Animal shelter outsourcing proposal hits another snag

Macon-Bibb County commissioners again put a hold Tuesday on a request to find nonprofits that might be interested in managing the animal shelter.

The commission’s Public Safety Committee voted 3-2 to table a resolution to request proposals from organizations to oversee adoptions, spay and neutering and other animal welfare related services. Some opponents of the measure have questioned the need of having an outside agency operate the shelter.

Other county officials have said the proposals would allow the county to determine if outsourcing services makes sense from a financial or efficiency standpoint.

Macon-Bibb employees would still perform animal code enforcement, including investigations and picking up strays, the resolution said.

Commissioners Mallory Jones, Virgil Watkins and Elaine Lucas voted Tuesday to table the proposal. Commissioners Joe Allen and Scotty Shepherd voted against the motion.

Tuesday’s vote was the third time the measure has come before a commission committee since February. Animal Welfare Department Director Sonja Adams said the department has made major strides in the last couple years.

“I think if a (request for proposal) is the answer and you can find the right group to come in and do it and make sure there are benchmarks set ... and save the county money, then that’s what we need to do,” she said at the committee meeting. “But I don’t know who that group would be, and I honestly think it would end up costing the county more money than what you’re paying now.”

Animal Welfare, like other Macon-Bibb departments, will be tasked with streamlining expenses in the next budget cycle.

“With or without the RFP to compare numbers on the operation of specific areas, we’ll still be looking for significant budget cuts in all areas,” Macon-Bibb spokesman Chris Floore said following Tuesday’s meeting.

Lizella recreation

The Operations and Finance Committee sent ahead to the full commission a proposal to build a recreation facility inside the Lake Tobesofkee recreation area’s section of Flintrock Park.

The project entails installing new playground equipment, building a gazebo, repairs and constructing an enclosed pavilion with a warming kitchen and restrooms. The $494,626 project would be paid for with proceeds from the current special purpose sales tax measure.

The County Commission will vote on the Lizella recreation measure April 4.

SPLOST projects

A commission committee held off on approving two major SPLOST projects.

The Operations and Finance Committee voted to table resolution that would provide $1.9 million in renovations to the Grand Opera house and $961,420 in upgrades to an east Macon park. Several officials said they wanted to agree on a specific list of priorities for the $280 million SPLOST before deciding what projects are first in line.

The commission will have about $35 million in bonds to spend on SPLOST projects before new collections begin in 2018.

The finance committee also tabled another resolution for upgrades to Dolores A. Brooks Park, formerly known as East Macon Recreation Center.

The funding includes $500,000 for a new heating and air conditioning unit. The Grand Opera House doesn’t have a working cooling system inside part of the building.

“We need to come back and go over and find out what’s most important and spend that money and don’t get caught up where we have cost overruns,” Allen said.

The committee, however, did make an exception with security features for the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center.

A $654,310 agreement would allow the sheriff’s office to improve its surveillance camera and electronic lock systems in the jails, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said.

The funding, if approved by the full commission next week, would come from sales tax bonds.

“We want to have a one-stop shop for all the cameras,” Davis said. “There are 150 cameras throughout the facility linking the new jail with the old jail and also the software that controls the locks on the new jail.”

Bowden Golf Course

The commission will vote Tuesday on requesting proposals for managing the operations, promotions and marketing for Bowden Golf Course.

The Facilities and Engineering Committee approved a resolution Tuesday for the pubic golf course on Millerfield Road.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Animal shelter outsourcing proposal hits another snag."