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A large crowd packed the County Council chambers Monday night as the Finance Committee continued to discuss the upcoming budget.

On the agenda were capital projects and the nursing home budget. Employee vacation time was also discussed.

The staff began listing its priorities for capital projects like a new sheriff’s office building, a recycling center, the Mid-Carolina Commerce Park and Maybinton Ball Field. The first two projects were scuttled for the time being, and the last two were only given money already allocated to the projects.

County Administrator Wayne Adams listed other capital needs as a new public works building and animal shelter, a new financial services space for the assessor, treasurer and auditor offices and space for voter registration.

But members of the Finance Committee had a difference of opinion.

Sheriff’s Office

Proposed was a sheriff’s office complex that would cost more than $2.8 million according to the lowest estimate.

There are two options in the proposal for buildings that would be 18,159 and 15,070 square feet. Both building ideas are designed to handle additions in the future if needed.

Architects Mike Donkle and Jim Stewart with Stewart, Cooper, Newell Architects told council a new facility can be built for less if council does so before the federal stimulus money begins circulating through the economy.

Sheriff Lee Foster added there is no stimulus money for law enforcement construction projects.

Councilman Less Hipp suggested that council limit any more spending on a new sheriff’s office until the litigation involving the former Highway 219 Sheriff’s Office is finished.

The trial is scheduled to head to court in September.

“We don’t need to proceed past the conceptual design until the lawsuit is done,“ said Hipp.

“(The conclusion of the lawsuit) will either make us a lot better off or a lot worse,“ said County Council and Finance Committee Chairman “Henry“ Buddy Livingston, adding he hates to miss out on the favorable bid climate.

The committee voted to hold off on plans to continue with the new sheriff’s office for the upcoming year. However, the county still plans to put aside $100,000 for the project.

Recycling Center

The plans have been for the county to move the recycling center near the intersection of Wilson Road and the Highway 34 By-pass (Dixie Drive) to a location next to the Newberry County Rescue Squad Building on Adelaide Street.

The cost for the project would be around $284,000. It is the hope that the new recycling center would encourage more residents in the city of Newberry to bring in their recyclable items.

Also, the county has received an $80,000 grant to help pay for the project and construction could begin as early as the last of June, again taking advantage of a good bid market.

“This is a good idea but I think we need to back up and punt,“ stated Councilman Bill Waldrop.

The committee was then told the county workers could do some of the labor and the county could ask the County Transportation Committee for state money to help pave the facility, which would decrease costs.

Also, if the county moves the facility, it could put the property near Wilson Road on the market.

“We have already got a lot of property that we are not selling,“ said Hipp. “This looks like a deferrable project.“

One budgetary hitch to postponing the plan was a new compactor that would save the county money in hauling and disposal fees. Council discussed if the county can still get the new compactor without building the new facility. Also, if the extra work to install the compactor at the old site would be worth the expense.

In the final discussions, the committee decided to see if the grant could be extended, to apply for more grants and the cost lowered. Department of Health and Environment (DHEC) testing will continue at the new site, but work on the new recycling center was postponed.

Adams reminded those in attendance that nothing is final with the budget until the final reading.

Maybinton Ball Field

The Maybinton community was granted $80,000 through the one cent sales tax to build a new ballfield.

Throughout the process, the community has stated that it wants a simple facility designed for future growth.

However, with the involvement of county-hired planners and discussions the park project grew to include: bathrooms, fencing, lights, dugouts, bleachers and an irrigation system.

“This project went awry big time,“ stated Livingston. “No high school ballfields around come close to this.“

“It will only be used seasonal...90 days out of the year,“ said Waldrop.

“This is not the best use of county funding,“ said Hipp.

Foster added the area does have a semi-pro traveling team that plays at the Rutherford Club and Mount Olive that would play at the field.

“The ballfields they are playing out of don’t have fencing,“ said Foster.

The committee instructed the county administration to take another look at the project and present it again with plans pared down to the minimum.

Mid-Carolina Commerce Park

The only capital to get the green light from the committee was Phase One of the Mid-Carolina Commerce Park, which has already begun.

The $2.5 million in contracted prices for the project have already received funding through numerous grants and gifts.

The council will use extra money set aside for the project to plan for Phase Two to get it shovel ready to receive stimulus grants.

Public Works and Animal Shelter

Plans are that when the capital project one penny sales tax collections come to an end at the close of 2010, that the county would have enough extra money to build a new public works facility and animal shelter.

Conditions of the current facility are pushing the plans for a new one.

However, no real plans have been made for the facility.

Financial Services Office

County officials say original facility plans for the Auditor and Treasurer Building on Martin Street were cut down due to budget concerns when it was built behind the Court House just seven years ago.

“It was too small to begin with,“ said Adams of the building.

Plans are being discussed absorb the delinquent tax department under the treasurer. If this is done, Adams is asking where the additional staff would go.

“We have never had any space for storage...(the building) kept getting cut and was not built to original specs,“ said Treasurer Judy Floyd.

“I am surprised to hear the Treasurer and Auditor’s building has been outgrown. This is the first I have heard of it. If we build something it needs to carry us into the future,“ said Hipp.

Also, the financial staff said the assessor’s office could be moved into a new financial services building to allow for more judicial offices to move into the Courthouse.

However, there are no concrete plans for a new building at this time.

Voter Registration

It was also noted that the voter registration office has requested more space for offices and storage.

No action was taken on the request.

Nursing Home budget

At the Monday meeting, the J.F. Hawkins and Springfield Place staff presented a $9.2 million budget for the new fiscal year.

This represents an increase of $100,000 from the current budget.

One concern is that the facility has not received $353,000 in increased Medicaid payments. The facility expects to receive the money, but has no timeline.

Also, the state’s acceptance of stimulus funding could have an impact on Medicaid spending by the state.

“If the governor does not accept the stimulus, it will not cover all of our expenses,“ said Nursing Home Administrator Les Parks of the proposed budget.

The budget currently does not include any county money.

Council asked for time to review the proposed budget, and deferred questions to a later date.

Employee Benefits

A host of county employees were on hand to ask about proposed changes in sick and vacation time.

Adams said no plans have been made and it will take time to revise the policy.

The administrator assured the county employees that they would be informed of any decisions.

Upcoming meetings

County Council will take first reading on the proposed county budget at tonight’s County Council meeting that begins at 7 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex on College Street.

The next budget meetings will be on April 23 and 30 at the Courthouse Annex. No times have been set for the meetings.