By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

The exact footprint of wetlands on the entire county government complex tract of land remains a mystery.

The Columbus County Board of Commissioners held off on voting to approve a $1,400 wetlands study Monday night because the exact cost of additional survey fees were unclear and the money is not appropriated in the budget.

County attorney Steve Fowler told the board everything looked fine in the agreement but he needed a pre-audit statement from the finance director.

Interim Finance Director Leo Hunt explained he could not give a pre-audit statement because that would be certifying the money is in the budget and has been appropriated.

“There’s no money in the budget,” Hunt said.

“I’d like to speak to him to make sure we are okay,” Fowler said.

Commissioner James Prevatte said the survey would look at the whole tract for usability and offered a motion to initiate the study but after some discussion he withdrew his motion.

According to this we are required to provide a surveyor, Commissioner Bill Memory said. “Do we have any idea of the cost of that?” Memory said.

“No, I don’t,” Purchasing director Stuart Carroll said but added a representative with the N.C. DOT was looking at ways to possibly assist the county.

“I’m just concerned about not having an audit,” Memory said.

Commissioner Ronald Gore said he too thought the board needed to make sure the money was available .

“You would have to transfer funds,” Hunt said.

“Can we approve it contingent upon Hunt relocating the money?” Prevatte asked.

Commissioner Lynwood Norris seconded the motion but Memory came back again to the cost of a surveyor.

“Who’s going to pay for that?” he said.

Commissioner Ricky Bullard too questioned the expense.

“If the board feels that way I will withdraw my motion,” Prevatte said.

In 2006, the county struck a deal with the N.C. Department of Transportation. Under that agreement the county will pay for all permits while the DOT will cover construction costs for the road extension.

Tuesday, (Sept. 4) the Columbus County Board of Commissioners asked an environmental engineer to come back to the board as soon as possible with a quote on conducting a full wetlands study of the roughly 59 acres at the Government Complex where Social Services, the Farmer’s Market and Cooperative Extension are located.

Current plans for extending Government Complex Road to the U.S. 701 bypass show the road tying in with Campground Road and call for filling in close to a half acre of wetlands. A half-acre is the threshold, Paul Masten with S&ME environmental engineering firm told the board.

Twenty-eight acres was included in the study associated with the road expansion but commissioners questioned the portion of the rest of the nearly 59-acre tract that may also be wetlands.

“We have completed all the field work to approve the wetland line,” Masten said, but pointed out the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has concerns about plans for future development at the county site. “I told them I was not aware of potential development.”

Masten said a recent article related to the Columbus County Farmer’s Market looking to expand did bring to his attention possible future development.

“At this time .47 acres of wetland are taken up by the roadway,” Masten said. “If we did have additional development we would have to keep it below .03 acres.”

He explained the half-acre would apply to the entire project and future development as a whole and not a building-by-building basis.

The county must decide if it will revise the site plan to show future development or write a letter to the Corps saying no future development is proposed.

At that time some board members speculated about a new Department of Aging building being built there in the future and the farmers market’s intention to expand.