County committees approve multiple procurement awards, software implementation shift

The Management & Internal Services Committee on May 12 approved a slate of procurement awards and contract renewals covering disaster recovery services, temporary staffing, information-technology upgrades and routine facilities contracts.

Mr. Granado, a county staff member who briefed the committee, recommended awarding the five-year disaster debris management contract to the top-ranked proposer (transcribed in the meeting record as "Seriesir Environmental") after seven firms submitted proposals and scores and costs were combined. "Staff recommends awarding the disaster debris management services to Seriesir Environmental," he said, and the committee moved the item to the consent list.

Granado also recommended awarding disaster debris monitoring services to the top-ranked monitoring firm and presented a newly bid public assistance consulting contract; "Synergy came back with the highest score," he told members, and staff said Synergy will be available to consult on events that do not reach the threshold for a formal disaster declaration. Committee members noted Synergy previously worked under debris contracts and that, starting July 1, Synergy would work directly with the county on an hourly basis if activated.

In a separate presentation, Dr. Okarnney outlined the temporary workers procurement. "We had 19 vendors apply," he said, and staff recommended Augusta Staffing, a Columbia County–based firm, in part because its pricing was about three percentage points lower and would save an estimated $30,000 per year. Robert Kelly and his brother Isaac, introduced as representatives of Augusta Staffing, were present. The committee moved that recommendation to consent.

Mr. Blanchard presented an information-technology package that included a life-cycle replacement of network equipment in Building C with DIS Solutions (DSI) for $278,340.76 and fiber replacement from Structured Media Solutions for about $16,200, for a combined cost of approximately $294,540.76 to be funded from SPLOST funds. "Staff recommends approval," Blanchard said; the committee moved the item to consent.

Blanchard also briefed members on a change to the county's permitting and licensing software implementation. The county had contracted with a third-party integrator, Unicus, but after more than two years of work with limited progress, staff worked with Clarity (the software vendor) to terminate Unicus and have Clarity's implementation team complete the project. "We don't have any further expenditure of county funds beyond what we originally envisioned in order to complete this project," Blanchard said; he added one small bookkeeping adjustment of $313 that he said he would cover. The committee moved the implementation addendum to consent.

Committee members approved multiple additional items moved to consent including: a contract to Summers Construction LLC for restroom construction at Evanstown Center Park and the Racket Center ($853,165; SPLOST-funded), architect and design services for a Fire Station 13 replacement ($260,650), and a design contract for a new Vice & Narcotics Unit facility with Booker Vic Architects (fee based on a percentage of project budget). Routine renewals were approved for pest control, janitorial supplies, elevator maintenance and move-management services.

Miss Reese presented routine finance updates: year-to-date spending around 83% of budget and March sales tax receipts of just over $3.2 million; annualized collections were described as "basically flat," with March down slightly from the same month last year.

The committee adjourned without executive session items.

The committee's approvals were presented as consent motions and recorded as "so moved" and "second" in the transcript; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the meeting record.