The Ware County Board of Commissioners discussed/voted on the following agenda items during the May 11 work session, two public hearings and regular meeting.
Ware County’s Board of Commissioners moved through a full slate of transportation, planning, and administrative items, approving major resurfacing and striping contracts, accepting a federal hazard- mitigation grant, and taking action on roadclosing, rezoning and naming requests.
The board met for a 3:30 p.m. work session, held two public hearings starting at 4:30 p.m., and convened its regular meeting at 5 p.m.
Commissioners present were Chairman Elmer Thrift, Leonard Burse, Barry Cox and Jon Tindall. Commissioner Timmy Lucas was not present.
Staff present were County Manager James Shubert, Assistant County Attorney Jennifer Herzog, and County Clerk Melinda Brooks.
• LMIG Resurfacing Contract Awarded: Commissioners approved the FY26 Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) resurfacing contract, awarding the work to East Coast Asphalt, LLC of Douglas for $459,455.54.
Statewide Engineering reported four firms submitted bids with East Coast Asphalt offering the lowest responsive proposal. The project will resurface portions of East Waring Street, Tara Road, Gibbs Street, and 8 Mile Post Road.
The county allocated remaining LMIG funds after committing $947,978 toward the 2025 CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) paving of Pine Forest Road and Deerwood Road.
• 63 Miles of Road Striping Approved with Change Order: The board also approved the FY25 Safety Action Plan striping project, awarding the contract to NPR South, LLC of Douglas.
NPR’s original bid of $428,166.15 exceeded the available budget, but Change Order #1 — removing Beach Road and Lucy Moore Road and adding Zion Hill Road and South Plant Avenue/Griffin Road — reduced the total to $409,900.93, just $689.93 above the grant allocation.
The project will restripe approximately 63 miles of county roadways.
• Audit Services contract awarded: Commissioners selected Carr, Riggs & Ingram (CRI) to provide county audit services for the next four years at a total cost of $325,815, the lowest of three proposals received.
• County declares surplus office phones: Following the county’s transition from AT&T to Access ATC for phone service, the board declared the removed office phones surplus, noting they are incompatible with the new system.
• Iron Bridge landfill monitoring contract approved: The board approved a contract with Bunnell Lammons Engineering (BLE) for semiannual water-quality reporting at the closed Iron Bridge Road landfill.
BLE’s proposal totals $10,500 for 2026 monitoring and reporting.
Recreation Complex (Concept 1 recommended): LOSE Design presented two updated master-plan concepts for the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex, including new pickleball facilities.
Staff recommended Concept 1, which includes a pickleball complex, recreation center, aquatic facility, amphitheater, senior center, and trackand- field complex with approximately 1,270 parking spaces.
Commissioners selected Concept 1.
• County accepts FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant: The board accepted a $49,857 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program award to update the county’s Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) will fund 75 percent of the cost, with the state contributing 10% and the county providing the remaining 15%.
The current plan expires April 3, 2028. The grant period runs through August 27, 2030.
• Debris removal and monitoring contracts renewed: Commissioners renewed the county’s pre-event debrisremoval contract with CrowderGulf, extending it through May 31, 2027.
No funds are spent unless activated during a declared disaster.
The board also approved a one-year contract with Thompson Consulting Services for disaster-debris monitoring, with four optional annual renewals.
• Land Bank Authority appointment: The board considered filling the unexpired term of William Simmons, who resigned from Post 7 on the Waycross-Ware County Land Bank Authority. The term runs through December 31, 2028.
The board was not prepared to make an appointment, but will in the near future.
• Road name change considered: Commissioners reviewed a request to rename Cameron Lane to Taylor Bristow Lane.
The Planning Commission previously recommended approval, but at least one resident submitted written opposition citing administrative and financial burdens associated with changing legal addresses.
Commissioner Tindall moved to accept the name change, but the motion failed to receive a second.
• Public Hearing (Roscoe Mixon Road closure): A public hearing was held on the proposed closing and abandonment of approximately 1,012 feet of the former Roscoe Mixon Road route in Waresboro.
The segment was made obsolete following a county-approved land swap that relocated the road. Planning staff noted the closure would eliminate future maintenance costs and return the rightof- way to adjacent landowners.
• Public Hearing (Rezoning request on Adams Street): The board also held a a request to rezone 2401 Adams Street from R-75MH (Residential, Manufactured Homes) to A-1 (Agriculture/ Forestry) to allow poultry and other animals.
The Planning Commission had unanimously recommended denial, citing prior complaints and setback requirements for animal structures.
The board voted unanimously to deny the request.
• Employee of the Month: The board recognized Scott Callahan of Vehicle Maintenance as Employee of the Month.
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