MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie City Council approved additional rehabilitation plans for Spence Field Airport at Tuesday’s meeting.

The City of Moultrie initially began discussing renovation plans at the airport in November 2021. The council had approved a Construction Improvement Plan list, which was the first step to be presented to the Georgia Department of Transportation, at the time, according to a previous issue of The Moultrie Observer.

Now, in year three of the five-year plan, the city is continuing to make strides in the project.

City Manager Pete Dillard introduced a contract with the Georgia Department of Transportation during the council’s work session.

The contract plans to rehabilitate Runway 14/32 and the shoulders while continuing with Phase 5 of the airfield drainage renovation plan at the airport. The council previously approved similar routine maintenance in July 2022.

The council also approved a $1,105,873.96 bid from Summer Concrete Contracting Inc of Hahira, Georgia for the project. The TSPLOST fund covers the project costs.

Due to the bid being over-budget, Dillard said the council needed to consider a budget resolution amendment to cover the overage cost. The resolution was approved 5-0.

The state is going to pay 75% of the project, so the city will only have to pay 25%, he said in an interview after the regular session.

A memorandum of understanding with the Airport Authority for the Spence Field Airport was approved with a 5-0 vote.

A $40,168 bid for a forklift to Southern States Toyota Lift of Valdosta funded through the Electric Department was approved.

The council approved a memorandum of understanding to participate in the national multi-company opioid settlement between the State of Georgia and TEVA, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart. The city’s attorneys for this case, Hayden Willis and Haynes Studstill, spoke to the council on the pending litigation during an executive work session that preceded Tuesday’s meeting.

All items on the agenda were voted in a unanimous consent agenda except a bid for investments in certificate of deposits (CDs) of reserve funds. The bid passed with a 4-0 vote. Councilman Cole Posey abstained from the vote.

Councilman Daniel Dunn was absent from the work session but attended the regular session by phone.

The next scheduled council meeting is Tuesday, April 4, at 6 p.m.