In a six-to-one vote, the Vance County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a bid to remove a house from the site where a proposed elementary school and middle school are to be built.
The bid that was accepted was $2,990 to remove the house. The brick house will be taken from the site intact and relocated.
County Commissioner Deborah Brown, who cast the dissenting vote, noted that there was an “unusual relationship” in that the county owns the land and the schools lease it. She called it “inappropriate” for the Vance County Schools system to solicit bids rather than the board of commissioners.
Chair Danny Wright said that he expected that the schools’ action was a desire to expedite the matter.
Brown cautioned that anything done with the property in question should have “pertinent information” go the Vance board.
“We’re stuck in the middle of this,” Brown said.
County Manager Jerry Ayscue explained that the reason the county owns the property was because of a funding arrangement that was initiated by the county government rather than the school system. He noted that no action was taken with the approval of the commissioners.
Brown expressed concerns over county liability because of its ownership of the property.
Vance County Schools Maintenance Director Claiborne Woods then informed the county that there was a problem with illegal dumping at the site. He said that the school system has been cleaning it up, but asked for clarification as to whose responsibility it is.
Brown advised Woods to speak to the county manager and that it was the county’s responsibility.
“You’re in a precarious situation,” Brown said. She told Woods that if he was in doubt he should speak to the county manager.