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OMI drops suit against Richmond Hill
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Jeff Whitte
Correspondent
Updated: Feb 26, 2014, 2:00 AM
Published: Feb 24, 2014, 4:46 PM

The public works company Operations Management International has dropped its $2 million lawsuit against Richmond Hill, a mere two months after it was filed.
The company’s request to drop its suit was accepted Tuesday by the Richmond Hill City Council during its regular meeting at City Hall after a short executive session and an even shorter recommendation from city attorney Ray Smith.
He reminded the council of the suit before telling them OMI had approached him asking for “an unprejudicial dismissal of all claims” against the city, stopping any further legal action.
“I seek your permission to sign that and it is recommended by me,” Smith said, holding up a document.
A moment later, the council voted unanimously to let Smith sign the dismissal, putting a low-key ending to a legal tussle that began late last year.
“Anytime we can get a lawsuit dropped, I’m happy,” Mayor Harold Fowler said. “We’ve always contended we were within our rights. We’re happy they’re going their way and we can go ours.”
Attempts to reach OMI representatives were unsuccessful.

The history
Tuesday’s dismissal brings a formal end to a 13-year relationship between Richmond Hill and the company, which ran the city’s utilities from 2000-2013.
But the beginning of the end became public in October, when the council voted to hire Braddy Enterprises Public Works Division LLC for $2.6 million to run the city’s public works on an interim basis beginning in January.
At the time, City Manager Chris Lovell said the move would save taxpayers about $300,000 — a figure based on a contract with OMI said to be worth about $3 million.
OMI Regional Vice President Gary Wood disputed those numbers at the city’s Nov. 19 meeting and offered to drop the company’s asking price to $2.6 million, but city officials refused to backtrack.
About three weeks later on Dec. 4, OMI filed suit in Bryan County Superior Court, alleging it was in the middle of a five-year agreement with Richmond Hill when the city decided to hire Braddy Enterprises.
OMI also claimed the city’s decision would cost the company more than $2 million and its 24 workers in Richmond Hill would have to be either relocated or fired.
The company also claimed the city’s decision harmed its reputation, as OMI handles public works for some 200 communities, and that Richmond Hill officials were “stubbornly litigious.”
Additionally, the company claimed the city violated public bidding laws and Georgia’s Open Meetings Act.  OMI tried to get a restraining order against the city to keep its contract from expiring on Dec. 31, but that effort failed.
Richmond Hill official have said the city intends to bring the management of its utilities “in house,” as it builds a new state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant that will cost an estimated $25-$28 million — the largest single expenditure in the city’s history.

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GPA grows trade, market share
Intermodal volume up 20 percent
port photo
Rubber tired gantry cranes handle cargo at the Chatham Intermodal Container Transfer Facility at the Port of Savannah. The Georgia Ports Authority's Mason Mega Rail project will double rail lift capacity to 1 million containers per year by 2020 - photo by Provided
Staff Report
Updated: Apr 17, 2018, 1:07 PM
Published: Apr 17, 2018, 1:08 PM

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved 14 percent growth in March container volumes, moving 355,208 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers.

From July 2017 to March, TEU container trade grew by 9 percent, or 255,786 additional units for a total of 3.08 million, a new record for Savannah.

"Savannah's continued strength is a reflection of our customers' commitment, Georgia's leadership, and the many dedicated service providers, GPA employees and ILA members who come together every day to achieve great things," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "March marked our 17th consecutive month of business expansion thanks, in part, to a strong economy and growing market share."

Intermodal rail volumes jumped by 20 percent in March and 15.4 percent for the fiscal year to date, for a total of 318,454 containers handled over nine months – another record for the GPA.

"As the numbers show, our rail cargo is growing at a faster pace than our overall trade," GPA Chairman Jimmy Allgood said. "This is important because rail is playing a key role in our responsible growth strategy. We anticipate our rail infrastructure investments to take 250,000 trucks off the road each year by 2020."

The GPA recently broke ground on its Mason Mega Rail Terminal, on which the Port of Savannah will build 10,000-foot unit trains within its own footprint. From the expanded rail infrastructure at Garden City Terminal, Class I rail providers CSX and Norfolk Southern will provide direct rail service to major Southeast and Midwestern markets from Memphis to St. Louis, Chicago to Cincinnati.

An added benefit is that the Mason Mega Rail project will move all rail switching on terminal – improving vehicle traffic flow around the port.

In August, the GPA will open its Appalachian Regional Port in Murray County. Located in an industrial belt, including the production and export of carpet and flooring, automobiles and tires, the ARP will provide an alternative to all-truck transit to Northwest Georgia.

Each round-trip container moved via the Appalachian Regional Port will offset 710 truck miles on Georgia highways.

March was also a strong month for roll-on/roll-off auto and machinery units at the Port of Brunswick and Ocean Terminal in Savannah. Colonel's Island Terminal in Brunswick handled 66,144 cars, trucks and tractors, while Ocean Terminal added 4,050, for a total 70,194, a 17.2 percent increase.

"The global economy is thriving and our volumes are following suit," Lynch said. "As existing accounts grow their footprint in the expanding auto facility in Brunswick, Georgia's competitive logistical advantages are drawing additional business across all of our docks."

Lynch noted that for the fiscal year to date, Mayor's Point breakbulk terminal in Brunswick grew by 44 percent (34,515 tons) to reach 112,728 tons of forest products. At East River Terminal, bulk cargo expanded by 34 percent July-March (189,918 tons) for a total of 750,384 tons.

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