County Finance Director Robert Daniel (right) answered the questions of county commission members, including Bobby Vannatta, Tuesday night about the additional $700,000 outlay note for construction of Community High School. (T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

In a 15-0 vote, Bedford County Board of Commissioners passed a $700,000 addition to the $4 million outlay note to cover the higher-than-expected cost of building a new Community High School.

The money will come from the school budget and will be repaid from funds that will be received from the state for increased student enrollment.

"Has the state furnished enough funds to repay that?" asked Bobby Vannatta, board member, acknowledging a cutback in state funds to the schools.

County Mayor Eugene Ray answered Vannatta by stating yes, the money will be repaid, because the school will receive the same Basic Education Program (BEP) funding as last year.

The question was raised as to whether $700,000 would be enough, at which point Robert Daniel, county finance director, assured everyone the figure would be enough to cover all costs needed to complete the school.

Last month, the county school board approved a guaranteed maximum price of $16.5 million for the school. The first $12 million of the cost had been approved as part of a $44 million bond issue last summer which also paid for expansions to Central High School and construction of Learning Way Elementary.

In other action, the board voted unanimously to approve a request from Bedford County Emergency Management Agency for a $192,849 capital outlay note.

The money relates to change orders on a contract for a county communications system that BCEMA signed several years ago, before the county consolidated its departments under the Financial Management Act of 1981.

Under the new financial management system, change orders must be approved by the finance director's office, but these change orders didn't go through that process.

"This is a serious offense, spending money outside the budget," said Ray.

Nonetheless, board members were told a contract had been signed, the county owes the money and it will have to be paid.

Also Tuesday night, the County Commission voted to approve three resolutions from the Highway Department, one of which gives the department authorization to make a $7,000 donation to the Shelbyville/Bedford County Senior Citizens Center for the operation of a van program.

The other approved resolutions give the Highway Department permission to work for other government entities, so long as the department is reimbursed for labor and cost of materials, and authorization to apply for a litter grant from the state.

The commission also approved amendments to Animal Control rules and regulations, which were recommended by the Law Enforcement Committee and the Rules and Legislative Committee.

The amendment related to providing adequate shelter and care for dogs and cats.

The updated article now reads: "It shall be unlawful for any person in the county to fail to provide a dog or a cat owned by such person with adequate shelter necessary to protect such animal from inclement or severe weather. The shelter must consist of a top and three sides and must be dry. The shelter shall be of a size in which the animal being housed may comfortably turn around. The shelter is to be properly cleaned as defined in the act.

"It shall be unlawful for any animal to be kept under conditions which increase the probability of the transmission of disease or in areas which have not been properly cleaned as defined in this act."