The current Gordon County Extension office, owned by the University of Georgia, will be vacant by September, when the new agriculutural center is scheduled to be completed.
Commissioners approved a $2.3 million budget for the construction of the building, which has yet to be designed.
The building, which will be designed and constructed by Lusk & Company of Alpharetta, will house multiple agricultural agencies including USDA officials, Georgia Soil and Water Commission agents and the Gordon County Extension.
Funds will be transferred from the solid waste budget into the general fund for the expenditure, Gordon County Administrator Randy Dowling told commissioners last Wednesday.
The building will be located on a five-acre tract donated by the Development Authority of Gordon County on Ga. 53 Spur, adjacent to the Northwest Georgia livestock pavilion.
“It’s going to help because it will consolidate everything in one place and create efficiency,” said Greg Bowman, Gordon County Extension Agent.
The building, which has been in the works for several years, could be up to 13,000 square feet in size, Dowling told commissioners.
The three agencies occupying the building will pay rent, which will cover the cost of the building within 25 years, Dowling said.
In addition to housing all three agencies in one place, the building will contain a 300-seat community room.
Dowling said the reason for the delay in building the structure is do to a lengthy approval process by the federal government.
Dowling told commissioners last Wednesday that the building construction will be fast-tracked and should be completed by September of this year.
The building is being fast tracked due to a government requirement that mandates the USDA be in a building in a certain amount of time, Dowling said.
Lusk & Company was chosen for the project through the request for quotation (RFQ) process rather than a bidding process.
This caused some concern among commissioners, especially newly elected member Norris Sexton, who felt the board should have had the opportunity to consider all the options available.
Dowling assured Sexton and fellow commissioners that the RFQ process is standard practice and that Lusk & Company was qualified to handle the project from beginning to end.
Sexton also expressed concern that the building has yet to be designed and, in essence, the members were approving funding for a blank sheet of paper.
“The end result will be a one stop shop for agricultural producers in the region,” Dowling said.
Dowling said commissioners will have the opportunity to review and sign off on the floor plan and the final budget, which should be ready by late February or early March, he said.
For more information on builders Lusk & Company, visit their website at www.luskco.com/contact.shtml
Their consensus: Surely she can't be serious.
General Services Administration - The lease term is for ten (10) years, five (5) years firm. The lease term will be fifteen (15) years, ten (10) years firm.
The term of a Federal Lease is typically one to three years with longer terms available, depending upon the type of equipment and the needs of the Federal Agency. Government Leasing Company.
This project is starting to stink.
NOT ONE SINGLE LOCAL BID?????
This project is starting to stink.
-if it were a private business who built and maintained ownership, it would be assessed at $2.5M or more, and Taxable by the county, with proceeds going into the same coffers as that of other taxpayers, alleviating, albeit minuscule, the amount everyone else is burdened by.
-if it were a private business, the corporation or individual would generate income and that income would be subject to both federal and state taxation...same result as prior example.
-it sends a clear message that is Not favorable to any potential businesses, investors, or individuals who may be considering expansion/investment in this region.
-this is the "slippery slope." What's next; county acquisition of outlet mall? Shopping center?
-IT GIVES A PRIVATE CITIZEN OR BUSINESS AN OPPORTUNITY. AND A WAY TO EARN A LIVING!
I think the county should really re-think this. Not a good thing.
A private individual offers instability. Rent goes up, ownership changes etc.
I know the Soil Conservation office has moved multiple times in the last few years.
Another point would be ease of service, having all these entities in one location will be a GREAT service to those that use them the most, farmers, and who also pay many tax dollars into the system.
Do we know if the county was given an incentive(low or no interest, long term lease, etc)to make these offices available?
NOT having these could have meant we lost these offices altogether. These agencies are consolidating, this may mean OUR farmers will have access without driving to another county.
I realize some may not agree, but this issue has two sides, and I am ready to cast out the board over this vote. I know there will be other votes though!
Bureaucrat Dowling will never understand spending problems or biting local hands that feed him. It "ain't" his money.
Commissioners are first sent off to the Association County Commissioners of Georgia training school.
All taught ticky tacky and they all look and act just the same.
It will only take 25 years to pay for itself. There is no guarantee that the tenants will be there that long.
Now back to the first paragraph. Some commissioners voiced concerns about the project. Norris Sexton is one that is named here.
No one is talking about commissioner Chad Steward, who was concerned enough about the project and the fiscal responsibility of Gordon County, to vote no on the measure.
I think it would be better in the future to include a breakdown of the vote for any story involving the county board of commissioners, for the measures they aim to impose on us.
Have you been to the Experiment Station Building lately? I would have to guess it was built sometime in the 50's. Do you realize the role it plays in our community? Do you realize the role the other organizations play in our community? Do you realize we are still an AGRICULTURAL community? It is a wonder anybody seeks to be a county commissioner. We often get some questionable representation at best. Bottom line is you can't put EVERY decision under a microscope, and a government budget is just different from a household budget.Trying to make decisions by taking a poll is what Obama is doing. Does that seem to be working out? We HAVE to have government services, and we have to pay for them.Do you realize what it means to our farmers to have those offices together and in Gordon County?