Mold Remediation in Macon-bibb County, GA

I. GENERAL A. Invitation

1. Notice is hereby given that the Macon-Bibb County Board of Commissioners will receive sealed bids (1 original and 4 copies with flash drive) in the Procurement Department, Suite 308, Macon-Bibb City Hall Annex, 700 Poplar Street, Macon, Georgia 31201, until 12:00 o’clock NOON at the time legally prevailing in Macon, Georgia on Thursday, May 15, 2025, to provide replacement of Outdoor Emergency Siren Warning System for Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Department, Macon, Bibb County, Georgia.

NO BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DESIGNATED TIME.

2. Bids will be publicly opened in the Macon-Bibb County Procurement Department Conference Room on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 2:00 pm.

3. Minority, Women Owned, and other Disadvantaged Business Enterprises are encouraged to participate in the solicitation process. Additionally, respondents are encouraged to use M/W/DBE subcontractors where possible. Small and other disadvantaged businesses requiring assistance with the competitive process can contact Charise Stephens, Director of Small Business Affairs at (478) 300-2297 or cstephens2@maconbibb.us .

25-036-LH Outdoor Emergency Siren Warning System-RFP

25-036-LH, Attachment A

25-036-LH, Attachment B Scope of Work Siren RFP – Revised

25-036-LH, Addendum-1

B. Bid Documents

1. Bid documents may be examined and obtained at the Macon-Bibb County Procurement Department, Suite 308, Macon City Hall, 700 Poplar Street, Macon, Georgia 31201, by calling (478) 803-0550, or may be viewed and downloaded from one of the links included below: Georgia Procurement Registry website http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_custom_index.jsp?agency=61100 Macon-Bibb County Procurement Page www.maconbibb.us/purchasing

C. Pre-Bid 1. A mandatory pre-bid conference is scheduled for 10:00 o’clock a.m., Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in the Procurement Conference Room, Suite 308, 700 First Street, Macon, Georgia 31201. The deadline to submit questions will be Friday, April 25, 2025, by 3:00 p.m. All questions to be submitted by email only to lhardwick@maconbibb.us

D. Bid Bond 1. Bids, in order to be considered, shall be accompanied by a bid bond, payable to the Owner, in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the total base bid. This bid security shall become payable to the Owner only if the bidder, to whom award is made, should fail to execute a contract with the Owner and furnish bond and insurance in accordance with terms of the contract within ten (10) days after notification of award.

Sealed Bids Envelopes shall be identified on the outside as

“Bid #25-036-LH – Outdoor Emergency Siren Warning System” and delivered by hand or mailed to:

Macon-Bibb County Procurement Department Suite 308, 700 Poplar Street Macon, Georgia 31201

MACON, Ga. — The debate over the effectiveness of school zone cameras in Macon-Bibb County continues after Sheriff David Davis suspended ticketing from those cameras this week, citing complaints and confusion among drivers.

While some residents remain skeptical about the technology, Mayor Lester Miller insists the cameras have made a difference in reducing accidents.

13WMAZ set out to verify whether school zone cameras have reduced accidents in Macon-Bibb County while they've been active.

Miller pointed to a decrease in accidents in areas where the cameras have been installed since 2022.

“I think there’s been plenty of proof that we have fewer accidents in the areas where the zones are,” Miller said. “The speeds are slowing down. People will even tell you that. They’ll tell you that now when I go there, even when the lights are not on, I have to go slow because everybody’s going slow.”

Despite Miller’s claims, 13WMAZ sought out data to verify these statements. Davis said there was a challenge in gathering concrete numbers to support the mayor’s assertions.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into doing that to really get some hard data,” Davis said. “We’ve just not got that data together. It’s not something that’s ungettable, but it’s going to take some time.”

Davis confirmed that while the cameras may be encouraging drivers to slow down — especially when the lights are not flashing, there is currently no official data to show a direct link between the cameras and fewer accidents.

“We’ve been working to gather that data, but we don’t have any concrete data that shows whether or not (the cameras) have made a significant impact,” Davis said.

State Representative Dale Washburn shared similar concerns, questioning the mayor’s statement.

“I don’t know where the mayor is getting his information, but I don’t think we’ve seen anything in the media,” Washburn said. “I have failed to see strong evidence that there were big problems to be addressed, and we needed to put these cameras in.”

When asked about the evidence Miller was referring to, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office directed us to the sheriff’s department for the statistics.

At this point in time, we can verify that there is no concrete proof that the school zone cameras have led to fewer accidents in Macon-Bibb County.

Macon-Bibb leaders are exploring ways to soon bring a new, modern look to a facility they say is "outdated."

MACON, Ga. — For more than 50 years, the Macon Coliseum has stood as a prime spot for live entertainment and sporting events.

Macon-Bibb leaders are exploring ways to soon bring a new, modern look to a facility they say is "outdated."

A new Coliseum remains on the list of potential projects listed within the new $450M SPLOST that will go into effect in October.

"The location is excellent, but the facility is not very good," Mayor Lester Miller said. "We don't get the pop that we need to have these conventions in town, or have these sporting events in town, and it's important to do that. We also want to get something that compliments our other facilities."

Miller says the current facility lacks modern amenities, which puts Macon-Bibb at a disadvantage to other updates facilities in cities like Savannah, Athens, and Atlanta.

"There's some groups in Atlanta that think that need to be in Atlanta as opposed to here, and one of the things they mentioned is because of the conditions of our Coliseum, they're little old and outdated," Miller said. "They're starting to attempt to cut into our pie, they're starting to try and take conventions away from us, our sporting events away from us, Georgia High School Association events away from us. And that would be detrimental to Macon-Bibb County."

David Aiello is the General Manager of Oak View Group, who oversees the Macon Colisuem, Macon Auditorium and Ampitheater. He says updates funded through the 2018 SPLOST have kept the building functional, but more significant upgrades in a brand new building are needed to meet modern venue standards and compete with newer facilities.

The current Coliseum lacks a permanent dehumidification system, which filters the air inside the facility to keep the ice and glass surfaces dry.

Aiello also wants to expand the concourse, add more concession stands, and add suites to improve the overall fan experience. He says the only suites currently inside the arena are located behind the concert stage, so they're unusable.

"There's only so much we can do here with paint and cleanliness to really take it to the next level. You need to do a big remodel," Aiello said. "We've got two fully functioning concession stands with in order to make hot food, and for 6,500 people, we need a lot more than that...It's having better seats, having better sight lines, and maybe having a team store for the hockey team, those types of things that are really going to help push revenue."

A new arena would also provide the opportunity for accessibility.

Allanah Cooper, a diehard Mayhem fan, has attended nearly a dozen games at the Coliseum this season.

She suffers from multiple scleroris, which she says makes navigating the stands an ongoing challenge in sections that lack support railings.

"I would like to sit closer to the ice sometimes, but sometimes I can't because there's not something to hold onto," Cooper said. "If I lose balance, having that railing could make the difference between falling and not falling. I'll just sit at the top row in the lower bowl just to be safe, because even nosebleeds there's no railing and the stairs are a little steeper. That's a nightmare for us long-legged folks."

While the current facility follows ADA standards, Aiello says more railings would be guaranteed within a new arena.

"Obviously with it being an older facility, it's grandfathered in in a couple different areas and that's one of them," Aiello said. "But the new arena would be able to have all of those amenities. We've upgraded some of the lighting on the steps. We wish we would have more handrails going down the steps. For the most part, from an ADA standpoint, it works."

Miller says the county would not tear down the current facility without building a new one first, which would remain in the same vicinity along Coliseum Drive.

"We'd have to decide what to do with the Coliseum itself, whether it could be rehabbed, or there's something that need to be torn down," Miller said. "For the purposes we want to do, you can't just rehab it, but not saying you can't save it to use it for other purposes. There's many possibilities we haven't got to yet."

Bibb leaders are prioritizing road repairs with the renewed SPLOST. Miller says its possible the county could also explore other public/private options to help finance a new arena.

The county does not have a timeline set to move forward with the Coliseum project, but Aiello says there could be next steps in the next eight to twelve months.

Whenever a new facility arrives, fans like Cooper are on board.

"That'd be awesome because stuff has grown in Macon event-wise, not just hockey but not gonna lie, to help grow that would be awesome," Cooper said. "To make it a little more accessible for those of us with physical limitations, that would actually bring in more folks."

As Central Georgia braces for some potentially damaging severe weather, here's a look at updates as they stream into the newsroom across the viewing area.

MACON, Ga. — Severe storms made their way into Central Georgia Monday afternoon.

The National Storm Prediction Center had placed almost all of Central Georgia at a level 3 out of 5 for severe weather Monday afternoon.

That has the potential of bringing severe thunderstorms, gusty winds and even the threat of tornado outbreaks, prompting 13WMAZ to issue a Weather Impact Alert for the potential severe weather conditions.

13WMAZ's News and Weather teams are working together to bring you the best, most up-to-date coverage of road closures, damage reports and power outages. Here's a look at live updates as severe storms hit Central Georgia.

Latest Central Georgia Road Closures:

We're actively paying attention to the roads and any impacts the severe storms have caused.

This list is based on posts from various Emergency Management Agencies and state-wide resources such as Georgia Department of Transportation's 511 website. These resources are not comprehensive, so they may not reflect all road conditions.

Here are the current live updates.

7 pm: Macon-Bibb County Spokesperson Chris Floore says damage at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport in South Bibb was very minor. He says there was only one tree knocked down and things are operating as normal.

5:00 p.m. - Collins Avenue, Wilson Drive and Ridgebend Drive in Centerville and Elberta Road in Warner Robins are closed due to trees and power lines being down. Avoid these areas in Houston County if you can.

4:45 p.m. - All highways appear clear on GDOT's 511, as the storms have rolled out of Central Georgia.

4:05 p.m. - A reporter in the field said debris in the road and possible power lines are down on Carl Vinson Parkway in Houston County. Authorities are helping drivers make their way around. Try to avoid the area if at all possible

3:15 p.m. - GDOT's 511 no longer shows that State Route 7 and Highway 341 Southbound near Oak Grove Church Road and I-75 Southbound exit to High Falls Road CR 277 have all lanes closed. Still use caution when driving near these areas.

2:45 p.m. - A reporter in the field confirmed that Hawkinsville Road in Macon is closed due to a fallen tree.

2:43 p.m. - A tree is blocking Norht Houston Lake Road at Silver Circle near the intersection with Highway 49

2:40 p.m. - Two trees have reportedly fallen between Gawin Drive and Meadow Ridge in Warner Robins closing the roads. The fire department is reportedly working to remove them.

2:09 p.m. - GDOT's 511 shows that tree limbs on State Route 7 and Highway 341 Southbound near Oak Grove Church Road have closed all lanes. Please use caution when traveling near Musella and Roberta in Crawford County.

1:53 p.m. - GDOT's 511 shows that tree limbs on State Route 109 Westbound near Collier Avenue have closed all lanes. Please use caution when driving near Meansville, Georgia in Pike County

1:50 p.m. - GDOT's 511 shows that tree limbs on I-75 Southbound exit to High Falls Road CR 277 have closed all lanes. Please use caution when traveling on I-75 near Chappel, Georgia, in Lamar County.

Georgia Power outages can be tracked on their interactive map, which is embedded below.

Full List of Georgia Power Outage Maps

Damage reports, photos and videos:

13WMAZ is actively monitoring and providing live damage reports. If you have any damage that you would like to share with us, when it is safe to do so, you can text the videos/photos to 478-752-1309. You can also share them as part of the 13WMAZ Weather Network here.

GALLERY: Storm damages across Central Georgia as a result of severe weather on Monday

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Shane Shifflett

Shane Shifflett shares this photo of some lines down on Gawin Drive. Houston EMA Christopher Stoner says there are lines down in 'sporadic areas.'

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Macon-Bibb County shut down school zone speeding cameras at Stratford and FPD after an overwhelming amount of complaints came in from parents.

MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb County has taken in nearly $9 million from tickets issued by speeding cameras in school zones - which is part of the reason why some schools have asked the county to turn their cameras off.

Stratford Academy and First Presbyterian Day School both asked to have speeding cameras turned off in their school zones.

Rachel Adams, Stratford’s Head of School, said they first heard about the speeding camera in their school zone when a Bibb County deputy brought them paperwork to sign, requesting the camera’s installation.

"The school did not initiate a request to have these cameras, and it wasn't truly presented to us that we had an option," Adams said.

Adams said Bibb County told them what hours the camera would be active, and those hours were passed along to the public - but many people called and showed citations from outside those times.

"We had families receiving tickets during summer months and during weekends and well after school hours. These calls and inquiries were coming into our campus,” Adams said. “Our staff was losing valuable time that they have been hired to work with our students and they were losing time with our students and time with our school to field these inquiries which we had no answers for."

Some staff members were even asked to participate in legal hearings as Bibb County residents appealed their speeding tickets.

“We had staff members who were requested to fill out affidavits as some of these families had brought their tickets to court and again valuable time being lost for our community,” she said.

Now, that camera doesn’t issue tickets anymore. Adams said they requested it be turned off due to an overwhelming number of complaints from parents.

"Over the summer of 2024, I initiated communication to the county with the request to turn the cameras off,” she said. “I actually requested that the cameras be removed altogether."

Adams still wants people to slow down in the Stratford school zone, though traffic signs are all that are needed in the area.

"Prior to the cameras being installed, we did not have adequate school zone signage in front of our school. We kind of went from A to Z with installing the cameras,” she said. “I do believe that adequate signage and flashing lights would be enough to have drivers slow down while they're passing by."

Adams said the cameras made families frustrated with the school, even though the county installed them.

"As a school we didn't have any of the answers and as an independent school, we rely heavily on parent satisfaction," she said.

Macon-Bibb County Spokesman Chris Floore says the county asked the camera company to shut down cameras at FPD and Stratford in late July, as the schools requested.

FPD Head of School John Patterson responded to 13WMAZ inquiries with the following statement:

“I absolutely requested to have the cameras turned off because our offices were becoming answering services for Bibb County residents complaining about the speed camera tickets," the statement read. "It’s my understanding that no tickets have been issued for the last couple of months. Our offices have received no calls regarding tickets since the notice that the cameras were turned off.”

RELATED: Speeding cameras in school zones revving up debate in Macon-Bibb County

RELATED: Macon-Bibb school zone cameras rake in $11M in revenue, earns $9M for county: records