Tift County Board adds Juneteenth, alters holiday schedule, accepts GDOT safety projects and OKs landfill feasibility study

At its March 13 meeting, the Tift County Board of Commissioners approved several administrative and project actions, including updates to the county holiday schedule, acceptance of Georgia Department of Transportation safety projects, approval of multiple procurement items on the consent agenda, and authorization for a landfill feasibility study.

Personnel policy changes: Commissioner Melissa Hughes moved to add Juneteenth to the county's holiday schedule; the motion was seconded and recorded as carrying 6–0. Separately, Commissioner Paul Webb moved to remove Good Friday from the holiday schedule. The meeting minutes record the motion as "carried 4–0" but also list the four commissioners voting Aye (Webb, Wood, Rigdon and McBrayer) and three voting Nay (Hester, Hughes and Stalnaker). The transcript contains this inconsistency; the roll-call names for ayes and nays are explicit in the record.

Consent and procurement: The Board approved a set of consent items including purchase of 15 patrol vehicle mobile data units for $47,842.05, with $30,000 funded by a Governor's Office of Highway Safety grant and the $17,842.05 remainder from SPLOST VI Public Safety; a three-year Everbridge emergency mass notification contract at $12,678.75 annually; replacement of the recreation multi-purpose building air conditioning system for $48,115 (SPLOST VI Recreation); lease buyout of a Caterpillar wheel loader for $84,870 from TIA funds; and moving ahead with the permitting process to expand the landfill. Item 7.6 was removed from the consent agenda and addressed later on the regular agenda.

GDOT projects: County Manager Jim Carter said the Georgia Department of Transportation has identified Union Road and Omega-Eldorado Road for possible 2025 Off-System Safety Projects. GDOT will design, bid and inspect the federally funded projects; Tift County will be responsible for clipping shoulders for edgeline striping and removing replaced signs. Commissioner Donnie Hester moved to send a letter of acceptance to GDOT; motion carried 6–0.

Landfill feasibility study: The Board authorized the County Manager and County Attorney to meet with Harbin Engineering, P.C. to determine a scope of work and to enter an agreement not to exceed $20,000 for a landfill expansion feasibility study. Commissioner Melissa Hughes moved the action; Commissioner Paul Webb seconded and the motion carried 6–0.

The Board recessed into executive session for personnel matters and then adjourned. No formal personnel actions were reported in the public minutes.