Despite objections from three of its members, the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved two contracts related to building a new jail in the county.

The votes related to the contracts were 4-3, with board Chairman Jerry Langley and Ed Booth, Robert Belcher and Al Klemm voting for the motions. Commissioners Hood Richardson, Gary Brinn and Stan Deatherage voted against them.

The board, during a special called meeting, awarded a $1.64 million contract to Mosely Architects for basic services related to designing a jail. It also awarded the first phase of a two-phase contract to MB Kahn for construction-management services related to building a new jail. That contract’s first-phase (preconstruction) cost is $180,000.

In a related matter, the board adopted a $1.99 million project ordinance related to the jail project’s expenses. Those estimated expenses include $1.8 million in total architectural services.

The board’s actions came during a meeting that included several contentious segments. Richardson, opposed to building a new jail at the Chocowinity Industrial Park, made a motion to allow the public to speak during the meeting. It was defeated. Richardson also questioned why some commissioners were not consulted about the agenda and not consulted on when to meet to discuss the contracts. Richardson also said he wanted more time to review the contracts before voting on them.

Brinn and Deatherage voiced similar concerns. Deatherage questioned the “urgency” of calling the special meeting, saying the board could have waited until its March 10 meeting to discuss the contracts.

“We have never, since 1996 when I was first elected a commissioner, called a special meeting by dictatorship. In the past, commissioners were called and (told), “We are putting together a special meeting. It has to be in this time frame. We’re trying to find out what satisfies the most people.’ That was not done this time. This was a meeting that was called by dictatorship. I seriously object to it. Chairman Langley called the meeting on his own without consulting anybody. It is an insult to those commissioners of us who work for a living.”

Richardson said the four commissioners supporting a new jail are rushing to begin the project before the November general election when voters will elect three commissioners.

“The urgency is these guys have to get contracts out so they can start building this jail before the election in November because this is going to be overturned in November. That’s the urgency. They have a time problem,” he said.

“That’s just your wishful thinking. You cannot predict the future, not now, nor ever will you be able to say what’s going to happen in the future,” Langley said.

“I’ll be back to laugh at you in November,” Richardson said.

Deatherage said there’s no need for the county to build a 250-bed jail at the Chocowinity Industrial Park, which he termed an “industrial incarceration complex” six miles from the county seat, Washington.

“It’s a fool’s folly,” he said.

Richardson, Brinn and Deatherage said they could not vote for contracts that have not been properly reviewed to make sure the county is protected from any problems related to building a new jail.

“Since we haven’t had a chance to read this, is there a clause in here that says he we don’t get the loan, we don’t owe this guys anything?” Deatherage said, referring to the county’s pursuit of a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan to help pay for the jail.

“No, there is not,” County Manager Randell Woodruff.

“I make motion that we end this meeting right now,” Deatherage said.

“Second,” replied Richardson.

“We can talk about this when we get everything settled and everything straight. This is so stupid. You guys have done some stupid things, but this ends all, beats all,” Deatherage said.

The motion was defeated by a 4-3 vote.

“I just can’t see why we don’t wait until we get our loan before we carry this project through. It just bothers me to take $2 million of our fund balance that we made need this summer. A storm may come through here and blow half of Beaufort County away,” Brinn said. “We’re obligating $2 million? I can’t see it for the life of me.”

For additional coverage of the meeting, including contract details, see future editions of the Washington Daily News.