Administrator’s Report for April 19, 2016
Financial Update
- Budget Preparation: The County Administrator and Finance Director are compiling all of the budget requests and other budget information necessary to prepare the recommended budget. The recommended budget is expected to be presented to the Board of Commissioners during the commission meeting scheduled for May 17th, 2016.
Significant Projects
- George Chambers Center Expansion: This project nears completion on schedule and within budget. Pending a final inspection, the construction is expected to be substantially complete by April 26th. A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony has been tentatively scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on May 17th.
- Gordon County Government Plaza Renovation: Bid documents were released to the top companies and a pre-bid meeting was then held on April 18th with Momon Construction, RaLin Construction, and Lusk Construction. The proposals will be received and evaluated next month, and a recommendation should be ready to present to the Board of Commissioners during the first regular meeting scheduled for June 7th.
- Resaca Battlefield Opening Ceremony: Invitations were mailed last week for the opening of the Resaca Battlefield which is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on May 13th. The ceremony will include opening remarks by Commissioner Chad Steward, invocation and music by Jule Medders, battlefield history and special recognition by Ken Padgett, and a key note address by State Representative John Meadows. The Georgia Division of Reenactors will fire honor volleys, and the ceremony will adjourn followed by site tours provided by the Friends of Resaca Battlefield. The Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Visitor’s Bureau staff and the Friends of the Resaca Battlefield have been instrumental in planning this event.
- Road Improvement Projects: The Public Works Department is presently working to increase the elevation of Covington Bridge Road to reduce the frequency of road closures due to heavy flooding. This project should be complete within several weeks. The next major project scheduled for completion this year will be to increase the elevation of Brookshire Road. The final road constructions plans have been presented to Georgia Environmental Protection Division and construction will begin upon receipt of approval.
- E911 Upgrades: The new phone system equipment will be delivered on Monday April 25 with installation on May 2, and training to begin on May 9. The new system will go live on May 17. In anticipation of next fiscal year budget approval, an RFP to replace the center’s Computer Aided Dispatch system is underway. The mandatory pre-bid meeting was held April 13 with four vendors present with the goal of establishing a contract for execution as early as July 2016.
