Coffee County OKs $18 million and $500,000 contract increases for Hurricane Helene debris removal

Coffee County commissioners on May 5 unanimously approved large contract amendments to address debris left by Hurricane Helene, increasing the county’s not‑to‑exceed commitment to two contractors.

County Administrator Wesley Vickers told the board that debris from Hurricane Helene exceeded initial estimates and presented an $18,000,000 amendment to the county’s contract with Southern Disaster Recovery (SDR), raising the SDR cap to $43,962,950.20. Separately, the board approved a $500,000 increase to the independent contractor agreement with Debris Tech, LLC, bringing its maximum to $8,500,000.

The board approved each amendment by voice vote after motions were made and seconded; all five commissioners voted yes. Vickers framed both amendments as necessary to address the greater‑than‑expected volume of debris following the storm.

The actions come amid a broader slate of county contracting and procurement items at the May 5 meeting. The item descriptions in the record cite larger-than-anticipated cleanup needs but do not specify the funding source(s) for the increased contract caps.

The board’s approvals were procedural and unanimous; commissioners did not stipulate additional reporting requirements or timelines for completion in the meeting record. Next steps and any required intergovernmental approvals or change‑order notifications were not specified in the minutes.