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The Rose Hill Board of Commissioners met Feb. 24 after failing to have a quorum for their Feb. 10 meeting. The board voted on several budget items related to sewer line repairs and technology needs.
A request by Rose Hill Public Works Director Blake Parker for funds to repair a gravity sewer line on Charity Road had been tabled at the January meeting in hopes of encouraging more bids for the project. Town Administrator Angela Smith told the board attempting to secure additional bids had not been successful.
“We could not acquire any more quotes for this project,” Smith said. “Nobody wants to do it.”
The board voted to accept the only bid of $31,229 for the repairs. Parker had advised the board in January that the line was broken in three places. He said repairs will be challenging because the 30 feet of line in need of repair are 17 feet deep.
In another sewer issue, Parker requested the board approve a change order for the town’s stormwater project, which is mostly funded by the Golden Leaf Foundation. Parker said the change order is to install an interference box in the sewage line near the corner of Walnut and Cherry Streets. He added the interference box will allow easier access to the line in the event of blockage and for routine maintenance.
The board voted to approve the change order at a cost of $5,459.
At the January meeting, the auditor presenting the audit results for the required yearly audit made his presentation via Zoom. The board had to share one laptop to watch the presentation, which was not visible to citizens attending the meeting.
As a result of that experience, the board agreed at the Feb. 24 meeting to spend $3,020 to purchase two large monitors and a laptop for the boardroom. The monitors will be installed on two walls so commissioners and attendees can see the screens. In addition to being used for people participating in meetings remotely, they can be used to display photos or other graphics.
In another technology expenditure, the board approved purchasing new laptops for the Rose Hill Police Department vehicles at a cost of $7,800. Police Chief Michael Tyndall said the current computers were outdated and one had a failed screen. The new laptops will be rugged and designed for use in that environment.
For several months, the board has discussed a request by business owners on Church Street to repair the sidewalk on the northern side of the street for one block east of Railroad Street to allow for easier access to their businesses by older or handicapped patrons.
Smith reported to the board that bids to bring that section of sidewalk into Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance revealed a cost of $56,292 for the sidewalk repair and an additional $11,875 for the installation of a handrail for the length of the block. Commissioner Adam Quinn made a motion to table the issue one more month to see if bids to add repairs to another sidewalk downtown in front of a church that had similar issues may save the town funds overall to combine the projects. Quinn’s motion to table the request until the March meeting passed.
During department reports, Smith reported that roof repairs to town hall and the police department had been completed. She also said a new heat pump to replace the failed one at the Rose Hill Library would be installed on Feb. 26.
