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Page 10A — Wednesday, May 19, 2021, The True Citizen
Big Business may be on Waynesboro’s Horizon
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Bigger businesses are show
ing more interest in calling
Waynesboro home.
Development Authority Ex
ecutive Director Molly Olson
said the agency is beginning
to see interest from much
larger companies than was
anticipated when the Raymond
Property/Burke Business Park,
located between Ga. Highways
80 and 24 west of Waynesboro,
was developed. It has created
a potential need for the city to
address larger sewer capacities.
When the business park was
built, officials envisioned only
medium-size projects, requir
ing lower water and sewer
usage. But since the second
quarter of last year, bigger
projects are looking at the site.
“The scope and the size of
the projects they were work
ing (with in the past) were
just smaller in terms of jobs,
investment and utilities so
we never really ran into these
mega-projects,” Olson said.
“We don’t know if its due to the
pandemic that these projects
are just on fishing expeditions,
feeling out the market, feeling
like they can expand here and
trying to decide, or if they are
really at the point that they
need to make a decision now.”
Olson, who has been with the
agency since 2019, is hopeful
that this trend will continue
even as the pandemic sub
sides. She says the potential
for bringing in companies that
offer entry-level wages around
$16 an hour is on the rise. The
Job Tax Credit, offered through
the state, mandates that com
panies offer more than $13
an hour and provide benefits.
The authority works to define
incentives that mirror the state.
“In our opinion that is a good
salary for rural Georgia and we
are hoping that will give people
an opportunity to break into the
labor force where they have not
been able to before,” she said.
The authority is currently in
talks with approximately 10
larger companies with signifi
cant effluent sewer needs, but
is limited to companies with a
timeframe that extends at least
4 years. The current sewer sys
tem is in need of upgrades or to
be replaced in order to maintain
its existing use and provide for
industrial growth. Olson said
the authority is competing with
communities with millions of
dollars in the bank to make
those improvements quickly or
already have lines, water and
sewer capacity in place.
“Our sewer treatment facility
can only handle and process
so much of that effluence,”
she said. “I think we are at a
pretty pivotal point where the
city needs to make a decision
and they are working diligently
to have experts review the
system.”
City Manager Valerie Kirk
land said the city has identified
the areas that require atten
tion. The issue with bringing
in larger companies is that
the city needs to make sure
that sewer services for exist
ing businesses and residents
remain covered. Waynesboro
is in the processing of obtain
ing an independent engineer
to recommend whether the
current waste water treatment
plant can be upgraded or needs
to be re-constructed.
“The engineer will let us
know if we need to purchase
more land, and if so how
much,” she said.
Currently, the city has no
sewer connection at the Ray
mond tract, according to Public
Works Superintendent Robert
Seamans. Changes imple
mented by the city would be
according to which type of
larger business moved in and
what their needs were.
“Anytime we have a new
interested company, we have to
look at the impact on our exist
ing utilities, sewer just being
one of them,” he said.
Larger companies could also
be interested in the 150-acre
Waynesboro/Burke Industrial
Park on the Veterans Parkway,
however, it is not certified and
the authority is working on
wetlands and a phase 1 report
that it recently received, Olson
said.
Unemployed to see reduced compensation
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Governor Brian Kemp an
nounced Friday that state labor
officials plan to end Georgia’s
participation in federal pan
demic unemployment pro
grams, effective Saturday,
June 26.
According to a May 14 press
release, the move means Geor
gians drawing unemployment
benefits will no longer receive
Federal Pandemic Unemploy
ment Compensation (FPUC),
which provides for an addi
tional $300 weekly payment.
Additionally, Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance
(PUA), which provides ben
efits for self-employed, gig
workers and part-time work
ers, along with emergency
compensation that provides
for an extension of benefits
after regular benefits have been
exhausted, will be terminated
effective June 26.
“All payments under any of
these federal programs will be
processed and issued to eligible
claimants through June 26,
2021,” according to the press
release.” Once Georgia opts
out of the federal programs, the
Department of Labor (GDOL)
will continue offering regular
state unemployment insurance
benefits to eligible Georgians.
The maximum weekly benefit
in the state is $365.”
State officials will provide
resources for job search sup
port, education and training
opportunities and childcare and
transportation services.
Kemp said ending the par
ticipation in the federal CO-
VID-19 unemployment pro
grams will aid the state in
accelerating a full economic
recovery.
“Right now, the state has a
historic number of jobs listed
on Employ Georgia,” Labor
Commissioner Mark Butler
said in the press release. “We
are seeing some of the high
est pay scales with enhanced
benefits and signing bonuses.”
“Those reports are essential
to show companies that there is
no risk involved on the site for
them to locate,” she said.
Kirkland and Olson ex
pressed enthusiasm about
Waynesboro’s future industrial
growth.
“It was something that was
not on our radar. I don’t think
it was very much on the city’s
radar before but I think we are
in a good position to make
these improvements and bet
ter work these projects in the
future,” she said. “We are End
ing solutions for it and we are
getting creative trying to find
funding for it.”
Although it will not happen
overnight, the city is working
on a plan to meet both resi
dential and industrial needs in
addition to looking at grants
and state and federal funding
that might assist in the projects.
“But it’s going to take some
time and some planning,” Kirk
land said.
69
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PUBLIC NOTICE
CITY OF SARDIS, GEORGIA
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)
PUBLIC-PRIVATE "PARTNERSHIP" AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE OPERATION, MAINTENANCE AND
MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THE CITY'S WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, LIFT STATIONS,
ELEVATED WATER TANKS, SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION (SCADA), DRINKING
WATER WELLS, GROUNDS AND ASSOCIATED FACILITIES.
RFQ NUMBER 21-15-004
SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT
1.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this partnership is to operate, maintain and manage the City's water and
sewerage facilities excluding the associated system lines cost effectively and efficiently. The
objective is to operate in compliance, improve maintenance, consider innovations to lower
the capital and operating costs of any and aspects of operations and continue local purchases
of supplies, consumables and services, wherever practical.
1.1 REQUIRED STANDARDS
This section establishes standards of experience and financial capability that the City requires
for a respondent to be considered qualified. The City, in its sole discretion, will decide if a
respondent meets the standards. Please note respondent is the entity responding to this
solicitation and not the parent company, joint venture partners or other corporate affiliates.
All respondents interested in submitting a Statement of Qualifications/Price Proposal
(SOQ/PP) should contact Ms. Jennie Johnson, City Clerk at Sardis City Hall, 713 Charles Perry
Avenue, Sardis, GA 30456 (478) 569-4315, Email address: citvofsardisga@gmail.com. Detailed
information regarding submittal format and content of the SOQ/PP will be provided to the
respondent by the City Clerk.
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