Pasquotank awards solid waste agreement

Commissioners OK corrected appraisal

By REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Pasquotank County officials have awarded a solid waste handling contract to Albemarle Equipment.

The contract is for operation of construction and demolition, land-clearing and inert debris, and transfer station at the landfill.

According to information provided to the Pasquotank Finance Committee, county staff recommended rejecting all bids and having the county provide the services directly. It was estimated that $36,300 or more could be saved under the county option.

The Albemarle Equipment bid was, however, less than the amount budgeted for the services.

Albemarle’s bid for inspecting, leveling, compacting, digging, hauling and spreading cover material for the county construction and demolition landfill was $29.54 per ton. The company bid $4.20 per ton for loading, tarping and moving trailers in and out of the transfer station and $6.74 per ton for storing and stacking land-clearing and inert debris.

Pasquotank Commissioners Chairman Marshall Stevenson told The Daily Advance Friday that the commissioners thought it didn’t seem right to reject all bids after putting the contractors through the bidding process.

In another matter, the commissioners upheld a decision by the Tax Office to increase the appraised value of three lots in the Pelican Pointe subdivision owned by Russell Twiford through Dandare Inc.

Twiford appeared before the commissioners Monday to protest local tax officials’ decision to increase the assessed value of the lots more than 50 percent.

Bill Jennings of the Pasquotank Tax Office told the commissioners the value was changed after an error was pointed out to the office staff. Jennings said the staff believes the original assessment was an appraisal mistake.

Lots surrounding the three in question — located on the same canal — are valued at $185,000 but Twiford’s lots had been valued at $130,000, Jennings said.

Twiford said he had offered the lots for sale at less than the tax value.

“I have never tried to evade or avoid any taxes,” Twiford said.

He said he didn’t know why someone would go through his records and ask for the increase.

Twiford said appraisal should be based on fair market value of the property. He pointed out he had offered to sell the lots for $130,000 “and that is considerably less than the tax evaluation.”

He asked the board to hold the change in abeyance.

“I have nothing to hide,” Twiford said. “I have nothing to conceal.”

A motion by Commissioner Matt Wood to uphold the recommendation of the Tax Office passed unanimously.

Twiford gave notice he would appeal the board’s decision.

In other action, the board also:

• Approved a conditional use permit for an automobile repair business at 775 Simpson Ditch Road.

• Approved a family subdivision request for a one-lot family subdivision on Old Hertford Highway. Helen Perry is giving a lot to her granddaughter, Tonya Knight.

• Approved revised bylaws for the Albemarle Economic Development Commission, adding the Elizabeth City Area Convention and Visitors Bureau as a nonvoting member of the AEDC Board.

• Approved using the county’s share of a vacant soil conservation technician position to hire a part-time secretary until a decision is made whether to fill the technician position.

• Accepted grant funds on behalf of ICPTA (Inter-County Public Transportation Authority).

• Approved the filling of an accounting technician position for the Department of Social Services.