Lee Commission considers allocation of new SPLOST funds

LEESBURG — Lee County commissioners discussed new SPLOST funding and how that money might be spent during a special meeting on Thursday.

With only three commissioners present, and one linked in via telephone, the Lee board discussed several ways the new and leftover SPLOST funds could be spent but postponed making final decisions. Commissioner Rick Muggridge joined the meeting by telephone while Luke Singletary was absent.

Road resurfacing projects were clearly a priority as commissioners considered projects for the upcoming year. County Co-Manager Mike Sistrunk talked briefly about a list of six roads that have been identified as major concerns. The estimated cost to resurface all six is $2,816,000.

“These are estimates based on $110,000 for each mile resurfaced,” Sistrunk said.

On the list were:

— Airport Road from Edwards Road to the county line at an estimated cost of $498,000;

— Doublegate Drive North from Martindale Drive to the county line at a cost of $70,000;

— Glendale Road from U.S. Highway 19 to Creekside Road at a cost of $83,000;

— Ledo Road from U.S. Highway 82 to Palmyra Road at a cost of $375,000;

— Lumpkin Road from Smithville Road to U.S. 19 at a cost of $90,000;

— New York Road from State Highway 195 to Larson Road at a cost of $1,7000,000.

“Some of these roads will require additional work,” Sistrunk said. “Once again, these are rough estimates.”

Although the dilemma over which roads to pave first remains a priority, no decision on how to prioritize the list was made at Thursday’s meeting. Instead, it was decided to renew the discussion at the board’s next meeting in mid-November and to vote on the projects in December. The commission previously released its 2017 holiday schedule with just one November and one December meeting.

“Clearly, we can’t do all of the roads at once; it will take time to do them all,” Commissioner Billy Mathis said.

Muggridge said he believed trying to do all of the roads over a four-year time frame seemed like a good and feasible plan.

Looking at requests for upcoming SPLOST funds, Mathis said he was somewhat confused over items listed under public safety funding which seemed to be significantly beyond what was being allocated.

County Co-Manager Christi Dockery said some of the funding requested would be for a 911 back-up call center — possibly for a mobile unit that could travel throughout the county as needed during emergencies.

Sistrunk said the mobile unit had been discussed at previous meetings.

“If our 911 service through the sheriff’s office goes down, it is the only 911 center we have,” Sistrunk said.

Dockery said no actual quotes have yet been gathered on the cost of such a unit. Commissioners said they are looking at purchasing three new firetrucks using upcoming SPLOST fund.

Lee officials say they expect to use a significant amount of SPLOST funding for recreation. The county currently is considering potential sites for a recreational facility and has its eye on a tract of land in Leesburg. If the land for recreation is purchased, commissioners could spend up to $3,186,000 in preparing that property for public recreation use.

A proposed breakdown of costs includes $25,000 for program and design; $1,250,000 for grading, paving, site utilities and other site work; $1,500,000 as a rough estimate for four football fields, and another $186,000 needed for equipment to maintain the property.

The cost of the four football fields is based on the cost of the similar complex in Tifton and would include the costs of lighting, fencing, irrigation, bleachers, shade covers, score booths, concession areas and restrooms.

Although commissioners have not officially decided on a location or the exact type of recreation to be offered in the county, it does appear that decisions will be made soon and a multifaceted sports complex with ball fields is under serious consideration. Commissioners briefly discussed building ball fields so they could easily accommodate traveling teams similar to those currently available in Macon and in Panama City.

Jeremy Morey, who heads up Lee County Parks and Recreation, asked commissioners to consider bringing in a landscape architect as soon as possible to help design the future recreation complex.

Mathis stressed the importance of gathering quotes and “real numbers” as the county moves forward in deciding how to allocate SPLOST funds.

“We need real numbers,” Mathis said. “I would like to see exactly how much we have to spend, not how much we think we are going to get or how much we think something is going to cost.”

Commissioners also engaged in a discussion of technology.

“We talked about this technology issue nine months ago as if it were an emergency, then we just let it slip through the cracks,” Mathis said.

Sistrunk said efforts are being made to determine what software and upgrades are needed but that finding the right vendor is not an easy task.

“Every business we talk to has a different plan,” Sistrunk said.

“We need to figure it out,” Mathis replied.

Dockery suggested replacing outdated equipment one piece at a time. Sistrunk said he has consulted with an IT expert with the University of Georgia in hopes of getting the best advice on how to proceed with upgrades.

“We haven’t been sitting on our feet with this,” he said. “We don’t want to invest in something today that won’t work two years from now.”

Commissioners also discussed installing surveillance cameras around the courthouse and the government building. Officials also discussed getting a quote for solar lighting at the county jail.

Commissioners approved a written economic development agreement between the commission and the Development Authority of Lee County pertaining to the development and construction of the proposed new hospital and medical office buildings in the county. The agreement gives approval to a previous decision to issue up to $80 million in revenue bonds to finance a significant porti0n of the new hospital project.

The memorandum of agreement that was approved on Thursday states: “The proposed 60-bed hospital will result in the creation of 350 new jobs at the hospital, with a direct impact of $38 million, and an indirect impact of 109 jobs with an impact of $9 million, and an induced impact of 49 jobs with an economic impact of $5 million, for a total impact of $52 million and 508 jobs.”

The agreement also specifies that the new hospital will be required to “provide services to all patients regardless of their ability to pay and to provide indigent and charity care to hospital patients each year at a level equal to at least 3 percent of the hospital’s annual adjusted gross revenues or to pay any shortfall amount as determined by the Department of Community Health.”

Lee officials say they expect to get official approval of their application for a certificate of need by Nov. 15.