Commissioners accept contracts for senior nutrition program
By Diana Royal Staff Writer

After months of consideration, Burke County Commissioners have decided to renew two of three contracts to agencies that provide for the Senior Citizens Nutrition Program.

The question the commissioners faced was never whether they wanted to continue the approximately $400,000 program - they sought alternative routes to save taxpayers' money.

In the end, however, county administrator Merv Waldrop advised the board that two agencies, CSRA RDC and GA Foods, were offering a good deal. In their contract, RDC agreed to help pay for the meals but only if the county would agree to use their vendor, GA Foods. While the total contract for the meals, at $4.25 each, is $214,003, the county is committed to pay $122,450.25 of that with RDC offering a $91,550 reimbursement.

Waldrop said if the commission opted to seek another vendor and walk away from the $91,550, the breakeven point would be a cost of $2.43 per meal - a price that their vendor for inmate meals could not meet.

The commissioners have mulled over the contracts and tabled a decision after several meetings to discuss the nutrition program and its components.

While they did vote to renew the contracts with RDC and GA Foods, the commissioners have yet to renew the county's contract with the EOA, which operates the senior centers in Waynesboro, Girard and Midville where the food is distributed.

According to Waldrop, the EOA's fee to operate the three centers jumped a whopping $60,000, from $206,584 last year to $268,824, which is a 30 percent increase. To run the Waynesboro plus one other center would cost the county $254,175, and the operation of just the Waynesboro center would be $241,904.70.

The commissioners have also questioned whether running the three centers is viable, especially considering that the Girard and Midville centers currently have nowhere to operate as the buildings they were in are being renovated.

"We need to study this a little more," commission chairman Jimmy Dixon advised the board at their regular meeting last week.

Waldrop said the commissioners will hold another meeting soon to discuss their options.