SALISBURY — As the Rowan County Board of Commissioners meeting began Monday, Chairman Greg Edds greeted a visiting Boy Scout with words that generated chuckles throughout the room.

“Zack, I hate to tell you, we never have controversy on this board,” Edds said, addressing the Scout’s assignment to report on any controversy from a government meeting and “pick a side.”

The ensuing chuckle was perhaps unwarranted: Monday’s meeting passed with little discussion and all unanimous votes as the commissioners approved $112,500 in task orders for McGill Associates.

The first order authorized the engineering company to move forward on the design and construction of a road connecting Julian Road to Corporate Center Drive.

The road will extend where the current Rowan County Animal Shelter and Julian Road recycling center are located.

The $73,500 task order – which includes preliminary permitting, design and construction – was based on a projected total project cost of $735,000.

The project will include construction of a flat pad to relocate the recycling center.

Commissioners expressed concern about the presence of a stream and wetlands near Corporate Center Drive, but they agreed the complete road is a better option than the alternative: a higher-capacity access road that ends in a cul-de-sac.

The cul-de-sac would limit potential areas to relocate the recycling center.

James River Co., which has requested the road, will contribute $60,000 to the project.

Next came a task order allowing the company to take the next steps in water and sewer expansion to the southern part of the county.

The order has two facets. One is that McGill will, for $14,000, assist the county in planning and negotiating an inter-local agreement with a neighboring utility system.

While the county will eventually own the system, Commissioner Craig Pierce explained in previous talks with the Post, it will pay a neighboring utility for water and wastewater treatment.

McGill will negotiate the pricing, as well as maintenance of the system.

Second came the development of a financial model for the coming water and sewer’s enterprise fund for $25,000. The financial model will be used to develop a rate-setting schedule to produce a “self-sufficient enterprise fund,” according to the order.

While Pierce said he believes the county has the money available to fund construction, the task order’s next steps were a necessary hurdle in his promise to extend water and sewer service to the southern end of the county.

“It’s going to be October before we’ve done anything to even see what this is going to cost,” he said before the meeting. “This is a long-term project.”

Pierce’s current term runs for two more years. He said his run for another seat on the board this year is an effort to have the time needed to see the project through.

“I want to get this thing as far along as I can,” he said.

Pierce moved to approve the task order with little pause after it was presented. The motion carried unanimously.

In other business at Monday’s meeting:

• The board approved a family subdivision waiver for Charles Barber for a parcel in the 13100 block of Statesville Boulevard.

• The board appointed four people to two local boards.

Gary Eugene Yelton was appointed to the Housing Authority to replace Doug Jones, who resigned for health reasons.

Raymond Mark Sokolowski was appointed to the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department board. Robert Connor and Spencer Lane were reappointed.