Henry County board approves consent items, several capital and personnel resolutions

The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved its consent agenda and a set of capital and personnel resolutions during the April 1, 2025 meeting, moving a package of routine and project-specific items forward without recorded roll-call tallies.

The board approved a consent agenda that staff said included: a memorandum of understanding with the Henry County Water Authority regarding sewer for North Mount Carmel Park; a lease between Henry County and the Georgia Department of Driver Services for the Locust Grove DDS location; authorization to dispose of surplus county equipment; annual unit-price contracts for playground and decorative mulch (Preferred Mulch LLC), Long Needle pine straw (Swift Straw LLC); and a stormwater drainage improvement contract for Stokes Drive to DAF Concrete Inc. The county manager read the consent items into the record and Chair Carlotta Harrell called for a motion; the motion carried.

On the regular agenda the board also approved: an award of RFP 25-34 for on-call architectural and engineering services to Croft & Associates, Place Services, and Goodwin Mills | GMW (Goodwin Mills Kaywood LLC) as the three prequalified firms; a resolution to relocate utilities on Berg Road with a Central Georgia EMC cost estimate the staff listed as $160,705.67; and a purchase of playground equipment and poured rubber surfacing for North Mount Carmel Park from GameTime for $586,935.85, to be paid from district impact fees ($400,000) and SPLOST 5 funds ($186,935.85), according to staff remarks.

The board also acted on personnel and benefits business: it approved the county’s employee benefits renewal package and added a requirement for biometric screenings to the benefits resolution, to be implemented after open enrollment per staff timelines. Separately, the board denied a taxpayer refund request for interest and penalties on delinquent property taxes after staff recommended denial based on the facts presented.

Most actions were approved by voice vote; the transcript records motions, seconds and repeated “motion carries” statements but does not include individual roll-call tallies for the listed items.

Minutes and procedural items advanced the schedule: the board set upcoming budget hearings and convened into an executive session on litigation, later approving the affidavit and resolution related to that executive session.

The approvals mean the county will proceed with the listed contracts and project funding as described by staff; items that require later board review under the county’s procurement policy (for example any contract over $100,000 for design work) were flagged for return to the board.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (multiple items listed in staff report): approved (motion carried). No roll-call tally in transcript. - RFP 25-34 (on-call architectural and engineering services): approved (motion carried). No roll-call tally in transcript. - Berg Road utility relocation (Central Georgia EMC estimate $160,705.67): approved (motion carried). No roll-call tally in transcript. - North Mount Carmel Park playground purchase (GameTime, $586,935.85; funding: $400,000 district impact fees; $186,935.85 SPLOST 5): approved (motion carried). No roll-call tally in transcript. - Employee benefits renewal (with added biometric screening requirement): approved (motion carried). No roll-call tally in transcript. - Tax refund request (refund denial recommended by tax office): denied (motion carried). No roll-call tally in transcript.

Ending: The approvals allow staff to proceed with procurement and project execution steps described in the staff reports; projects that exceed delegated thresholds or require follow-up will return to the board for formal approval.