Florence company to build 3 new county branch libraries

FLORENCE — A Florence company will build the new Johnsonville, Olanta and Timmonsville branch libraries for $3.15 million now that its bids have received Florence County Council’s approval.

Council voted unanimously Thursday for FBi Construction Inc. of Florence to handle construction of the new facilities.

“It’s very important that we got all of council’s support for this, and it’s good for the school district and all involved,” said councilman Johnnie Rodgers Jr., whose district includes Olanta.

The bid for the Olanta and Timmonsville libraries, submitted by FBi, was the lowest of 11.

County officials were happy with the price and asked the company to extend its bid to include the Johnsonville library, Florence County Administrator Richard Starks said.

“If a bad economy’s good for anything, it’s the construction of libraries,” said councilman Ken Ard, whose district includes Johnsonville, as council discussed the bids.

The highest bid for the Olanta and Timmonsville libraries came in at nearly $3.8 million, county documents show.

The libraries will offer high-speed Internet, meeting rooms and other resources that will help job seekers and their communities during the economic downturn, Florence County Library System Director Ray McBride said earlier this week.

Council also was scheduled to discuss contractual matters related to the Florence Museum of Art, Science and History during an executive session, but took no action after returning to open session.

The city of Florence has given the county a six-month, $200,000 option to purchase property at the corner of Cheves and Dargan streets for the museum.

The county’s budget includes a 2 percent hospitality tax on prepared food and beverages, designated to establish a cultural commission, which aims to help the Florence Museum of Art, Science and History find $7.8 million to match $3.9 million in state money for a new museum.

The money must be matched by June 30, Starks said.

Collections of the tax also go toward Lake City’s National Bean Market Museum.

Council Chairman K.G. “Rusty” Smith said council will form a conference committee that will discuss the museum, among other issues, when it meets with a similar Florence City Council committee.

“These are very trying times ... and we’re going to move forward cautiously,” Smith said.

In other business, council:

• Received its fiscal year 2008 audit report, which shows the county has $85 million in net assets, with more than $36 million of that amount unrestricted, and no material weaknesses in its internal controls.
• Voted by acclamation for Smith to continue serving as council chairman, Waymon Mumford as vice chairman, and Morris Anderson as secretary/chaplain.
• Unanimously approved a $33,000 bid by Boggs Paving Inc. of Myrtle Beach to widen Bellevue Drive for a turn lane at Second Loop Road, where a traffic light will be installed. The county also is sending a letter asking whether any Florence County Transportation Committee funds can be used on the widening project, councilman James Schofield said.
• Heard a request from Mike King to reopen Cain’s Landing to the public on the Great Pee Dee River near Pamplico; councilman Ard said the landing belongs to a group of Horry County landowners and that the county is seeking legal advice about the situation.
• Unanimously voted to use $96,500 from Pee Dee Electric Cooperative Rural Development Act funds for storm drainage improvements at the cooperative’s Touchstone Energy Commerce City industrial park.
• Unanimously approved $75,000 toward engineering work, which will be funded through Progress Energy Carolinas’ Rural Development Act funding, for engineering work to improve infrastructure at the Britton-Bostic-Winona site, a potential economic development area on East Old Marion Highway near Florence.
• Unanimously approved second reading of an ordinance to postpone the implementation of 2009’s reassessed tax values until the 2010 tax year, which will allow more time for appeals during tough economic times, Starks said earlier this week.
• Unanimously approved a $5,000 grant from the Mary AC Ingram Charitable Lead Unitrust for books in the Florence County Library System.