An allocation of more than a half-million dollars for safety equipment for the Henry County Fire Department was approved by the Henry County Board of Commissioners at its September 20 regular meeting.
According to officials, capital improvement funds are being used for the $542,450 purchase of 70 self-contained breathing apparatus systems, which have been identified as an essential part of firefighting and firefighter safety.
In an unrelated action, the board approved the $115,740 purchase of 20 mobile radio packages for the Henry County Police Department’s Uniform Patrol Division. Officials said the portable radio and battery supply is getting low due to new hires and aging batteries.
In other business, a new report indicated that roughly $931,611 was spent by Henry County’s Community Development Block Grant program to provide housing rehab assistance, improvement to public facilities, public housing modification, health and medical services, and other services for homeless and local youth during the most recent program year. The Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report was approved by the commissioners after the required public hearing, and the county is required to submit the report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A portion of the highlighted projects were completed in cooperation with Stockbridge public works as well as the Hampton and McDonough housing authorities.
A county-owned structure at 398 North Ola Road, directly across from Ola High School and adjacent to the entrance to North Ola Park, has been officially declared surplus. According to county staff, the move is necessary to facilitate the design and construction of an improved entrance to the park. The county’s purchasing department was authorized to dispose of the structure through an online auction process and dispose of it through other means if no online bids are received.
The board voted to authorize permanent easement and right-of-way acquisition for the widening of Rock Quarry Road as well as the extension of South Ola Road. In other business, the board approved a $50,778 contract for guardrail repair at ten locations throughout the county, in response to an increasing number of calls from the public regarding damaged guardrail. Also approved was the selection of two local companies to provide wrecker services on an as-needed basis under a one-year contract with automatic renewals.
