Here is a portion of what happened at the March 9 meeting of the Henry County Board of Commissioners:

A $1,597,848 bid from McLeRoy Inc. was approved for construction of improvements to the intersection of Mill Road and Mt. Carmel Road, one of the county’s SPLOST projects.

The board approved a $51,500 contract with Technaserv Corp. for structural repairs to a four-unit apartment building on George Street in Hampton that was purchased under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to be rehabilitated and made available as rental property for low-income households.

A contract with a Kentucky company to provide daily wear for Henry County Fire Department personnel was terminated because the company could not fulfill the required orders.

The commissioners voted to abandon a half-acre portion of Peach Drive just north of Jodeco Road that is no longer used by the public, as well as two streets next to the southwest corner of I-75 and Hwy. 155 in the industrial corridor.

A $516,060 purchase of a Caterpillar milling machine was approved to be used for road resurfacing work. The acquisition was deemed necessary because of continued breakdowns of the existing machine.

The board approved an $85,080 annual expenditure for recurring broadband data used by public safety personnel’s portable radios. The cost is $10 per month per unit, and there are currently 709 units in operation in the county fleet.

A resolution authorizing the $2,566,895 purchase of 50 Ford Explorer pursuit vehicles for the Henry County Police Department was approved. The cost includes lighting, decals, cage, stands, consoles, in-car smart camera system, ticket-report printers and Panasonic 55 computers for each vehicle. In a separate action, the board approved a $241,435 expenditure for the purchase and installation of two-ray radios to be installed in each vehicle.

An agreement was approved by which the Georgia Department of Transportation will acquire three pieces of property along Hwy. 42 in Locust Grove. The state DOT needs the property for right of way and easements in the widening of the highway from Bill Gardner Parkway to Peeksville Road. Total compensation to the county for the land is $52,465.

The commissioners approved an agreement by which Norfolk Southern Railway Company will provide preliminary and construction engineering work related to the widening of Rock Quarry Road in Stockbridge, specifically the bridge that crosses the railroad tracks. The county’s cost for this service is $51,423.

Several new acquisitions at Henry County’s two oldest senior centers were approved. A $83,993 bid was awarded to Chef’s Depot for the installation of new kitchen equipment at Heritage Senior Center in McDonough as well as Hidden Valley Senior Center in Fairview. Replacement of kitchen appliances were deemed necessary by county staff, as some were more than 15 years old and beyond repair. Officials said the new equipment is needed to safely and effectively prepare meals to be served in the senior centers as well as through the Meals on Wheels program. The commissioners approved a $30,982 expenditure for new carpet at Heritage Senior Center in McDonough, replacing 20-year old carpet that has become visually unappealing and also a safety hazard because of wear and tear, according to officials. Also approved was the delivery and setup of two pool tables at Heritage and two more at Hidden Valley Senior Center at a total cost of $17,873. They are replacing pool tables that are many years old and inadequate for daily use.

The board voted to officially accept a $7,060,482 allocation from the U.S. Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), part of a $2.3 trillion spending bill passed by Congress in December. The ERAP lets counties, cities and towns with a population above 200,000 get funding for rental and utility assistance for their residents. According to officials, this money will especially help those in arrears and/or facing eviction. The funding also has provisions to assist renters with utility payments for gas, electric and water/sewer. The program will be separately managed by a third-party provider, and funds will not be commingled with a current assistance program the county is managing.

The board approved the $236,199 purchase of playground equipment for Nash Farm Park using SPLOST funds. Sandy Ridge Park is getting a new playground as well, with the purchase and installation approved at a cost of $101,974. That money will come from impact fees, according to officials. As for recreation options exclusively for the county’s older population, the commissioners awarded a design/build contract for a fitness room addition at the Heritage Senior Center to McDonough firm JR Bowman Construction in the amount of $798,247 to be paid from the SPLOST senior center account.