The Henderson City Council on Monday voted to enter in to a 10-year lease with Vance County to put city and county planning and inspection departments under one roof – the existing roof at 305 Young St. that currently houses county departments.
Chief Inspector Bob Rosch returned to Council Chambers to present a “Plan B” after the Council voted down a previous plan at its February meeting.
And, actually, this Plan B will save both the county and the city some money, said City Manager Paylor Spruill.
“Vance County is very interested in making this unified development go forward,” Rosch said in his opening remarks.
“With all the growth that’s taking place, we feel it is an important concept that we need to get through…we can do more when we work together than if we are separated,” he said.
The plan is for the city and county to enter into a 10-year lease – at $0 rent – with the county paying for the upfit of the Young Street space.
Rosch said these upfits could cost in the $100,000 range and will include office space and a shared conference room. The county will pay for upgrades to the internet system, and utilities will be prorated between the departments going forward.
The city will agree to provide some extra parking, and Spruill said his $100,000 estimate was on the high side because he wasn’t sure whether the existing parking lot would need to be repaved as part of the process.
The extra parking, located closer to Journigan’s Tire, would be for city and county vehicles, leaving the spaces closer to the building for customers coming in to conduct business.
Additional parallel parking would be added on Walnut Street and a set of steps would be added along Montgomery Street to help access parking from that locaton. All told, there will be an additional 50 spaces.
Council Member Garry Daeke made a motion to enter into the agreement, seconded by Council Member Lamont Noel. The vote was 6-2, with Council Members Geraldine Champion and Catherine “Kitty” Gill voting against the motion.
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