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Durham commissioners approve $1.19 million exterior contract for Justice Services Center after public comment
Summary
The board approved authorization for the county manager to execute a $1,193,227 contract with Southern Wall Systems LLC for exterior refurbishment and window replacement at the Justice Services Center; a public commenter raised concerns about a local no‑contact order and alleged retaliation, which the board did not address as part of the contract vote.
Durham County commissioners on Nov. 24 authorized the county manager to enter into a $1,193,227 contract with Southern Wall Systems LLC for exterior refurbishment and window replacement at the Durham County Justice Services Center.
Item 250595 was pulled from the consent agenda to allow for a public comment. Elizabeth Arant, who identified herself as a county resident, used her comment time to raise alarm about a no‑contact order issued against Amanda Wallace, founder of Operation Stop CPS. Arant characterized the order as "a clear act of retaliation and suppression" and said cutting community members out of public forums for criticizing officials was alarming. The chair noted the comment was not on the agenda item but allowed the statement to be heard.
Following the public comment, the board moved to approve the contract authorization and any future change orders as long as funds were available in the capital improvement program (CIP) fund. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.
The board did not adopt additional conditions tied to the public comment during the meeting. The county clerk recorded the passage and the session adjourned.
The contract authorization allows the county manager to execute the agreement and approve change orders as funds permit; the item description in the agenda identified the vendor as Southern Wall Systems LLC and the amount as $1,193,227.
