The Person County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved improvements to the county auditorium at its regular meeting Monday night.
The improvements were budgeted in the current year to renovate the auditorium to use it as the commissioners’ primary meeting space, but the board opted to amend the list of renovations and move their meetings back to its regular boardroom.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the commissioners have used the auditorium for their meetings first to accommodate for social distancing and then to house larger audiences than can fit in their boardroom upstairs in the County Office Building.
After initial proposals were presented to the board that included permanent seating in the auditorium, several community groups that use the space regularly voiced opposition as the changes would limit their ability to use the room.
The proposal Monday night, General Services Director Ray Foushee said, was a “happy medium for both the commissioners and the public.
Foushee explained the potential improvements.
New sheetrock walls would look better and reduce echoes in the room, Foushee said.
A drop ceiling would allow the county to install LED lighting and new heating and air conditioning registers that would be quieter, according to Foushee.
A new HVAC system is needed as the current system is around 30 years old, Foushee said.
The auditorium stage would be converted to a conference room with two windows looking out into the auditorium.
A pull-down screen would be installed between the windows, Foushee said.
A storage closet would be converted to an IT room with equipment for staff to use for commissioners’ meetings, similar to their space across the hall from the commissioners’ boardroom.
Finally, the room would be equipped with modular furniture for the commissioners.
That furniture would be removable when groups need the full room.
The improvements could be completed in five to six weeks at a cost of around $131,500, Foushee said.
The commissioners budgeted $120,000 for the renovation in the current year.
Commissioner Kyle Puryear said the improvements came from a good idea, but added that he would like to the return to the commissioners’ boardroom.
“I think the intent of the board when this was originally brought up was a good intent and I want to thank Ray for all your hard work on this project,” Puryear said. “At this time, I think the board should start meeting back in Room 215 – that’s our boardroom and if we need to come down here because we’re expecting a larger audience, we can set up like this. I kind of miss Room 215.”
Board vice chair Derrick Sims said the HVAC upgrade would be necessary and other improvements to the room would make the auditorium a better location for all users and added that he would be okay with returning to the board’s regular meeting location.
After discussion, the commissioners agreed that the IT equipment and furniture upgrades would not be necessary. Removing those items would take the total cost down to approximately $100,297.
Puryear’s motion to move forward with the renovations without the IT equipment and furniture and move the commissioners’ meetings back to the boardroom passed unanimously.
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