses were scheduled to stop running today.

Cedartown officials were uncertain that funding could be obtained to continue the operation of the city system. Deadlines had passed for the usual state grants.

However, Akridge said the Georgia Department of Human Resources came through with funding. A DHR grant of $13,993.34 will pay for the majority of the costs. Akridge said a $2 fare approved by the city commission will help cover most of the city’s expenses.

“It will offset our costs,” Akridge said. “This is not a money-making thing in any way.”

The Coosa Valley Regional Development Center also pitched in with $2,000 per year. Cedartown City Commissioner Scotty Tillery noted that this will cover the cost of most of the fuel needed to operate the city bus for a year.

Tillery praised the RDC staff and also city staff members Glynn Jones, finance director, and Carol Crawford, city clerk, for their cooperation. Tillery said they pulled together quickly to get a plan together to present to the DHR staff.

Also Thursday, the commission reviewed a long-delayed project to repave Davis Road. The city will pursue repaving through the Polk County government. The road is to be resurfaced from the railroad tracks to the city limits.