At the end of May, Chatham County’s senior public officials, led by Commission Chairman Chester Ellis, donned hard hats at a ground-breaking ceremony at the location for a much-delayed multimillion-dollar, new public safety center.
Ellis, who is standing for reelection in November, called it a “day that we have looked forward to since its inception” more than a decade earlier.
As politicians posed for photos with shovels of dirt, however, what went unsaid was the fact that the county has not yet hired a contractor to build the 83,000-square-foot site.
Two weeks after the ceremony, the county confirmed to The Current that its first round of bids for a contractor had been unsuccessful and it had started a new prequalification process. The initial process had only attracted a single bidder.
“Due to the lack of competitive bids, we revised our plans and specifications, as well as the bid process,” Chatham County spokesperson Will Peebles said, adding that the second solicitation requires a more stringent prequalification to bid.
The county’s unusual political event— that afforded Chairman Ellis interviews in front of local television cameras — illustrates how issues pertaining to law and order could rise in importance ahead of the November election, when Chatham residents will vote for president as well as county and state constitutional officers like sheriff. Ellis, a Democrat, is facing Republican candidate and real estate broker Joel Boblasky in the fall.
When asked to explain what appeared to be an elaborate photo opportunity, the county said the timing of the groundbreaking ceremony was set according to Rep. Carter and Sen. John Ossoff’s busy schedules. Both officials had helped secure federal funding for what is expected to be an $89 million facility, said Peebles.
Neither Ossoff nor Carter attended the May 30 ceremony, however.
“Despite careful coordination, last-minute scheduling changes prevented their attendance,” according to Peebles. Instead, representatives from Carter and Ossoff’s staff attended, according to a video of the ceremony.
The Multi-Agency Public Safety Facility has been discussed for more than a decade. After a contractor is selected, the actual construction will take another 2-3 years. The facility, meant to address urgent needs in the growing county of 300,000, will house the 911 dispatch center, emergency operations center during hurricanes, and non-emergency dispatch.
Earlier this year, The Current revealed multiple problems with Chatham’s emergency management systems. Our reporting showed the county’s new software in ambulances had improperly mapped approximately 2,200 addresses, leaving emergency crews struggling to respond to urgent calls.
An employee survey obtained by The Current revealed that the cramped and dirty space for the current 911 dispatch center is a main driver of dispatcher dissatisfaction and severe short staffing.
Further problems include the fact that Category 3 storms or higher would cripple Chatham County’s primary and backup emergency operations centers, according to a review by independent consultants in 2017. Should such severe storms come to the county, 911 dispatchers and county leaders would have to relocate somewhere safer to lead a response during a disaster.
A key point mentioned at the groundbreaking was how the new facility would withstand Category 5 storms and would be on elevated land to avoid flooding.
Chatham residents watching the May political event could easily be confused about the progress of the project by statements made by officials.
“I stand before you to say that we have all of our funding. We got an ideal location. I’m really proud and pleased,” Chatham County Manager Michael Kaigler told attendees. “I am happy to announce that this project is underway. Ladies and gentleman, the best is yet to come.”
The only contractor in attendance at the ceremony was an engineering firm, Atlanta-based AECOM. They and Florida-based Architects Design Group, will design the project.
“Buildings like this don’t happen overnight. This one, I think, we started in 2012, started working with Chatham County,” said Mickey Pruitt with ADG, “It took this long to get to the point for actual dirt to be turned and buildings to get built.”
Under the county’s request for construction bids, only pre-qualified bidders can bid on the contract for the public safety facility. Pre-qualification applications closed Tuesday, June 11, and the bid will go out in July 2024. To pre-qualify, applicants needed to score about 85% in questionnaires related to past projects, company structure, regulatory history and financial health.
The pre-qualification paperwork states in bold letters that “time is of the essence!” to complete the structure.
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