Wake County Commissioners want to see a new emergency operations center funded in the county’s five-year capital improvement plan. <\/p>\n
The county has $18 million in uncommitted funds in the 2015 – 2021 capital improvement plan and has proposed $100,000 in 2015 to study the new center, which still doesn\u2019t have a clearly defined scope. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a submission for the EOC and we determined that it needed a little bit more study,\u201d said Interim Budget Director Michelle Venditto. \u201cWe\u2019re not exactly sure what the scope and the cost estimate is.\u201d <\/p>\n
Venditto said the county could take a year to finalize the scope and the cost of the project as well as work with possible partners. <\/p>\n
But, Commissioners want to see the funding allocated for the entire project. <\/p>\n
Commissioner Joe Bryan said that he didn\u2019t know how the plan could not include the center. <\/p>\n
The county\u2019s current emergency operations center is located in the old County Courthouse basement. It does not meet FEMA or ADA regulations. There are no bathrooms, running water, or areas for food storage and preparation. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe know our current EOC is not satisfactory,\u201d Bryan said. \u201cIf we\u2019re looking to be able to respond and be resilient to any type of major event in Wake County, we need an updated EOC.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we should move that into the list,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
The county is expecting to pay about $12.1 million for a new center, but Deputy County Manager Joe Durham said staff is looking at partnership opportunities with other agencies like the Town of Cary and N.C. State. If any of those opportunities pan out, the projected cost would go down. <\/p>\n