Dougherty County leaders square off over chamber, EDC

ALBANY — County Commissioner John Hayes told his colleagues Monday they needed to “take a harder look” at the return on investment generated by the local Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Commission, sparking a heated verbal exchange with fellow Commissioner Lamar Hudgins.

Referencing comments attributed to Albany City Commissioner Jon Howard in a story that appeared in Sunday’s Albany Herald, Hayes said, “I’m glad somebody else recognizes that we need to take a harder look there. At $250,000 a year (to the EDC), we ought to get a greater return on investment.

“I don’t know that I’d be able to hang onto a customer at the bank I represent if I didn’t have a better return on investment than we’re getting. I feel that in this instance and others, we’ve relegated autonomous responsibility to a committee without input.”

A visibly angered Hudgins, who is one of 12 EDC board members, responded.

“The EDC meets every third Wednesday,” Hudgins said. “You’re welcome to come.”

Hayes countered that was not “picking on” the EDC but was “just looking for best results.”

“I’m thankful for the positive news we’re getting from the EDC,” Hudgins replied. “A lot of places would kill for what’s going on in our community.”

Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas also defended the work of the EDC under its “new leadership,” a reference to EDC President Justin Strickland, who has been widely lauded for his work with the board.

“I’m encouraged by the positive movement under the EDC’s new leadership,” Cohilas said. “I’m seeing new priorities coming out. I think what we have to do is a better job of getting out our positive information to the community.”

Cohilas made direct reference to the recent move of the Albany Kia automobile dealership to Lee County, which was mentioned by Howard at the City Commission meeting and in the Herald story.

“While I don’t know the details of Kia’s move, there are I’m sure a lot of issues involved,” the commission chairman said. “One is whether this move is such a bad negative when you look at it regionally.”

In a business meeting that was postponed last week due to commissioners’ participation in an Association County Commissioners of Georgia annual meeting in Savannah, the commission approved funding for:

— A Public Works employee facility and Fleet Management shop renovation project: $1,308,000 to PDC Construction of Bainbridge using SPLOST VI funds;

— Two storm drainage improvement projects at Gaissert Road and Honeysuckle Drive: $221,596.73 to HTS Construction Inc. of Albany using SPLOST VI funds;

— The purchase of two ambulances for EMS: $274,966 to Custom Truck and Body Works of Woodbury using SPLOST VI funds; and

— The purchase of six 2015 Dodge Charger Police Interceptors for the Dougherty County Police Department: $144,744 to Don Jackson Chrysler Dodge of Union City using SPLOST VI funds.

In a work session that immediately followed, the commission discussed the lowest responsible bid for the county’s annual resurfacing project. Reeves Construction of Albany bid $608,592 to complete the 10 miles of road resurfacing that was presented to the commission late last year. Funding for the resurfacing will come from SPLOST VI and the state Local Maintenance Improvement Grant program.

The board also got reports on lowest bids to purchase two dump truck bodies and cab and chassis, the former coming in at $30,026 from Transport Equipment Co. of Albany and the latter at $177,067 from Peterbilt of Albany.

“It’s good to see these local Albany companies getting the bids,” District VI Commissioner Anthony Jones said.

The board also discussed a new intergovernmental rental agreement with the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia for property at the Riverfront Resource Center, and for a budget amendment to account for unbudgeted work on the county-owned Department of Human Services Building. The work will cost an additional $192,986.

Also during the work session, U.S. Geological Survey groundwater hydrologist Debbie Gordon gave the board a report on management of ground and surface water in the county. She noted that competition for demand, contamination and sinkhole formation were some of the issues the USGS contends with in “wise management of this natural resource.”

District 4 Commissioner Ewell Lyle asked Gordon if USGS would monitor wells in close proximity to the proposed Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline that could pass through the county, and she said such monitoring would become a funding issue.

“We’d like to monitor the water along the pipeline, but someone would have to pay for it,” Gordon said.

She noted that cuts to funding that allowed USGS to monitor water in the county had forced the agency to cut back on its efforts, particularly in the southwestern part of the county that is the proposed site of the Sabal Trail pipeline.