Franklin BOC Reviews 2015 Projects at Year-end Work Session

Franklin County commissioners are heading into the new year with a better idea of where they are on some major projects.

The board held a year-end work session on Friday at the Rocky Ford Recreation Center.
County Commission Chair Thomas Bridges said a number of big issues were covered and he called the afternoon session productive.

“It was a very productive day,” Thomas said. “We talked about our roads and upgrading some of our equipment. It was also a great time for our new county manager to sit in and really learn what goes on in county government.”

Another one of the big issues the Board hopes to tackle in 2015 is to start construction on the new sewer line along I-85 and the new wastewater treatment plant in Carnesville.

The board got an update on that project Friday from county manager John Phillips.  Bridges said they expect to begin work on that project next year.

“It’s about a $6.5 million project,” he said. “We should be able with the grant we received to move forward with that project. That’s what we’re shooting for – 2015.”

The total estimated cost of the sewer line/wastewater treatment project is $6.3 million.

In April, the County received a USDA loan/check pkg in the amount of $2.7 million dollars to help pay for the six mile project.

The new sewer line will extend along I-85 from the 160 Exit at SR51 to the 166 Exit at SR106 and is expected to attract new industry into Franklin County.

Plans involve two new lift stations as well as a totally new wastewater treatment plant that will be built in the City of Carnesville.

The City of Carnesville has committed $200,000, and the Franklin County Industrial Building Authority has agreed to contribute $500,000 to the project.  Other monies will come out of the county’s water/sewer fund.

Also discussed Friday was the planned jail pod additions at a cost of $1.5 million.

Requests for bids went out several weeks, according to Bridges, for a contractor who could both design and build the extension.

“The deadline to receive those prop0sals is Tuesday, December 23rd,” Thomas said. “We’ve had some interest in that so we will know after Tuesday how many different individuals are interested in that project and we’ll be able to start evaluating that situation also. We certainly hope they will come in at $1.5 so we’ll be able to start on that project.”

The county will be paying for that project with monies already set aside from a previous SPLOST as well as a loan from a local lending institution.