ASHEBORO — Randolph County commissioners approved more than $1 million in purchases for the emergency services department at its August meeting.
There were unanimous votes for two ambulances at a total of $489,548 and 16 cardiac monitor/ defibrillators at a total of $534,869. Both purchases will come from budgeted funds. The 2021 model ambulances could be in place by December.
As for the defibrillators, emergency services chief Donovan Davis said a trade-in of 11 monitors means there’s a savings of about $137,000 that’s calculated into the purchase.
Battle joins council
Alvin Battle, who was a member of North Carolina State’s 1983 national championship men’s basketball team, was named to the county’s juvenile crime prevention council.
Battle, an Archdale resident, works for Wake Forest Baptist Health. He’s an ordained minister, and previously worked in youth detention and correction centers.
PNG easement approved
The commissioners granted an easement of 1.32 acres for Piedmont Natural Gas on county-owned property near the intersection of Julian Airport Road and Crutchfield Farm Road. That will allow PNG to construct and maintain a utility station associated with the future Randolph-Guilford mega-site.
This approval came following a brief public hearing on the topic.
Another meeting
A special meeting of the board of commissioners is set for 5 p.m. Aug. 30 to hear requests from agencies on projects to be used for federal recovery funds.
There were 19 organizations with representatives attending a meeting in late July.
County manager Hal Johnson said agencies can give brief overviews of requests. Decisions by commissioners don’t have to be made at the Aug. 30 meeting.
Odds and ends …
- Johnson said five new housing units at the county jail have increased capacity from 211 to 422 beds. There were 242 detainees at the detention center last week. This concludes the first phase of the jail renovation.
- A budget amendment associated with receiving additional tonnage related to the supplemental landfill lease collection was approved.
- As part of the consent agenda, an item to reappoint commissioner David Allen and appoint Ann Shaw and Michael Ayers to the Sandhills board of directors was moved to September’s agenda.
- Commissioners board chairman Darrell Frye called the August agenda one of the board’s shortest in quite some time. Commissioner Maxton McDowell was absent, recuperating from hip replacement surgery.