Robbinsville – Deferred maintenance has come back to haunt Graham County commissioners, who now face the prospect of significant expenses.
The county pool is in need of major renovation work, Graham County Recreation Director Ronnie Williams told the Board of Commissioners on March 15.
The public pool – located off Moose Branch Road, behind the tennis courts – was built around 2008 and now suffers from deteriorating plaster and tiles, among other issues, he said.
After the last inspection, it took 2-3 days to bring the pool into compliance last summer, Williams said.
“It’s not dirty,” he said. “It just looks that way.”
With the cost of chlorine up 150 percent since last summer, the leaking pool is losing water and costing the county more money than would once problems are fixed.
The cost? At least $128,000 – but that was an old estimate and prices for construction materials have been shooting up.
“I want our pool to be the safest and cleanest pool our children will visit this summer,” Williams said.
County Finance Director Rebecca Garland said she and Williams experienced sticker shock when they saw the price for renovations, but the county already has some of the money set aside, and Graham County Manager Jason Marino said he had applied for a $50,000 grant to go toward the project.
In addition to moving forward with the repairs, the county board also increased the rental fee for private parties by $25 because of the added costs of regular maintenance.
The pool typically opens in early June, when school is out. Last season it was open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., except during private events. The cost per person – which has not changed – is $3 for adults and $2 for children.
Meanwhile, a 20-year-old excavator used to load and compact trash has been limping along and finally gave out. The county has had to rent an excavator for $3,700 a month.
Now the county faces a choice: keep renting, fix the old excavator for $13,000, or buy a new excavator with the necessary accessories for around $123,000. The board chose to fix the old excavator but start budgeting for a replacement, and see about what is necessary for a contract for the replacement rig.
The turnaround for a replacement to arrive is eight months to a year, Sanitation Director Gavin Colvard told the board.
The old excavator was costing the county $300-$400 every few months to keep running, not counting fuel and preventive maintenance such as oil changes.
The board authorized repair costs and instructed Colvard to research purchase of a replacement.
Also discussed at the meeting:
* Jail expenses: A high number of prisoners at the county jail has forced officials to seek additional funding to get through to July, when the new budget takes effect. “We’ve run out of money,” said Capt. Marlon Jackson, jail commander.
The board approved an additional $185,000 to go to the jail, coming mostly from surpluses in property and sales taxes.
Though limited to eight inmates at a time, the jail has been averaging 31 inmates per month, Jackson said. He said there were 20 inmates in the jail as of Tuesday, with another 15 housed in jails in neighboring counties.
“We try to keep it at eight, but two go out and four come in,” he said.
Food costs have doubled because of the high jail census plus rising costs for food and fuel – the jail now averages $9,000 a month for food alone, Jackson said. Medical costs have also risen due to COVID-19, he said, adding that the jail has been forced to shut down a dozen times since the pandemic started, and all his jail personnel have had COVID-19 – some twice.
The jail averages 3,000 miles a month transporting inmates, he said. In one case, two jail guards had to drive to Wilmington, N.C. – a 16-hour round trip – to pick up a prisoner.
* Rodeo drive: Graham County resident Chase Lancaster is organizing a rodeo to be held on the Old Bemis Factory property – behind the solid waste facility on Snowbird Road, between Robbinsville and Milltown. Lancaster, who is one of several people running for Graham County sheriff, said half the proceeds would be donated to the county. Plans are in the initial stages, with a goal to hold a two-day even in late August or early September, Lancaster said.
* Snider building renovation: Graham County Historical Association, Graham County Travel & Tourism, and Graham County will be teaming up to seek grants to pay some of the anticipated $1.1 million in renovation costs of the Snider building in downtown Robbinsville.
The building – in use as the Collins Store during the 1940-50s – is famous for its appearance in the movie, “Nell,” and is the planned future site of a Graham County Museum.
The Historical Association is one payment away from owning the building, which was built between 1940-60s (when the upper level was rebuilt). Original plans were to open the museum this year, but that has been delayed. Phase 1 of the project includes rewiring the electrical system, installing new restrooms, installing an elevator and replacing the windows.
* Justice Center: A project to replace the Graham County Courthouse in Downtown Robbinsville with a multi-purpose justice center off West Fort Hill Road has received $5 million in funding from the state, Marino said.
The county plans to have a contract for the new facility in 2023, with a price tag of about $24 million. It will house Superior and District courts, the Sheriff’s Office and the jail.
* Forest management plans: A U.S. Forest Service plan to manage Nantahala National Forest that would carve out a large chunk of Graham County and classify it as wilderness is not sitting well with Commissioner Dale Wiggins. A proposed revision of 20-year forest management plan started with four options but a fifth option, the Forest Service’s preferred option called Alternative E, “nobody got a chance to see and nobody got a chance to comment on. I think we’ll have to go to court to stop it,” he said.