FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Tuesday to set the maximum guaranteed construction cost for the new emergency operations center at nearly $3.7 million.
That does not include any “soft costs” such as architectural designs, a security system, furniture or other related items, Susan Pratt, program administrator for the county’s American Rescue Plan Act, said.
The overall cost is estimated at $4.4 million.
The center will be a stand-alone building on County Way, as are the regional communications center, the jail and the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office will move into the new building once it is constructed.
The new center will include information technology management, some county commission government offices, and the Emergency Management Agency.
The county was awarded $2 million from Congress and has $1.67 million from the American Recovery Plan Act. Commissioners have also applied for a $700,000 grant from the county tax-increment program to pay for the building.
In other business, commissioners reappointed members to the Tax Increment Financing Advisory Committee. They are Vern Bean, Richard Fotter, Gary Perlson, Sandy Wilbur and William Gilmore. Nonvoting members are Charlie Woodworth of Greater Franklin Economic and Community Development and county Administrator Amy Bernard.
The committee reviews applications submitted for grants.
Commissioners also set nearly $9.1 million to be committed for taxes. The tax rate for 2024-25 will be set at another meeting.
The Budget Advisory Committee voted Monday to override the commissioners’ $10.6 million budget, which included $100,000 to comply with a new federal labor law for salaried, nonunion workers on Jan. 1, 2025.
The committee added about $98,000 to the commissioners’ budget but not the $100,000 for new labor law.
Commissioners also approved using $4,996 from a jail repair account to buy mattresses for the Franklin County Detention Center.
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