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Cherokee County approves a series of design amendments, a transit grant and service renewals
Summary
The board unanimously approved multiple county manager items March 17, including environmental assessment for the Bells Ferry multi‑use trail ($121,874.49), design amendments for several roadway projects (including a $1.865 million Ball Ground Bypass amendment), a $1 million Georgia Transit Trust Fund award for CATS, and the sheriff's inmate medical services contract renewal (option year 4).
At its March 17 meeting the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved a suite of county manager recommendations covering transportation design work, grants, and service contract renewals.
County manager (Mr. Morton) presented Amendment 2 with Thomas & Hutton for a Phase 2 environmental site assessment for the Bells Ferry Road multi‑use trail in the amount of $121,874.49; the 10‑foot, two‑direction path is 80% GDOT funded with remaining funds from 2024 SPLOST and T‑SPLOST. The board also approved a $165,000 amendment with Keck & Wood for final design at East Cherokee Drive and Ranchwood Trail; an Amendment 1 for the Ball Ground Bypass preliminary engineering and right‑of‑way work for $1,865,211.35; and a $126,400 amendment to VHB for phases 4 and 5 of Technology Ridge Parkway, which received a $2,000,000 Georgia Infrastructure Bank loan.
Transit funding was addressed: Cherokee County CATS was awarded $1,000,000 from the Georgia Transit Trust Fund via the Atlanta Region Transit Link Authority to help satisfy the 20% local match for a new CATS facility; the facility itself is 80% federally funded.
The board exercised option year 4 of the inmate medical services agreement with First Class Healthcare Cherokee LLC to cover 10/01/2026–09/30/2027 and apply a 3% contractual increase. Staff said year‑4 compensation will range from $6,544,686 to $8,307,481 depending on inmate population; the chair observed the cost is high but necessary. "You've got to provide medical care for the inmates," the chair said. Commissioners also approved an updated athletic field use policy, a copier lease with Canon estimated at $122,037.36 annually, a Price Counseling LLC amendment for DUI court services ($838,722.15 over three years), and a family counseling contract with Wings of the Dragonfly not to exceed $50,000 for juvenile drug treatment participants. All items were approved unanimously.
