At the November 4th meeting, the Alexander County Board of Commissioners approved a bid for the Bethlehem water tank project. The board awarded the project to Locke-Lane Construction of Stony Point, which submitted the low bid of $4,758,200.
Ben Faulkenberry, Alexander County Attorney, presented information about the project. The total project cost is $6,813,600, which includes a 750,000-gallon elevated water tank, 1,110 linear feet of water lines, a future pump station, planning and design, and engineering, The majority of the project will be funded by state grants totaling $4,648,248.
A hydraulic study was performed on the Bethlehem water system in 2021, which showed that the system required additional water pressure – a problem that could be solved by installing an elevated water tank.
“The Bethlehem water tank project is a significant step forward for our county’s water infrastructure,” said Josh Lail, Chairman. “This project will not only improve water pressure and flow for residents and businesses in the Bethlehem area, but also enhance our overall water system’s reliability and capacity as we plan for future needs.”
In other business:
• Pamela Bowman, Director of the Alexander County Soil & Water Conservation District, said the county has been awarded $85,714 from the Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program (StRAP). The district requested over $1.1 million to remove debris from local waterways, and plans to seek additional grant funding. Commissioners approved the grant award, which requires the county to pay for the project and then get reimbursed by the state.
• Commissioners passed a resolution declining the purchase of the old Ellendale School property. The Alexander County Board of Education plans to sell the 6.88-acre property, but is required by state law to offer the right of first refusal to Alexander County.
• Commissioners approved a rezoning request from the Taylorsville Lions Club for their property located at 170 Fairgrounds Road in Taylorsville. Amy Bucknum, Planner, presented the rezoning request to the board. The property owner submitted a petition to rezone the property from Office Institutional (OI) to Community Commercial (CC), which would allow more uses that are consistent with activities held at the fairgrounds. The Alexander County Planning Board unanimously recommended approval of the request.
• Commissioners approved four budget ordinance amendments as presented by County Manager Todd Herms. The first amendment increases General Fund expenditures by $82,688 and adjusts revenues to increase the Public Buildings budget to implement security upgrades at the county administration building, to increase the 911 Communications budget to use NCDPS Capacity Building Competitive Grant funds to purchase sheltering equipment, to increase the Soil & Water budget for grant funds, and to increase the Health Department budget for additional federal grant funds. The other three amendments budget for FY 2025 interfund transfers from three water and sewer projects to reimburse the County Water & Sewer Fund for preliminary engineering expenses.
• Commissioners approved a shared personnel mutual aid agreement between Alexander County Soil & Water Conservation District, North Carolina Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, North Carolina Division of Soil & Water Conservation, and other districts/counties. The agreement would provide employee assistance with disaster recovery efforts, employee training, and more.
• During the public comment period, Don Taylor provided an update on the Bethlehem incorporation initiative. He said they are still collecting signatures which will be submitted to the Board of Elections by the end of the week. They will then move into phase two, which involves community education efforts.
The next meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners is set for Monday, December 2 at 6:00 p.m. at the CVCC Alexander Center for Education (room #103). Regular meetings are recorded and can be viewed on the county’s Government Channel on Spectrum channel 192 or the county’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/alexandercountync. Meeting agendas, minutes, videos, and more are available on the county’s website at https://alexandercountync.gov/commissioners.