February 5, 2009 Issue
Watauga County Identifies Projects for Federal Stimulus Funds
In December, Governor-elect Bev Perdue met with representatives of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and the North Carolina League of Municipalities with the purpose of putting in place a formal structure for intergovernmental partnerships. At that meeting, Perdue asked the two associations to collect information from their members on “shovel-ready” capital improvement projects that the state could use in negotiations with the federal government for stimulus funds.
Watauga County Manager Rocky Nelson identified three local projects and their estimated costs:
• Watauga High School construction, $75 million
• Recreation center construction, $12 million
• Highway 421 and Old Highway 421 improvements, $140 million
The recreation center is a planned future project that would be constructed on property at the new high school site. Site preparation work was done in conjunction with the site prep for the school. The Highway 421 improvements are the road widening from Hardin Street to Highway 194 and improvements along Old 421 to the new high school, projects that have been delayed because of DOT budget shortfalls.
At the commissioners’ February 2 meeting, Nelson presented the list to the board and asked if any of the commissioners would like to add projects.
Board Chair Jim Deal asked Nelson to include improvements and upgrades to the county’s elementary schools, and Commissioner Winston Kinsey suggested including green projects such as installing solar panels on county-owned buildings, including schools. Nelson will forward the recommendations to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
David Thompson, executive director of the NCACC, sent a letter to Senator Richard Burr asking him to support “an economic stimulus package that includes substantial federal funding for critical public infrastructure improvements.” In his letter, Thompson pointed out that the stimulus bill introduced in the House of Representatives “should provide North Carolina counties with millions in infrastructure investments, while targeting millions more for education improvements, public safety enhancements, and critical human services programs, services largely delivered by county governments.”
Over the next five years, Thompson wrote to Burr, North Carolina local governments face $8 billion in water and sewer needs, and counties face $10 billion in school construction and renovation costs.
“A quick infusion of federal dollars could build a lasting foundation for community vitality, while providing thousands of new jobs for the struggling construction industry,” Thompson wrote.
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