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Board approves interlocal school agreements and sets Franklin High financing schedule
Summary
The commission approved multiple interlocal agreements with the Board of Education for school projects—including the Highlands School and a Macon Middle track—and set a public hearing for Franklin High School financing; the board also heard that several school radio/BDA systems failed testing and will need repair proposals.
Macon County commissioners on July 9 approved multiple interlocal agreements with the Macon County Board of Education and approved a public-hearing schedule to keep Franklin High School financing on track.
Attorney Eric Ridenour noted a correction in the Macon Middle School Track agreement language regarding available contingency funds; the board approved that agreement 4-1 after a motion to postpone failed for lack of a second. The Franklin High School interlocal agreement was approved 3-2; Ridenour said Section 3.G.7 lists the project amount as $137,624,444. Finance Director Lori Carpenter told commissioners she could not pre-audit agreements or allow execution until funding is appropriated. The Highlands School interlocal agreement was approved 4-1 with the amount in Section 3.G.7 listed as $8,575,068. The board took no action on the Nantahala septic agreement because project costs remain unknown.
County Manager Derek Roland also asked the board to approve a notice of public hearing on financing Franklin High School for Aug. 13, which the board approved unanimously; Roland said that schedule keeps the project aligned with the Local Government Commission’s September meeting and a bond sale timeline in mid-to-late September.
On school safety infrastructure, Project Manager Jack Morgan reported that the bi-directional amplifier (BDA) system installed at Macon Middle School passed testing but that East Franklin, Cartoogechaye, Iotla Valley, Highlands and Nantahala failed tests. Morgan said he has requested proposals to repair or replace failing systems and recommended coordinating replacement at Highlands with its renovation.
Next steps: the board will publish the financing hearing notice for Aug. 13 and staff will return with funding and implementation details; several agreements cannot be executed until appropriations are completed.
