By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

When Rowan County Commissioners meet Monday, most items scheduled for public discussion could be complete within a few minutes.

Most business items are on the consent agenda, used to quickly approve unanimously agreed upon items, for county commissioners’ Monday meeting. Commissioners are scheduled to consider budget amendments, board appointments and a funding request for economic development during the open portion of the meeting, excluding the consent agenda.

Listed for consideration during closed session is a personnel matter and economic development at the Rowan County Airport.

None of the items for consideration during Monday’s closed session are described further than a brief title on agenda documents.

Items listed on the consent agenda include:

• A real estate contract with R. Gils Moss Auction and Real Estate.

County commissioners have previously said they want to sell county-owned facilities formerly occupied by Social Services on Mahaley Avenue and another on West Innes Street. The county’s request for proposals, however, didn’t specify a particular property. When the two proposals were received, County Purchasing Agent David Sifford said the terms could technically include any building owned by the county.

Both former Social Services buildings were previously offered to county departments and are also included as potential options in different parts of the county’s master plan.

County government received two proposals from realty companies — Locus Real Estate in Concord and R. Giles Moss Auction and Real Estate in Rockwell — seeking to market and sell county-owned property. Locus proposed a commission of 6 percent for any sale. R. Giles Moss proposed a 5 percent commission for any sale over $75,000 and 6 percent for a sale under $75,000.

The county staff recommendation attached to Monday’s agenda suggests R. Giles Moss.

• A change in the available uses for a one-quarter cent county sales and use tax levied on Jan. 4, 2010.

The tax is currently only allowed to be used for improvements at the county’s jail annex, emergency radio upgrades and communications antennae. The proposed change on the consent agenda would allow county government to also use the tax for purchasing, implementing or financing public safety capital needs.

• Purchasing a generator for the county’s Emergency Services Department at a cost not to exceed $45,000.

The purchase would be an exception to bidding rules because the county would get the generator through a purchasing cooperative. In this case, it’s the Charlotte Cooperative Purchasing Alliance.

• Awarding a contract for auditing services to Martin Starnes and Associates at a cost not to exceed $35,175.

Items not listed on the consent agenda to be considered during open session include:

• Considering allocating $200,000 into site development work by Rowan Works Economic Development.

Economic Development Director Robert Van Geons, in a letter to commissioners, asks that 10 percent of $2.1 million in revenue from recent real estate sales to certify sites for economic development.

The revenue comes from the purchase of two tracts of land in the Summit Corporate Center. One tract of land will house Agility Fuel Systems and the other will house a retail complex.

In his letter, Van Geons lists multiple sites across the county to be certified. Work needed includes environmental reports, surveys, renderings and various transportation engineering improvements.

• Budget amendments to increase appropriations to Rowan Museum by $6,000 for the facility’s virtual reality technology project, increasing revenues and expenditures for child day care payments in Social Services, increasing revenues and expenditures for Social Services One Church One Child Program,  and increasing both revenues and expenditures for family consumer science fees at Cooperative Extension.

Budget amendments also include adding over $150,000 in revenues generated from ad valorem tax, auditing discoveries and other professional services.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.