Athens officials to seek roughly $932,000 to finish new fire station after theft; cybersecurity steps outlined

Director Stone told the Athens City Council committee Tuesday that the city needs about $932,000 in additional authorization to make a final payment to Pepper Construction to complete Project 346, the new fire-station headquarters.

The additional request stems from a multi-part funding shortfall: a theft of city funds during the project, growing project costs for items added during construction and the normal close-out payments, and the exhaustion of bond proceeds, Director Stone said. "We owe Pepper Construction the final payment for that project. And that payment is roughly $931,000," he said.

Why it matters: The payment covers the contractor’s final invoice and lets the city close the construction contract and move warranty items into normal operations. Officials said the theft and subsequent cash-flow gap require the city to reallocate appropriated funds rather than issue new debt.

What administrators presented

Director Stone told the committee most warranty punch-list work is complete and Pepper is finished for purposes of withholding retainage. To cover the shortage, the administration proposes drawing roughly $350,000 from Fund 206 (public safety…