Alleghany County legislators voted to put the proposed Department of Public Works building on County 20 in the Town of Friendship out to bid and to submit the plans to the state for permitting.

The request, presented by county staff, included approval of design plans and authorization to advertise the project for competitive bids. The board’s motion passed after a formal mover and second; members also agreed to refer the project to the Ways and Means committee for financing discussions.

County staff described the preferred design as a fabric-structure building used by other municipalities for truck storage and salt storage. Tom Windus, identified in the meeting as the county superintendent, said the fabric building’s design uses replaceable fabric panels between support bays and argued that panels localize damage in the event of a vehicle fire. “It burns a hole in that fabric. They take that piece of fabric out and put a new one on,” Windus said, explaining why the structure would limit fire loss to a single bay rather than the entire building.

Staff said a three-sided outbuilding for large equipment is included as an alternate bid item, meaning the county can choose whether to construct that portion. The core bid scope described to the board covers site preparation and underground utilities, including water, sewer and storm sewer, plus the primary building shell; additional door types or fully enclosed bays were presented as optional.

Board members and staff discussed lifecycle expectations and contingencies: staff estimated the fabric cover at about a 30- to 50-year lifespan while the metal framing would last longer and could outlast the cover. Commissioners asked about warranties and inspection frequency; staff said the existing salt-storage framing had held up under harsh conditions. County staff also said contingency funds could cover the alternate fabric-covered truck bays if necessary.

The motion to advertise bids and submit the project for permits passed and was referred to Ways and Means for financing as requested. No final financing source was adopted in the meeting.

The board did not set a construction start date in the motion; staff noted the alternate building and some features would be decided in the bidding and financing process.