County OKs purchase of drama renovation materials, delays cooling tower bids
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, July 3, 2018 — Nelson Fiscal Court approved a request to put an $18,000 down payment on building materials for the J. Dan Talbott Amphitheatre project that will begin once the drama’s season ends.
Judge Executive Dean Watts explained that the county will make the down payment, and then bill the Stephen Foster Drama Association.
Magistrate Keith Metcalfe reviews documents during Tuesday’s Nelson Fiscal Court meeting.
Ordering the materials will allow them to be on hand in order to facilitate the start of demolition and construction of the amphitheater’s stage and backstage areas, Watts explained. The drama association has the funds on hand to repay county government without making use of a zero percent interest Salt River Community Development loan.
With county government ordering the materials, the drama association can avoid paying sales taxes, Watts explained.
JUDICIAL CENTER COOLING TOWER BID. The court delayed taking action on bids it received for installing cooling towers at the Nelson County Judicial Center.
The existing geothermal system is not providing sufficient cooling for the judicial center, and the plan is for the cooling towers to assist the geothermal system by helping cool the water in the system and increase the system’s cooling capability.
The two bids received — $380,000 from Knights Mechanical, and $218,000 from Intertech Mechanical Services — were $162,000 apart. County Engineer Brad Spalding asked the court to delay taking action in order to give the engineers an opportunity to review the bids with each company.
Magistrates Bernard Ice, left, and Sam Hutchins talk prior to the start of Tuesday’s fiscal court meeting.
In other business, the court:
— approved the purchase of a used 2006 Chevy 1-ton pickup truck from the state for $7,500;
— accepted the bid for an archaeological survey at the Nelson County Landfill for $6,185 from Cultural Resource Analysts.
— approved declaring a 1999 Ford E-450 ambulance as surplus property and dispose of it.
-30-
