Catoosa County commissioners have agreed to send a "letter of support" on behalf of Lake Winnepesaukah to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) regarding new directional signs off I-75.

County manager Mike Helton said in the commission’s Thursday, Oct. 4, meeting that Lake Winnie approached his office after the widening of Cloud Springs Road.

"In the past, since the park's existence, all signs directing to Lake Winnepesaukah have been from the East Ridge (Tenn.) exit," Helton said. "They feel as though new signs on the Cloud Springs exit would help their park and in turn help Catoosa County grow. ... Naturally a secondary fallout of putting signs on that new road would be exposure to all those businesses along that exit."

GDOT's requirements to add signage include number of visitors to the park and degree of support from governing bodies within the area. Helton said the letter was supported by the commissioners, the Catoosa Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Authority, as well as several others.

In other business at the Catoosa County Board of Commissioners’ Oct. 4 meeting:

• Commissioners took action and officially voted against imposing an energy excise tax on electricity manufacturers. County and city officials held a prior meeting in September to discuss the tax, with the majority voicing opposition to the tax due to the negative impact it may have on prospective industries who may choose to build in the area.

• Phil Ledbetter, Candy Hullender and Colleen Crawford, representatives of the Catoosa Preventative Initiative, were present to request the board approve their acceptance of a $200,000 grant to bolster new programs dealing with substance abuse, particularly prescription drug abuse. Commissioners were also presented a certificate of appreciation by the group for their sponsorship and support.

• Phaltless Paving was approved as the contractor for the paving project at Jack Mattox ballfields.