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Commission approves change orders, airport lease amendment and support for HB 1093 referendum; staff warns of upcoming road construction congestion
Summary
At its March 9 meeting the Ware County commission approved a local fund change order for two small infrastructure items, amended an airport ground lease for Michael and Vicky Franklin to build an 8,000-ft structure, and approved Resolution 2026-04 supporting a local referendum on House Bill 1093; county staff also updated the board on multiple road projects and warned of near-term congestion during overpass construction.
During the March 9 meeting Ware County commissioners acted on several routine agenda items and received an extended update on road and overpass projects that will create short-term construction congestion.
Change orders and airport lease: The board approved a 2023 local fund phase-one change order covering work on Jim Mixon (amount reported in the transcript as "58,53432") and Camp Branch old pipe replacement (amount reported as "8,2610"); the commission noted those amounts are within 4% of the original project costs. The commission also approved an airport ground lease amendment for Michael and Vicky Franklin that, according to discussion, will allow the Franklins to move to another side of the airport and construct a building described in the meeting as 100 by 80 (8,000 square feet).
Resolution supporting local referendum: Commissioners approved Resolution 2026-04 to support placing House Bill 1093 on the ballot as a local referendum in May. Board members said the item had been discussed with neighboring counties earlier and that the purpose is to let voters decide on a perimeter road project.
Road projects and expected congestion: County staff and commissioners reviewed multiple road projects and right-of-way actions: letters to landowners related to North McDonald Road and Gibbs Lane appraisals, phase two environmental work on Albony Avenue before appraisal, and a notice-to-proceed on the Aussie Davis overpass. Commissioners identified several roads in various stages of engineering or planned construction (Gooding Bay Road, Will Cox Road, Folks Bennett Road, Indian Mound, Fourth Avenue, Solomon Street and South Avenue). Staff warned the public to expect construction-related traffic congestion and intermittent shutdowns while overpass work proceeds.
Why it matters: The votes advance routine infrastructure and land-management steps that will enable construction and maintenance work across Ware County. The ballot decision for HB 1093 carries democratic significance by asking voters whether to proceed with a perimeter road project.
What the record does not show: The transcript records change-order amounts in a way that appears garbled and does not include clear line-item documentation; recorded amounts are transcribed exactly as spoken. The meeting did not attach a timeline for project completion for the newly approved items.
