Local schools awarded Innovation Grant Award

The city of Centerville will soon receive some needed improvements. At Tuesday’s meeting, the Houston County Board of Commissioners approved a professional services agreement with Saunders Engineering Consultants Inc. of Centerville in the amount of $49,000 for engineering consulting services on the East Church Street widening project from Houston Lake Road to Collins Avenue. This is a 2012 SPLOST funded project.

Chairman Tommy Stalnaker said this will enhance the city of Centerville and allow the public to have a safer road to travel on in the future. He said this project’s design phase is about six months.

Centerville City Councilman Ed Armijo, Director of Operations Mike Brumfield and City Attorney Rebecca Tidings stood before the commissioners to show their support and commented that they enjoy their great working relationship with the county.

“I’m proud to be a part of that,” said Tidings.

Brumfield added that this will be a beautiful project. He said sidewalks are greatly needed.

“It’s going to be a great thing; can’t wait to see it,” he said.

Stalnaker thanked the voters for passing SPLOST.

Another approved professional services agreement was with R.K. Shah & Associates of Smyrna in the amount of $329,450 for engineering consulting services on the Elberta Road widening project from Carl Vinson Parkway to Northside Drive. This is also a 2012 SPLOST funded project. Stalnaker said the design phase is about 24 months, noting this will be a long process but it has begun.

Additionally, a memorandum of agreement was approved with Warner Robins, Perry, Centerville, Hawkinsville, Pulaski County, Dooly County and Byron concerning the joint Local Maintenance and Improvements Grant road resurfacing and repair projects. This is the fifth year that Houston County will bid out the projects.

“This has been a win-win for everyone,” said Stalnaker. “It has helped everybody. I know it’s additional work on the county’s public works people, but it pays dividends in the long run.”

Also, the commissioners approved to eliminate the storm water technician grade 15 position and the CAD operator grade 15 position, both in the engineering department, and to create a civil engineer position grade 25 in the engineering department; and to approve the hiring of Brink Stokes at a grade 25-F to fill the civil engineer position, effective Jan. 1 (this will be a savings to the county).

Commissioners further approved the seventh annual Run 2 End Alzheimer’s at the Landing’s to benefit the Central Georgia Alzheimer’s Association. The event will take place Saturday, April 1, starting and finishing at the Landing Pointe Plaza in Bonaire. The Houston County Sheriff’s Department has agreed to assist with traffic control during the hours of the race.

Other items approved included: consulting agreement with former county attorney Mike Long (will run through June 30 and automatically renew yearly unless terminated by either party in writing with a 30-day notice to the other party); Superior Court employment contract for court reporter Joy Malone, effective immediately through June 30; appointment of Deborah Morris Strange to fill the unexpired term of Greg Bell on the Department of Family and Children Services Board, effective immediately through June 30, 2020; storm water facility maintenance agreement with Teramore Development LLC concerning the construction and maintenance of the storm water management facilities on the new Dollar General property being constructed at the southeast corner of Highway 247 and Story Road; awarded contract for architectural services on the sheriff’s office storage/evidence building project to JMA Architecture of Perry ($50,000 fee); extension of the performance bond (One South Bank letter of credit) on Section 5, Phase 1 and 3 of Southfield Plantation subdivision for a period of six months (expiring July 21) contingent upon extension being received by Jan. 21; the underground right of way easement for Flint Energies, which will accommodate the planned street lights along a portion of Cohen Walker Drive from East Lake Joy Road to the intersection with Snellgrove Drive and south down a portion of Snellgrove Drive; Warner Robins annexation request by Pat Nixon and Gayle Keeling for a proposed grocery store (vacant property located at Highway 96, north of Cohen Walker Drive, west of Houston Lake Road and east of Sutherlin Drive); joint award to both Five Star Ford and Perry Ford for annual vehicle maintenance contract for the sheriff’s department and certain other fleet vehicles; and bills totaling $3,389,174.03.

MSgt. Kenneth Hathaway, Georgia Air National Guard, led the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the meeting. He said this year, he’s going on over 30 years in service. He thanked his wife, State Court Clerk Teresa Hathaway, who he has known since they were 7 and 8 years old. He was stationed at Robins Air Force Base in 1987 from North Carolina and has been here ever since. He said the only places he hasn’t been are Australia, China and Russia.

“No matter where I was, somebody could always speak English,” he said, which amazed him. He added that the topic of the conversation with everyone he met in all of these countries he’s been to was that they have always wanted to know what it was like in America, which he took the time to tell them.

“From traveling all over the world, there is no better place to live than here,” Hathaway said. “Out of everything I’ve seen, everything I’ve done, I was always so thankful to come back home.”

He said this has made him a better person and more appreciative of the freedom and liberties that Americans have. He said he’s thankful for his ability to serve.

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