ECC addresses trash and new construction
By Deanna Ryan
The Emanuel County board of commissioners met February 20, 2023 at 101 N. Main Street in Swainsboro. In attendance were county administrator Guy Singletary, county attorney Richard McNeely, chairman Hugh Foskey, vice chairman Jim Sherrod and fellow commissioners Desse Davis and Timmy Oliver. Chairman Foskey noted and welcomed the large audience and Davis gave the invocation.
Tony Hutcheson, chair of Keep Emmanuel Beautiful, announced plans for the countywide, anti-litter kickoff “Operation Clean Sweep” are underway. The event will happen on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22nd. He also requested assistance in the $3,5000 initial funding cost of the county’s affiliation with Keep America Beautiful and Keep Georgia Beautiful and the yearly dues of $425. In response, administrator Singletary noted that two years ago funds were allocated for the specific purpose of supporting KEB, so no motion was needed. Vice chair Sherrod thanked the group for their work and mentioned that Justin Morris of the county public works department is also hoping to have Lovins Contracting help out around Earth Day to pick up the trash from all of the county-maintained paved roads.
Under new business, Guy Singletary explained Emanuel county is using Pope Construction to manage the bidding process for the new county administration building. This building will house the tax commissioner, tax assessor and board of elections offices and will be located by the post office. “One of the biggest complaints we’ve gotten for years and years is accessibility to our voting services,” he said. Phase one of the site work contains 11 construction packages with maximum price not to exceed $1,304,182. Funding, according to Singletary, would come from county SPLOST funds and money set aside in a capital projects’ fund. The commissioners unanimously passed phase one of the administration building site package.
“In Emanuel county we do not have a landfill, we have a transfer station,” Singletary noted. All county trash ends up at the station, then it is transferred to landfills outside the county. The landfills charge haulers for trash per tonnage. The benefit of using commercial haulers is they have a lower per ton fee at landfills, since they haul more than the county. Landfills charge the haulers and those costs are passed on to the county. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for solid waste has increased 6.4% for the next 4-5 months. The county transfer fees would need to be increased to offset the hauler costs. The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the amendment to increase the transfer station fees by 6.4%.
Hutcheson of KEB speaks to commissioners