Florence County Council to vote on construction of 3 libraries

Florence County Council on Thursday will hold a discussion about the Florence museum and could approve bids totaling more than $3.1 million for the construction of three new public branch libraries.

Council’s Thursday agenda includes a discussion of contractual matters related to the Florence Museum of Art, Science and History. 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.

Council also will vote on bids of $2.1 million for construction of new Olanta and Timmonsville public libraries as well as $1.05 million to build a new Johnsonville library.

Florence County Library System Director Ray McBride said the libraries will offer high-speed Internet, meeting rooms and other resources that will help job seekers.

“Despite the economic situation, we think this is the right time,” McBride said.

The bid for the Olanta and Timmonsville libraries, submitted by FBi Construction Inc. of Florence, 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.

The highest bid came in at nearly $3.8 million, county documents show.

“It’s a tight market out there, a lot of competition, and this time the taxpayers benefited from it a little bit,” Starks said.

The money for the libraries has been allocated from county library construction funds as well as grants from the state, the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation, and Honda of South Carolina Manufacturing Inc.

The county expects the new libraries to carry a total yearly recurring cost of $483,000.

The county library system also could receive a $5,000 grant from the Mary AC Ingram Charitable Lead Unitrust if approved Thursday by council. The grant would help the library buy books for all its branches after suffering cuts of $84,000 of its $283,000 in state aid during the past six months.

McBride said the library has compensated for about $37,000 of the cuts through donations and grants from the trust.

The S.C. State Library, however, has projected Florence County’s state aid to drop to $168,000 in July, McBride said.

In other business, council is scheduled to:

• Receive its fiscal year 2008 audit report from Baird & Co. CPAs LLC of Augusta, Ga.
• Vote on 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.
• Hold a public hearing and second reading regarding 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.

Judge to swear in councilmen; council to pick officers

Judge Ralph King Anderson Jr. will administer the oath of office Thursday to councilmen Mitchell Kirby, Johnnie Rodgers Jr., Ken Ard and Morris Anderson, who were re-elected in November.

Council also will elect its officers for 2009. K.G. “Rusty” Smith has been serving as chairman, Waymon Mumford as vice chairman and Anderson as secretary/chaplain.

IF YOU’RE GOING

WHAT: Florence County Council regular meeting, including swearing-in ceremony, election of council officers and public hearing on an ordinance to postpone tax reassessment

WHEN: 9 a.m. Thursday

WHERE: Florence City-County Complex Room 803, 180 N. Irby St. in Florence

INFO: Call Clerk to Council Connie Haselden at (843) 665-3035