Commissioners Hear Updates
In their April regular meeting, the Jeff Davis County Commissioners heard updates from Roads Superintendent Robert Lewis and Tourism Director Jim Sewell.
Lewis gave the Board an update on road projects throughout the county and said there is an ongoing project at the fairgrounds. Trash sites are running smoothly. The change in consultants on landfill monitoring was working out well. Two wells at the landfill are causing a problem but that should be solved soon. Something needs to be done with the side walls on the Alma Highway trash site.
Chairman Ricky Crosby thanked Lewis for meeting with him and Department of Transportation officials to look at roads. He said “we hit it lucky, we got $225,000 on one and Keith (Carter, County Administrator) received a call today and they said they’re going to do about six miles on Hwy. 268 to widen the road. We may get half this year and half next year.” Commissioner Hank Hobbs stated he had heard nothing but positive comments about how the roads are shaping up.
Sewell said Friday of Peaches to Beaches was an experience and probably the largest. Saturday was overwhelming with the traffic and parking.
He commented on plans to work with the Chamber on an event coming up at Towns Bluff Park in June and the canoe paddle in the fall which we will work jointly with Telfair County. It will start in Lumber City and end at Towns Bluff Park and be promoted through the Ocmulgee Water Trail and the Altamaha River Partnership organizations.
Tourism recently started a new ad campaign with the TV station in Tifton for promoting Towns Bluff Park during spring and summer months.
The Big House rentals continue and the Junior-Senior Prom was just held there.
Sewell said through the State Department of Tourism they have a product resource team that will do a two- or three-day assessment of potential new development and what is already in place in areas of tourism. The Board of Tourism ear marked $5,000 toward the assessment. The average cost is about $1,200 per day. The request has to come from the chief elected office of the county which is the commissioners. He explained that the state does have some tourism product development grants and it’s required to have this before applying for grants.
The commissioners agreed to accept the proposal and go forward with the Tourism Product Development Project.
In other action, the commissioners….
…. opened bids on a new ambulance but voted to table the matter until they could get bids on demo unit ambulances with mileage and warranty from each company.
…. approved having the Emergency Medical Service to operate a day truck ambulance.
…. approved the Brunswick Public Defender Indigent Service Contract.
…. reappointed Thomas McDew to the Department of Family and Children Services Board.
…. appointed Sarah Swinson to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities.
…. approved advertising for bids on a motor grader.
…. agreed to purchase a 2019 GMC Acadia offered by Woody Folsom for $26,900 pending Carter’s inspection.
…. approved closing the courthouse for Good Friday with employees using personal or vacation time.
…. heard from Hobbs who discussed the possibility of closing Henry Mims Road.
…. heard from Hobbs who will put together a proposal for paving local roads.
The commissioners also held a called meeting April 22 to discuss what to do about escalating insurance costs and agreed to bid out the insurance.
