Construction

of four new Fayette County fire stations may begin soon.

The Department

of Fire and Emergency Services will present its request for a contract

with Holley Construction Company for the stations when the County Commission

meets at 3:30 p.m. next Wednesday at the County Administrative Complex.

Holley submitted

the low bid among contractors responding to the county's request for bids,

at $2.6 million.

All four stations

will be replacement facilities for current stations that are too small,

according to Jack Krakeel, director of the Department of Fire and Emergency

Services.

When many of

the department's stations were built 25 or 30 years ago, Krakeel said,

Fayette's firefighters were all volunteers. "They were totally volunteer

stations and living quarters weren't a consideration," he said.

But now, with

paid firefighters manning the stations on 24-hour shifts, the cramped

quarters have become a problem, Krakeel said.

Also, Station

1 on Ga. Highway 314 North is nestled into the foot of a dam, an unsafe

situation that needs to be remedied as soon as possible, Krakeel said.

Plans are to

build all the stations at one time, saving money by using a single contractor.

It will take

about 20 years to pay off the debt for the projects, Krakeel said, but

he added that the county's fire district tax is sufficient to make the

payments without any tax rate increase.

In addition

to Station 1, facilities slated for replacement are:

Station 4

in Fayetteville, next to the county's court complex on Johnson Avenue.

The county already owns property on Seay Road for a new station, outside

the city limits of Fayetteville.

Station 5,

on Ga. Highway 85 near Bernhard Road. There's enough room at the current

location for a new building, Krakeel said.

Station 7

in Woolsey. Plans are to build the new Woolsey station on the grounds

of the county's new South Fayette Water Treatment facility, under construction

on Antioch Road.

Station 1 will

be an entirely new location, near the current facility on Hwy. 314, Krakeel

said.

In other matters

next Wednesday, commissioners will discuss:

Bids for a

two-million-gallon water tank on Ellis Road. The county Water Committee

is recommending that bids be solicited and that a federally backed, low-interest

loan be sought for the project.

A presentation

Development Council, on green space plans.

A request

for proposals for cellular services for county personnel.

Consideration

of fees paid to the probate judge.

Approval of

a traffic light for the intersection of McElroy Road and Ga. Highway 54.

Discussion

of the county's intergovernmental agreement with local cities concerning

housing of municipal court prisoners at the county jail. (See related

story)