Calhoun County homeowners could potentially experience lower insurance rates in the near future thanks to actions of the board of supervisors Thursday.
The board adopted a resolution of intent to establish rating districts in the areas served by the Banner, Chickenbone, and Sabougla fire departments.
Public hearings for those districts were held Thursday with no dissension. County Fire Coordinator Chris Williams previously submitted petitions of needed signatures for each of those districts in support of the effort. A petition for Big Creek was accepted Thursday to begin the process there.
Attorney Sonny Clanton said notice of the districts will be published in The Journal and then they can be approved at the March 6 meeting.
Williams explained the establishment of these districts will potentially lower the fire rating from a 10 to a nine for homes located within five miles of fire department. That could result in as much as 5% savings on insurance premiums.
Williams said the next step will be the ratings bureau conducting inspections at each fire department to insure they meet criteria.
In other news, County Engineer Chodie Myers received permission to advertise for work on CR 282
Myers informed the board their initial request seeking grants to install new hangars at the county airport was denied due to the proposed location of the new hangars. He explained the FAA said they could only be installed directly south of the current hangars because of required distance from the center of the runway and other factors.
“Building hangars to the south would mean the county would have to purchase a few acres of land,” Myers said.
The board took no official action.
Myers also received permission to seek a grant to improve the road around Baptist Hospital in Calhoun City. He estimated the road work requested would cost $130,000.
Earl Flemons, with Calhoun County Solid Waste, received permission fro the board to seek quotes to construct a new wash house at their headquarters in Pittsboro.
Supervisors agreed the current wash house is in very poor shape and needs replacing.
They also approved a request from Flemons to advertise for purchase of new dumpsters.
The board agreed to reject a pest control bid from Gregory Pest Control because it only included the exterior of the courthouse and accepted the higher bid from Tri-State that includes inside and out. Tri-State had the contract last year also.
The board also rejected a bid from APAC for gravel. The company said they entered the wrong price in bid.
Willie Weddle from U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly’s office also met with the board briefly to introduce Anna Lisa Roberts, a new staff member that will work out of the Columbus office.
