For new town hall
By Stan Welch – The West Pelzer Town Council will hold a special called meeting Thursday evening at 6:30 to consider second reading approval for an ordinance issuing a general obligation bond in the amount of one hundred thirty nine thousand dollars.
The bond will be used, along with other funds, to purchase and upgrade the former NAPA auto parts store located at 30 Main Street, with the intention of transforming it into a hub for the town’s official functions. The clerk’s office, the municipal court, the police station and the water and sewer department would be housed there, along with the Council chambers.
The store front location is adjacent to the Chapman Park, which in turn abuts the existing town hall parking lot, and also accesses Hindman Street. It is the consensus of Council that consolidating the town’s presence in that area is a desirable goal.
In addition to the $95,000 asking price, Sanders projected an additional cost of $100 – $160,000 in improvements, to include roofing, HVAC, and electrical issues. The building will also have to be ADA compliant. To address those additional costs, Sanders has suggested using a projected refund of the contingency fund for the second phase of the sewer system upgrade. That amount is expected to be approximately $ 75,000. Sanders also mentioned the existence of a contingency fund that has been incorporated into the town’s budget.
The Council has already authorized the purchase of the building. The GO bond would allow the renovations and upgrades to the building to be begun immediately and to be completed within approximately one year, instead of the three years that alternative funding options would necessitate.
