Authority adopts separate open-records and meeting software contracts, citing records-retention needs
June 19, 2025 | Spalding County, Georgia
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The Spalding County Water and Sewage Facility Authority voted on June 18 to separate its open-records and meeting-management services from Spalding County by approving a master services agreement for records and email with the vendor referenced as Just For You and a Granicus subscription for agenda and minutes management.
The board approved the master services agreement, then approved Addendum 1 for implementation services with a quoted amount of $5,841 to begin July 1. The authority also approved a Granicus subscription and a Granicus quote of $14,979.20 for services starting July 1; staff said ongoing annual costs were budgeted for fiscal year 2026.
Why it matters: Authority staff said bringing open-records requests, email and meeting management onto authority-controlled accounts will separate the authority 27s records flow from the county 27s systems and make the authority the direct custodian for its own records requests. Joseph (authority staff) said open-records requests currently route through Spalding County and the change will let requests come directly to the authority.
Records-retention and paper copies: In response to board questions, County Manager Steve Ledbetter confirmed the county currently pays for Granicus and JustFOIA under a county model and that the county retains paper copies where required by the Georgia archives retention schedule. Staff said paper minutes and original minutes books will continue to be created and stored at the county 27s records-retention facility; the authority 27s staff clerk will maintain the paper minute books and other required paper records.
Cost and budget: Staff said the implementation fee for Just For You is a one-time approximately $5,000 charge and the recurring Granicus cost was quoted at roughly $10,000–$11,000 per year; both line items were placed in the FY 2026 budget, staff said. Ledbetter told the board the county will not reduce its costs simply because the authority acquires its own subscriptions.
Board action: Motions to approve the master services agreement, the addendum and the Granicus subscription carried unanimously.
Ending: The board discussed appointing a designated open-records clerk from authority staff to handle incoming requests under the new arrangement and asked staff to return with implementation details.
The board approved the master services agreement, then approved Addendum 1 for implementation services with a quoted amount of $5,841 to begin July 1. The authority also approved a Granicus subscription and a Granicus quote of $14,979.20 for services starting July 1; staff said ongoing annual costs were budgeted for fiscal year 2026.
Why it matters: Authority staff said bringing open-records requests, email and meeting management onto authority-controlled accounts will separate the authority 27s records flow from the county 27s systems and make the authority the direct custodian for its own records requests. Joseph (authority staff) said open-records requests currently route through Spalding County and the change will let requests come directly to the authority.
Records-retention and paper copies: In response to board questions, County Manager Steve Ledbetter confirmed the county currently pays for Granicus and JustFOIA under a county model and that the county retains paper copies where required by the Georgia archives retention schedule. Staff said paper minutes and original minutes books will continue to be created and stored at the county 27s records-retention facility; the authority 27s staff clerk will maintain the paper minute books and other required paper records.
Cost and budget: Staff said the implementation fee for Just For You is a one-time approximately $5,000 charge and the recurring Granicus cost was quoted at roughly $10,000–$11,000 per year; both line items were placed in the FY 2026 budget, staff said. Ledbetter told the board the county will not reduce its costs simply because the authority acquires its own subscriptions.
Board action: Motions to approve the master services agreement, the addendum and the Granicus subscription carried unanimously.
Ending: The board discussed appointing a designated open-records clerk from authority staff to handle incoming requests under the new arrangement and asked staff to return with implementation details.
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