By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost
Work is expected to begin immediately on a building to house all programs and employees of the Department of Social Services.
Monday evening, the Rowan County Board of Commissioners approved a general construction contract with R.L. Casey of Greensboro for $4,109,000.
The firm submitted the lowest bid among the 12 placed.
The project will use 19,353 square feet of space previously used by the mental health program Daymark in the Health Services Building on Faith Road. That space will be renovated and the contractor will build 27,056 square feet of additional space.
The department’s 200 employees, who are now working in four locations, will be housed in the 46,408-square-foot facility.
County Manager Gary Page said the goal is to have everything ready for a Jan. 1 start.
Construction is expected to take 18 months, with the building ready for occupancy by summer 2010.
In other business, the board:
– Agreed to continue holding two monthly meetings, with the first Monday session at 4 p.m.
Commissioner Raymond Coltrain urged that both meetings be held at 7 p.m., saying it allowed more people to attend. Coltrain also noted an early meeting time would interfere with his agricultural work. “I’ll still be in the fields,” Coltrain said.
Chairman Carl Ford and Chad Mitchell said the 4 p.m. session works well. Mitchell said the 4 p.m. meeting cuts down on county employees having to stay or come back for night meetings.
Coltrain agreed to stay with the existing schedule, adding he may show up for meetings in his brogans.
“No problem,” Ford replied.
– Approved a petition requesting the N.C. Department of Transportation take over the new entrance road to Rowan-Cabarrus Community College off Old Concord Road. The street is named Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Road.
– Approved the purchase of three Ford Ranger pickups for the county Inspections Division and two Ford F150 pickups for Animal Control.
Wade Ford of Smyrna, Ga., submitted the low bid at a total cost of $95,958.
County staff noted bids were solicited from local car dealers, but the quotes were all higher than Wade Ford.
– Approved the purchase of carpet for the third floor of the Rowan County Public Library. The county will piggyback off a state contract, buying the Shaw Industries carpet from Bonitz Flooring Group. The carpet and installation costs will not exceed $43,109.
– Approved state-required bonds on county officials, including $25,000 for Sheriff George Wilhelm, $50,000 for Register of Deeds Jonathan Brindle and $200,000 each for Tax Collector Robert G. Rowland and Finance Director Leslie Heidrick. The board also approved a blanket bond of $300,000 for all employees.
– Approved changes in addresses for two properties in the 4000 block of N.C. 801 at the recommendation of the county’s E-911 service.