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Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 7:45 PM

Ware forfeits $2.5 million in TSPLOST to pave two roads earlier

By DANNY BARTLETT Staff Writer Ware County will move ahead with plans to pave two dirt roads despite forfeiting $2.5 million already designated for the work as part of future regional transportation projects.

That action came from the Ware County Commission during a called meeting Monday, August 26 at the Administration Building. Thigpen Road and Gibbs Lane are on a Regional TSPLOST approved list for upgrades, but commissioners deemed their improvement more pressing than waiting for them to be reached on the regional list even though it meant a funding loss.

The approval of a contract to begin upgrades on the roads was among a handful of items commissioners handled during the session. All commissioners were present for the meeting, which was preceded by a work session and public hearing on a rezoning request.

Commissioners approved a contract for Statewide Engineering to provide engineering services and inspections for paving Thigpen and Gibbs. The roads were approved on a project list for Ware County’s allocation of the Georgia Department of Transportation fiscal year 2024-25 Local Maintenance Improvement Grant award in the amount of $1,119,535 at their last meeting.

County Manager Scott Moye told commissioners because Thigpen and Gibbs are on the second cycle of the Regional TSPLOST approved list for Ware, GDOT will not allow substitutions for those road.

Thus, if the county uses the LMIG dollars and proceeds to pave the roads, it will lose the approximately $2.5 million already designated in the TSPLOST for Thigpen and Gibbs.

Commissioners said because Regional TSPLOST projects can take up to a decade to be addressed, they were willing to forego the TSPLOST funds to have the roads paved in a more timely fashion.

In other business, the commission filled the vacancy on the Ware County Board of Elections and Registration with the appointment of local attorney Vernon Chambers.

He replaces Michael Hargrove, who was removed by a 4-1 vote of the commission following a hearing July 17.

The election board’s decision to seek Hargrove’s dismissal resulted from an incident during early voting for the May 21 General Primary in which Hargrove displayed “unpleasant business” practices when he reportedly entered a “restricted” area for voters and poll workers, and then questioned the training of those who asked him to exit the area.

Tax collection for city Commissioners approved a resolution with the City of Waycross for muncipal tax collection services by the Ware County Tax Commissioners.

Fee for the collections is $30,000, which the City Commission approved at its meeting August 20.

Advertise for bids The panel also approved the request of Airport Manager Frank Bartanowitz to advertise for sealed bids on timber cutting on the facility’s approximately 73 acres. Bartanowitz said clearing the area would facilitate further development of that land.

He said the county has a private business interested in developing land for aircraft hangar construction. The area was last clear cut in the early 2000s, he said.

Bartanowitz said money from sale of the timber could be used for airport infrastructure projects.

Courthouse HVAC The commission postponed action on updating the HVAC system in the Ware County Courthouse. At the last commission meeting, Assistant County Attorney Jennifer Herzog asked for more time to look over the proposed contract, which totals $918,000 with South Georgia Commercial HVAC Americas in Augusta.

SGC Account Manager Chris Gleiter was at Monday’s meeting, and Commissioner Leonard Burse asked if the service warranty could extend beyond the one- year labor and two- to five-year parts coverage on the whole unit.

Gleiter said he would need to check.

Commissioners agreed to revist the item at their September meeting.

Rezoning request

The rezoning request was from Michael and Jamie Musgrove for 1925 Carswell Avenue. The couple wants to open a coffee shop or similar retail business at the location, commissioners were told.

Zoning would change from R-75 MH and SDD R-75 MH (residentialmoble home) to C2 and SDD C-2 (commercial, special development highway commercial).

The Waycross-Ware County Planning Commission unanimously approved the rezoning request at its meeting in July.


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