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During the May 20 Troup County Board of Commissioners meeting, the board approved a request from the Roads Department to purchase large storage containers.

Road Superintendent Kevin Kinnersley requested the purchase, saying it is needed to protect grass supplies.

“Due to the nature of a lot of the work we do, we have a lot of need for vegetative stabilization, which is grass for the most part, especially hydro seeding and those materials,” Kinnersley said. “Due to the sheer volume of hydro seeding that we do, we constantly have a large amount of stock material, grassy material, at our facility, and we have a limited amount of covered space.”

Kinnersley explained that the seeding supplies need to be covered, so they have been keeping them indoors, which takes up space that could be used to store other equipment that would last longer if not left out in the rain. Moving the supplies to a storage container would free up that space for more valuable equipment and eliminate a potentially bigger problem – pests eating the seeds.

“We have certain equipment that we have purchased that we feel needs to be covered for protection. [Otherwise], we won’t get as much longevity out of the equipment,” Kinnersley said.

“Secondly, our grass material, where we have it, it’s exposed to lots of critters, whether that be rodents or birds or whatever, and they get in there on these pallets of grass seed, and they cut into bags, and this material pours out on the ground, and we try to salvage as much as possible, but it makes a big mess,” he said.

Since July 1, 2023, the county has spent over $100,000 on grassy material, so there is a need to protect that investment, which the new containers will provide, Kinnersley said.

“Exposure to these critters has caused an actual major pest problem in our office facility over the last 11 to 12 months and has caused additional fees for professional pest control services to help us out,” Kinnersley said.

Kinnersley said the pest control professionals they hired recently told them that they are never going to solve the issue until the seeds are moved out of the office.

“Until you remove this all-you-can-eat buffet that you’re inviting all these critters here, once you do that, then yes, we’ll make a lot more progress,” they said.

Kinnersley said the containers are airtight and watertight, so bugs and mice won’t be able to get inside, and the supplies will be protected. 

The commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of three New/One Trip High Cube storage containers from Container Technology, Inc. in Morrow, Georgia, for $9,250 each plus delivery for the total price of $29,325.

The funds for the purchase will come from SPLOST V funds.