Columbus County approves budget adjustments, Airport AWOS increase and major construction contract

Finance Director Heather Woody summarized a slate of amended project ordinances, budget amendments and requisitions during the May 4 meeting. She described salary-line reallocations in the Health Department (no net change), department-to-department fund shifts such as moving gas funds into Sheriff’s vehicle maintenance, insurance recoveries applied to replacement items and vehicle repairs, and several multi-year project adjustments.

Woody said the Airport AWOS (automated weather observation system) installation design, bidding and construction project increased by $224,446, bringing the total project to $333,334 after additional grant and local-match adjustments. She also described reorganization of the 2023 CDBG-NR funds, returning previously included funds to the original project and establishing a new $625,000 project budget for new CDBG-NR funding.

Several requisitions and contracts were listed: Apex Construction ($126,900), Holland Construction ($147,780) related to CDBG work; ELR (home-delivered and congregate meals) for $176,000; Enterprise lease requisitions totaling $54,899; and a $1,942,889 total contract amount for Wales Brothers Construction for the Economic Development International Logistics Park. Commissioner Ricky Bullard moved to approve items A–K; Vice Chairman Scott Floyd seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

The board accepted the finance adjustments and authorized staff to proceed with the listed contracts and project budget changes; full supporting documents were filed with the clerk’s office.