Commission O.K.s Paving Project
During their regular monthly meeting Monday, the county commissioners unanimously approved the completion of the southern end of Jackson Lake Road (from just south of Lakeview Marina to the junction with Hwy. 16 at the Ocmulgee River Bridge) at a cost of $322,472, and repairs to Pittman Creek Bridge at a cost of $133,108.
The approvals came after the commission heard from the county’s engineering firm, Whitley Engineering, who presented the cost of two options from three different construction companies, and recommended the lowest bid be accepted. Both projects were awarded to the lowest bidder, Pittman Construction.
Since the above was the only item on the agenda under old business, and there were no public hearings or citizen comments, the commissions moved on to approve a motion to make a proclamation that the date of August 8 would be made “Rozie Lee Smith Day,” in honor of her 100th birthday to celebrate this significant milestone in our community and Ms. Smith’s life-long contribution to Jasper County (see related story, page 3).
Under new business the commission voted unanimously to approve following action:
•The formation of a Jasper County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) to close any gaps in emergency planning and preparedness by an advisory/planning committee with no size limitation to the committee.
One citizen from each district will be appointed and the remainder to be comprised of critical staff personnel related to emergency preparedness, members of local industry and volunteer organizations or groups with an interest in aiding during a disaster with no cost to the taxpayers.
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•An Emergency Training Exercise with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) which would give staff hands on disaster training. Managers will learn what their roles are in an emergency scenario, learn how to interact with each other and with GEMA staff should a disaster befall the community. An October training date will be sought to give time for the LEPC to get up and running. There is no cost to the county for GEMA’s services.
•The reappointment of Billy Nalls as the citizen representative to the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission Board (NEGRC). The one-year appointment comes at no cost to the county other than travel expenses for mileage.
•The appointment of County Manager Karen Degges as the County Legislative Coordinator, a resolution needed to update and reflect the appointment of a new county manager.
•Changes to update the County Open Record Resolution by appointing County Clerk Sharon Robinson as the officer and the county manger as the alternate. The previous resolution named the assistant county manager and the human resources manager as the alternate.
•The the Firefighter Equipment Program (FFP) so that the county will have the opportunity to acquire used equipment at no cost except the cost of transportation of any used equipment available and needed.
•To consult engineers to secure cost estimates on the repairs to 80 feet on Hodges Farm Road.
The county manager reported on the following items:
•An update on the County EMS Committee reported they had held three meetings to date. The first meeting focused on determining what issues and information were important to the committee. The second meeting, at the committee’s request, involved interviewing the EMS director, the fire chief and discussing the preferred committee structure. The most recent meeting was a site visit at two of the fire stations to see EMS equipment.
•Reported that the court house leak had been discovered and repaired at a cost of $200 over the original quote. Carpet quotes are currently being sought and a carpenter has been hired to re-open the doorway between the law library and the registrar’s office. It is anticipated that insurance will cover some of these costs. She also reported that there is now a roof leak into one of the judge’s chambers.
•Reported the needed pond aerator and the cell three survey has been ordered for the landfill, and that a meeting with a potential fiberboard vendor has been held and samples have been provided for testing. The BOC held a landfill work session on July 24 to cover landfill issues.
•Reported that 107 Open Record Requests have been received year-to-date, not including requests received from the courts, tax assessor and other departments. The 107 requests came from individuals or groups including: Mary Patrick (79), Skip Nowetner (8), Kelly Bowen (4), Charles Forsythe (3), Taxpayer Watchdog Group (2), Nancy Baeder (1), Tracey Clark (1), Jared McDonald (1), Gay Morrison (1), Kathy Mudd (1) and Georgia Department of Public Health (1).
