During its special meeting today to consider awarding contracts related to building a new jail, the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners is expected to talk about seeking funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help for the new facility.

Awarding the contracts does not obligate the county to build a new jail.

The board’s tentative agenda for the meeting calls for the first item of business to be an update on county officials’ meetings and conversations with USDA representatives on USDA’s evaluation of the county’s process (so far) to possibly build a new jail. During the board’s last meeting, county staff members were instructed to proceed with completing preliminary paperwork associated with possibly seeking USDA funds for the jail project. The county is looking for feedback from USDA regarding how it should proceed if the county decides to formally seek USDA funding for a new jail.

The USDA funding would be in the form of a low-interest loan to be paid back over 30 years or so. Similar USDA loans have been used to help pay for other major construction projects in the area, including Washington’s No. 2 fire station on West 15^th Street.

The tentative agenda also includes an item (motion) tasking staff to complete and file a formal application for USDA loan funding.

The tentative agenda also sets aside time for discussion concerning awarding a contract to Mosely Architects to design a new jail for Beaufort County and a contract to MB Kahn for construction management for a new jail. Since Mosely and Kahn were recommended by the county’s jail committee earlier this year to provide those services, county staff members have been negotiating with the two companies.

The tentative agenda includes two suggested motions, one to approve a contract with Mosely and another to approve a contract with Kahn.