Georgia County Government - March 2008 - (Page 19)

centrally controlled and designed to function with minimal staff.” County-City Relations, Capital Projects Relationships between Bryan County and its two municipalities are “a work in progress,” according to Burnsed, with joint initiatives under their belt which could not have been accomplished without the cooperation of the cities. Notably, officials say, the county and cities have worked actively together to make Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) V a success. The six-year SPLOST was approved in late 2005, implemented in 2006, wraps up in 2012, and is anticipated to bring in more than $20 million for capital improvements, to fund countywide and city projects. Major projects slated to be funded by SPLOST V will include the new county administrative facility ($3.037 million), a recreation building and related facilities ($3.75 million), a conference and aquatic center for the city of Richmond Hill ($1.56 million), and various municipal and recreation facilities in the city of Pembroke ($535,000). Other projects slated include emergency services upgrades for the county ($930,000), road, street and bridge projects for the county ($3 million), various county recreation projects ($687,617), building maintenance and construction projects for the county ($700,000), county water system expenditures ($1 million), water, sewer, roads, parks and public safety projects for the city of Richmond Hill ($3.17 million) and city of Pembroke projects to upgrade sewer, water, roads, streets and drainage systems. Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management Currently, there’s emphasis on building the county’s safety operations, upgrading and purchasing new fire trucks. Fire services operate under District Chief Mike Smith out of the south end of the county via three stations; and under District Chief Jimmy Cook via four stations in the north end of the county. A Homeland Security grant of $620,000 is funding a mobile command vehicle that arrived in February. According to Jones, the center will have full on-board emergency communication facilities, emergency medical capabilities and workstations, and can be driven and set up anywhere needed in the entire coastal region. Backing the County EMS, directed by Jim Anderson, is the American Red Cross regionally based in Hinesville, with its Armed Forces Emergency Services, furnishing health and safety services and disaster services, including shelter services, blood services and Disaster Action Teams. Emergency medical services are operating on both ends of the county, with ambulance services that do all transports, mostly to Chatham County medical facilities. Bryan County residents for now avail themselves of top-flight medical centers in nearby Savannah, Statesboro and Liberty County, Burnsed notes. The count y has attracted doctors and specialists practicing within its boundaries, owing to the availability of these major medical facilities in neighboring counties. “If we do put a hospital in place over time, we envision it being a private operation, not a county facility,” Burnsed adds. BRYAN COUNTY continued on page 20 Dust Control - Road Stabilization Liquid Calcium Chloride is an inexpensive and cost-effective alternative to paving and lasts far longer than any other materials used to control dust and stabilize unpaved roads. Among its many benefits, Calcium Chloride: • Cuts grading costs as much as 50 percent • Reduces the replacement cost of gravel and other materials by up to 80 percent • Leads to a 60 percent reduction in compaction effort on loose granular surfaces • Produces cost savings up to 50 percent Cl Ca Cl (Liquid Calcium Chloride) 453 Columbia Ind. Blvd. P.O. Box 1058 Evans, GA 30809 Web Page: www.calciumchloride.com (706) 860-1893 • 1-800-447-3781 (706) 855-9868 fax E-mail: richie@csranet.com LIQUIDOWTM MARCH 2008 www.accg.org 19 http://www.calciumchloride.com http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - March 2008

Georgia County Government - March 2008 Contents President's Message County Matters Guest Editorial: Our Future Depends On Statesmanship Bryan County in Step With State Coastal Plan Solid Waste Management in Georgia Hazardous Waste Management in Georgia Extension News: Georgians Growing Older, Fatter County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - March 2008

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