Work Session Preview · September 1, 2026

The animal shelter renovation that started at $4.5M is now heading toward $10M, and commissioners haven’t even finished their coffee.

🔦 The 3 items worth your attention

Change Order No. 2 for the Bill Atkinson Animal Welfare Renovation more than doubles the original contract. The increase alone, $5.6M, is larger than the entire deal Place Services, Inc. signed in March 2025. The project also gets 373 more days on the clock, pushing completion well into next year. (2026-1137)

A proposed new ordinance would add a Community Redevelopment Tax Incentive Program to county code, creating a formal mechanism to offer tax incentives to properties or projects that qualify under redevelopment criteria. No dollar figures are attached yet; this is a framework vote. (2026-1149)

The pedestrian improvement contract along Old Rockbridge Road and Williams Road, running from Bishop Circle to Singleton Road, goes to Ohmshiv Construction for just under $1.8M. About 84 cents of every dollar comes from the 2017 SPLOST Program. (2026-1126)

🏗️ Roads & property

• Old Rockbridge/Williams Road pedestrian work: Ohmshiv Construction gets the contract for just under $1.8M, mostly SPLOST-funded, connecting Bishop Circle to Singleton Road. (2026-1126)

• Mulberry IGA: A new intergovernmental agreement would give the City of Mulberry authority to review, inspect, and permit Gwinnett County construction projects inside city limits. No dollar figure attached. (2026-1148)

The Little Suwanee Creek Pump Station project closes out with a final contract of $14M, actually $456K less than where it was headed. (2026-1113)

The Pond Road and Berkeley Hills water main replacement wraps with a modest $132K increase, landing at a final total of $3.5M. (2026-1134)

💰 Where the money’s going

• Police load-bearing vests (ballistic panels and rifle-rated armor plates included), second of four renewal options: $885,000.00 to Federal Eastern International, LLC. (2026-1130)
• Fire hydrants and repair parts for the county’s 48,000-plus hydrants, first renewal option split across three vendors: $450,000.00 to Consolidated Pipe & Supply, Ferguson Waterworks, and Utilities Supply. (2026-1121)
• Ballot printing and vote-by-mail processing with Fort Orange Press, third of four renewal options: $347,278.50. (2026-1117)
• Lobbying and governmental affairs with Dentons US LLP through November 2027: $276,000.00. (2026-1118)
• Elections moving services contract with Suddath Relocation Systems bumped up by $105,354.96, raising the running total to $512,904.96, a 25.9% increase over what was originally scoped. (2026-1131)
• Protein supply for inmates, employees, and seniors through March 2027, fourth and final renewal with Performance Foodservice and Sutherland’s Foodservice: $294,000.00, partially covered by Older Americans Act funds. (2026-1129)
• Damage recovery services with Alternative Claims Management, expected to bring in $250,000.00 in revenue from third-party vehicle damage claims. (2026-1116)
• Supplemental groceries from Sutherland’s Foodservice on a new annual contract: $178,836.02, also partially Older Americans Act-funded. (2026-1124)
• County website platform (Liferay DXP) subscription and support with Link Development North America, fourth and final renewal: $125,970.00. (2026-1045)
• CASA program grant from Georgia CASA, up to $235,429.93, no county match required. (2026-0971)
• BOOST 2.0 afterschool grant from the Georgia Recreation and Park Association for three county sites: $45,000.00, no match required. (2026-1127)

📌 Also notable

Stephen Goux has resigned from the Merit Board; Celeste Goins is nominated to fill his District 2 seat through December 31, 2026. (2026-1203)

The county’s annual lobbying contract with Dentons US LLP covers state and federal representation, with strategic counsel provided in a nonexclusive capacity. (2026-1118)

The work session begins at Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville. Public comment procedures are posted at gwinnettcounty.com. The Gwinnett Docket is an independent newsletter with no affiliation with Gwinnett County government. Spot an error? Reply and let us know.

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