CHINA GROVE — The China Grove Town Council authorized an additional contract with an engineering services firm on Tuesday to offer a secondary option for needed inspections and testing. With the new firm now in the fold, China Grove has two such firms to call on.

Planning Director Teresa Barringer said the request would grant an extension to the current contract with Kinsinger, Campo and Associates and then agree to a contract with CESI. 

According to a memo from Barringer to the council, the contracts will provide “on-call engineering services for on-site infrastructure inspections, testing, proof rolls, and other associated needs for quality control and compliance of road repairs, new roads and infrastructure.”

Per Barringer’s memo, China Grove has three subdivisions under active construction with four additional subdivisions pending construction. 

“It is keeping KCA busy splitting time between the subdivisions and the needs and demands of the on-site inspections,” Barringer said during the meeting. “We felt like it would be important to have another firm available under that same scenario where we can contract with them and then those fees are billed to the developer.”

Eyeing future development, the memo said that contracting with two services will provide the coverage of services needed for the number of projects that will be active.

Barringer mentioned that CESI also brings additional services to the table.

“CESI does have some other services, like surveying, that could be beneficial for other town needs,” Barringer said. “I have already compared their fee schedule up against what our current fee schedule is for different types of reviews and inspections. The majority of those are lower than what our current fee schedule shows. 

“Some of them, because they have such a wide variety of fees, are not stated in ours because it is not something we would utilize. I think we are really good there but if there is a reason for a change we would bring that up during budgeting.”

All fees associated with the development activity will then be billed to the developer for reimbursement to the town.

K9 officer

During the meeting, the town council also approved the purchase of a canine officer for the police department. 

The proposed budget amendment was needed to recognize funding in the budget for the purchase of a narcotics detection/patrol K9. 

“While this is being budgeted through an appropriation of fund balance, the purchase of the K9 is being made through restricted federal seizure funds and has been maintained as a separate account since acquired,” said a memo from Finance Director Tara Nichols. 

During the meeting, Nichols said, “It is money that is set aside in the federal money that the police department has. However, because it is a capital asset, we have to have it go through the town council.”

The budget amendment was for $14,500. 

In other town news

• The town council approved two dates for scheduled budget hearings. Town Manager Franklin Gover confirmed on Tuesday that the April 15 and 22 dates would work with council members. Those meetings will take place at China Grove Town Hall from 6-8 p.m.