This is an informal rundown of what happened at the April 16, 2024 Bulloch County Commission Meeting.
CALL TO ORDER, WELCOME MEDIA AND VISITORS
INVOCATION AND PLEDGE
ROLL CALL
Commissioner Toby Conner was not present.
APPROVAL OF GENERAL AGENDA
PUBLIC HEARING
Preliminary Approval of the Smart Bulloch 2045: A Joint Comprehensive Plan for Bulloch County, City of Brooklet, Town of Portal and Town of Register
There was no one from the public who spoke on the matter.
CONSENT AGENDA
These 8 items were voted on as a single line item with no discussion. The vote was 5-0 to approve.
- Minutes Approval: Monday March 11th, 2024 08:30 AM
- Minutes Approval: Tuesday March 12th, 2024 08:30 AM
- Minutes Approval: Thursday March 28th, 2024 11:30 AM
- Minutes Approval: Tuesday April 2nd, 2024 04:00 PM
- Motion to approve the purchase of Panasonic CF-33 Toughbooks for new fire engines from Mooring Tech
- Motion to approve and ratify a contract for soil compaction and concrete testing for the EMS Station
addition and the Register Fire Station addition with Terracon Consultants, Inc. signed by the County
Manager on March 14, 2024 - Approve a Special Event Permit for the Georgia Police K9 Foundation to host a non-profit event at
Ogeechee Technical College, 20 Joe Kennedy Boulevard on June 22, 2024 from 5:00pm until 11:00pm - Motion to approve a contract with Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc., in the amount of $42,025.00 for right of way acquisition services for S&S Greenway Phase 3, to be funded by TAP Grant (80%) and TSPLOST (20%)
NEW BUSINESS
Motion to approve the Purchase of Motorola APX6000 Radios from the State of Georgia Department of Administrative Services
Bulloch County has approximately 190 portable radios that are no longer supported by Motorola meaning when these radios suffer internal issues, they will be non-repairable. This also means Motorola no longer provides software updates for these radios. Motorola quoted a price of $8166 per radio for new replacement radios. The Georgia State Patrol recently change from Motorola to another radio system. This change brought about availability of radios of the same model as quoted by Motorola that can be purchased from the Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS). Although these radios from DOAS are used, they are operational and supported by Motorola.
The county received a quote from DOAS of $1,559.37 per radio and are seeking approval to purchase 150 Motorola Radios, model APX 6000, from DOAS. This purchase will eliminate the issue of non-serviceable radios, give us a small backup inventory of serviceable radios, and will be a cost savings (or avoidance) of almost $1,000,000. We are seeking approval of the purchase in the amount of $233,905.50
There is an expected life of 8-10 years and Motorola will continue to service this product, unlike the current radios, which were purchased in 2012.
County Manager Tom Couch said the radios will be paid for from SPLOST.
Approved 5-0.
Motion to approve Supplemental Agreement No. 1 on Josh Hagin Road Paving Design in the amount of $62,121.19 with Heath & Lineback Engineers, Inc., to be funded by TSPLOST
The S&S Greenway Phase 3 and Josh Hagin Road Paving are being designed concurrently by Heath & Lineback. Staff met with Heath & Lineback to find ways to reduce the costs of both projects. During the design of the project, wetland mitigation costs have increased significantly. Using the original design, the wetland mitigation cost for S&S Greenway would have been approximately $1,327,590 and for Josh Hagin Road would have been $1,438,222 for a total wetland mitigation cost of $2,765,812. This cost does not include construction costs for the project. County staff asked Heath & Lineback to redesign both S&S Greenway and Josh Hagin Road to reduce the wetland mitigation costs, thereby reducing the overall project costs.
The proposed design changes reduce the width of the project to reduce the wetland impacts. The redesign requires revisions to the plans for both the S&S Greenway (which must be approved by GDOT and FHWA) as well as the plans for Josh Hagin Road, since both projects are to be constructed together. Despite the additional design costs, the change order results in a reduction of overall project cost by reducing the wetland mitigation for the overall project from $2,765,812 to $1,327,590. Because the remaining $1,327,590 in wetland mitigation costs are associated with the S&S Greenway Phase 3, they are eligible for reimbursement from the TAP grant at 80%, with a 20% match from Bulloch County required using TSPLOST funds. The change order amount of $62,121.19 for Josh Hagin Road will be funded by TSPLOST is not part of the TAP grant. Because this change order enables the project to continue while also reducing the overall project cost by eliminating part of the wetland mitigation cost, the County Engineer recommends approval of this change order.
Chairman Roy Thompson asked how much it costs to pave one mile of dirt road, to which Brad Deal replied “$700,000 per mile.” Thompson replied by saying it was “$100,000 just a few years ago.”
It was approved 5-0.
Motion to approve Supplemental Agreement No. 3 on S&S Greenway Phase 3 Design in the amount of $265,285.01 with Heath & Lineback Engineers, Inc., to be funded by TAP Grant (80%) and TSPLOST (20%)
Same explanation as in previous agenda item.
Motion by Simmons, second by Deal. This item was approved 5-0.
Approve a Resolution to Approve and Authorize an Exchange of Real Property in Accordance with O.C.G.A. 36-9-3(a)(3)(D)
From the agenda:
“The County currently has a solid waste collection center located on 1.75 acres on Highway 46. In order to have more space and have a safer entrance to and exit from the solid waste center, the County desires to relocate the solid waste center to a parcel of property containing 2.85 acres on Pine Inn Road currently owned by Kirk McGlamery. O.C.G.A. 36-9-3(a)(3)(D) allows a county to exchange a parcel of real property for another parcel of equal or greater value without going through a bid or auction process. Appraisals have been obtained on each of these parcels showing a fair market value of $69,000.00 for each parcel.
Within six weeks prior to closing on a proposed exchange, O.C.G.A. 36-9-3(a)(3)(D) requires publication of notice of the proposed exchange in the legal organ for the county once a week for four weeks. On March 19th, the Commissioners authorized publication of the notice, and it was published in the Statesboro Herald on March 21st, March 28th, April 4th, and April 11th. Approval of the resolution will approve and authorize the proposed property exchange. “
Staff recommended approval.
County Attorney Jeff Akins said he wanted to address statements made on social media, referring to this social media post. He also offered his opinion about whether or not this was in the best interest of the county.
Public Works Director Dink Butler said the issue is a result of the solid waste study contracted out two years ago, which recommended expanding and consolidating disposal sites.
Butler said the Leefield Center, Eldora and Six Points have all be expanded. Cypress Lake cannot be expanded, he said, because of wetlands and the Sinkhole location is limited on space. He detailed other small centers and said, despite industrial growth and an anticipation of an increase in waste in the area,
“I am following the direction of the consultant,” Butler said. “We’ve had near misses at that intersection getting out where it exists now.”
No one from the public was able to comment because public comments have been moved to the end of the meeting after all votes are cast.
There were no commissioner comments and the vote was 5-0.
More detailed article here.
Discussion and/or Action to Approve a Resolution to Change the Name of Brooks Pond House Lane to Pondgeechee Trail
The attached petition has been submitted requesting that the Board of Commissioners change the name of Brooks Pond House Lane to Pondgeechee Trail. Section 4-78(g) of the Code of Ordinances provides that upon receipt of a petition requesting the change of an existing road name containing the signatures of the owners of not less than 75 percent of the parcels of property abutting the road, the Board of Commissioners shall take under consideration, but be under no compulsion, to grant the request. The attached petition has been signed by 100% of the owners of all abutting parcels. This is a private road, and GIS has approved the requested name change. Approval of the attached resolution will accomplish the road name change.
Staff recommended approval.
Approval 5-0.
Preliminary approval of the Smart Bulloch 2045: A Joint Comprehensive Plan for Bulloch County, City of Brooklet, Town of Portal and Town of Register
Item approval is for the authorization to submit the draft plan to the Coastal Regional Commission and the Georgia Department Community Affairs. Once reviewed by these agencies, the formal plan adoption will occur in June 2024.
Approval 5-0.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Brian Pfund - spoke on the land swap agenda item. See his comments at the 47:30 mark.
Lawton Sack - spoke on accessibility to county commissioners as well as the land swap. See his comments at the 52:50 mark.
COMMISSION AND STAFF COMMENTS
County Manager Tom Couch reminded commissioners of the Food Bank tour following the commission meeting.
Commissioners also heard a recreation department update.
Commissioner Timmy Rushing addressed the land issue. "Just to clarify something, some history on the recylce center where it's at now. When Mr. Bob Smith, when he had Dink's job, I've been down there for just about all my life. Anyway, they were inquiring about some land and you just don't get any out there, I mean there just don't much sell out there where we at. And he come to me and that's where the spur used to come off of 301 and tie back into 46 and they had pulled concrete and the bridge and all up and made a turn lane there at 301 when it was just stop sign. It wasn't a red light then. And I told him, I said, "Why don't you go to the state and see if they'll deed you all that?" and so he went to the state and the state deeded. It didn't cost county taxpayers a dime. They give it to 'em. Now something in the records of the history of the land when the Williams', which is in a trust far as I knew, they ain't never seen none of that sale but I don't know if it ever will, but they, the state deeded 'em that and then in the deed, if the state wasn't going to use that land anymore, it had to go back to the original land owners. So it went back to the original land owners, that's the reason Dink and them is landlocked and they can't get no more land there. I mean, it's not like they have more access to get any. There's just no more there. So, that's the history on why it's there now."
EXECUTIVE SESSION - PERSONNEL
Commissioners entered into executive session at 9:40 a.m.
