Wagram commissioners select company that will pave community center parking

WAGRAM — The Wagram Board of Commissioners has selected the company that will pave the parking lot for the town’s Community Center.

Commissioners approved Thursday the second bid made by Hudson Paving which is to pave 29 parking spaces, including two handicap spaces, for the price tag of $57,837. The company’s initial bid proposal was for $49,500 but only included 20 parking spaces.

Another bid, from Sunshine Paving Corporation, was submitted and totalled $98,000.

In other money matters, commissioners approved an amended budget ordinance to allocate the remaining $6,377.62 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, to be used for administrative salaries.

The town budgeted the majority of the ARPA funding last year to cover staff salary and benefits, which then freed up local dollars to be used at the town’s leisure, as directed by the School of Government. David Richardson, executive director of the Lumber River Council of Governments, said that they made the recommendation to simplify reporting and compliance requirements.

“Those local dollars can be used for projects here in the town. They can be used for any project in which you can normally do with your local dollars like putting a bench in the park, paving a parking lot, doing a repair to the community center. It’s local money,” Richardson said.

The town has about $80,000 left from ARPA funding converted over to local dollars that have not been allocated for projects, according to the LRCOG director.

Later in the meeting, on behalf of the NC General Assembly, Rep. Garland Pierce ceremoniously presented a check to the Town of Wagram for $200,000. The money, budgeted in the State’s spending plan, is to be used for the town’s Public Safety and Fire departments and a part-time police officer.

The state Democratic representative said that The Town of Wagram has benefited a lot over the years.

“Your tax dollars has really come back home in so many ways …. Hopefully, we can continue this process going forward … We can’t complain. Some people didn’t get anything like this,” Rep. Peirce said.

Mayor Barbara Pierce said the town has already begun the process of spending the money.

“We see some things we can use this money for. There are five steps. We’ve done four steps,” Mayor Pierce said.