The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors awarded bids on a pair of repair projects at the county-owned CalStar building while tabling a request from the city of Crawford for repaving of the town’s walking track.
Friday’s regular board meeting was devoted primarily to approving monthly reports, with little discussion and no dissent when matters came to vote.
The supervisors awarded a bid for roof repairs at the CalStar Building to Weathers Construction, which presented the lowest of three bids on the work in the amount of $18,372. The supervisors awarded a paving contract at the same property to Simmons Erosion Control, Inc., which offered the low bid of $17,954.
Although the property is now occupied by CalStar CalStar Products, a North Carolina-based brick and masonry products manufacturer, supervisors agreed to make the repairs because the issues emerged before the company moved on to the site.
The board also approved initial steps in its plans to expand the county’s E911 Center. Architect Joey Henderson asked the board to approve big advertisements to run on May 19 and May 26, with bids open on June 18. The board would open the bids at its regular July board meeting. The cost of the expansion is estimated at $1.6 million and is being funded by interest earned from county’s $30 million hospital trust fund.
Supervisors also heard David Richardson of Tennessee Gas Pipeline. Richardson told supervisors his company was aware of the damage caused to a section of Frisco Road near where the company was replacing pipes.
“We acknowledge that we are responsible for the damage done to the road and we want you to know we will make those repairs when we are finished with the project,” Richardson told the board.
Richardson said the repairs should be made soon after the pipe replacement project is completed.
“I’d say in August, but a lot depends on the weather,” he said. “We plan to make the repairs, but obviously, it doesn’t make sense to do that before we finish the project.”
Other items
The board also considered two requests from the city of Crawford. While supervisors unanimously approved donation of the old fire station to the city upon completion of the new fire station, supervisors failed to act on a request by the city to repave the walking track located behind the town hall. The cost for the repairs was estimated at $16,000.
“I don’t think we should consider this for two reasons,” Board President Harry Sanders said. “First, this is an election year and I’m afraid that if we did this in one district, between now and the election, we would be paving walking tracks in six districts. Second, there is no money in the budget for this. If this is something we want to take up in our budget talks in August, fine. I have no problem with that. But I can’t see us doing it this year; there isn’t money in the budget for it.”
The request was then tabled for lack of a motion.
The board voted on Sanders motion to recess the meeting until 8 a.m. on May 21 for what Sanders called an “economic development issue.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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