When the county began making plans for Hurricane Helene debris pickup, officials figured on a final price tag of about $80 million. After last week’s county commission meeting, the total amount of the project is going to be pretty close to that. Thankfully, FEMA is going to reimburse the county 100 percent of the costs associated with the pickup.
There were two items on the commission’s agenda related to debris removal: One was a contract amendment between the county and Debris Tech, the company overseeing the debris removal, while the other was a contract amendment with Southern Disaster Recovery, the company actually picking up and disposing of the debris.
The original contract with Debris Tech was not to exceed $8 million. The amendment would increase the total amount of the contract by $500,000 to $8.5 million.
The contract with Southern Disaster Recovery was not to exceed $43,962,950.20. Southern Disaster Recovery has asked for an increase of $18 million, bringing the total amount to $61,962,950.20. “This contract and the contract we signed with Debris Tech is going to be somewhere in the $75-80 million range. We had estimated about $80 million when we signed the emergency contract and that’s what it’s going to be,” said county administrator Wesley Vickers. He added that FEMA will reimburse the county 100 percent of the costs associated with debris removal up to June 30. “Right now we’re on target to have everything completed and done by that date.”
The county also approved the following items:
- The operation of the Senior Center and its accompanying meal program with the Southern Georgia Area Agency on Aging;
- A change order on the 2024 LMIG road contract in the amount of $11,906.10 for additional road work in Broxton;
- A bid from Colony Bank for an $8 million CD the county has. Currently, it is with Colony but it’s coming up for renewal. Colony submitted the highest bid of 4.15 percent;
- The transfer of the Georgia State Patrol property on Thomas Frier Drive to the Department of Public Safety;
- The surplus of five pieces of equipment – four Dodge Chargers and a trencher. One of the Chargers will be given to the City of Nicholls while the other three, along with the trencher, will be posted on Govdeals.com for sale;
- A rezoning request from Kayla Sellars to rezone 5.39 acres at 5547 Fitzgerald Highway in Broxton from AG, Agriculture to PD, Planned Development, for the purpose of building a barndeminium that will serve as a quilting retreat. The commission also heard the first reading of a rezoning request from Cindy Pastrana to rezone two acres at 616 Namon Road from AG, Agriculture to RM, Residential Mixed for the purpose of building two duplexes. The county will hear the second reading, conduct a public hearing, and vote on the item at the next meeting.