HOMER – Banks County senior citizens could be back in a county-owned facility before the end of the year.
After going to mediation with the contractor in Atlanta recently, Banks County is ready to proceed with needed corrections to work performed by the contractor on the Banks County Senior Center expansion and remodel.
Following closed session at the end of Tuesday night’s meeting, Banks County Attorney Randall Frost delivered a statement on behalf of the county commission.
“We have received sufficient funds to correct the injustices, so to speak, at the senior center,” Frost said. “We have reached that settlement and we’re asking that the commission approve the settlement and give the chairman the authority to sign the agreement.”
On the motion of Chairman Jimmy Hooper and second of Commissioner Danny Maxwell, the commission voted 5-0 to approve the settlement agreement with BM&K Construction Inc. That secures the funding and allows the county to proceed with correcting shortcomings identified by commissioners at the senior center.
Following the meeting, Commissioner Sammy Reece spoke about the development. Reece, who was heavily involved in the senior center expansion and remodeling project and who represented the commission in the mediation, explained why the county settled with the now-former contractor.
“We came within $1,800 of getting what we wanted, and we’ve already got people working,” Reece said. “I’m pretty sure we’ll have the seniors in the center by Christmastime.”
Reece said the facility will be something Banks County taxpayers can be proud to call a county building.
“This will be 100 percent better than it was before we entered these negotiations,” Reece said. “If you could walk in and look at the ceiling and walk in and look at it now, you’d really see a difference.”
Additionally, the building will be larger to better serve the county’s senior citizens.
“It’s actually probably closer to twice the size,” Reece said. “The kitchen is so much bigger, new equipment.”
That larger kitchen is important for the one of the most important aspects of the senior center’s mission, preparation and packaging of Meals on Wheels to serve residents 60 and older who are homebound due to illness, incapacitation, injury or isolation. Additionally, the kitchen is where congregate meals are prepared for those attending the center weekdays.
“Meals on Wheels is important to this county,” Reece said. “We get phone calls every day of people wanting Meals on Wheels. We don’t understand that a lot of these seniors don’t have any family, and this is their only out. That’s their family. They mean a lot to me – every one of them. I had lunch with them today, the whole group. They enjoyed every minute of it, and I did, too.”
Reece discussed the additional space, including additional offices, a beautician room, an exercise room and a porch where seniors can go outside and sit.
“Mr. Hooper and his wife donated 10 rocking chairs and they’ll have a place where they can go out there and sit in the sun,” Reece said. “The sun rises on that end of the building. It’s really going to be great.”
Reece is hopeful the interior work will be completed quickly so seniors can be relocated from leased space at Banks County Farm Bureau, their temporary home for some 18 months.
“Hopefully, when we get everything done on the inside we’re going to go ahead and move them in there, then work on the outside with them there,” Reece said. “I’ll be so happy when it’s over with, I won’t know what to do. It’s been a long, drawn-out … I’ve put many hours into this thing, complaining, griping and grumbling, and meeting, but it’s coming to an end. Hopefully in three or four weeks we’ll have everything done.”
Reece said the senior citizens of Banks County inspire him and help him stay focused.
“If I’m having a bad day, I go over there and sit down with them for a little while and I’m not having a bad day,” Reece said. “They’ve done their time. They put such a joy in my life, it’s unreal.”
