Commission approves one-year extension of roadway mowing contract at $193,320

Ware County commissioners approved a one-year extension of the county's roadside mowing contract during their March 9 meeting, with the board recording the contract total as $193,320 and noting the current contract omits the side boom option, making it less expensive than last year.

Why it matters: Roadside mowing is an annual operating expense for the county's public-works budget and the contract covers maintenance across roughly 179 miles of right-of-way mentioned during discussion.

Discussion and vote: A motion to extend the contract for another year was moved, seconded and approved on roll call. Commissioners discussed budget coverage for the contract and the fact that the omission of the side boom reduced costs relative to the previous year's contract. The meeting record indicates the money is available in the county budget to cover the extension.

Commissioners also discussed recurring trash pickup along county roads and whether supervised community-service crews (through probation or jail programs) could be used next year to lower costs for litter pickup. Board members noted such crews would still require supervision and possible security costs, and that coordinating guaranteed crews to cover 179 miles could be challenging; nevertheless commissioners recommended continuing the contractor this year while planning to pursue alternate pickup options for the next contract period.

Outcome: The motion passed on roll call with commissioners recorded in the affirmative; no amendments or conditions were attached in the meeting record.

What the record does not show: The meeting transcript does not include a detailed bid tabulation, vendor name in the excerpt, nor a recorded vote count beyond each commissioner answering in the roll call. It does not show any contract documents entered into the record at the meeting.