Call to Order, Welcome Media & Visitors
Invocation & Pledge
Roll Call – all Commissioners present
Presentation
Approval of General Agenda
Public Comments
- Louise Mosley – residents in here community will be bringing a request to have the road paved in accordance the law to do so.
Consent Agenda
Commissioner Newkirk requested that #9 be moved to New Business.
These items were voted on collectively in a single vote. Approved unanimously.
- Minutes Approval: Tuesday April 1st, 2025 02:30 PM
- Minutes Approval: Tuesday April 1st, 2025 05:30 PM
- Minutes Approval: Tuesday April 1st, 2025 05:30 PM Executive Session
- Service and Support for 5 UPS (uninterrupted power supply) units. One at the 911 center and 4 at the 4 tower sites.
- This is a budgeted item. It is the service and support for the UPS units at 911 and the tower sites. The cost is $24,935.00.It is due in June.
- Motion to approve payment to Jenkins County Landfill
- In clearing the storm debris with SDR, the mulched debris has been hauled to Jenkins County C&D Landfill for disposal. This invoice covers March 26th to 28th with 1,559 tons of mulch at a cost of $38,988.50.
Advertisements - 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 May 9, 2025 from 5:00pm until 11:00pm.
- Motion to approve and ratify a culvert order from Cherokee Culvert.
- Public Works has ordered culvert pipe from Cherokee Culvert to use in the repairs of Dekle Rd after Debby. Cherokee Culvert is our regular supplier and they were able to provide us what we needed at a cost of $21,790.00.
Advertisements - Motion to approve and ratify a culvert order from Cherokee Culvert
- Public Works has ordered culvert pipe from Cherokee Culvert to use in the repairs after Debby. Cherokee Culvert is our regular supplier and they were able to provide us what we needed at a cost of $20,992.00.
Motion to Approve Dome Liner and Pool Tarp for Splash in the Boro Aquatic CenterAdvertisements- Motion to approve a purchase order in the amount of $41,500 for electrical work of the new office building for the Crime Suppression division of the Sherrif’s Department on Randy Lowery Road.
- Four quotes have been obtained for the installation of all electrical work as per plans. This is to include all labor and materials. This is for the new office building for the Crime Suppression Division of the Sherrif’s Department. It is to replace the old building that was recently torn down. Maintenance Tech Electrical, LLC submitted the low quote of $41,500.00 for this service. Approval is recommended.
Advertisements - Motion to approve a purchase order in the amount of $35,600.00 for plumbing work of the new office building for the Crime Suppression division of the Sherrif’s Department on Randy Lowery Road.
- Three quotes have been obtained for the installation of all plumbing work as per plans. This is to include all labor and materials. This is for the new office building for the Crime Suppression Division of the Sherrif’s Department. It is to replace the old building that was recently torn down. Lee’s Plumbing, INC, submitted the low quote of $35,600.00 for this service. Approval is recommended.
Advertisements - Motion to approve payment to Jenkins County Landfill
- In clearing the storm debris with SDR, the mulched debris has been hauled to Jenkins County C&D Landfill for disposal. This invoice covers April 1st to April 4th with 1,427 tons of mulch at a cost of $35,699.00.
New Business
Approval of Public Works Purchase of Replacement Work Trucks
Public works is looking to purchase a total of 6 replacement work trucks for transportation, solid waste and fleet departments. All vehicles were budgeted for in FY2025 and are all being purchased from Alan Jay Fleet Sales under Sourcewell contracts.
Commissioner Newkirk clarified that all of the vehicles were replacement vehicles and were not additions to the fleet.
Approved unanimously.
Motion to approve a bid and enter into a contract with Reeves Construction Company for the construction of the Nevils Denmark Road Bridge Culvert Replacement Project in the amount of $924,900.00, to be funded by TSPLOST with mitigation assistance funding request pending with FEMA and GEMA.
This contract includes demolition and removal of the existing box culvert, damaged pavement, and base, and construction of a new concrete box culvert, earthwork, road construction, and guardrail installation on Nevils Denmark Road, just south of SR 46. Sealed bids were received on April 3, 2025, as detailed on the attached memo from Faye Bragg, Purchasing Manager. The lowest responsive bidder, Reeves Construction Company, met all requirements of the County’s bid specifications and has successfully completed previous Bulloch County projects.
The Engineer’s cost estimate for the project was $975,000. TSPLOST funds will initially be used to fund the project, but a request has been sent to FEMA for mitigation funding associated with Tropical Storm Debby, which would reimburse the County for part of the cost, if approved. The County Engineer recommends approval.
Approved unanimously.
Motion to approve a change order in the amount of $292,755.25 with Sikes Brothers, Inc. for adding the paving of McPhatters Lane, as well as additional paving and drainage pipe for driveways on Two Chop Road that were not in the original project design, as part of the Two Chop Road Paving project, funded by TSPLOST.
McPhatters Lane is a county-maintained dirt road, approximately a quarter mile in length, that branches off of Two Chop Road. There are eight residences along the road, as well as an automobile paint and body shop business. The road has a downward slope away from Two Chop Road, and experiences occasional washouts that are addressed by the Public Works Department. Engineering Department staff proposes to pave the road during the Two Chop Road project, and requested a quote from the contractor for the project, Sikes Brothers,Inc., based on a preliminary design done by internal staff. The proposed cost for the additional work of paving Mcphatters Lane is $195,931.25. The change order uses existing contract unit prices for asphalt, pipe, and graded aggregate base.
Engineering Department staff requested a proposal from the contractor to pave all driveways on the project from the edge of roadway to the right of way line. This change will protect the asphalt on the edge of the road from wearing down, and will also decrease erosion at the edge of the roadway. The original plans called for a small 2 ft wide apron to be installed at each driveway. Staff has observed problems on other recent projects where the 2-foot wide aprons were used, such as steep dropoffs on some driveways that are on a slope, as well as wearing down the edge of pavement where vehicles enter and exit the driveway. While these issues do not occur at every driveway, staff felt it would be best to treat the driveways consistently throughout the project. In the proposal from the contractor, Sikes Brothers, a line item for driveway paving was added, as well as some grading. This resulted in the addition of 210 tons of 12.5 mm asphalt.
This change order also includes adding an additional nine driveways to the project that were not included in the original plans. During the course of the project, property owners have requested additional driveways that were not shown on the original plans. Many of these additional driveways are agricultural and were at locations where the existing ditch is not very deep, and vehicles/equipment were able to drive through the ditch to access the property in the past. These driveways were not obvious to the design consultant during the design process. The project design calls for a deeper ditch, and driveways will be needed at these locations to facilitate ingress/egress. The driveway at the Banks Creek Cemetery is also proposed to be widened to allow access around both sides of the cemetery. These changes result in an increase in quantities to several line items that are in the existing contract, including grading, 18-inch pipe, 15-inch pipe, safety end sections, stone rip rap, and graded aggregate base. These items would be paid for at the existing contract unit prices. The total cost for adding the additional driveways, and paving all driveways on the project to the right of way line, is $96,824.00.
The original construction bid for the project was $3,395,330.92, which was well below the budgeted amount of $4,500,000 for the project. The County Engineer recommends approval of the change order.
Approved unanimously.
Consideration of a motion to approve application to GDOT for available Local Road Assistance Funding in the amount of $2,247,332.40.32 to be used for design and construction of the replacement of the Cypress Lake Road at Dry Branch Bridge.
The Governor and Legislature have made Local Road Assistance (LRA) funds available to local governments for FY 2025. The application process and project eligibility rules are the same as for the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) that GDOT distributes on an annual basis, except that the LRA Funding does not have a requirement for local matching funds. Bulloch County’s available LRA funding is $2,247,332.40 as calculated using GDOT’s LMIG formula which utilizes population and road mileage as factors. No matching funds are required from Bulloch County for award of the LRA funding.
The Engineering Department proposes to apply for the available LRA funding and use it for the replacement of the Cypress Lake Road at Dry Branch Bridge. The bridge is currently closed due to damages that it sustained from a vehicular crash. After doing an inspection, the GDOT Bridge Office specified that the bridge be closed to traffic until repairs or replacement of the structure is completed. GDOT also advised that a structural engineer should be consulted to evaluate the bridge and make recommendations. The Engineering Department has consulted with a bridge engineer, who provided cost estimates for both repair and replacement alternatives. Staff recommended replacement of the bridge to the Board of Commissioners at the March 18, 2025 meeting, due to cost and time duration of the repairs, as well as the limited weight capacity that the repairs would be able to provide. The Board of Commissioners voted to approve a motion to proceed with negotiating a contract with an engineering firm to design the bridge replacement.
If the bridge replacement project does not require the full LRA funding amount of $2,247,332.40, the County Engineer recommends using the remainder of the funds for resurfacing of county roads, or other needed eligible projects as approved by the Board of Commissioners.
Approved unanimously.
Motion to approve a contract with Heath and Lineback (BCC) in the amount of $378,300 to perform engineering design services for the Cypress Lake Road at Dry Branch Bridge Replacement Project, to be funded by Local Road Assistance funds administered by GDOT.
On the evening of February 25, 2025, a single vehicle wreck involving the Cypress Lake Road Bridge over Dry Branch resulted in structural damage to a main support beam. The following day February 26, 2025, GDOT Bridge Maintenance personnel performed an inspection of the bridge and determined the bridge should be closed to traffic until such time repair work can be accomplished to the satisfaction of the GDOT State Bridge Engineer.
During the Board meeting on March 4, 2025, the County Engineer Brad Deal provided an update concerning damage to the bridge and the inspection review by GDOT. He also mentioned further time was needed to fully understand the option for repairs involving cost and time need to accomplish the work. He also mentioned the bridge had been previously budgeted for replacement due to structural issues.
During the Board meeting on March 18, 2025, the County Engineer gave an update that included details
associated with repair work to the existing bridge and stated the approximate cost for design and construction services would total $500,000.00. He also stated the existing Cypress Lake Road bridge over Dry Branch is the lowest rated bridge in Bulloch County and is currently load restricted to 8 tons (16,000 lbs.) based upon GDOT’s method of bridge load rating. The County Engineer completed his update with a recommendation of full bridge replacement and moving into negotiations with an engineering firm to develop a scope and fee for bridge design and engineering services. Following a period of brief discussion and comments, a motion to approve moving forward with contacting a bridge engineer to prepare a contract proposal for Board consideration passed unanimously.
On March 18, 2025, Brad Deal and Ron Nelson of the Engineering Department contacted the engineering firm of Heath & Lineback in Marietta, Georgia to discuss development of a scope and fee proposal for bridge replacement on Cypress Lake Road over Dry Branch.
On April 7, 2025, Bulloch County received correspondence from Heath & Lineback providing details associated with a scope and fee proposal to provide design and engineering services for bridge replacement on Cypress Lake Road over Dry Branch. Main features of the scope and fee proposal for design and engineering services include a project length estimated to be 1,000 LF, proposed bridge typical section that includes two (2) 12-Foot travel lanes with 6.5-Foot shoulders; deliverables include geotechnical investigation, preliminary plans, right-of-way plans, support services for plan development, and final plans. The total budget to provide design and engineering services is $378,300.00.
Heath and Lineback is a prequalified consultant with GDOT and has performed similar design work on similar projects. Funding is proposed to be provided by Local Road Assistance funds administered by GDOT. The County Engineer recommends approval.
Approved unanimously.
Motion to approve task order FY25-ROW-E01 with JMT in the amount of $54,600 to perform right of way acquisition services on the Hightower Road and Josh Smith Road Paving projects.
There are nine parcels on Hightower Road and five parcels on Josh Smith Road where the property owners have elected to not donate right of way for the paving of the roads. The scope of services in this task order with JMT includes negotiations, closing packages, and attorney closing fees. These are the last remaining portions of right of way that need to be acquired for the paving of these roads.
A master services contract with Johnson, Mirmiran, and Thompson (JMT), Inc. was approved at the April 1, 2025 Commission meeting. The selection of JMT followed an RFQ procurement process. Preliminary design plans have previously been completed for the paving of Hightower Road and Josh Smith Road. Paving petitions were received for these two roads, and the Engineering Department classified Hightower Road as a high priority for paving using the paving prioritization scoring the was developed by Engineering Department staff. Design work for this project began in 2022, and right of way acquisition began in 2023.
The County Engineer recommends approval of this task order.
Approved unanimously.
Motion to approve a contract with McLendon Enterprises, Inc., for construction of concrete headwalls on Dekle Road, in the amount of $119,945.55, to be funded by TSPLOST.
Dekle Road is a county-maintained dirt road that was washed out during the November 7, 2024 rain event.
Bulloch Count Public Works has installed four runs of new 60-inch pipe at the location, but concrete headwalls are needed on both ends of the pipe to secure them in place and protect the roadway. There is a pond next to the drainage crossing, and the pond dam was breached during the storm.
On April 2, 2025, the County Engineering Office issued a Request for Quotes, following Bulloch County
Procurement Policies, to roadway and bridge contractors to provide Bulloch County with all work necessary including but not limited to construction layout, excavation, setting grade, form work, concrete work, and all incidental preparation necessary for the construction of steel reinforced concrete headwalls at the inlet location and the outlet location of an existing cross-drain system consisting of five (5) lengths of sixty (60) inch inside diameter corrugated metal pipe on an unpaved county maintained road known as Dekle Road approximately 2,253 feet west of Kennedy Bridge Road near coordinates Latitude 32.332991 and Longitude -81.911676. The deadline for Bulloch County to receive quotes was April 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM EDT.
On April 9, 2025, at 3:00 PM EDT no quotes were received. The Engineering Office took action immediately and discussed the results of the Request for Quote with the County Procurement Director and developed a plan to contact three (3) contractors to discuss the possibility of meeting at the project site the morning of Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 8:30 AM EDT. The three (3) contractors contacted were McLendon Enterprises, Y-Delta, and David Coursey Construction. McLendon Enterprises declined the meeting invitation but stated a site visit by their representatives had already been completed. Y-Delta and David Cousey Construction accepted the invitation to attend.
On April 10, 2025, Y-Delta representatives were present at the project site to review and discuss project scope and schedule. David Coursey Construction representatives were unable to attend but when contacted expressed interest in submitting a Request for Quote.
Results of additional efforts to solicit a Request for Quote are as follows:
McLendon Enterprises, Incorporated — $119,945.55
Y-Delta, Incorporated — $196,353.32
Coursey Construction Company, Incorporated — $224,200.00
Approved unanimously.
Temporary Tax Relief Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 48-5-33 – Discussion Only
Read the full article on this agenda item.
Grant Permission to Apply for Grants through GEMA to Purchase Generators and Other Initiative Projects for Critical Facilities
Permission is requested to apply for grant funding through GEMA for equipment for critical facilities.
Approved unanimously.
Commissioners took a brief recess.
Employee Health Insurance Premiums
Proposal to increase employee premiums by 10%.
County CFO Kristy King shared that premiums had not been increased ‘in a very long time’ and county officials previously deferred the increases due to other changes that were simultaneously happening with employee health insurance. “This is not going to be a huge cost to the employees but it will help offset some of the additional costs of claims to bolster the health insurance fund.”
Commissioner Newkirk asked how this improves the current status of the fund. “I know we’re short, like $3 1/2 million, where does 10% get us?”
King said this would be roughly $200,000 to $250,000 for the year.
Approved 5-1 with Commissioner Toby Conner opposing.
#9 from the Consent Agenda Motion to Approve Dome Liner and Pool Tarp for Splash in the Boro Aquatic Center
- Alex Estrada, Aquatics Division Manager, received a sole source quote from Arizon Building Systems for the replacement of the pool tarp and replacing the dome liner at Splash in the Boro Aquatic Center. The pool tarp has not been replaced in over 20 years and has developed tiny pin holes which allow water to come through the tarp. When the dome is deflated, it rests on the pool tarp, which reintroduces moisture to the dome while we are separating and folding the dome. It then sits in storage for six months which allows mold/mildew to form on the dome as well as staining. The inside of the dome is now stained from mold/mildew and will not come clean despite several attempts of using different cleaners and techniques with no positive results. The replacement of the pool tarp will prevent this from happening in the future.
- It is the recommendation of Alex Estrada to approve this project for a total of $112,479, which is budgeted in Splash in the Boro CIP schedule. The price includes shipping to and from factory, labor, parts, and repair.
This item was moved from the consent agenda.
Approved unanimously.
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Acquisition Grant Program
Presentation by EMA Director Cory Kemp.
Commission and Staff Comments
Public Works Director Dink Butler said the department is operating at 70% – due to “inmate lossage due to employee lossage” – 15 open in total – 9 in transportation, 2 in airport, 2 in fleet, 2 in solid waste; 4 on long-term medical, 1 on light duty, 1 potential going out
Executive Session – Potential Litigation & Real Estate
Commissioners closed the meeting at 11:07 a.m.
Adjourn
