County Supervisors on Monday night approved a request for a propsal for lease purchase financing from qualified banking institutions for financing acquisition of real property, the construction of a solid waste transfer station and the acquisition of heavy equipment for use at the transfer station The total amount to be financed is $5,200,000.
The County will use the proceeds to purchase some 340 acres of real property— the 202 acres of the fairgrounds, another 120 acre tract belonging to Jenny O. Wilkins and the Edward B. Wilkins trust and 21+ acres owned by Barnes Manufacturing Company, all of which are located off Plywood Trail, afjacent to the former Georgia-Pacific property where the transfer station will be built.
The remainder of the funding will be used for the construction of a new transfer station for collection of the county's solid waste on a part of the property and to purchase heavy equipment for use in the operation of the transfer station. The proposal for the financing calls for interest only payments for the first 24 months with the first semi-annual insstallment payment of interest starting on April 1, 2008 with a principal payoff at the end of a two year term.
Also on Monday evening Board members heard the new executive director of the Southside Community Services Board (SCSB) Joseph Edwards, along with other agency personnel, describe the services the agency offers local citizens. They also heard from Halifax engineer Jack Dunavant about the value of some of the materials in the former Georgia-Pacific building which is scheduled for demolition.
Edwards, who has just taken over the position of the SCSB director asked the board to approve the agency's annual performance contract and to consider reinstating some of the $25,000 in funds that had earlier been cut from the 2007-08 budget. He noted that while the amount of the money was small, it meant a loss of matching state funds in a 10 to 1 ratio.
Sarah Chipps, Special Projects Manager for the SCSB, explained that the current budget for the agency represents only a three percent increase over that of the past year. She pointed out that agency programs focus on keeping people out of the hospitals, on crisis stabilization and training for employment.
Joyce Willis, who works with programs for children, explained that she works with children who have to be taken from their homes; with infant and toddlers from birth to 36 months old and with providing psychiatric care for children, as well as supporting prevention programs such as memberships to the local YMCA and support of the local Mental Health Program and the Scottsburg church program which serves children up to the age of 16. The agency also lends financial support to drug abuse prevention and anti-bullying programs provided through the schools.
Following the presentation, Supervisors approved the agency's Annual Performance Contract, but took no action on reinstating the reduced funds.
Dunavant sought a delay in the Supervisors' approval of the low bid of $983,580 from D. H. Griffin for the demolition of the Georgia-Pacific property. He, who along with two other local businessmen had submitted a bid on the project, said he is concerned about the preservation of some of the materials in the facility. He advised Supervisors that the 100 foot fur wood beams were "very unique" and had a great deal of value for someone who might want to use them in construction projects. Dunavant said that after talking with a representative of the Griffin Company he fears the beams will simply be ground up and pulverized, rather than any attempt being made to salvage the valuable materials. He asked that the Board delay their final approval of the bid for one week, thereby giving him time to negotiate with Griffin.
While Supervisors were also interested in saving the beams, they voted to approve the contract, adding that the Industrial Development Authority has accepted the bid and it only awaited the final approval of the County. Both Board members James Edmunds of ED#5 and Doug Bowman of ED#4 expressed concerns that by delaying the bid approval, the price of the work might increase. They did suggest that the bidder be asked to negotiate with Dunavant to see if the beams might be saved.
Earlier in their Monday evening meeting Supervisors approved a conditional use permit for James D. Anderson, Sr. of Mill Road, Clover which will allow him to operate a small business in ED#2, D.J.'s Discount Tires. They also approved an ordinance change to the County code which will allow court fees to be increased. Anyone convicted in General Dostrict or Circuit Court will be charged an additional $5 fee while anyone ordered to jail will have to pay an additional $25 Sheriff's processing fee.
The Board also named Lisa Kipps Brown to fill the remainder of Larry McPeters' term on the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) board. That term expires on January 31, 2008.
Supervisors also set a public hearing on the proposed countywide Comprehensive Plan, to be held with County Planners, for September 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the second floor meeting room of the Mary Bethune Complex.