COLUMBUS – Columbus Town Council approved a resolution to receive financing approval from the N.C. Local Government Commission (LGC) to finance its police department expansion, currently under construction.

Council met Oct. 20 and approved the resolution following a required public hearing at which no one made comments.

The resolution is required in order for the town to finance a project with a loan. The LCG must make approval for the financing.

The expansion project is more than $300,000 with the town deciding to finance part of the project with a $200,000 loan from Entegra Bank. The town decided to finance part of the project so its fund balance did not fall below $500,000, according to the resolution.

The project to expand the police department began in July and is scheduled to be complete Dec. 7.

The town contracted with Dunlap Construction, with a base bid of $285,778. The town opted to include add-on projects and with contingency and inspections, the town is looking at approximately $320,000 to complete the project. The town took $120,000 out of its fund balance for part of the project.

The town decided to expand its police department with planning stages beginning about five years ago. Columbus’ Police Department was originally housed in the basement of town hall and moved to a house next door to town hall in 2008. The town made some improvements to the house when it first moved the police department, but the building lacked storage for equipment.

The expansion will add storage space, office space and a training/meeting room.

Construction has gone well since July with town manager Tim Barth reporting to council last month that sheet rock was hung inside recently and plumbers were working on a new bathroom.

The town plans an open house of the new police department after the expansion is finished.