Money borrowed in 2007 by the county will fund capital projects and help accelerate moving employees from the basement of the courthouse. County Council voted this week to make the move, and to monitor new capital projects twice a month.

Clemson Extension

The county is looking at spending $644,000 to renovate the Clemson Extension building for workers displaced by mold in the basement of the Courthouse.

The building planning and zoning departments are finishing up the move from the basement of the Courthouse.

After workers move to the Clemson building, work will be done to increase handicapped accessibility both inside and inside. This will include $200,000 to install an elevator. Also included in the renovation plan is drywall, painting, new tile and carpet for another $110,000. Concrete finishes are budgeted at $10,000. There is a contingency fund of $103,700.

The economic development office will likely join the Chamber of Commerce office at Community Hall.

The delinquent tax office will also be moved to the Clemson Extension building.

Voter registration

The county is looking at renting a building for the voter registration and election commission. It will cost the county around $35,000 to lease the building from Nov. 15 until June 30 and for the move. The terms of the lease are $17,663 a year, but the county is withholding the location of the building until County Council agrees to a lease.

Courthouse

It is estimated that it will take almost $300,000 to correct water intrusion issues that have plagued the courthouse since the basement was dug out in renovations in 2001.

Sheriff’s Office

The new sheriff’s office project is on hold.

Council is hoping that the new one-cent sales tax commission will include building a new Piedmont Tech campus on the list of capital projects to be voted on in November 2011.

If this idea comes together, the sheriff’s office would move into Piedmont’s Tech’s current Newberry campus, mitigated the cost of a move. This is estimated to cost around $2 million for the renovations and equipment.

Of this money, $1.13 million is set aside in a restricted fund from property taxes and $900,000 from a settlement for the mold growing in the Highway 219 building.

OVERALL FUNDING

For the projects, $487,700 will come from the 2007 bonds, which has not been spent.

The council will discuss the financial burden of the work and the progress of the work at each of its bi-monthly meetings.

The County Council meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month in the council chambers of the Courthouse Annex on College Street.