Committee approves consent docket of parks, events, donations and purchases

The Community Emergency Services Committee approved a consent docket covering a range of routine county purchases, agreements and donations.

Ms. Leanne Reese presented a request to purchase a Boston grand piano from Turner's Keyboards for $62,500 for the Hardin Auditorium, to be paid with previously awarded grant funds (the county received $100,000 in grant funds that staff said could be used for this purchase). "This item is for the purchase of a Boston grand piano from Turner's Keyboards," Reese said, noting only one bidder responded to the solicitation.

Other consent items approved included:
- A renewal of the park-usage agreement with the Georgia Bulls soccer club at $40 per player per season (staff estimated about $47,000 in annual field-use revenue).
- A hosting agreement and support commitment for two Bulls tournaments, with county support ranging from $15,000 to $30,000 depending on recruited out-of-town teams; staff noted prior estimated economic impact of about $500,000 from the tournaments.
- A concession agreement with Outdoor Augusta for kayak rentals at Betty's Branch (vendor pays 7% of monthly gross; staff estimated roughly $7,000 annually).
- A multi-event agreement with the Clark Hill Committee for bass tournaments (host fee $5,000), and a $300 donation from the Clark Hill Committee to Parks & Rec for a Wildwood Park fishing rodeo.
- A facility use renewal with Martinez-Evans Little League (MEL) for Crawford Creek Park, under which MEL is responsible for upkeep, utilities and readiness; county staff will perform safety inspections and require background checks and insurance.
- An agreement with the sheriff's office for preparation/purchase of senior meals at $3 per meal (the program serves just under 50,000 meals annually, staff said).
- A $3,000 payment from hotel/motel tax to support the City of Harlem’s Oliver Hardy Festival for 2026.
- A $500 donation to the library from Constance Grimard in honor of her 85th birthday.

Staff recommended approval of each item; the committee moved the entire package on consent and approved the items. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally for the consent motion. Where staff provided numbers (bid totals, projected revenues and program meal counts), the items are recorded as stated in the meeting.