Bulloch County commissioners approve pool paint purchase, easement and hauling services; well easement passes 4-2

The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners approved multiple consent and new-business items at its Feb. 4, 2025 meeting, including a sole-source purchase of pool paint for Splashland Borough Waterpark, an easement to Georgia Power for a well site and ratification of hauling services.

Alex Eshravda, aquatics manager for Splashland Borough Waterpark and Aquatic Center, told the board the park’s concrete pools require the same two-part epoxy used at installation and asked the board to approve a sole-source purchase of Teneemic paint for $23,173. "That's the only way I can guarantee and put my name on it that that paint is gonna stick to that pool," Eshravda said. The motion to approve the sole-source purchase passed unanimously.

The board considered an easement to Georgia Power to supply power to a county well site. Jeff Akins, who submitted the easement request, said the easement was to provide power to a well site. A commenter at the meeting expressed strong opposition to aspects of the county's well agreements and the proposed timeline for regional water projects, but the record did not identify that speaker by name. The easement motion passed with a recorded tally of 4 in favor, 2 against and 1 commissioner recused; the board chair announced the count as "4 in favor, 2 against." The record shows one commissioner asked to be excused from a subsequent vote during the meeting.

The board also ratified hauling services: Sand Creek Land Construction for $16,590 and JL Duriso Trucking for $17,255 (the latter was listed on the consent agenda and included in earlier collective approval). A motion to approve Sand Creek’s hauling services passed with a recorded five in favor; the clerk announced five votes in favor when the item came forward.

Other consent items approved as part of the consent motion included approving the Jan. 27, 2025 minutes; approving a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant application for the district attorney's office for federal FY 2025 in the amount of $104,453; and approving a special event permit for Statesboro Duxham Limited to host a nonprofit event at Ogeechee Technical College on Feb. 27, 2025. Several consent items were moved to new business for discussion and recorded separately at the meeting.

Toward the end of the meeting, Judge Michael T. Mouldsruhe of the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit requested permission to submit a FY 2026 mental health court grant application in the amount of $261,541 and said he would also address a related drug court request; the transcript records the request but the meeting record included here does not show a subsequent vote on that grant request.

Votes at a glance - Sole-source purchase: Teneemic paint for Splashland Borough Waterpark — $23,173 — Motion approved; vote recorded as unanimous. - Easement to Georgia Power for a well site — Motion approved; vote recorded as Yes 4 / No 2 / Recused 1 (chair announced 4 in favor, 2 against). - Sand Creek Land Construction — hauling services Jan. 13–17, 2025 — $16,590 — Motion approved; chair announced five in favor when taken up. - JL Duriso Trucking — hauling services Jan. 8–17, 2025 — $17,255 — Ratified as part of consent; approved in the consent motion. - VOCA grant application (district attorney) — $104,453 — Approved as part of the consent motion. - Special event permit for Statesboro Duxham Limited at Ogeechee Technical College on Feb. 27, 2025 — Approved as part of consent.

The meeting record shows commissioners present by roll call earlier in the meeting and several items were moved from the consent agenda into new business for separate discussion; where the clerk or chair announced vote totals, this article reports the announced totals and notes when names were not recorded with individual votes.