9/2/2014 Administrator’s Report

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Financial Update:

• Sales Tax Collections: August 2014 Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) collections showed an increase from August 2013 of over 20%. The LOST collection increased $83,133.41 and SPLOST increased $120,301.77.
• Tax Digest: The 2014 Gordon County Tax Digest has been approved by the Georgia Department of Revenue for the collection of 2014 Ad Valorem taxes. Tax notices are expected to be mailed in approximately 2 weeks.

Project Update:

• Fire Station Construction: The purchasing department has received and will be validating the cost estimate provided by Calhoun Commercial Construction for building the Red Bud Road Fire Station. Once this process is complete, a presentation will be provided to the Board of Commissioners during the September 16th or October 7th work session.
• Parking Deck: Requests for proposal were delivered to the four qualified vendors, and bids are expected on September 23rd. A meeting is scheduled for September 10th for each contractor to ask questions and tour the site prior to submitting their bids.
• Courthouse Annex Electricity: Plans are being coordinated to replace the electrical and data transmission service lines at the Courthouse Annex because the above ground cables will interfere with the new parking deck construction. To eliminate the problem, the cables will be replaced with underground service that can be used to connect power to the new parking deck. The week of Thanksgiving has been identified as the best period to make these changes.
• Resaca Battlefield: Lose and Associates, a firm specialized in developing community parks, will assist Gordon County with the commissioning of the Resaca Battlefield Park. The firm will perform an on-site evaluation after they have reviewed the existing park plans and background documents.
• Courthouse Renovation: This project is pending the review and consideration of alternative space options.
• Small Project Bids:
  • Replacement Roof at Senior Center – to be released September 8th.
  • Replacement Fuel Station at Public Works – due September 10th.
  • Tractor and Boom Mower at Public Works – due September 12th.
  • Pest Control for County Buildings – to be released September 12th.
• George Chambers Grant: Commissioner Norris Sexton will attend DCA’s awards ceremony in Savanah on Thursday and Friday to accept the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award of $500,000 for the George Chambers Development Disability Center. The Director of the George Chambers Center, Mary Barclay, and the grant writer, Dave Ronnigan, will join Commissioner Sexton to receive this award.

Significant Activities:

• Animal Control: Following the implementation of the management software, initial departmental reports are available (report attached). Database entry protocols and reportable content will be fine-tuned this month using August data.
• Industrial Development: The Gordon County Public Works Director and County Administrator are continuing to conduct site visits and provide assistance in tandem with the Development Authority and local industry regarding permit processes, wetland concerns on Development Authority land, and State road construction challenges associated with the new Union Grove exchange.
• Joint Development Authority: Commissioner Hood and the County Administrator attended the Gordon/Floyd Joint Development Authority meeting last week in Rome, Georgia. Larry Roye called the meeting to order and the following new officers were elected: Mark Eubanks, Chairman; Add Layson, Vice Chairman; and Noah Simon, Secretary/Treasurer. Following adjournment, individual discussions with Carl Campbell, Senior Project Manager with Georgia Department of Economic Development and Elyse Cochran Davis, Community Development Manager with Georgia Power prompted follow-on meetings that were scheduled for next week.