Being under budget may not be good news

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

The Henry County Conservation Department came in under budget for its hazard mitigation project, but that may be a source of alarm for FEMA.

?We came in way under budget, to the point where they said that may raise flags,? John Pullis, conservation director told the Henry County Conservation Board on Wednesday night. ?The nice part is, we?ve got all the documentation. It was just that the bids came in so much lower than they had in prior years.?

In 2010, the cost was projected to be $75,000. However, as the bids came in lower than expected and the department did a least cost alternative project, Pullis said he expects a reimbursement of about $48,000.

Pullis also announced that the department came in under budget for the new storage building it has constructed.

?I had estimated somewhere between $20,000-25,000. I was wrong. We ended up about $17,000,? said Pullis.

This building will be strictly for storage and will not have any electricity run to it, said Pullis. It is already filled up, and there was some concern originally that the building might not have been made big enough, though when questioned Pullis said that he did not think they would need to add on to the building in the future.

?If anything we?ve just got some things to get rid of that aren?t used as often as we thought they?d be,? said Pullis.

In other business, the board approved the order of a new restroom for the top of the hill to be delivered next spring.

?You need it. Face it, the place is deteriorating. If the health inspector doesn?t get it, the termites are going to get it,? said Jim Onoroato, board member.

The building itself will cost about $33,000. There will then be about $5,000-7,000 to install a septic system and additional costs to run electricity and water to the building, as well as prepare the site for the building. Pullis estimated that total costs would be about $40,000-42,000.

It was also announced at the meeting that the department had signed a contract with Lance Refuse Service to take care of its garbage services since the department previously used Whaley Waste Systems. The two-year contract is for four two-yard dumpsters and one six-yard dumpster at a cost of $195 per month during the peak season and $110 per month during the off season.

The conservation board now has its own email address, board@henrycountyconservation.com.

?From now on, we?ll get it on the website, to contact board members it has to be through that particular email address,? said Pullis.

Having a board email address through the county was requested by the board so that they did not need to use their personal email for board business.

?There?s no reason anyone to be fielding email now through their personal one,? said Pullis.

All board members will have access to this one email address.