Well, good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to the Make and Bibb County Board of Commissions meeting.

This is a special call meeting.

Therefore, every item on the agenda will be the only item we discussed tonight.

Uh, and we'll not be able to add anything addition to the agenda.

Uh, we'd like to welcome everyone here and officially call this meeting to order.

We're going to begin our meetings tonight with a couple of presentations.

Uh, we will have a couple items that we'll take out front, and we'll go into executive session for a moment and then come back.

Our first presentation of the night is going to be a presentation of proclamation for ovarian cancer month.

And we've asked Miss Valerie Commissioner Valerie when to uh step down to the podium to make that presentation.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor, and thank you for everybody for being here.

Um, this kind of is close to my heart because my mother had cancer, not ovarian cancer, but she had cancer, and so all of this matters to me as it should to you.

Um, whereas, on behalf of the citizens of Makin Bibb County, I am pleased to join Atrium Health Navicent in celebrating the month of September Two thousand twenty-five as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in Makon Bibb County, and whereas the aim of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is to inform Americans about the risk factors and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

And whereas ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths of women in the United States and causes more deaths than any other gynecologic cancer.

And whereas in the United States, a woman's lifetime risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is about one and in seventy-eight.

Excuse me, proclaim September 2025 as ovarian cancer awareness month in Macon Bibb County.

I urge all Central Georgians to familiarize themselves with the warning signs, symptoms, and risk factors associated with ovarian cancer so that we might begin to reduce the devastating effects imposed on our state.

And witness thereof, I have hereinto set my hand and cause the seal of the consolidated government to be affixed this 23rd day of September 2025.

And it is signed by Lester M.

Miller, our mayor.

Thank you, Commissioner Wynn.

I don't think there's anyone to hand this okay now.

Not sure if there's anyone here tonight.

We were going to read that in the last meeting and could not do it, and they asked us to hold that for tonight.

So we just ask everyone to continue to support that effort.

Remember those that not only face ovarian cancer, but all uh types of illnesses and disease, uh, especially in today's time.

So we have another proclamation that I'm gonna step down and read in just a moment.

Uh, there's a presentation and proclamation for a community and school coordinators appreciation week, and I see several of those members there.

So if you don't mind, if you'll go ahead and come up front there, and I'll step down from my seat and we'll come pre the proclamation and present it to you.

Okay.

Follow the leader.

Proclamation, office of the mayor, make and Bibb County, Georgia.

Whereas United Way of Central Georgia's community schools united coordinators are the key to successful community schools, creating strengthening and maintaining the bridge between the school and the community.

And whereas community schools united coordinators facilitate and provide leadership for the collaborative process and development of continuing the services for children, families, and community members within a school neighborhood.

And whereas community schools united has two community coordinators that work diligently to create and manage the partnerships that allow Bilb County School District students enrolled at LH Williams and Birdell Hunt Elementary Schools to learn and their communities to thrive.

And whereas Community Schools United is joining a national coordinators appreciation week with the Institute for Educational Leadership Coalition for community schools to celebrate and lift up coordinators across this country.

Now, therefore, I Lester and Miller do hereby proclaim September 23rd, 2025 as Community Schools United Coordinators Appreciation Week in Macon Bib County to honor the community school united coordinators diligently working to serve our students, families, and our communities.

In witness whereof I have here to set my hand and cause the seal of the consolidated government to be affixed this 23rd day of September 2025, signed by myself, Lester Miller, Mayor of Macon Bibb County.

This time we're gonna have the approval of the amendments.

The approval of the amendment is for the pre-commission meeting, public hearing, and commission meeting on September the second, 2025.

I get a motion to approve.

Motion by Commissioner Stewart.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wynne.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries unanimously.

We're gonna move on to item four, which is the appropriations to authorities, boards, and commissions.

A resolution of the Macin Bibb County Commission submitting a slate of a nominees for a seat currently held by Dr.

Monique Davis Smith to serve on the Macin Bibb County Hospital Authority Board.

I get a motion to approve.

Motion by Commissioner Bronson, we have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wynne.

I heard her first.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries and will be sent to the necessary agendas.

Uh, we're gonna go ahead and move on to executive session uh right now.

This is executive session uh needed to go into consultation with county attorney or other legal counsel to discuss pending or potential litigation, settlement of claims, administrative proceedings, and all other judicial actions brought to by by or against Macon Bib County and all those allowed by law can get a motion to go into executive session.

Can't get a motion to come out of executive session.

Motion by Commissioner Howell got a second.

Seg goodbye, Commissioner Bryant.

All right, got a motion second.

All in favor, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

So Mr.

Murphy, I'll ask you to come up to the uh podium there.

We will be doing a presentation, so I hope that each of you can see those screens.

This is not the final finished project.

Um the design locations, number of beds, all that, and of course, price are always subject to change.

So you'll get an estimate on price on there this evening, but keep in mind those things will change as well.

So at this time I introduced you to Mr.

Clay Murphy, who's our squash director, and he's going to do the presentation regarding the jail upgrade and expansion.

And the sheriff is here by the way, Sheriff Davis is here.

His office has been uh a vital part in participating in this with his Chief Scarborough.

And if you don't mind when you talk about that, at least identify the people on that committee as well.

Mr.

Murphy.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Commissioners appreciate the opportunity.

Want to talk to you tonight about a proposal to hire Jericho Design Group as the architects for the new jail expansion.

We had seven people who bid uh send in proposals.

We turned that uh we let down a little bit to about three, and then held interviews with uh those three firms, and the members of our committee were uh Deputy Chief Scarbury, myself, uh the mayor, and Cass Hatcher from River's Edge to address the mental health.

The intent of this expansion is to provide uh greater mental health uh capacity for those people in our jail and then provide for maximum security and move some of those people out of the jail facility out of the general population into uh the maximum security area.

Uh Jericho Group came to us uh as one of the seven, like I said, uh they have done over 20 jails in Georgia, they're Georgia-based, Georgia-owned.

They've done about a million and a half beds uh in uh secure beds in jail facilities around the country.

Uh Mr.

Doug Shaw is the principal in this case, and he has been in regular contact with us.

Uh but he's got a great firm, a great group lined up.

So we talked about the things that we really wanted was this is a temporary fix for a long-term, it needs a long-term solution.

So the idea was what can we do to this expansion that allow it to be used going forward in a new jail, potential new jail.

How to address our maximum security, increase the number of beds for our mental health.

And how can we take basically how can we take part of this construction and move it when the time comes if the commission uh decides to do something?

Three phases.

Their proposal is for three phases.

Again, this is a concept.

Uh, this proposal.

First phase would be to uh tear down a property that county owns the Higgins Building and turn that into parking.

The second phase would begin to address issues inside the existing jail, mainly in the infirmary area.

But if we identify other issues and items that need to be addressed immediately, we'll jump right on that one as part of this work.

Uh, lastly, would be a new maximum security area in the west yard where the parking lot is now.

So this would be done in three phases.

This does not mean they are not done consecutively, it just means it's gonna be planned as three individual phases.

We could do the parking and the work inside the existing jail at the same time.

Uh the idea or the concept of moving the parking uh to the south side of Hawthorne would be cost of about a million two to a million five, and we would begin to separate out that construction area where the new jail would go.

Phase two would be work inside the existing uh infirmary area to deal to let us uh add up to 24 new mental health uh beds there in that in that area, address some issues that we've got with some site lines and some staffing questions.

Uh but basically we would be able to expand the infirmary, relocate some cells and expand the number of mental mental health beds that we have in the facility.

One of the things we heard consistently and is in dealing with people with mental health issues is what makes for a better quality facility.

And this was just a list of items that they uh suggested they do have a mental health expert on their staff that will help with this, but you know, natural daylight, softer colors.

The idea is it would be a calming area for them.

They will be out of the general population.

Uh wrong button too many times.

Uh the phase two B would be the new housing unit, require us to rework obviously where the existing parking lot is and put some new fencing around it.

This would allow us to segregate the construction from the existing building for the safety of the inmates and the safety of those uh construction workers.

This would this particular idea that they have would allow us to go up to 150 new beds, about 32,000 total square foot total square feet with a mezzanine area.

Um each of these areas is separable or able to be separated and will allow the sheriff to designate if he needs fewer maximum security, more mental health.

He can put mental health here.

He can separate females from males here, but it allows for a central Sally port, which is the control booth area, and then individual pods basically within the facility.

That's just a mock-up of what it could look like.

Uh the secure control areas in the middle.

It's called Sally Port, and then the day rooms that go around it.

Offices, so some of the things we'll do obviously would allow for uh securing, allowing the staff to be secure in the facility with tremendous site lines, and they'll be able to see every sale, every cell in the jail.

Uh so this would not uh or would provide a greater opportunity for uh staffing to be able to keep an eye on what's going on.

Each of these cells, the proposal is for each of these cells to be built off site.

They come in a on a truck, and you pick them up and you set them down and you stack them, and they're they're they're uh steel cells, and each one uh just goes together like a Lego set.

This also provides for greater security behind the cells.

Right now, maintenance crews have to go inside the holding blocks to be with the cellmates.

Uh, if there's a uh an issue there with plumbing or electrical, in this case, they can service everything from behind uh the cells.

Some of the other safety issues they address with some new hinges uh in the cell that keep them from being jammed.

And again, the whole idea is they can pick these up when we're when the time comes and the commission says it's time for a new jail.

We pick up these 150 cells and we move them to the new location, reuse them.

So an exterior shell be built.

It can be finished any way we want it.

We'll obviously finish it as close as we can to what's there now.

Uh it will not be an ISOR, it won't be a metal building.

This is just an example of what could be.

And then you place these cells inside this uh structure.

Total cost uh for phase two B is about 24 to 25 million dollars and the total cost of the new construction, all three phases, somewhere between 28 and 31 million dollars.

Obviously, uh we would work very well with a construction manager on risk that will be brought in uh in short order to refine those costs, but again, these are concept drawings with ideas that this firm had.

The committee voted unanimously uh to accept this firm because they came in with some creative ideas about working in the existing facility as well as uh building a new one.

Thank you, Mr.

Murphy.

Uh Sheriff Davis, would you like to say anything, sir?

I want you to be here and not not be able to speak uh on this issue.

Appreciate you being here tonight and appreciate your involvement in this process in this selection with your office.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor and Commissioners.

Yeah, we've come a long way on this idea of a new jail or at least a uh an addition to what we already have.

And these preliminary plans, I think we are a significant step in the right direction because we have sales that will help those that are chronically ill and and chronically mentally ill, to which that population is ever growing in the jail.

Plus, we have a maximum security option for those inmates in the jail who may be uh causing disruptions or or need a more secure place to be.

Uh I like the technology that this company brings to bear.

I like some of the innovations that we see of using some of the space that we have now close to the current infirmary to expand that uh particular aspect into the mental health beds and then have the uh the freestanding space for the uh for the for the uh maximum security inmates as well as to have that option that versatility to be able to use it for if we need to mental health uh females or whatever the need may be at that particular time.

So I really do uh appreciate you all's work, the commission and and Mayor Miller, as well as the committee.

Uh we're we're making the right steps in the right direction.

I look forward to us getting started.

Uh thank you, Sheriff Davis.

I would like to also add that uh Mr.

Murphy didn't mention it, but the particular group indicated that they thought the entire process uh could go as quick as 14 to 16 months, which also uh played a part of it.

Uh we believe that we can participate ourselves as a local government by uh doing a demolition of the other building there, save some funds as well as help construct that parking lot there.

That could be something at the initial stage.

Uh we've got a couple questions from the commissioner, so we'll let them make some comments and then we'll move on to the next slide.

Commissioner Stewart, I'm with you, sir.

Yeah, thank you, uh Mr.

Mayor.

Uh Sheriff Davis, thank you, of course, for you and your team, what you all do uh on a daily basis.

Mr.

Murphy, thank you uh on behalf of a grateful city for what you do for the SPLOS.

And now this jail issue.

Many of us have worked long and hard over the last few months uh putting in sweat equity uh through marches through actually visiting the jail.

And so we're glad to see we some of us would like to see a new jail, but we know that's not in the cars right now, so the next best thing is the renovations that are taking place.

Um but going forward, I want to make sure that we are uh you know we have a constant dialogue.

Uh and sheriff, this is not to you, this is more or less to to Mr.

Murphy and to the administration.

Make sure we have a constant dialogue uh so we can translate that on to our constituents who ask questions on a daily basis.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, Commissioner Stewart.

Uh anyone else have any questions before we move on to next up?

Thank you, Sheriff.

I appreciate you being here tonight.

Is there Mr.

Terry McGee here?

Mr.

McGee.

Mr.

McGee, good to see you here tonight, sir.

Good evening, everybody.

Appreciate you giving the opportunity to speak.

What I want to say is it's time for a new gym.

We've been doing CPR on this jail long enough as the dead body, it's time to replace it.

I appreciate all the work that's been done, but if you look at what needs to be done, it's a new jail.

I look at that jail down as blighted.

It's a community for the inmates and the people that work there.

Making has a long history of not dealing with blight.

And when I look at us keep postponing these kind of things, it just goes along with our past history.

But I want to ask all of you this question how bad does that jail have to be before you finally put a new jail in here?

We've had death killings, all these things going on down there.

And I'm asking, when are you going?

Why bad does it have to be before you just go on bite the bullet and give us a new jail?

But I thank you for the time to speak to you.

But I would ask all of you this question.

Looking at all the citation that's been issued about this jail, and I've been reading them for years and years and years.

I ask all of you are you blind or you're deaf, or you just don't care.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you, Mr.

McGee.

Appreciate you being here tonight.

Uh, this time we've got item 6B, which is a resolution authorizing the execution of professional service agreement with an architectural firm by the design of law enforcement center upgrade and expansion, which is Jericho that we've identified here tonight.

At this time, I entertain a motion for approval.

Motion by Commissioner Bryant that we have a second.

Second by who is that?

Commissioner Bronson.

We have a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Thank you very much.

We're gonna move on to our next item on the agenda, which is a new making arena.

We'll start the same process with a presentation by Mr.

Alex Morrison and also our friends with MFA.

Uh, this is regarding uh the potential for a new arena in downtown uh making on in the East Macon side.

So uh Mr.

Morrison, I'll leave it to you to introduce the folks that are here today.

Uh I do want to go ahead and make a disclosure as well.

Uh you're gonna see some pictures uh on this presentations.

Uh and please, media, don't assume these is the final product.

So when you run it on the news tonight at 11 o'clock, I don't want people to compare it with what the product may be in several months.

Although it may be strikingly similar.

Uh these are just preliminary architectural designs.

I'm sure some of those would probably created by AI.

Uh but we'll get a finished project, assuming we select an architect and everything moves along accordingly.

So I just want to put that disclosure out there because a lot of times uh you'll see some glossy pitchers think that's going to be the product, and of course it may be, but we still have plenty of time for input for public engagement, all that is part of this process uh for community input as well as the administration and commissioner input uh prior to doing that.

This is a process.

You'll also receive a timeline.

That timeline is going to be on the screen as well to kind of see uh when we would expect to break ground on this uh on this facility and when we would expect the completed project to be and be open.

Um, and you tonight though is limited to the architectural.

We're mainly selecting uh folks that we believe will give the best opportunity to complete this in a timely manner, uh, and our architect can do the work that we have suggested to do.

So at this time I'm gonna turn it over to uh Mr.

Alex Morrison.

He can introduce the folks that uh participated in the evaluations of these groups and then also introduce uh MFA.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh as he said, my name is Alex Morrison.

I'm director of planning and public spaces for making bib county, and I am the point person for making bib county on the new arena project.

Um we're very excited to be at this phase.

We've answered the the what uh which is in the new arena, a win, which is as soon as possible.

Uh and now we have to select the who and before we get to the how.

Um but this is an important part of that process to determine who will lead the design effort uh for our community, and we're very excited to have a unanimous recommendation from our uh community panel.

The panel uh who reviewed it was myself, uh assistant county manager Julie Moore, SPLOSS program coordinator, Clay Murphy, and VisitMakon CEO, Gary Wheat, uh, all acting in the capacity of Oversight for a project of this scope.

Um, the team that's actually going to lead you through the architectural selection and the program for how we're going to continue is the owner's rep team that you selected a few meetings ago, who is MFA out of Memphis, uh, and they are acting as the owner's rep for Macon Bib County.

They're overseeing the project for us, making sure that we are checking all the boxes appropriately, uh, saving us money wherever we can, speeding up the process wherever we can, and using their expertise to make sure that we're getting and delivering the best quality product that we can for our community.

So, without any further ado, and for them to walk us through this presentation, I'd like to introduce you to Dan Springer and Will Christenberry with MFA.

Thank you, Mr.

Morrison.

If you guys make sure when you speak that you speak into that microphone, we have plenty of people at home watching it.

I know you're gonna kind of tag team that uh and also work your clicker there, but make sure you speak up into the microphone and make sure each time you speak, don't lose control uh of that microphone there.

So thank you for being here tonight.

Once again, introduce yourself as you speak, and you can begin the presentation whenever you're ready.

First, thank you all very much for allowing us to be here with you tonight, and thank you for selecting us to be uh be a part of this project with you.

Uh, my name is Dan Springer.

I'm the chief operating officer for MFA program management, a construction project management firm based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Um we can pop the presentation up on the screen and we'll get started.

I'll let Will Christenberry introduce himself while we're doing that.

Yes, I'm uh Will Christenberry.

I'm the project executive with MFA.

Uh and as of this week, I've now become a resident of Macon.

Uh, going to be the boots on the ground for our company and be here throughout the uh duration of this project.

Thank you.

Keep in mind, make sure you speak at that microphone.

I know we got natural going to turn your head to look at that the presentation over there, but it's important that people hear what you have to say.

So speaking that microphone nice and clear for us.

Thank you, sir.

Yes.

Um, as was noted earlier.

This was a very competitive process with a tight timeline.

We had six respondents.

We narrowed that down to three, and we are here tonight recommending PBK architects.

They have 42 years of experience.

They were recently recognized as number 10 of the top 10 top 100 AE firms.

They have 33 offices nationwide.

They've done 80 indoor arenas, 450 plus design awards, 329 athletic programs, over 18,000 projects completed, with over 20 billion in athletic and venue projects completed as well.

All right, so I'd like to uh introduce you to their team that they're gonna put on this project.

So here on the left, you're gonna see their uh local leadership.

The first two gentlemen, Brett McIver and Melvin Robinson are actually uh up in Griffin, Georgia, so exit 205, right as you're heading up to Atlanta.

Uh they're gonna be your guys, they're gonna be back and forth the majority of the time uh uh intermingling with the community, getting design input from all of you folks.

Uh third on the list there is Don Carter.

So they brought him in on their team uh as the civil engineer uh so that they can attempt to or continue to put some of this uh project funding back into Macon Bib County.

Uh design and arena expertise.

We've got Michael Hessert, Ed V Tavio, and uh Juan Lopez.

So uh Michael Hussert here is uh an expert in arenas.

The team actually had him on another project uh MFA.

We reached out uh to PBK, uh asked them to put him on on this project.

Uh he's gonna be a great asset, uh, brings a lot to the table and ensure you get the product that that's uh that making deserves.

And finally, uh project delivery.

We've got Brian Pounds and uh Sean Plunkett's.

These are the guys that make sure that everything's on time and doing our uh quality control checks throughout the project.

So together uh we as in we we mean uh make a bib county, PBK MFA, uh want to bring uh or create the best gateway in all of Georgia and an anchor to Macon's uh next great district.

And we'll touch on this more later in the presentation.

But as many of you are aware, there is a lot of development going on here in Macon in this site.

We'll talk about particularly, but also across the river with Mercer University and various other projects, and we want to make sure that this site really anchors everything into one cohesive unit.

So, one of the questions that we asked each each of the firms is what relevant experience have the identified team members had with projects of a similar nature.

The lead designer, Eddie Tavio brings a wealth of experience.

He's currently rolling off of OC Vibe, one of the largest sports entertainment developments nationally under construction.

A site that is very very similar to what we're looking at here in Macon Bib County is the Fort Bend Epicenter.

Uh for this project.

It was completed in 2023 in Rosenberg, Texas, with a max seating capacity of 10,000 seats, roughly 230,000 square feet.

Another very important aspect that we want to maintain focus on in this project for the end design to have multiple uses and flexibility.

Obviously, you have the hockey team that is the main anchor there, but you have high school sports, wrestling, graduations, high school and college, and also very importantly, concerts.

So we want this space to be very flexible, quickly converted into other uses.

Another comparable example is Tarleton State University's EECU Center.

They also served as the prime architect on this.

It was completed earlier this year in 2025 in Stephenville, Texas, with a max seating capacity again of 10,000, project size roughly 170,000 square feet.

All right.

So beyond local partnerships, what commitment does the lead firm have to spend time and resources in Macon?

So we saw earlier in the slide, two of the gentlemen are from just outside of Macon, and we've already brought in a civil engineer from within.

So as we develop our program, we've made it very clear to this team that as much expertise as they can pull from Macon, they're going to do so.

And as we move forward, we want to ensure that the dollars that are being spent on this facility, as much of it as possible goes back into the community itself.

They had the strongest background in K through 12 education projects.

And is in addition to the strong arena background.

And with everything that's happening from high school sports, graduations, and any other potential educational activities there, they just bring a very, very strong background in that and should add significant value to the project in that regard.

All right.

So PBK is committed to delivering this project on time, on budget, and as they like to say, something that will be unmistakably Macon.

They want to draw on your history or culture that you have here, all of your great architecture, and ensure that this building takes all that into account and really matches with the community that you have here.

So when we received all these submissions, one of the questions that we asked is Is the public schedule realistic for your organization?

If so, what considerations must be taken to how to meet it?

And as Dan said earlier, six firms we we had submits.

There were a few that submitted their own schedules that just did not meet the time frames time frames that are needed for this project.

PBK was able to meet it in conversations with them.

They have the capacity to do so.

So we're in the programming phase now.

We've been working with Macon Bib County to kind of determine what it is, the needs for this facility.

So as Dana mentioned, the sports, everything else that you already have, but what else can we uh bring back into it?

Moving forward as we move forward with design, strong considerations that we've taken into account really fall into five areas.

One, an icon on the interstate so everybody drives by, notices, sees it, wants to check it out, and then further becomes Macon's new gateway into Middle Georgia.

Also, again, as we mentioned earlier, it's designed for flexibility and new revenue growth.

Becomes a catalyst for a new wave of development all around the surrounding area.

And then lastly, and equally as important, it is rooted in Macon's Seoul, and is something that the community and this board and can be proud of for for years to come.

All right, so you can see here in this exhibit uh the current site that's chosen is the current Macon Centerplex site.

So we've touched on this, but together and together we mean the community, Make a Bib County, our team and PBK.

We want to make this the best gateway in all of Georgia and anchor uh Macon's next great district.

And that touches on you know all the development that's gonna go on, and not only possibly in this site, but around this site.

So if we look at the exhibit here, you can see number nine, the the red square is where we've defined at this point for the arena to be placed.

Um of the major points is that the Coliseum is going to stay open throughout uh construction of this project and continue to operate as it has.

Uh positioning it here not only helps connect you to the new second street bridge interconnection, gets gets folks in and out of the arena into the downtown area to help catalyze uh uh economic growth, but um also creates this centerpiece.

So people that are traveling out of Atlanta, traveling up to Atlanta, traveling into Macon Bibb County, get to see this great new arena, uh, see a piece that they want to engage in uh and see something that really spotlights the city.

So again, just to reiterate what the mayor stated earlier.

Um just want to strongly say that these are these are just concept designs, these are not by any stretch of the means a final product.

Just to give you a few ideas of what potentially could be, and the architects just wanted to give a few examples of that.

So this is a circular, circular arena located on the site there.

The next slide just shows what a potential bowl configuration.

I won't get into the detail on all this, just to show that this is what a circular bowl configuration could look like and some of the detail on the work that's already going in on this project.

The next is just another potential concept design, more of a rectangular shape.

And this is just a rectangular shape bowl concept as well here, and then with the last design concept.

All right, so Dan touched on some of the different uh arena shapes and how it could work, but really want to push you know maximizing revenue for this area, and here you can see just different configurations and setups that the arena could be in, your basketball, of course, your making mayhem uh hockey team, uh graduations as we touched on, uh, and a major one we want to talk about is concerts.

So you've got your great new amphitheater.

Uh we do not want to do anything to interrupt the uh concerts that are gonna happen there on that site.

So this venue opens you up to more possibility for bigger artists.

You've also got uh similar arenas around in the area, uh Mobile, you've got Augusta, you've got Savannah.

There should be artists that are gonna be touring those spots and they're very comparable arenas, and this creates another great destination for them to easily stop in and bring more music uh into this community.

Not only that, but it also opens up the opportunity for uh out of season, so when it's too cold to have concerts there at the amphitheater, you can continue to bring music into this city.

That concludes our presentation.

Thank you all very much again.

And we would ask for your support for PBK architects as the architective record for this project.

Well, thank you.

Uh Dan and Will.

Uh Commissioner Stewart.

Yeah, uh, thank you, uh Dan and Will, and thank you on behalf of uh your presentation for MFA.

Um you know, the things I say privately the same things I can say publicly.

And I just want to make sure uh you know, every day I'm um inundated with questions from my constituents.

That's this this is my district.

And uh I really appreciate you know the the growth that's gonna come to the district.

I appreciate y'all working in conjunction with the East Bank project with Mill Hill, with the mounds, with Fort Hawkins, uh making sure that all the neighborhoods in East Macon are are gonna be uh up to par, so to speak.

But I get these questions every day, and I I really appreciate the uh the oversight, local oversight committee of uh of Alex, Julie Clay, and and Gary.

Uh but as I say, I want to make sure going forward that myself as a representative from district three, uh, that I'm at the table, that Paul Brunson, who represents another part of East Macon, District 2 is at the table.

Um, because we represent the people of that district.

This is not as as I mentioned to the sheriff a few minutes ago, this is not to you all.

This is to the administration.

Okay.

I want to make sure that we are at the table when these conversations are had so we can go back and translate that to our constituents.

Uh and lastly, I just want to say thank you.

You know, you guys uh you know doing a great job.

I do want to make sure, as I again, as I say privately what I say publicly, that minority and female-owned companies are represented in this process because we can't, you know, have a great Macon if we don't raise the ships and tights of everybody.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Stewart.

I appreciate your uh support of this project.

Uh any other questions for these two gentlemen.

Okay.

Uh again, I appreciate you.

Uh I'll go ahead and out out Mr.

Will.

Mr.

Will uh raise your hand there.

Uh he uh has moved to Macon.

Uh he will be here at least for the next three years while this project goes on.

If those of you did not see the timeline there, uh it would we are scheduled to break ground next July.

Uh the project will be complete around May of June of 2028.

Uh so uh that there's a timeline that's out there.

Of course, you know things will happen rather quickly.

We'll be putting out an RFP in the very near future for a uh construction manager, uh see him at risk as we like to call it that you got to bring on early on.

We won't have all the pricing on that until we uh get into the project.

But as part of this resolution, it does mention some pricing, and I'll mention that when we bring the resolution up uh for acceptance or rejection in just a moment because these things are based on the price of the facility uh when you have architects involved.

Uh so Commissioner Wynne, you have a follow-up, ma'am.

I I do, thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Just as I I didn't see in any of the conceptual um items here.

Would this have breakout rooms?

If you have a conference or a convention, we have rooms for people to meet in separately, because we currently have that, and and that's what's necessary for a lot of the conventions.

We have not gotten that far, but that's exactly why we're having these meetings, and we'll continue to have these meetings to make sure that we get that kind of input to make sure that you have exactly what you want.

I don't know if that's what he wants, but I think we need it.

But I think I think the need, I think Gary Wheat mentioned that as well.

Uh, as we navigate the entire package of things that we have going on, the come the uh new convention center at the old Ramada site will be ideal for having those breakout rooms, but because the school system also uses this arena as well, they they'll be requesting some breakout rooms, some other you can see the monument rooms and other rooms like that.

We have in the Coliseum.

I would expect to have that uh in an area like this.

This is very uh in the preliminary stages.

So uh the the artist brush is still not there yet.

Uh but we did not mention parking as well.

We do anticipate having parking decks on this site.

Um we have a large large level lot there.

Uh also this uh to use Mr.

Morrison's uh conversations that we've had.

This particular site leads us to having lots of areas for buses, which is unusual with all the other arenas in the state of Georgia as we have this front area there along the interstate that you can't build on because you've got some uh electrical things there, but we have a lot of bus sites there.

Also, because of the new entrance, a potential entrance there on 2nd Street.

You'll have two ways to get in and out of the property, both on 2nd Street and Colossum, uh, which helps you with ingress and egress.

We can move those ugly toll boots that we have there.

Uh we still yet to determine what will happen with the uh original colossum that you see there, whether that can be rehabilitated or it has to be demolished, but those are for a later day.

But I want to make sure you know that we are taking a consideration the parking there.

Uh we we certainly have a relationship with Pont next door, and we'll be working it uh with them as a partner on the parking here.

So I do appreciate your questions that you've got on there.

Do you have something else to do?

I just want to say you took my question on parking, but I'd already asked that.

So, Dan, and we'll be looking for you around town, okay.

Uh also let me go ahead and read the resolution so we've got these figures in here as well.

This is a resolution of the Macin Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with PBK Architects Georgia for the provision of architectural services for the new arena in an amount not to exceed 7.25% of the total project cost of the arena plus four percent if the uh cost of the parking deck if needed from SWAT's 2025 funds, cultural and recreational funds, and for all of the lawful purposes.

At this time, I entertain a motion for approval.

Motion by Commissioner Stewart, do we have a second?

Second by that was Bailey and and uh Wynn.

We'll let you call that one.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries unanimously.

We're gonna move on to several items of agreements that we have on here.

Uh and item 8A is a resolution of the Making Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Granicus LLC for website and content management services in the amount of 107,124 dollars to be paid from the IT department budget, which is already there.

GIS computer software is item.

That is my motion.

Can I get a second?

Second by Commissioner Wynne.

Any questions?

Here are no questions.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries unanimously.

Item B is a resolution of the Macon Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute a master lease agreement with RICO.

Uh this remember last year we did an extension for one year.

This is a new five-year contract that has to be looked at each year.

Uh they're already in the business, they were a competitive uh builder, and they're on a state contract as well.

So this is for our copiers, printers, and various departments.

The amount of that is 245,88 dollars per year with individual leases to be paid from the IT department budget, which is already there.

At this time, I entertain a motion for approval.

Motion by Commissioner Howard will have a second.

Second by Commissioner Bailey.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Item C is a resolution of the Making Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute a professional services agreement with the University of Georgia Research Foundation in the amount of $36,289 for the provision of fire department promotional testing services payable to the general from the general fund, human resources, professional services.

We already have that in our budget, and that's a line item there.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Motion by Commissioner Bronson.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wynne.

Commissioner Bryant, do you have a question?

Just answered.

You asked me.

No problem.

Thank you very much.

We do have a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries unanimously.

Item D is a resolution of the Make and Bibb County Commission authorizing the execution of a professional services agreement with John J.

Carter, the second attorney at law in the amount of $37,800 for the provision of contract attorney services for delinquency and truancy matters in juvenile court.

That's going to be paid from the general fund juvenile court professional services.

At this time, we entertain a motion for approval.

I heard Commissioner Bronson and I heard Commissioner Bailey.

Got a motion and second.

Commissioner Brunt, you have a question?

What exactly will he be doing?

He'll be ready that represents those those folks in that court.

Is he representing the people that are being charged with true?

That's correct.

Okay.

So that's my understanding.

Yes, lawyers are shaking their head.

He's a contract attorney for that for the uh defense lawyers for Bip County, and that's what he'll be doing is defending those folks by contract.

Uh so we have a motion second.

We do have a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries them carries as a good.

Resolution E is a resolution to make a bib county commission to authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Middle Georgia outdoor gliding for the purchase and installation of gliding at Frank Johnson Park in the amount of 226,763 dollars to be paid from the supplies funds.

Uh as you recall, we've been voting on additions to using SWAS dollars for each of these parks.

This is actually awarding the bid uh to do that on this particular occasion.

So at this time I entertain a motion for approval.

Motion by Commissioner Bronson, we have a second.

Second by Commissioner Stewart.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries unanimously.

Item F is a resolution of Making Bibb County Commission agreeing to participate in a national album uh pharmaceuticals, LLC.

Uh I'll have my attorney, where's Mr.

McNeil?

Yeah, I'm not gonna say all those big words.

As you recall, we've been uh bringing several new items before the commission to opt in to opioid settlements, which will allow us some uh some much needed cash to help uh take care of some of these issues or address these issues in our community.

Uh Mike, I don't want you to go in you know into too much debt, but just as one of those things, if you can remind us uh what this particular one is and the and the purpose that we're doing it.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

So um these various companies are all manufacturers of uh opioid medications.

Um just to remind you all, this is a lawsuit that we're participating in, a multi-district litigation in federal court up in Ohio, uh, basically based on the claim that these these companies were irresponsible with marketing and producing uh opioid drugs and that that caused uh harm to our community.

Um these manufacturers, they're they're called in the the court documents the third wave manufacturers.

Um these are sort of minor manufacturers, but the settlement agreement kind of lumps them all in together, and this creates a settlement fund that is approximately a hundred or seven hundred and twenty million dollars in cash.

Uh this one works a little bit differently from the other the last two that we've done over the last month, in that um this this money is going to be divided up among the 50 states.

Um basically every state has opted into almost all of these settlements.

Uh, a couple have opted out of individual ones and are pursuing claims separately, but that $720 million.

Some of the companies in lieu of cash are giving things like Narcan or um drugs that help stop opioid addiction, um, where they're giving much more than the the value would be in cash.

But um the portion of that money is going to be given to the state of Georgia as a whole.

That money then that the state of Georgia receives is going to be split up.

25% is going to be given in direct payments to local governments, which will include Macin Bib County as part of participating in this.

The other 75% will be kept by the state of Georgia.

The 25% that we receive will have to spend uh about 9.5% minimum on the sheriff's office, but the rest will be subject to the same uses that we've been for the other um the other settlements.

The portion that the state keeps for itself, the 75% that they keep for themselves.

Um this feels like a math test.

They're gonna split that 6040, the 60 percent, they're going to keep and spend on their state stuff.

The other 40 percent, then they're gonna take and they're gonna do regional block grants around the state to identify and address different regional opioid issues.

So this resolution is allowing the government to enter into the agreement with the state of Georgia to participate in this settlement as to all of these manufacturers.

We accept the direct payment, our portion of that 25% of the state of Georgia allocation, um, whatever that may be.

They're gonna calculate that to be determined, plus to authorize the county to apply for any of those regional block grants that may fit within our region or our needs, accept those funds and spend them according to those grants.

So Mr.

Mayor, that's sort of the whole package here.

Thank you, Attorney McNeil.

Commissioner Bronson, you have a question, sir.

Just mark C all the way down.

You can't go wrong.

So have we already looked at some of the organizations or have we had organizations already kind of step up to say, hey, we would like to apply for some of this funding to help out with some of the situations around the city, or do we have to wait until that money actually hits?

There's been a few proposals that come in.

We're waiting to get all the uh requirements or restrictions from these funds.

Some of them come with strings attached, and we have to make sure that before accepting these funds that we can uh meet all the necessary streams attached.

Uh some of them have um very specific items that you can use or not used to that, so we have to look at those.

So once we get all these in and we can kind of calculate, we do have uh what about me and a half, I think, dollars in that we're looking at now uh for part of uh the request that we have and we'll bring that before commission uh once we get everything finalized.

Okay.

Just just thinking as far as I've seen other organizations kind of utilize and they they do like a whole quote unquote operation where they say, hey, we're gonna go out.

Every organization that deals with this, kind of a joint effort to effort to get out in the community and pretty much assist where we can.

I get we if we have people that know they need the assistance, then let's set up a way that we can they can easily get to it and assist.

And this is kind of my thought process, but you you've asked.

Just like we did the uh when we got the food grants in, how we have people file.

The one the one the one issue I say if it is an issue, we have to make sure that these folks are uh have to be able to do all the necessary paperwork uh to be able to fill it out correctly, you have to be able to do audits and meet all those requirements to do that.

So certainly we'll we'll check those boxes when we get there.

Uh I think you'll have very reputable people, just like we do the CDBG funds when they come before Miss Jackson.

Uh they they look through all those and determine uh who's capable of actually doing the work and whether or not they can check all the boxes necessary uh to get the work done.

But that's certainly all consideration, all that will come back before this commission like it always does for a vote uh prior to doing anything.

But right now we're just you know, we got a couple in that I would say that probably don't qualify so far.

Uh but everybody sees the money and they automatically think they're gonna get some of that money uh and then don't have the capability or capacity to do that.

At the same time, like we did our MVP uh grants, we try to build people up in capacity.

So we try to lead them to a nonprofit or another organization that they can partner with so they can learn the ropes and the processes so they can they too can get that money.

Uh Commissioner Stewart, I'll be with you and then Commissioner Wynne.

Okay.

Um Mike, I wanted to ask you, I guess kind of piggybacking off of what Commissioner Bronson just mentioned, but some type of opioid study here make and be able to figure out where the greatest need is within the city.

Maybe it's something we could look at going forward.

Then once we get so get those dollars in, we can kind of put those dollars towards that particular area.

I did want to ask you this.

That Ohio class action lawsuit, is that part of the national sackler family lawsuit that we've been doing?

Sackler was one of the defendants, y'all.

Uh, this commission approved at I think its most recent meeting, the settlement with Sackler and with Purdue Pharmaceuticals.

Um this is a multi-district litigation.

All of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit in particular are local governments and state governments.

Okay.

So there are other like class actions that are going on that involve individual families of plaintiffs that were affected by opioid addiction and things like that.

But this this particular lawsuit is limited only to government entities that are plaintiffs.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Mr.

Wynn.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, Michael, is there an anticipated time frame when we might learn when this money is coming to us or how much is going to be available to us?

I I've not been advised of that yet.

I I would give it a year, honestly.

Okay.

Okay.

I'd like to be added as a sponsor.

Yeah, we'll certainly do that.

Anybody that wants to be added to co-sponsors, you can let uh miss Ross knows, so I'll take that as a motion by Commissioner Wynn.

Do we have a second?

Second by Commissioner Bronson.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

Uh, that motion carries.

Thank you very much unanimously.

Item G is a resolution of making Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute a professional services agreement with evidence-based associates, associates, LLC, and a manner of 364,500 for the provision of functional family therapy services for juvenile court participants.

Uh payable from the 2026 juvenile justice incentive grant funds.

This is something that they do all the time.

I do apologize, uh Ms.

Shea Young, Judge Young cannot be here tonight to give you other explanation.

I told her that I'm sure that Miss Bryant would have some questions.

So I told her that I would have you email those questions to her so she can ask more specific questions.

Uh, but I'm not prepared to do that tonight.

This is a renewal.

This folks, these folks are pretty much the only one that's uh in the business or one of the only ones that in the business of doing this, uh, and they've done this bid before.

So um, and that limited information is what we have.

The attorneys have anything else to add to that.

Okay.

Um, but we did try to get her here, but we couldn't get her at last minute to answer your question.

But if you afford those to me, I'll send it directly to her and get answers to all your questions that you have on there.

This is a grant.

This is not money that we necessarily uh have to pay out of any of our general funds.

It's more of a pass through on there for the services.

So at this time, I entertain a motion for approval.

Motion by Commissioner uh Stewart, I have a second.

Second by Commissioner Bailey.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries on carries nationally.

Uh, item H is a resolution of the Making Bibb County Commission to authorize the mayor to execute an amendment to the agreement with Park Place Technologies LLC for network recovery services for the Bibb County Sheriff's Office and our Sheriff's Sterior, thank goodness.

Uh, for the amount of $20,560 to be paid from the IT department budget.

Uh, this is already in the budget.

These are recovery services that we do need to have, and this is a uh an additional amount of $20,060.

So this time we entertain a motion for approval.

Motion by Commissioner Stewart, you have a second.

Second by Commissioner Bryant.

Uh, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Got an airport item on here, which is we're happy to see.

This is a resolution of Macon Bibb County Commission to authorize the mayor to execute an agreement with Piedmont Mining LLC for the construction of phase two of the runway five extension project at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport in the amount of seven million six hundred and eighty-five thousand six hundred and fifty-nine dollars and fifty-one cent.

It's gonna be paid from the FAA, AIG, and the bill grant funds and the county's local match for those funds.

I know Commissioner How will like to be a sponsor of that.

Do we get a second?

Second uh by Commissioner Wilder and Commissioner Stewart, you have a question.

Yeah, I wanted to find out is PM mining connected to Piedmont construction.

No, sir.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.

Uh Commissioner Howell.

Yeah, I just want to say, you know, this is just another item on the agenda that we approve every month, but this is huge.

Uh this started in 1973 as the first draw, and I saw a concept of extending that runway.

So for us to culminate tonight by voting on this and knowing that they're gonna be breaking ground and and actually extending our runway for all the good things that's gonna bring to make.

And I'm certainly pleased and happy and glad it's going on in district seven.

Yeah.

I'm glad you got that because Ms.

Lucas used to claim that all the time, and since they got taken away from her, we'll give her we'll give her a partial.

Uh, we do have uh Miss Bryant, Commissioner Bryant.

I'm sorry, do you have a question?

Yes.

Um lately, it seemed like every time we do the agenda, we've been authorizing the money, and I know they're doing a lot of groundbreaking.

When they gonna start working?

Uh well, they're going through process.

They've already been working out there on the first phase of this.

This is a second phase.

Um, you recall in this particular case, there are gonna be some things you don't see uh out there, but um we ran into a little litigation uh early on.

Uh we do have a groundbreaking coming up that we've moved a couple of times for whether or otherwise for the FPO coming out there, so we'll be breaking ground on that, and we have awarded contracts.

But this, you know, sometimes uh uh sometimes it moves a lot slower than I like for it to move, of course you know that.

But uh certainly we have to jump through all the hoops.

The other thing is we're dealing with FAA, we're dealing with other people's money at the federal government, and they're not too keen, especially with the the change of leadership we've had, things have slowed down a little bit, uh, and we had to jump to a lot more hoops.

So I'm excited about it getting the process done.

Of course, we can't do that without approving the funds of that.

So that's that was the next stage.

But I appreciate your concern.

I think everybody here would adjoin you that we'd like to have uh done a lot quicker.

But um I'm excited to know this this on the way.

So we do have a motion and second.

Uh, if there's no further questions, I'll call for a vote.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Oppose nay.

Uh that votion that motion carries unanimously.

We're gonna move on to paving the way, and I hope that many of you have seen some paving done out there in the neighborhoods.

Uh and we have um been able to get a lot of companies involved.

And when you get a lot of companies involved in this in bidding on that.

Matter of fact, we have two more bids coming out tomorrow, so we'll have a call meeting probably on the 6th of October, uh, just to try to award those bids so we can get them back out there doing it.

Uh, people are doing the work.

This is people who are qualified who are bonded, uh, who are doing it according to the GDOT specs that we have out there, and they're doing it all across the community, and they're doing it in a a quick face.

Uh, but also the um the good thing about having competitive bids is when we set out an amount, whether it's LMIC dollars, LRA dollars, general fund dollars, or splash dollars, we set a budget for the project.

We've been able to because a competitive bid on this project, uh, come back with savings of each of these bids.

You'll see several of these paving the ways here.

We're gonna be awarding some change orders uh for several hundred thousand dollars.

That's because we saved the money and now we can do additional roads, and we're trying to do additional roads in that area that they're already at, so they don't have to drop the equipment off and do all those things there.

So the first one we're gonna begin with is the resolution of Making Bibb County Commission to authorize the mayor to execute an amendment to the independent contractor agreement with MacElroy Inc.

for asphalt paving and resurfacing services in amount of 781,537 and 47 cents to be paid from the 2025 Elmeg grant funds and the 2018 splice funds.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Motion by Commissioner Wilder, second by Commissioner Bronson, and I got a question from Commissioner Bryant.

This is good.

This is gonna be for all of them.

I think I mentioned it last time when we were talking about um the different companies paving.

Just for the commissioners, and I would like to be able to see which roads are they actually paving, like which for the first company, McElroy Incorporation.

What roads are he responsible for?

I know you were telling me it was like a breakdown of which roads they were going to take, but I would like to see.

I think I I think you were gone.

You were gone uh out of town when we discussed this before, but I'll just let you know that every single road that comes before a bid is published on our site.

So make and bib.us uh you can go to there, you can look at the procurement site.

Uh Commissioner Rainwater has it committed to memory, but you'll see every single road, every segment thereof that's getting paid to make and bib county, not only now that's out pending for tomorrow's opening of the bids, but those that we have already closed out.

So you'll know, and you'll be able to identify because I know you know all the neighbors in your neighborhoods in your district, which of those are yours, and you'll see those identified.

We said the same thing.

We've advised the public as well.

You can go onto the site, make and bib.us, look at procurement on a bids of projects, and you'll see asphalt paving there, and it tells you ones that have been closed out and ones that are presently pending, so you can see all those projects on there.

Clay Murphy, since this is a splash project, is gonna be um he is going to be um working with them to make sure that if we have a road in the same area that has a same scoring that was not on the list.

Uh certainly we can do that in the same area with this these funds here because we're saving money.

I've asked commissioners if you have roads that you hear about constantly in your community.

Uh, if you'll reach out to us on those roads, he will look at those grades and see if they can be added on there when we look to add additional roads for this right here.

We have probably six bids been awarded out there, and after the two tomorrow, uh, we'll be looking at completing at least um over 100 and something miles of road, which is almost 16 to 18 mile uh years of roads in so far this year.

We do expect for them to complete most of these projects by December the 15th.

If they do not, they'll start back at the end of February.

But in the meantime, they'll be doing some more striping on there.

So I'll be happy to talk with you all fine if you need more specifics about the roads, but that's where you go to find them at.

Okay, thank you for clearing that up.

No problem.

My constituents are listening so they can look at the same information.

Yes, ma'am.

We want to make sure it's open and transparent for everyone, and that's why it's all posted out there uh and the media can get it as well.

So uh it's 112 miles of roads just to be for be clarity.

We have a motion and second.

Got a motion second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries unanimously.

Item B is the resolution of Making Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to execute an amendment to the independent contract agreement with professional paving services for asphalt paving and resurfacing services, an amount of $968,585 and 23 cents is that a six six hundred eighty-five dollars and twenty-three cents to be paid from the two thousand twenty-four LMIG grant funds and two thousand eighteen supplies.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Motion by Commissioner Wilder.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wynne.

Any questions?

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries unanimously.

Item C is the resolution of the Make and Bib County Commission to authorize the mayor to execute an amendment to the independent contract agreement with professional services, LLC for asphalt paving and resurfacing services in amount of $1,179,793 to be paid from the 2024 LRA LRA and 2018 supplies funds.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Motion by I will say second by Wilder.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

I will also like to add I don't know if I said it earlier or not, but each of these qualified vendors that we have must be bonded, which means their work must be inspected, and of course, their work is guaranteed by this bond.

Uh, there are going to be some limitations on some of these uh smaller companies that we have from local companies.

They may only be bonded for say up to four million dollars.

So uh for it, for example, if a company, uh Company A gets the first two bids and it's two million dollars and two million dollars, then that completes them until they finish those projects.

And you have other companies that will step in.

That's why we try to make a conscious effort to bid these things out in lower denominations so we can have more smaller businesses uh and local businesses uh apply for these and get awarded contracts.

That's a change from the past, and we're getting more people qualified, we're getting more people coming to the small business uh with Miss Cerese Mereweather, and we're getting more participation from our local citizens and as well as our small minority businesses.

So I want to make sure you know that this work is guaranteed, it's bonded, it's insured, uh, it's gonna be done the specs that we require them.

We do inspections on these roads.

Uh we had a motion second, we've already voted on that, so we're gonna move on to the next item.

Resolution making Big County Commission to authorize the mayor to execute an amendment to the independent contract agreement with Atlanta paving and concrete construction for asphalt paving and resurfacing services, an amount of 717,000 715 and 12 cent to be paid from the 2025 LRA funds and 2018 supplies funds.

Uh this time intertaining a motion for approval.

Motion by Water, second by Bronson and Commissioner Water, you have a question, sir?

Uh not really a question as much as the reason I held out on speaking is this one does involve a lot of roads in District Six.

Uh we are all these people are have definitely been making calls to me and uh just glad to be seeing some things done.

We did do uh about a almost two-mile stretch of Fulton Mill Road on the far south end, which happens to include in front of my house.

I'm sure everybody knows that, but that was done last week, Wednesday and Thursday.

To me, it turned out great.

Uh everybody can find a little fault, but I love it.

Uh most people that are contacting me or loving the road is so much smoother, it's unreal.

Uh but we got a lot going on, and I'm just uh thankful that you know a lot of people saying, you know, why did it take five years?

Well, we've been talking about that four years for for several years, why it took so long.

Uh we do we did pass a major thing which sploshed that actually starts in October.

We're getting a head start on it.

But this is what's enabling us to finally pave more roads than we did in the past.

Just thanks to all the voters out there that did vote for that, because this is why we are seeing the results now.

And just uh help some people in district six understand a lot of the major roads, like the other end of Fulton Mill Road, uh Knoxville Road, um of Rogers Road and Dixon Road are being bidd as we speak, and we should see something very soon on those.

Okay.

Uh thank you, Commissioner Water.

And I will say Commissioner Water does go on to our procurement side, he does look at those roads.

Uh they are there, and you can look at it too.

Uh, also keep in mind as we we have we started doing a little different process.

If you have some longer roads, uh we don't want you start stop, start, stop.

Um, where I live at on on Eisenhower Parkway, the state is doing some roads and they do a whole strip and they stop, and of course it's not in front of my house.

Uh, and then they keep going, it's real smooth, and then they don't, uh, kind of like what we got going on on Bass Road and other places there.

We don't want to see that on long roads.

Uh when you get in town, most of our roads are segmented because you've got a neighborhood to a neighborhood, and it's a lot easier to do those kind of roads.

So you'll see on there from this road to this road, those are intersections that intersection.

As you recall, we used to do bids based on that.

If a road score is a high score of 90, there's no sense of paving that road.

You're taking away from another road.

But if you got two roads in the same area there and they're within a reasonable degree of certainty there with maybe a 40 and 50 score, then you might as well pay the whole road when you got them there.

It's less expensive for the uh asphalt company that's there while they got the equipment there, they don't have to pick it up and drop it elsewhere, and it's just it's using good financial sense.

Uh, Commissioner Bronson, I got you, and then Commissioner Wynne.

Hey, for uh first thing, sir.

So first and foremost, uh great work on this end, uh team and community.

Thank you guys for uh supporting us on this deal.

Quick question.

So, as you know, and I know we start getting to discussions about districts, right?

Um, but district two, we are kind of broken up.

So we have a little bit of South making how uh downtown, East making and parts of North making.

So, in saying that, the areas that we are paving and dealing with district two, or should I say throughout middle Georgia?

I put it that way.

Um it boils down to the 18 willers and log trucks, because that's most of the complaints I get from my district.

When we're repaving these roads, is there anything in place, i.e., code enforcement, sheriff's department, they may step in and say, hey, once we pave this particular road, 18 willows, we need you guys to reroute log trucks, reroute.

How is that working so that we'll be not having to have this conversation again in the next four years?

Well, if they're on state route, we don't have any control of that.

So that's an easy answer to that question there.

As much as we won't be paving those roads either, by the way, because those are state obligations.

I get calls every day on MLK Broadway, right?

What is my response?

That's a state road.

There's not a making Bill County Road.

We don't own it, we don't pave it, we don't upkeep it, et cetera.

Same thing with Riverside Ride.

Same thing with Mercy University, same thing with Thomas and those things are state roads, those are state roads.

Uh if they get off the road, that's when we would ask our sheriff, these folks are not supposed to be on those roads.

There, we asked for some uh law enforcement there to make sure that the trucks that are too heavy for the roads don't go there.

But again, we are meeting G Doc specifications on these roads.

We put enough asphalt there that's required to be able to absorb the traffic that we have.

Uh and we're trying to do the more arterial roads first.

Some of the roads that are in your district, because it's a split up district, we've done that by zones and they're segmented because a lot of that was how we was doing LMIG or LRA in the past.

We're doing a little bit different process.

You'll see some longer roads like Napier and Hillcrest, those long roads, and we get to Riggins Mill Road and we get to uh the roads over there by Northeast and Apple, those are longer roads.

So you'll do those in one whole swoop.

So is it so out of curiosity?

So when we start talking about the long swoops and roads and so forth.

So if we know we have roads, is there is there a means when they go into their evaluation of their survey that we may say, hey, this road doesn't need to have heavier trucks or this is the weight weight maximum for a particular road when we repave it.

Is there a way for us to kind of identify that or at least put signage up?

You can put signs up, but we have to follow the law as an existing at the time.

That's the sheriff's question.

So hey sheriff.

Commissioner Wynn, I want you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Since you mentioned Bass Road, and they've completed the big beautiful bridge on Bass Road.

The road has patches in it that make it bumpy to go over.

Are they gonna pave the whole thing?

Yes, ma'am.

It'll be paved from Zebulin Road to um uh we used to be turning point now, just changed uh right at Providence.

Well, I'm I mean, is it gonna is that gonna happen soon because it's uh it's out for bid.

It's out for bid.

Um so it is it it's all part of the process.

We looked at the evaluation, that road was not uh did not grade very well.

So it was one of those low roads.

I know keep in mind that's a state that was a state project, and there was some patching done right there because there were some holes.

So when you get into a smooth and you get a paved, like I was talking, it's kind of a bump there, but all that would be smooth along with the other issues that we have.

Well, it's just like some of our other commissioners, people ask me about that too.

Since the bridge, the big beautiful bridge is completed.

We always do one I never hear it called Big Beautiful Bridge, except from you, but but it is uh a lot smoother.

Response by the way, 14 seconds.

So um answer your question is yes, it will be paved.

Look on the procurement site for bids, and you'll too be able to find out when that road is uh what that road is going to be on which list so you'll know when they're paving.

Um we also give a time limit, I think a hundred and fifty days we give each of these companies to pave those roads, and they got to do it within that period of time, and they go over that time, they get fined per day.

So we put a time limit on there to make sure they don't sit on these roads, go to some other community and do other projects and leave us hanging here with a half-paved road.

So we're very cognizant about getting the work done.

Commissioner Stewart, I'm with you.

I just wanted to say that you know, even though we all get questions about you know state roads every day, we can't discount the fact that these are making nites who are driving on state roads.

So I think instead of just kind of discounting that and saying, well, there's a state roads, these are local roads.

I think it would be in the best interest of the commissioners and the administration to have a deeper conversation with uh with G D DOT in matters like that because Commissioner Brunson has a has a great point.

I mean, these roads are being torn up uh by these log trucks.

So instead of just discounting and saying, Well, that's their problem, we got to have a deeper conversation with them if we are truly uh uh representing the people of Making Bible.

Thank you.

We have deeper conversations on a regular basis with G DOT.

They know the roads that are our concerns, they know the condition they're in.

They also know that they have their own funding and they schedule those things at their pleasure, not our pleasure, as much as I like for them to.

So certainly I don't just discount what they say.

And a lot of times I may give them a map to show them who where the state roads are so they know who the state roads are.

We have some roads that are divided, and I myself look at them and say, I think that's a state road when it's not.

Um, but as we go through the process, we realize that state roads sometimes starts and stops.

Uh so we have had conversations about trying to reroute the log trucks from downtown down to ML off of MLK.

And to do that, we may have to adopt that road, and that's a proposal we made to them, but with that comes costs associated with that as well.

So uh we never discount uh our constituents there, but at the same time, we can't be held accountable for somebody else's job.

Uh we we give them the information to G DOT, they can happily call them, email them like they do us.

Commissioner Bryant.

Do you have a question about that?

Okay, yes.

I I know I missed the meeting last um last um Labor Day weekend, but I still have questions.

Yes, ma'am.

Um, when you first gave us the list of streets, it had numbers by them, and they were and it was said that's how we were gonna determine which roads need to be paid first.

You remember what list I'm talking about?

The list we haven't got any roads to be paid first, but we had zones that we did.

Um zones like one, two, three, four.

You had zones.

Yeah, the zones.

That's how we're putting the things out for bid.

Okay.

So we're putting only certain areas out for bid now.

All areas are going out to bid.

Okay, because all I'm seeing right now is I see mostly everything in district nine or the north side.

I do see the peach orchard and Houston Avenue.

So when are the other bids going out?

All the bids are out.

I think if you go back and look at the bids that are already out, here's what happens is we don't necessarily we put the list together.

We depend on the state, our engineers and water authority to approve those lists.

They have to identify where all the utilities are, all the sewer caps are, all those things based on the preliminary review we got from the robotics program.

All those lists are going out to get paved, and they're all across Macon Bibb County.

We looked at it, it completely covers all the zones.

Uh, and we don't control where the bad roads are, which means if there's more 40s in the area, they're probably gonna get put out first and get paid first.

Then you would have another area that don't be graded like that.

But all the roads are being uh consistently across the whole county being paved and being put out in an appropriate manner.

But we have tried to group those to save money based on roads that are in those areas, but we have been relied on the robotics program as well.

I caught robotics program.

There's another name for it now, but you know what I'm referring to.

But you if you go back and look at the old list and the new list, the two that are come out tomorrow, and the other one that'll be out soon, you'll see that we got coverage across the whole entire county.

And the reason you're seeing those out there is because those are long roads that you can do in a straight area out there uh in the old county because they have longer roads, and you can knock those out pretty quickly uh on those roads and they score both.

But are these the ones they're gonna be working on now?

These these everything that's out there now and it's out there gonna be awarded tomorrow.

We're working on now.

This would okay.

Yes, each each company has 150 days to do it.

They determine when they're gonna pay those roads.

We don't.

They're just telling us they're gonna do it within 150 days, and they make up the schedule, not us.

Okay, because I don't see anything in district eight or three.

I don't know about I'm not so familiar with two.

Yeah, there I can tell you they're they're in all the districts.

Um but any anyway that we don't determine once they get out there for bid, they determine when they're gonna pay but they just guarantee they're gonna have it done within 150 days, otherwise they get fined.

Need to call for a vote.

Okay.

Those are questions after we already voted.

There we go.

Yes.

All right.

This is an ordinance of the Making Bibb County Commission to adopt a budget, a bond and budgets appropriations for the an ordinance of the Make and Bibb County Commission to adopt a budget and appropriate sums for expenditure from the Macin Bib County General Obligation Sales Tax Bond Series 2025, which we're calling the 2025 splice bond.

Uh Commissioner Howell, you have your item, sir.

I'm sorry.

That's what you're telling me just a moment ago.

Go ahead, sir.

I was just saying I I missed my opportunity to speak, I guess, on roads.

Well, you could you got time now?

Can I can I can I have just a minute?

You got 22 seconds.

Circling back around to the state roads.

Anyone that wants to learn uh all the information they could stand.

Are certainly happy uh or welcome to come join Miss Valerie Wind and myself at the four match meetings that we have every year, and I mean every year, and you will get more information overload than you will can stand.

But you will find out everything about every road that's going on, every project, and uh it's really interesting.

We'd love to have you there.

I appreciate you saying I was about to put you on the spot earlier, but I don't want I don't want to do that.

But uh and I appreciate y'all serving on that.

Uh we had a hard time the last uh couple years getting people to serve on that board, but it is a lot of state roads.

They tell us when they're gonna let it when they're gonna do a project, and we get input on that as well.

So appreciate that comment.

Uh item 10A is the ordinance of Making Bibb County Commission again to adopt a budget and appropriate sums for expenditure for the Macon Bib County General Obligation Sales Tax Bond.

We're calling the 2025 SPLOS bonds.

Uh, can I get a motion to approve?

Motion by Commissioner Howell, we have a second.

Second by Commissioner Wilder.

Commissioner Brunt, your question.

No, you said light on okay.

Uh as you recall, we've done some uh voting tonight on some projects, some of those that require splash funding, and of course, we did um some project projects of SPLUS that involve roads uh that we have done in the past, and we have some funds that we spent last year that we're recovering money for out of the splash bonds from uh money we use general funding now.

We're reimbursing ourselves back.

Uh we did borrow some money up front at a good interest rate of just over 2.0 percent.

Even picked up five million dollars in premium uh because of those bonds were were so highly sought.

So at this time we have a motion and second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries unanimously.

The last item is item 11a.

This is the ordinance of the Making Bibb County Commission authorizing the mayor to accept the FAA airport improvement plan funding in the amount of 3.6 million dollars, authorizing the mayor to accept FAA airport infrastructure grants funded by the bipartisan structure law in amount of approximately 2.3 million dollars, appropriation up to $2 million.

We hope it's gonna be less from the general fund fund balance to match such funds, such grants.

Uh Commissioner Howell was asked to sponsor that, so I'll take that as a motion.

Do we have a second?

Second by Commissioner Stewart.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

Thank you very much, uh ladies and gentlemen.

This concludes our meeting tonight.

We will probably have a call meeting the first of October uh to vote on some roads that will be awarded tomorrow.

This meeting uh is