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Resident questions $91,600 Bethune recycle‑center bid and ADA, HVAC specs
Summary
Resident Lee Reed urged the council to reevaluate a recently approved $91,600 bid for a small Bethune recycle‑center office, citing apparent high per‑square‑foot cost (~$366/sq ft), possible exterior ADA access issues, oversized HVAC and excessive downspouts, and unquantified county costs for debris disposal.
Lee Reed used his public‑comment time at the March 10 Kershaw County Council meeting to raise detailed concerns about a recently approved $91,600 contract for a small office at the Bethune recycling center. Reed said plans and specifications suggest a roughly 250‑square‑foot structure on CMU blocks and calculated a per‑square‑foot price of about $366.38, which he contrasted with local residential construction norms.
"Because a bid is the lowest of all available bids does not make it reasonable or even acceptable," Reed said. He questioned whether renovation of existing facilities had been considered, flagged what he interpreted as an ADA‑access mismatch (exterior stairs to a raised building), and highlighted added county costs such as providing a contractor dumpster and transport of debris to the county landfill.
Council members and the administrator acknowledged the comment and agreed to follow up. Councilmember Cato later said county employees work in a building that is near failure, suggesting a need for projects but also underscoring the need for prudent use of public funds. The transcript does not record a technical response that resolves Reid’s specific questions about ADA compliance, HVAC sizing, or the unit price; those points remain unresolved in the public record and would require staff review of plans and procurement documents.
Reed framed his comments as a documented review and urged more thorough evaluation of county expenditures going forward.
