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AMERICUS – The Sumter County Board of Commissioners (BOC) held its monthly work session on Tuesday, June 13, at the Sumter County Courthouse.

One of the many things discussed at the work session was the topic of traffic camera signs and lights throughout the county. Sumter County Sheriff Eric Bryant stated that a lot of concerns have been brought up about how the traffic camera system was designed, particularly along a stretch of GA Highway 27 and along a stretch of Bumphead Rd. “We have flashing lights in one area. We have Bumphead Rd. where we have a posted time frame for speed enforcement, but also, at the same time, we have a posted time frame for one way traffic pattern out on the Bumphead Rd. area,” Bryant told the BOC. He went on to say that as the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office prepares for the system out on South Georgia Tech Parkway, the BOC has asked him to find a way to make the traffic camera systems in all three of those areas consistent, meaning that the cameras will be clearly marked and identified in the same fashion that it is marked and identified on GA Highway 27 when the speed is being enforced. He added that this consistency would go hand in hand with judicial prosecution because Judge Crystal Cleveland was having reservations about this being that she is the judge who enforces the infractions that come before the sheriff’s department. Bryant further recommended that the BOC give the go ahead to get this system in place hopefully before the beginning of the next school year so that there will be more consistency and the confusion out on Bumphead Rd. will be decreased. “If you go out there now, you’ve got so many directives and different time zones that you will be confused as it relates to ‘Do I go slow or do I go on the other side of the road?’ Now, this will actually make that consistent with what we currently have out on Highway 27,” Bryant said. “This is a solar-operated power system that will be self-sustained there on the right-of-way.” Bryant added that he wanted to bring this to the BOC’s attention so that they can come up with a way to proceed properly and to find a funding source so that the system can be consistent at both Bumphead Rd. and South Georgia Tech Parkway, which, according to Bryant, would come under $15,000.00.

Board Chairman Mark Waddell asked Bryant where the funding for the other signs came from. Bryant responded that his department was very fortunate when they asked the school district and they helped to fund the posted signs out on Bumphead Rd. and the signs that are going to be installed out on South Georgia Tech Parkway. “It was funded through my office,” Bryant said.

Commissioner Jim Reid asked Bryant if he is going to reduce the speed limit on South Georgia Tech Parkway below the mandated 45 MPH. Bryant replied that his department would not do that and that it would be just like the speed limit on GA Highway 27, which is 45 MPH. Reid responded by saying that when the Sumter County School Board decided to locate the new Sumter County High School on South Georgia Tech Parkway, it was not with the intention of creating a speed trap.

Reid went on to tell Bryant that he has noticed people avoiding the use of the round about and using Old Andersonville Rd. in stead to avoid the possibility of being caught in a speed trap. “I don’t want to see anybody get hurt, but here again. I don’t want to be guilty of creating a speed trap,” Reid said.

Bryant replied that the purpose of the traffic cameras is not just for the purpose of catching speeders, but also to insure that traffic flows safely in the school zones. He added that being that the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is limited on manpower, they have to have people out on these roads to prevent them from becoming racetracks. As a result of the discussion, Waddell made a motion to approve what has already been submitted regarding the traffic signs and lights that pertain to the county school zones and making everything consistent. The funding for this would be in the amount of $12,571.00 Commissioner Jesse Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Clay Jones seconded the motion. The BOC voted and the motion to approve passed unanimously.

There were other issues that the BOC voted unanimously to approve of. They are as follows:

 

• Approval of Middle Flint Workforce Innovation Opportunities Act (WIOA) Services. Otherwise known as the Work Experience Services Agreement. Commissioner Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Jones seconded the motion.

 

• Approval for Requests for Proposals (RFP) for unpaved road maintenance. Commissioner Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Reid seconded the motion.

 

• Approval to advertise 316 Ashby Street: Commissioner Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Jones seconded the motion.

 

• Approval of a grant letter for Lewis Lamb as the authorized official designee for the Victims of Crime Act grant. Commissioner Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Jones seconded the motion.

 

• Approval of the contract agreement between the Sumter County Board of Commissioners and the Georgia Board of Regents of the University of Georgia on behalf of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. This contract is for salaries, taxes and retirement for the budget period of July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. Commissioner Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Jones seconded the motion.

 

• Approval of the renewal agreement number 6153 between the Sumter County BOC and State Properties Commission for 3,750 rentable square feet of office space located at 510 West Lamar St. (Juvenile Justice) for the monthly rental rate of $2,832.93. Commissioner Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Smith seconded the motion.

 

• Approval of renewal agreement number 8538 between the Sumter County BOC and State Properties Commission for 2,500 retable square feet of office space located at 1601 North Martin Luther King Blvd., Suite 270 (Department of Drivers Services) for the monthly rental rate of $703.44. Commissioner Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Jones seconded the motion.

 

• Approval of renewal agreement number 8869 between the Sumter County BOC and State Properties Commission for 224 rentable square feet of office space located at 1601 North Martin Luther King Blvd., Suite 270 (Department of Drivers Services) for the annual rate of $1.00. Commissioner Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Jones seconded the motion.

 

• Approval of the amendment to an agreement between Sumter County and John Simmons & Son for additional work at the landfill project. Commissioner Smith made a motion for approval and Commissioner Jones seconded the motion.

 

There was no action taken on the board appointments for the Americus-Sumter County Airport Authority, the Americus-Sumter County Hospital Authority, the Americus-Sumter County Tourism Council or the Zoning Board of Appeals. All of these issues were tabled and will be discussed at the BOC’s regular meeting on Tuesday, June 20.