Commission approves EMC contract and in-house paving list but delays additional $1M until audit
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Summary
The board approved EMC Engineering Services to administer 2026 LMIG work and signed off on an 8.98-mile in‑house paving list funded through T‑SPLOST, while agreeing to wait for the FY2025 audit before committing any additional $1 million toward paving.
The Meriwether County Board of Commissioners approved a professional services proposal from EMC Engineering Services on Feb. 9 to administer the county’s 2026 LMIG/road bid process. Staff said EMC’s proposal totals $62,810 to administer an estimated $1,675,000 worth of construction work, using a percent-based fee tied to actual contractor bid amounts (staff described a 3.75% fee). EMC will prepare assessments, bid documents, construction administration and on-site inspection services.
Commissioners discussed timing and scope; staff said design documents are expected on the street by March with an award targeted for April or May. A motion to proceed with EMC as proposed passed with a second.
Separately, Commissioner Brian Griffin presented a proposed in-house paving program covering roughly 8.98 miles across five districts at an estimated cost of $1,088,903 to be funded through T‑SPLOST. Board members confirmed that approximately $1,000,000 had already been budgeted for in‑house paving and moved to approve the list and the necessary budget reclassification for tracking.
Finance staff and commissioners then debated whether to advance an additional $1,000,000 from the general fund to accelerate paving projects. Finance presented fund-balance figures and noted restrictions on certain funds; staff recommended waiting until the FY2025 audit is complete (deadline cited as March 2026) before allocating additional funds. Commissioners voted to postpone committing an extra $1,000,000 until after the audit is complete and to revisit the proposal.
Board members expressed a desire to prove the in‑house paving approach before investing more funds and asked staff to examine options to reduce cost per mile by combining nearby projects. The board also requested staff consider whether to develop internal capacity to administer similar projects in the future instead of relying solely on consultants.
The actions taken at the meeting authorize the EMC contract execution and the in‑house paving list; follow-up work will include contract signature, budget reclassification and tracking, and an audit‑informed decision on any additional funding.