Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents and commissioners press to finish Stevens School renovation; county reports final inspection and contingency funds for kitchen equipment
Summary
Friends of Stevens School and commissioners urged the county to complete remaining work and order kitchen equipment so grant funds are not lost. County staff said a final inspection was scheduled and that roughly $40,000 in contingency funds could be used to purchase appliances once construction punch list items are confirmed.
Friends of Stevens School and several commissioners pressed Gadsden County staff to finish work on the Stevens School renovation and to proceed with ordering kitchen equipment needed to complete the project’s first phase.
Karen Ford, speaking for Friends of Stevens School, told the board that the project had been active across several commission terms since the school burned and that volunteers and local advocates have been working for years to complete the site. Ford asked commissioners to make sure appliances for the cafeteria are ordered and installed so the county does not risk losing grant funds tied to a later phase of the project.
Commissioner Morris, participating by Zoom, said he had scheduled a final inspection for the project on Friday and reported there were contingency funds — he estimated roughly $40,000 — that could be used to purchase kitchen equipment after staff confirms remaining construction items. Morris said the original completion deadline had been June 1 but that project contractors expected to finish earlier, and he said his goal was to use any leftover grant contingency funds rather than return money to the state.
County staff and commissioners discussed supply‑chain concerns: several speakers noted that much kitchen equipment is sourced overseas and could be delayed by port congestion, and they asked whether local procurement options had been explored so the open‑house timeline would not be jeopardized. Commissioners and community speakers mentioned a potential July open house tied to the site and urged staff to prioritize ordering equipment as soon as construction punch‑list items are confirmed.
Ending: County staff said they would complete the Friday walkthrough and, if the building portion is complete, use contingency funds to buy equipment so the project’s first phase could be finalized and an open house proceeded with as scheduled; staff and advocates noted they would return to the commission with updates.
