The Gates County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to proceed with a request-for-qualifications (RFQ) process to hire design teams for a proposed community senior center.

Background and funding
County Manager Scott Sauer told the board the county has approximately $500,000 available from the State Construction Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) for the project; the county previously used about $40,000 of that allocation for initial planning work. Commissioners discussed the condition of the existing community center building and the decision to pursue architectural and engineering services for a new or renovated facility rather than immediate repairs.

Scope and procurement
The draft RFQ in the board packet asks for qualified architecture and engineering teams to provide planning, design and construction administration services. Commissioners emphasized the importance of clearly defined contract scope items (including RFI and submittal management) during contract negotiation and said they expect to select a firm based on qualifications, then negotiate a contract under North Carolina procurement law.

Vote and next steps
A motion to proceed with the RFQ process passed by unanimous vote. Staff said the RFQ would be circulated, firms interviewed and the board would review qualifications and negotiate a contract. The manager noted the county already owns potential sites at the Commerce Center area to pair with grant opportunities and to provide a shovel‑ready location when construction funding becomes available.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to return with shortlisted firms and a negotiated contract for board review and approval before construction funds are committed.