A lot of road work is getting done in Henry County in the coming months.
The Board of Commissioners voted at its June 7 regular meeting to approve a resolution awarding a bid to Blount Construction Company for the resurfacing of 86 county roads. According to officials, the $25 million project will be funded through SPLOST V and T-SPLOST respective district resurfacing accounts as well as through Georgia Department of Transportation LMIG funds and the county’s general fund if necessary.
Two other road projects funded by SPLOST were also approved: a $69,141 supplemental agreement for Heath & Lineback Engineers on the design of the Flippen Road extension; and a $350,267 bid to Blount Construction Company Inc. for asphalt patching, crack sealing, and high-density mineral bond application on 25 county roads.
In other business, the board approved two janitorial contracts. A $281,400 bid was awarded to American Facility Services for select county facilities, and a $359,700 bid went to Intercontinental Commercial Services for certain court and public safety facilities. The work encompasses more than three dozen buildings in all. Funding for these services will come from the budgets of the various departments.
A resolution was approved that keeps Fire Chief Jonathan Burnette, Deputy Fire Chief Stacey Ponder, Assistant Chief Billy Petite and Lieutenant Sam Polk on the Region 4/ West Georgia Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council. Petite’s term was set to expire at the end of this month and his reappointment is effective through June 30, 2025. Polk’s current term expires in 2024 while the other two are serving terms that end next year.
The commissioners authorized a request by the Henry County Police Department to apply for and accept a $106,035 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice for the purchase of body armor vests for sworn officers. According to a county staff report, body armor vests are estimated to cost the HCPD $172,800 and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office $39,720 over the next two years.
The board approved an amendment to the Henry County Planning and Zoning fee schedule related to film permit fees. Officials stated that the existing $100 fee was insufficient to cover county costs, and the new filming permit application fee was set at $250 with an expedited permit fee costing an additional $250.
A $2,284,000 proposal for an update of the county flood plain study was approved. The money will come from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
A Georgia Smart Communities Challenge Grant of $30,000 from Partnership for Inclusive Innovation was officially accepted. No in-kind local match or cash contribution from the county is required.
The board rejected an appeal of a recent Zoning Advisory Board decision and upheld the denial of a variance request regarding 14.9 acres on the south side of Stone Road. The applicant had requested relief from development standards, specifically the reduction of the road frontage requirement for a flag lot.
In a separate agenda item, an amendment to the Unified Land Development Code was approved regarding prohibited uses within the Highway Corridor Overlay District. The vote on this item as well as the variance appeal was 4-2, with Bruce Holmes and Vivian Thomas voting in opposition both times.
