The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved several large expenditures for various projects at its May 7 regular meeting, while also voting to approve the acceptance of nearly $100,000 in state and federal grant funding.

  The grants included $70,000 from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for the Violence Against Women project for the Henry County Police Department. It will aid in a collaborative effort between the HCPD, prosecutors, judges, and victim advocates to enhance the safety of women victims of violent crimes. The grant requires a local funding match of $23,333 which is available in the police department’s budget.

  Also approved was the Henry County Fire Department’s acceptance of a $19,017 grant from the Georgia Trauma Commission, which will will fund the purchase of trauma equipment and supplies for the department.

  The board approved more than $700,000 in technology-related equipment for its public safety departments. The approved list includes 204 Panasonic Tough Book laptops with docks along with an upgrade to the police records computer equipment. Also being purchased are 13 OptiPlex desktops as well as 35 Apple tablets with tough covers and expanded storage to be used with inspections software.

  The commissioners also approved a new contract for janitorial services in the two main courthouse buildings on the square in McDonough, at $29,045 per month or $348,548 for one year with two possible extensions. County staff said there have been complaints about current janitorial services in court buildings and the new provider will be able to start June 1.

  A contract was approved with Harris Corporation for the enhancement and increased coverage to the Public Safety Emergency Communications network through the implementation of LTE systems on public safety radios. The improvements will increase the ability and further expand the coverage on portable radios throughout the county, according to a staff report, and replace redundancy in areas where radio coverage may not exist. Funding for the LTE platform implementation at a cost of $924,595 is in the SPLOST budget.

  The board approved a budget amendment that frees up more than $1 million for resurfacing, widening and surface treatment on various county roads. The money comes from leftover SPLOST funds for 30 projects that are already completed in four commission districts. The board designated $100,000 for the widening of Rock Quarry Road and another $8,406 for work on Bill Gardner Parkway.

  A separate $3.6 million contract for road work was approved. The agreement with CW Matthews involves improvements on 14 roads totaling about 12 miles, with some of the work by cement stabilized base reclamation construction and the remainder by milling and resurfacing. The work is being funded by a state Local Maintenance Improvement Grant along with matching money from county DOT and SPLOST resurfacing funds.

  Also approved by the commissioners was a budget amendment transferring $1,173,241 to the intersection improvement project at Simpson Mill Road and Hampton-Locust Grove Road. That money comes from the account for a state highway improvement project that will be completed by the Georgia Department of Transportation, according to county staff.

  The board officially voiced its objection to a pair of annexation requests at the May 7 meeting. One is for about 43 acres of land on South Hampton Road that would become part of Hampton, although the county objects to the proposed rezoning that would substantially change the intensity of the land use, according to county officials. The other request involves 183 acres along Campground Road and Elliott Road that would become part of McDonough, extending that city perhaps to its northernmost point and also allow a residential density above the county’s future land use map. The owners of this tract previously filed a rezoning request with the county but withdrew it before a decision was made.