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Screven County commissioners approve RFP for road work, cite $197,824.79 in TSPLOST funds
Summary
Screven County commissioners voted unanimously to ask staff to issue an RFP for right‑of‑way maintenance and to hire an engineer to oversee road projects, after County Manager Lori Burke said $197,824.79 remains in TSPLOST funds and commissioners raised concerns about potholes and staffing shortages.
Screven County commissioners voted unanimously on Jan. 24 to direct staff to prepare a request for proposals for right‑of‑way maintenance and to pursue contracting with an engineer to oversee road projects, citing a remaining TSPLOST balance of $197,824.79.
County Manager Lori Burke told the Board of Commissioners that "there is currently a total of $197,824.79 of TSPLOST funds available," and supplied a packet of resident complaints organized by district to help prioritize repairs. The meeting was a workshop held at the Screven County Courthouse and was chaired by Will Boyd.
The motion followed detailed discussion of roadway conditions. Commissioner Edwin Lovett raised a list of complaints from District 1, identifying Parker Road and Plantation Road as locations with excessive potholes. Vice‑Chairman J.C. Warren urged a change in approach, saying the county should "stop patching and no matter the cost, do things right the first time" while funds are available.
Bobby Smith, co‑superintendent of Roads & Bridges, displayed before‑and‑after photos of several roads and said some problems "could have been addressed way before it got out of hand." Smith also told commissioners that the Roads & Bridges crew has shrunk to nine employees from 15 a year ago, and staff have put the opening of some bid packets on hold because some bidders "come and assess the situation and others do not."
After discussion the board agreed that County Manager Burke and Bobby Smith will prepare an RFP for right‑of‑way maintenance that includes tree trimming and debris removal covering 25 miles of county roads, and to move forward with contracting with an engineer to inspect and oversee future projects. Commissioner Allison Willis moved to proceed with the RFP and contracting with an engineer; Commissioner Edwin Lovett seconded the motion, which "carried by unanimous vote."
The meeting opened with Chairman Will Boyd calling the session to order; Commissioner Allison Willis had earlier moved to approve the meeting agenda, a motion seconded by Commissioner Ben Thompson and also carried unanimously. Chairman Boyd adjourned the workshop at 6:00 p.m.
What happens next: staff will draft the RFP and seek proposals. The transcript did not specify a timeline for issuing the RFP or the estimated cost of the engineer contract.
