Board approves multiple contracts and awards, declines cybersecurity grant and sets fireworks date

The Meriwether County Board of Commissioners took several administrative and procurement actions July 13 that affect county operations, records accessibility, road construction, and special events.

CivicPlus accessibility and media services: County clerk staff presented a sole-source procurement for CivicPlus audio/manage, DocAccess and CivicPlus Media to help meet the U.S. Department of Justice's updated ADA Title II requirements for public-entity websites and to host and preserve meeting videos. Staff said CivicPlus would waive $9,621.53 in implementation fees; first-year prorated costs were listed as $6,002.71 and recurring annual costs $18,006.61. "These services provide website monitoring, document remediation, and accessibility to support accessibility," the county clerk said. Commissioners approved the sole-source procurement and authorized the chairman to execute contract documents.

Rivermill on-site document destruction: The clerk's office also requested approval of a confidential document-destruction agreement with Rivermill Data Management LLC. The service provides two locked 95-gallon shredding containers at the administration building and on-site shredding every eight weeks; cost was presented as $150 every eight weeks with $75 per additional container. The agreement includes clauses the county attorney flagged (binding arbitration, limitation of liability); staff reported Rivermill accepted several attorney-recommended revisions and recommended approval. The board approved the agreement and authorized the chair to sign.

Alta Road contract award: Bids opened July 9 for an additional 3.5 miles of Alta Road. Bids reported from lowest to highest included C.W. Matthews at $899,726; other bidders submitted higher amounts. EMC Engineering recommended awarding the contract to C.W. Matthews as the low, responsive, and responsible bidder. Staff said funding will come from remaining LRA funds and earlier allocations; the board approved awarding the contract to C.W. Matthews.

Decline cybersecurity grant: Staff recommended declining a $200,000 cybersecurity grant because the project deadline (August 2026) could not be met and because the application listed a specific vendor, which would have required a competitive procurement. Staff also noted the county already uses high-level cybersecurity services and has not experienced breaches; the board approved declining the award and authorized notifying the grantor.

Airport assignment and assumption agreement: To resolve a title/record discrepancy identified during a GDOT/FAA title review, staff requested approval of an assignment and assumption agreement that formally recognizes the Meriwether County Airport Authority as the airport sponsor for Roosevelt Memorial Airport and assigns federal grant responsibilities. Staff said the action does not transfer ownership or expand the airport but completes documentation that preserves eligibility for future state and federal grant funding. The board approved the agreement and authorized the chairman to execute it.

Fireworks scheduling: Commissioners discussed a proposal to schedule a Lake Merriweather fireworks display for July 2, 2027 and whether to name Southern Sky LLC (the prior vendor) in the motion. After some procedural confusion and a withdrawal of the initial motion, the board approved the date and authorized contracts not to exceed $25,000 while allowing Southern Sky or other vendors to be considered. One commissioner expressed concern about naming a vendor before obtaining pricing; the final motion authorized the date and an expenditure ceiling and left vendor selection for later action or RFP.

Why it matters: These actions affect county compliance with federal accessibility requirements, records security and retention, road infrastructure, and the county's ability to pursue future airport grant funding; they also set the date and budget cap for a major community event.

Next steps: Staff will finalize contracting details, proceed with onboarding CivicPlus and Rivermill services, execute the Alta Road contract with C.W. Matthews, notify the granting agency about declining the cybersecurity grant, and return to the board with fireworks vendor contracts or RFP results.

Sources: Presentations by county clerk staff and department heads, EMC Engineering recommendation, and public-board actions on July 13.