By Josh Bergeron
josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Rowan County commissioners on Monday will consider approving a switch in health care providers at the jail because of dissatisfaction with a company currently providing services and awarding tax incentives to a local company proposing to add 35 new jobs.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office has recommended that commissioners approve a contract with Richmond, Virginia-based Mediko. An April 5 memo to commissioners states the company submitted a three-year contract, with a first-year cost of $727,895.

Mediko was founded in 1996 to provide medical services to correctional facilities, the company states on its website.

Mediko was the third-lowest bid for health care services at the jail, but the memo to commissioners states the lowest bid did not meet a minimum experience requirement. The second-lowest bid — $693,544 — came from the jail’s current health care provider, but “the sheriff’s office has requested that this company not be selected due to dissatisfaction with the current services provided,” the memo states.

The recommended contract with Mediko does not contain mental health services, but the memo states that the jail already pays $1,700 per month for that. While the price paid by the jail for mental health services is increasing, Jail Administrator Capt. Gregory Hannold said in the memo that bids submitted for health care services were even more expensive.

Mediko has also offered to purchase an electronic records management system and provide it to the Rowan County Jail.

Hannold said, “Mediko has never been found liable nor had a judgement issued against them.” That’s compared to Wellpath, the second choice, which Hannold said “appears to have quite a few more cases open.”

Commissioners will consider the recommendation from the sheriff’s office at its 6 p.m. meeting Monday at the Rowan County Administration Building — 130 West Innes St.

Also on Monday, commissioners will hold a public hearing and consider approving a tax incentive agreement for an unnamed local employer that plans to create 35 new jobs by the end of 2020.

The average salary of the jobs would be more than $41,000 per year, according to the Rowan County Economic Development Commission. With the codename “Project Special,” the Rowan EDC says the unnamed employer has an “international presence and currently employs a large number of people in our community.”

Project Special’s parent company is considering an expansion and $18 million investment in new equipment. Other sites under consideration for the same expansion are in Texas and Europe.

The tax incentive agreement to be considered Monday would rebate 75 percent of taxes on the expansion over five years. During those five years, Rowan County would collect $516,750 in new tax revenue and provide tax rebates totaling $387,563, leaving county government with $129,187 of new revenue during the period.

In other business:

• Commissioners will consider spending no more than $208,000 to replace a chiller at the Rowan Public Library headquarters.

• Commissioners will approve a task order with McGill Associates at a cost not to exceed $8,000 to study the best site for a solid waste and recycling convenience center in southern Rowan County.

• Commissioners will consider issuing a proclamation that May will be Shield-a-Badge with Prayer Awareness Month.

• Commissioners will consider issuing a proclamation for Law Enforcement Week, May 12-18.

• Commissioners will receive the annual report of the Rowan County Community Child Protection Team, which aims to bring awareness to the issue of Child Abuse and Neglect.

Contact editor Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4248.