A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to assist beaufort county with expediting the construction of public school facilities.
Whereas, Beaufort County is faced with the critical need for school facilities created by delayed maintenance and repairs and by growth in student population in parts of the county; and
Whereas, Beaufort County cannot address the many issues inherent in older school buildings that affect student safety, learning environment, and accessibility on a daily basis; and
Whereas, the Beaufort County Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners of Beaufort County have jointly approved and funded a School Facilities 2004 building program; and
Whereas, the Beaufort County Board of Education, faced with the critical need for school facilities, has implemented a model facilities plan using a repetitive design approach to design school facilities that are educationally effective and economically efficient; and
Whereas, the Beaufort County Board of Education desires to explore alternative approaches to expedite the construction of school facilities that could assist in meeting the critical need for school facilities; and
Whereas, the General Assembly reaffirms its commitment to enhance public education and to encourage innovation by public officials in meeting the critical need for school facilities; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 8 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes, the Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education may select and negotiate with single‑prime or separate‑prime contractors to build school buildings using the repetitive design approach if the Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education determine that using the selection and negotiations processes instead of competitive bidding will expedite the project, create an effective construction team, and control costs, quality, and schedule. 
SECTION 2.  This act applies to Beaufort County only.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and expires on June 30, 2009.