County to Hire Firm to Study Long-Term Space Needs
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Moore County will hire a firm to study county office space needs for the next 20 to 50 years.
At a Tuesday night meeting, the Moore County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to advertise for proposals from firms qualified to conduct such studies.
The scope of the study will encompass not only the Courts Facility building and the historic courthouse but also almost every other building owned by the county. Mentioned are the health, agriculture, elections, social services, parks and recreation buildings, the library, Currie Building, property management, Central Services, child support and district attorney offices.
“Normally, I wouldn’t be happy spending money on a study, but this time we need it,” Commissioner Nick Picerno said. “This one is valuable.”
Commissioner Tim Lea agreed, adding that the study should enable the board to make financial plans in advance as well as plan for office space.
“This is one of the most critical actions this board can take,” Lea said. “It will affect the county long after we’re off the board.”
The cost of the study will not be determined until the proposals are received.
The issue of meeting county office space needs has become acute in recent years because of jail overcrowding and the inadequacies of the building presently used to house the courts. Some of the problems will be solved later this year when the public safety-detention center is occupied.
This will free space in the basement of the Courts Facility building and in the Currie Building.
However, questions remain about the best use of the vacated space and solutions to crowded and outdated facilities in other aspects of county government.
Also during the meeting, the board voted unanimously to adopt a resolution revising the residency districts for all five commissioners and five of the eight members of the board of education. The new districts were approved at an earlier meeting, but the resolution makes the action official.
The new districts are redrawn to provide a more equal population distribution, in keeping with results of the 2010 population census. The new district lines will not change the way in which voters participate, because the residency restrictions apply to candidates, not to voters.
Candidates must reside within the district in which they run for office, but all voters may vote for candidates from all districts. The other three school board members are elected at large and residency district requirements, other than county residency, do not apply.
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Comments
Bflat 1 year, 4 months ago
In the past a study was done that showed a new court facility should have been built right away.. Whatever happened to all that? The Grand Jury found the Jail adequate at the time. However, the court is and has been overcrowded for quite some time. Seems that 3 commissioners thought it more important to build a federal sized JAIL, instead of a new court facility. And, that court was supposed to go on the 21 acres purchased at inflated price, that was later found to have unbuildable wetlands. So, here we go again spending more money on studies! Spending too much money for land that is later found unsuitable for all the buildings, and then forging ahead with the multimillon $$$ JAIL instead of a new Courthouse to increase case flow....well, that's poor planning. All the studies in the world don't help unless there is proper planning and actually making sure it is the right thing to do.
Npicerno 1 year, 4 months ago
There is so much misinformation I ont know where to begin. I can offer to bflat to meet with you and show you documentation that will help your understanding. I suggest you read the link above where commissioner Lea and myself met in public and stated facts supported by minutes. I hope ou will take me up on this offer.
Npicerno 1 year, 4 months ago
Sorry about some spelling above seems the iPad did not record all my keystrokes.
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
"Moore County will hire a firm to study county office space needs for the next 20 to 50 years."
"However, questions remain about the best use of the vacated space and solutions to crowded and outdated facilities in other aspects of county government".
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
"“Normally, I wouldn’t be happy spending money on a study, but this time we need it,” Commissioner Nick Picerno said. “This one is valuable.”
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
"Commissioner Tim Lea agreed, adding that the study should enable the board to make financial plans in advance as well as plan for office space." See above comment...how about considering saving some money as opposed to pissing it away on the Moore County Airport Authority ($200,000) and yet another study. You guys have studied until we are in the hole for over $135,323,267. before INTEREST. STOP SPENDING DEMOCRATS IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING!
Npicerno 1 year, 4 months ago
Toda. No Moore county money is going to the airport from a single Moore county tax payer with one exception: those that have a plane at the airport pay a personal property tax on that plane. That money goes back into the airport. Result: Moore county taxpayers who have no plane pay not one penny to support the airport. Also, I have shared with you in our meetings how in the three years I have been a commissioner that we have spent less each year. General fund in 2008 was 99 million expended, while in 2011 we spent 82 million and I will be honored to sit down and share this years financials with you or anyone else in our county that is interested! As you know I try to share factual information and hate political spin as much as you!
Npicerno 1 year, 4 months ago
Toda. The study will not cost anywhere near the $150,000 so you probably would not want the job!
Npicerno 1 year, 4 months ago
As for the $135,323,267 the majority of that is for school bonded debt which was approved prior to my taking office. In our meetings this week we instructed the financial officer to post on our website a simplified debt analysis for anyone to access. Just google Moore county government and follow the link or if anyone needs me to email it to them I will be glad to. My email address is npicerno@embarqmail.com. It clearly shows the break down of our debt.
Toda 1 year, 4 months ago
Commissioner Picerno ~ I take no exception to any comment you pointed out. One observation needs qualifying: "No Moore county money is going to the airport from a single Moore county tax payer", as I said previously when an affirmative vote was cast to accept Federal Stimulus Funds for water infrastructure in Pinehurst for lift stations. Politicians have a tendency to add lib when it comes to where the money is coming from. State or Federal is all taxpayer money that comes from the same bank account. Local taxes are just the icing on the cake so to speak. No tax money to the airport is what most of us are saying.
No ~ that dog did follow you home, and is laying on your doorstep. The 135,323,267M dollar debt is based on those figures and debt management sheets you gave me at our last meeting. Those figures represent public debt, with that much more in interest.
My ire with debt is this: Stop spending unless there is an account to cover capital improvements. Pay as you go! How many companies could or would survive using the money management decisions used by the county? Only the US government.
Lunch sometime?