The Public Works and Engineering Services (PWES) Committee approved rejecting the bids for the Pollard House renovation.
Facilities Service Division Director Steven Prather told committee members that after going through the design phase and getting bids, due to changes in the market, the bids were over budget.
“We are rejecting bids and going back to…value engineer this project, so we need to knock out quite a bit of money on this. We’ll be working with staff and administration to make sure it’s within budget and rebid it at a later date,” Prather said
Prather said it’ll take about three to four months to redesign the project.
The PWES Committee also approved moving forward with the 2026 Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG) project list and application. The county will receive $2,143,819.46 from GDOT, with a 10% match from the county, along with project savings from the 2024 and 2025 LMIG and LRA Programs for a total of for a total of $3,121,522.14, said Kyle Titus, Engineering Services director.
The roads on the project list include:
- Waylon Drive
- Golden Bell Lane
- Shawns Way
- Dualwood Drive
- Ashbyrne Drive
- Alexandria Drive
- Crenshaw Drive
- Sebastian Way
- Faldo Court
- Springbrook Circle
- Zier Court
- Springbrook Lane
- Erika Lane
- Murray Road
- Old Spruce Lane
- Swint Road
The PWES Committee also approved moving forward with a change order with Pond & Company for expanded preliminary engineering services related to the realignment of N. Fairview Drive so that it intersects Appling Harlem Road approximately 600 feet north of the current intersection. Titus said that due to recent severe accident at that intersection, staff determined it would be in the best interest of public safety to remove the current skew and improve the sight distance in both directions.
Both Commissioners Alison Couch and Michael Carrway said that change was very much needed due to the dangers of the current intersection.
Community and Emergency Services Committee
The Community and Emergency Services Committee approved moving forward with the library services agreement with the Columbia County Library System. The item will now go before the full Columbia County Board of Commissioners. The library board approved the agreement during the meeting on Nov. 18.
