Recycling center contracts are on the table
Floyd County commissioners also plan to extend Safari Hospitality’s contract to manage the Forum River Center.
The Floyd County Commission is expected to award on Tuesday a contract to complete the remodeling work on the new recycling facility on Lavender Drive.
The board also plans to approve an amended contract to lease the remaining 12,000 square feet in the former Zartic plant, bringing the total available space to 37,000 square feet.
Public Works Director Michael Skeen said that would allow for “a good-sized” education room, a meeting room and more frequent collections of electronic waste. Also, the county would not have to pay to install two separate electric and water meters.
“Security will be easier, as well,” County Manager Jamie McCord noted.
Property owner Ira Levy of Paper Recovery set the original lease at $3,300 a month in exchange for the county’s commercial paper and cardboard recycling route. The additional space will run another $500 a month, plus the county’s old baler from the Watters Street facility.
A larger, more modern baler was designed for the Lavender Drive plant and is being installed now. Skeen said the old baler could only be sold for scrap.
Low-bidder Multi Craft Construction Services of Rome is expected to get the final remodeling contract at $397,400. The project includes wiring, plumbing and interior remodeling.
The 2013 special purpose, local option sales tax contains $1.3 million for a new recycling center and to rehabilitate the existing property on Watters Street, which will likely be sold for a commercial business.
McCord said he expects the earmark to fall short of funding some of the vehicles needed at the new center but the money could come from the Solid Waste Commission or other SPLOST projects that come in under budget.
Commissioners caucus at 2 p.m. Tuesday and start their regular meeting at 4 p.m. in the County Administration Building, 12 E. Fourth Ave. Both sessions are public.
Among the other items on the agenda is a 12-month extension of the contract with Safari Hospitality to manage the county-owned Forum River Center.
The company has overseen a number of improvements funded through the 2013 SPLOST, including makeovers of the arena and Riverwalk Ballroom. The kitchen and concession areas also have been upgraded along with technological improvements.
Safari’s rebranded marketing campaign is “helping us find out what kind of facility we are,” McCord said.