City hires manager for Public Works renovation

The city’s Public Works Department will get new home soon.

The Dublin City Council recently approved Dublin Construction Co. as the construction manager for the renovation and repair of the city’s Public Works Street Division facility. City Manager Josh Powell said the city bought a warehouse on Madison Street that used to be owned by Roche Farm & Garden.

“We plan to renovate this facility and to use it for our street division and incorporate their office space as well as a shop and warehouse area for them,” Powell said. “Dublin Construction was overwhelmingly recommended to be awarded the contract.” 

Dublin Construction’s overhead cost and monthly fee was expected to be shy of $16,000 a month. The fee for services was expected to be 4 percent of the project.

The city’s street department is currently at the end of Washington Street, just past the Oconee Gym. The city’s Public Works Director Robert Petrie told Dublin Mayor Joshua Kight how difficult it is to get all of the equipment from the street department, from that facility, down Washington Street and through the Southside neighborhood, especially in the summer when children are outside playing.

“They have to safely move that heavy equipment through the neighborhood, plus it is inconvenient because it is not in the middle of town or accessible to a major highway,” Kight said. “For years, we have been trying to plan for how to move the street department and other public works out of the Southside Neighborhood and into places that are more accessible to major roads and more centralized.”

For the 2024 SPLOST, the city council approved a $1.5 million for the street department. Kight said the city likes to bring in the construction manager earlier in the process so they can work with the architect and design team to find ways to reduce costs. In the past, governments would have an architect design the project and the lowest bidder would get the design.

“We’ve found that if you bring in the contractor ahead of time, they can actually get the design to a point where they can actually find cost savings and it won’t cost the public as much money,” Kight said. “Our engineering department and financial people have enjoyed or liked using this construction manager-type process. The overall goal is to get public works and the street department moved to a better location, where there is going to be less impact on the neighborhood where families live,” Kight said. “Also, while doing that, we’re going to do it as cost effectively as we can.” 

Earlier in the meeting, the council approved an agreement with Flock Group Inc. for new live cameras.

“A couple of years ago, the council approved a contract with Flock  for some pan, tilt and zoom cameras,” Powell said. “They needed to be powered electrically by direct connection to the power source on Georgia Power poles throughout town.” 

There were some difficulties between Georgia Power and Flock. Dublin Police Chief Keith Moon worked out a deal with Flock to provide solar-powered cameras.

“They are not pan, tilt and zoom, but they do serve a good purpose for the police department as far as criminal investigations go,” Powell said. “They have been strategically placed around town. In fact, they have been in place since July 1.” 

This will be paid for with opioid settlement money.

“There has been a lot of litigation involving opioids, both the manufacturers and distributors of opioids throughout the United States,” Powell said. “There have been class action lawsuits that have been filled regarding those. There has been a number of them, and we have participated in a number of those and are receiving payments from those lawsuits.”

The money received goes toward combating criminal activity that may be associated with opioids and its effect on the community.

“These cameras will fit in that criteria,” Powell said. 

In other meeting news, the council:

• Approved a metal storm drain to be replaced by Total Earth Services LLC, in the amount of $42,771. A corrugated metal storm drain failed on Regency Circle. Sinkholes have developed in one of the yard’s due to the pipe failure. It will be replaced with ADS plastic pipe under Regency Circle.

“The street department has gone out and serviced it a number of times,” Powell said. “The entire line needs to be replaced.” 

This will be paid for out of the 2006 SPLOST, Powell said.

• Approved the purchase of 2025 Chevrolet for the DPD’s Crime Suppression Unit from Hardy Chevrolet. The cost will be $38,005 along with equipment worth $4,073.80.

• Greg Chapman, partner with Nichols, Cauley & Associates, LLC, the city’s accounting firm, presented the FY 2025 report on their finances for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Chapman informed council members that they had a “clean opinion.”

“I think that it is important that for 37 years in a row, that the city of Dublin has achieved a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting,” Kight said. “Hopefully, we’ll get it again this year. We go above the minimum standards required by law to provide additional financial reporting to the public. We thank our staff for all of the good work you do.” 

• Heard the first reading of an ordinance that would require the rezoning of 22.52 acres of property from a neighborhood business to a high density residential development.

“This is a piece of property off of Woodlawn Drive and almost directly across from Woodlawn Apartments,” Powell said. “That lot was cleared and it is planned to have a more dense residential development there. We are working with the developer on that.” 

The second reading will be held during the city council’s next meeting, which will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 19.

• Approved a resolution to adopt an amendment to the future land use map of the Laurens County Joint Comprehensive Plan, Vision 2050. This reflects the upcoming rezoning request on Woodlawn Drive. Also, areas adjacent to Rowe Street and Telfair Street needed to be updated.

• Approved five items to be added to the declaration of surplus. These items will be sold on GovDeals.