A decision on Washington Township EMS coverage and a proposal for the county to chip in for a new industrial park building will be heard at tonight’s meeting of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners.

The meeting takes place at 5:30 p.m. in the county administrative office.

After a Jan. 26 meeting of City of Washington and county officials to discuss which agency would be taking on future Washington Township EMS service reached no resolution, the issue is being placed back into the hands of commissioners during tonight’s meeting. County Manager Brian Alligood will lead the discussion about whether Washington Fire-Rescue- EMS, Beaufort County EMS or both agencies should cover the district lying primarily north and west of the city.

Last October, the Board of Commissioners voted to cancel the decades-long contract with the city and take on the area’s coverage under the umbrella of Beaufort County EMS. However, negative response from some residents in the coverage area and from city officials, led the county to rethink the decision.

Currently, three options are on the table: reinstate the contract with the city at a cost of $157,256; BC EMS takes over coverage through a $121,000 appropriation from the county general fund, with total cost of service offset by billing revenue; or a shared plan in which the county pays the city $58,000 to continue coverage, the city continues to bill for transport services and the county also invests in a paramedic-manned Quick Response Vehicle, potentially to be stationed at Old Ford Volunteer Fire Department.

Also on the agenda is a proposal to partner with the economic development organization Beaufort County Committee of 100 to build an industry-ready building at the Washington-Beaufort County Industrial Park Site 2. Economic Development Director Martyn Johnson will present to commissioners the proposal to build a 22,500-square-foot steel and masonry shell building to attract industry to the county.

The proposal requires the county to purchase the city’s 45-percent interest in the site, contribute the site (worth $38,549) to Committee of 100 and reimburse the organization for interest, legal, marketing and maintenance costs — a total contribution for the county of $116,202. Committee of 100 proposes to provide $200,000 and financing for the $1 million building. In exchange for the county’s investment, the county will receive 11.62 percent of the sale price or rental income, the proposal states.

The Committee of 100 is responding to the lack of buildings available in the county, according to the proposal.

“Currently, there are seven leads in the pipeline that are planning to expand and are looking for facilities similar to the proposed Shell Building,” the proposal states. “Besides an automotive repair shop, there are no facilities in which Beaufort County manufacturing entrepreneurs could locate. The County thus stands a great risk of losing these entrepreneurs to Pitt, Craven or Martin counties.”

“Without a building to show, we have and will continue to lose good prospective companies,” wrote Committee of 100 building chairman Bob Rich in a letter accompanying the proposal. Rich refers to the partnership in the industry-ready building as a “win-win” for all interests.

In 2007, the county invested $2.75 million in an industrial park building to attract companies with a ready-made facility. However, in the midst of a nationwide recession, the Quick Start II building sat empty for six years and was ultimately sold at less than half the cost, which was further reduced by city and county tax concessions.

The county administrative office is located at 121 W. Third St., Washington. The public is invited to attend tonight’s meeting.