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Catawba County awards Wellington subdivision road contract; property owners face special assessments
Summary
The Board awarded a $355,037.64 contract to Midstate Contractors to repair Wellington subdivision roads and authorized a $365,000 transfer to cover the project. The minimum estimated assessment per parcel is $12,679.92; the project proceeds under state law after required petitions and assessments.
The Catawba County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 6 approved a $355,037.64 contract to Midstate Contractors Inc. for road improvements in the Wellington subdivision and authorized a $365,000 transfer from the Subdivision Road Improvement Future Projects fund to cover the work.
The move followed a petition-driven process in which at least 75% of homeowners and 75% of frontage petitioned for the project, consistent with N.C. Gen. Stat. 153A-185. County staff said the subdivision — off Rocky Ford Road and made up of 28 homes or lots — will see pavement milling (most sections 1.5 inches) and overlays, shoulder grading, and selected culvert cleaning or replacement to meet NCDOT standards.
Why it matters: The County provides up-front financing for private-road improvements so NCDOT can assume maintenance. The cost is later recouped from affected property owners over a 10-year special assessment period if the Board confirms the assessment rolls.
Board action and cost details Midstate Contractors submitted the lowest responsive bid of $355,037.64. Two other responsive bids were listed: JT Russell & Sons ($453,081.93) and Triangle Grading & Paving ($810,369.00). County staff told commissioners the chosen bid was about 5.04% higher than the engineer's estimate.
The Board authorized the County Manager to execute project documents and transfer funds to the project account. The motion to award the contract was made by Chair Randy Isenhower and passed 4-0; Commissioner Robert C. Abernethy, Jr., recused himself under N.C. law for a conflict of interest related to the item.
Property-owner assessments and next steps Based on the bid, staff estimates the minimum assessment per affected parcel at $12,679.92. Commissioners' packet materials stress that the project's total cost may include construction, legal, publication and postage costs and that the final assessment amounts will be set once the project is complete and final costs are known.
The statutory schedule summarized in staff materials shows prior petition and hearing steps already completed; the Board will set a public hearing on the preliminary assessment rolls and, if confirmed, the Tax Administrator will collect the assessments in the same manner as property taxes.
The Board's action clears the way for work to be scheduled and for the required public notices and hearings to follow.
