Wexagaw County seeks bids for courthouse flagpole painting

PELL HARBOR — The Wexagaw County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to solicit bids for repainting the county courthouse flagpole, ending eight months of discussion about the project's scope and timing.

The flagpole, installed in August 1962 during the courthouse addition project, stands forty-two feet tall and has not been repainted since 2009. County Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Martin Krebbs told commissioners the pole's current finish has deteriorated to bare metal in three locations, all on the north-facing side.

Specifications approved

The approved specifications require contractors to submit bids for scraping, priming, and applying two finish coats of "federal gray" paint to match the courthouse window frames. Work must be completed between May 15 and September 30 to avoid flag-raising conflicts with Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances.

Commissioner Patricia Veldhouse cast the lone dissenting vote, stating her preference for galvanized finish instead of paint. "We'll be back here in fifteen years doing this again," Veldhouse said. "Galvanizing lasts."

Commissioner Roy Hollenbeck noted that galvanizing would require removing the pole entirely, which was not included in the county's current fiscal year budget. The board had previously tabled discussion of a culvert replacement due to similar budget timing concerns.

Bid timeline set

Bids will be accepted through April 18 and opened at the board's April 22 meeting. Krebbs estimated the project cost between $1,800 and $2,400 based on informal quotes from two contractors, neither of whom he named.

County Clerk Donald Arpke confirmed that the original flagpole dedication plaque, mounted on the courthouse foundation eighteen inches south of the pole base, would not require removal during the work. The plaque commemorates the courthouse addition's completion and lists the names of the 1962 board of commissioners.

The next regular meeting of the Wexagaw County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for March 11 at 7 p.m. in the second-floor hearing room.