High school air conditioning project comes in over budget

By Lisa Majors-Duff

County Manager Ken Westmoreland reported to commissioners Nov. 1 that Haynes Mechanical of Asheville was the apparent low bidder on the project at $29,875. All appeared pleased that the AC project was under what was projected this summer. Those estimates started at about $40,500, with another $20,000 required to adapt the new equipment in the cafeteria to the final project layout.

Westmoreland was set to award the contract when he learned late Tuesday that the company's bid did not include electrical work, he said. As it turns out, the low bidder was Price and Price of Arden at $52,500, more than $12,000 above what was expected. Bids ranged from $29,875-$61,000.

"I'll have to present (the new low bid) to the board at our Nov. 15 meeting," he said. "It will require action one way or the other."

Members of both the Jackson County Board of Commissioners and School Board met several times in August and September to discuss air-conditioning and heating options for the cafeteria at the 40-year-old school. Concerns related not only to adding more than $40,000 to the $1.6 million cafeteria expansion, but to fitting the equipment into the project two years from now. The new cafeteria represents a portion of a $6.5 million effort to renovate Smoky Mountain High.

In other business to come before the board Nov. 1, commissioners approved contracts for both solid waste hauling and equipment leasing with GDS, a garbage hauling company from Hendersonville. The approvals represented five-year extensions and a reduction in county fees of nearly $45,000 annually beginning in January. Flexibility was also added to the contracts, allowing the county the options of purchasing equipment, staffing the SRCs or closing any such facility with a 90-day notice.

"All in all, what we attempted to achieve was flexibility and not to lock the county into anything," said Westmoreland. "I think it's a fair arrangement."

"It's a really unique contract," said Altamont engineer and former GDS general manager John Thornton, who has been assisting the county with contract negotiations for several months. "There are ample opportunities for the county to change directions for its (solid waste) program."

At the recommendation of Southwestern Community College President Cecil Groves, commissioners agreed to join the Rural Internet Access Authority's E-Communities Program. As explained by Groves, the RIAA was created by the 2000 General Assembly "to close the digital divide for citizens of North Carolina." The RIAA serves as the central rural Internet access policy planning board for the state, working in concert with state, regional and local agencies and private entities to accomplish 1) dial up Internet access from every telephone exchange in North Carolina, which was accomplished in July; 2) high-speed Internet access at competitive prices by Jan. 1, 2004; and 3) development of the capacity of all citizens to utilize and benefit more fully from the Internet in all aspects of life.

Jackson County will participate in the E-Communities Program along with Macon and Swain counties, and possibly the Cherokee Indian Reservation, Groves said. The collaborative effort could net $40,000 in state funds for planning purposes, with a goal of modernizing county government and saving taxpayer money, he said. Commissioners agreed to submit Groves a name for the committee this week.

Board members did not act on information they received involving several county employees who did not receive raises this year due to an incomplete salary survey and job reclassification report. Approving the salary adjustments and making them retroactive to July 1, when other salary adjustments were approved, would require almost $5,000, or $14,300 annually.

With all revenues spoken for and an economic downturn predicted by the state in the areas of sales tax and investment earnings, finance officer Darlene Fox's only suggestion was that the additional salary costs could come from the budget contingency.

"I have a problem with taking money out of contingency right now," said Commissioner Conrad Burrell, who expressed regret that the salary survey was not completed on time. "We have several pressing issues, and I'm wondering if we can't wait until next year."

On the other hand, Commissioner Stacy Buchanan said he believed it was the board's responsibility to have the report back in a timely manner and act on the recommended changes.

Also last week, Westmoreland reported that a pine tree at Mark Watson Park had fallen while participants in the Western Carolina University Homecoming Parade were assembling Oct. 26. No one was hurt, he said, but the situation could have been disastrous. N.C. State University officials have been asked to determine the health of the remaining trees at Mark Watson and make a recommendation for removing other trees, he said.

At the request of county librarian Michael Cartwright, Deborah Bardo of Cullowhee was reappointed to the library board of trustees, while Howard Allman of Webster was approved to fill a vacancy on the board. Also, Commissioner Roberta Crawford agreed to serve, fulfilling the board's bylaw requirements.

Board members also agreed to support the Sapphire Fire Department's attempts to decrease fire insurance rates for home and business owners in the department's response area.

The next meeting of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners will be held Thursday, Nov. 15, when they will meet in a joint session with town board members from Sylva, Dillsboro, Webster and the Village of Forest Hills at 5:30 p.m. in the Justice Center. A regular meeting of the board will follow at 7 p.m.

Back to Archive: 11/08/01.