Robbinsville – In the first two attempts by Graham County to find a contractor willing to made several necessary upgrades to the antiquated detention center, just one bid has been received.
The sole bid came in from an unidentified party Oct. 23 – and as explained at Tuesday’s board of commissioners meeting, was 37 percent higher than what the county had earmarked for the remodel.
Project manager Jason Marino pointed out that just $100,000 had been allocated to remediate the presence of asbestos and lead-based paint in the county’s minuscule jail, which sits on the bottom floor of the aging courthouse and can house only eight inmates at a time. The presence of asbestos and lead has been addressed several times before, but was presented to the board once more by Graham County Sheriff Brad Hoxit at the Jan. 23 commissioner meeting.
Fleetwood Daniels Group conducted an ACM (asbestos-containing materials) survey April 16, noting the presence of the toxic material beneath 9-inch floor tile and inside the office area. The commissioners gave the greenlight June 18 to seek out a contractor who would rectify the problem as more of a long-term solution, but the Oct. 23 bid was for $136,256.
After some discussion on the best option forward, commissioner Connie Orr made a motion for the county to seek out contractors individually – rather than a wide-scale bidding process – and research what each can provide within the $100,000 price range. The sole bid was rejected and the motion carried 4-1; chairman Jacob Nelms voted against the measure.
Other news & notes
* County manager Kim Crisp informed the board that the Local Government Commission has a visit planned this week with county officials. A part-time finance officer will be dispatched to assist current finance officer Stacy Carpenter with catching up the 2022-23 and 2023-24 audits.
* Graham County Economic Development Director Josh Carpenter presented the board with a resolution for approval, concerning the remodel of a currently-abandoned motel at the Five Points Road/U.S. 129 intersection in Robbinsville. The North Carolina Department of Commerce has afforded a building reuse grant to turn the building into a motel/boutique, which needed a five percent match from the county. The resolution was passed 5-0.