County to weigh funds for GHS project
By Steve Herring
Published in News on April 20, 2015 1:46 PM
Wayne County commissioners will consider a funding request Tuesday from the county Board of Education that the school board says is necessary to proceed with a project at Goldsboro High School.
On March 26, the state Department of Public Instruction approved spending $1,370,463 to construct a commons area at the school. However, the lowest bid, which was accepted, estimated the cost at $2,025,886.
The school board's facilities committee scaled the project back to save $202,815, but it was still $452,571 over budget.
At its April 13 meeting, the school board approved the additional funding needed for the Goldsboro High School project for a total project cost of $1,823,071.
The school board also has asked the Department of Public Instruction to close out the Dillard Middle School and Carver Heights Elementary School gym projects, which will return $126,814.48 to the school's lottery fund balance. Those two projects have been completed.
The school board is asking commissioners to increase the lottery fund allocation for the Goldsboro High School project by the same amount of $126,814.48 left over from the other projects.
It is also asking that the remaining overage of $325,756.52 be paid from half-cent sales tax revenues.
The lottery and sales tax revenues belong to the school board, but their use requires commissioners' approval.
The information also has been submitted to the Department of Public Instruction.
With the commissioners' approval, the N.C. Project Committee will consider the project and upon approval, allow construction to begin.
In another school board matter, commissioners will consider a request to transfer free of charge school property to the University of Mount Olive.
The property is 0.409 acres and was previously used in connection with agriculture program at the old Mount Olive High School. It is located behind the old school building that now houses university apartments, its music department and assembly hall.
Information provided to commissioners shows that over the past 10 years the university has allowed the school system to use its facilities free of charge on numerous occasions. The value of that use is $48,850 based on fees the university normally charges.
Three public hearings will be held beginning at 9:15 a.m. They are:
* A request from Larry Jorvig to rezone a lot in Brogden township from Residential Agriculture 20 to Village District.
* A request from Glandon Forest Equity on behalf of the David Littleton heirs to rezone a lot in Grantham township from Village District to Community Shopping.
* 2011 Community Development Block Grant- Scattered Site project closeout.
The county received $400,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds (representing 100 percent of total project cost) for the clearance and replacement of dilapidated, owner-occupied houses on scattered sites throughout the county.
The purpose of the hearing is to review the budget and activities that have been accomplished through the grant.
The activities are complete, and the county is in the process of closing out the grant.
Citizens will be given the opportunity to provide oral and written comments on the county's use of the grant funds.
Also on the agenda, County Manager George Wood is recommending that commissioners look at a way to save $11,503 annually in the Register of Deeds office.
In a memo to the board, Wood said that the office currently prints pages kept in large binders for all real estate transactions (deeds, deeds of trust, etc.). It also buys shelving to store the books.
"However, those records are all scanned and are searchable in our computer system available to the general public," Wood said in the memo. "Consequently, most people use the computer, and rarely use the books."
Eliminating the hard copies and related expenses including shelving will amount to a savings of $11,503 annually, he said.
Items on the consent agenda are: Applications for property tax exclusion and for present use value; A Day of Prayer in Wayne County proclamation; County Government Month in Wayne County proclamation; Wayne County 2011 Community Development Block Grant-Catalyst Fair Housing Plan update; and a resolution supporting the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries use of the supplement process to implement reductions on southern flounder.
The meeting will begin with an 8 a.m. agenda briefing followed by commissioners sitting as the Wayne County Board of Equalization and Review. The formal session will start at 9 a.m.
All of the meetings will be held in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the Wayne County Courthouse Annex.
Public comments will be taken at 10 a.m. when people will have four minutes to speak on their topic of choice.
Commissioners will have lunch at the Wayne Pregnancy Center, 2003 E. Ash St.