By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
The Rowan County Housing Authority spent nearly an hour Thursday dealing with issues including allegations of bid rigging raised by four fired employees.
Eric Beaver, chairman of the Housing Authority Board, said little about the closed session Thursday afternoon.
“We think we’ve addressed all the issues,” Beaver said. “We have not removed our executive director (Sara Potts).”
The session came after Carl Ford, chairman of the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, called for the Housing Authority to deal with the allegations, or he said the county would.
One or more of the fired employees apparently met with Ford. All four signed a letter that was sent to commissioners.
In the letter, the employees wrote that they had submitted items to a member of the Housing Authority regarding wrongdoings by Potts.
Beaver said no one has ever made any allegation of bid rigging to the Housing Authority board. “They’ve never come to us and talked bid rigging. They’ve talked to the newspaper or somebody else.”
“I wish they would come to us instead of sending a letter to the commissioners,” Beaver said.
The board met with its attorney, Jeremy Carter, and Potts in closed session.
Beaver said Carter was asked to advise the county that they have dealt with all issues.
But Beaver left the door open if someone has evidence of misconduct. “We don’t ever completely drop an issue. We’re always open.”
During the public portion of the meeting, the board opened and rejected five bids for a new system-wide maintenance contract.
Beaver said there was an “extreme difference” in the bids and concerns whether all bidders were licensed and bonded.
The board opted to reject the bids and re-advertise, including the requirement for licenses.
The Housing Authority has opted to eliminate its maintenance staff and go with an annual contract to provide service at the nearly 200 units in Kannapolis and East Spencer.