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Board rescinds Roots of Life contract, reallocates $40,000 to contingency; USDA grant work to continue with UGA involvement
Summary
The board rescinded a December 2024 contract extension with Roots of Life LLC for garden extension services, approved a $40,000 budget transfer to general contingency, and confirmed USDA grant-funded work will continue with county general services building the project and UGA managing programming.
Rockdale County commissioners approved rescinding contract 2024-214 with Roots of Life LLC and moved $40,000 from extension services to the county general fund contingency on Feb. 25.
Staff described the project as partly funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant of $145,000. According to county staff, roughly $50,000–$60,000 of the grant covers plants and educational materials while approximately $85,000 is for contractor work to build garden beds, trails and wellness areas. Planning and engineering work had produced a draft master plan; county general services will handle build-out and the University of Georgia (UGA) extension and master gardeners will run programming and hire a position to operate the site.
Why it matters: Rescinding the contract unlinked a specific vendor from the grant-related work but did not stop the project. Staff said UGA representatives (including Dr. Bledsoe and Julie Lynn Macy) reviewed the plan and had no concerns about meeting the grant deadline, which was described as roughly May of next year — the grant spending deadline stated by staff.
Outcome and next steps: The motion to rescind the contract and the companion budget amendment passed on voice votes. Staff said they will proceed toward a final design with UGA input, revise any designs as requested by UGA, post a position to manage the project at UGA’s request, and then bid construction work.
