Board moves on 911 center
By Steve Herring
Published in News on February 18, 2016 1:46 PM
Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning awarded an $18,300 contract for a study of five possible options for a new 911 call center, contingent on final review and consent by County Manager George Wood and County Attorney Borden Parker.
The contract with Stewart, Cooper and Newell Architects of Gastonia also includes an estimated $982.84 for reimbursable costs such as travel and meals.
"We have negotiated the terms of the contract, but we don't have the contract yet," Wood said. "We are in the process of getting that printed up, but I know we are in a hurry to get this one under way because we are facing a (state) deadline," Wood said.
Wood said the commissioners authorized the county attorney and himself to negotiate a contract with Stewart, Cooper and Newell Architects for the study of the possible locations and a design based on selection site.
The 911 center contract calls for the company to look at three options involving renovations of existing buildings, and two that would require new construction.
All five sites are on county-owned property at or near the county's facilities building near the old Wayne Community College campus.
The options are:
* Renovate two buildings in front of the facilities office and possibly add on to the buildings.
* Renovate the facilities office and move that department elsewhere.
* Renovate the existing brick building at the communications tower site.
* Build a new building behind the animal shelter.
* Build near the communications tower.
If renovation/addition is selected, the fee will be 9.5 percent of the actual construction cost. If new construction is chosen, the design fee will be 8.25 percent of the actual construction cost.
"In my view, this is a very reasonable fee for evaluating five potential sites," Wood said. "If the selected option site is a renovation or addition, the design fee will be 9.5 percent of the actual construction cost. Typically you pay more for a renovation than you do for new construction.
"If the selected project option is new construction, the design fee will be 8.25 percent of the actual construction cost. That is the same fee that we have on the agriculture center."
Commissioners have not yet discussed an estimated cost, but the county's $39 million five-year capital improvement plan includes $6.7 million for a 911 call center.
The 911 center has been an issue for some time following a study by consultants with Mission Critical on staffing and facility needs at the center.
The consultants recommended that the county either expand its current center or build a new one to add more telecommunicators to handle an increased volume of calls.
However, commissioners have said that renovation of the existing center is not feasible.
Once the new site is completed, the existing center will become a back-up site.
Also, having some distance between the two sites ensures both are on different electrical and phone circuits.