Effingham County commissioners fretted at their meeting last Tuesday about the delayed opening of the 911 center.

The multi-agency call center was scheduled to be finished by the end of the year, but county project manager Adam Kobek said the opening of the building will be delayed until mid-January.

“It shouldn’t be much longer,” Kobek said. “We hope to have the building turned over to us (next month).”

The 9,500 square foot building is going up on Courthouse Road. Brunson Construction is erecting the facility, which will house the county’s 911 operations. Commissioners approved putting in a card reader system that will match the one at the new courthouse and at the sheriff’s department.

“In an effort to keep the system all the same and not to reissue cards, we went with vendor specific (system), with one card for all,” Kobek explained.

The card reader system is about $6,000, with an annual maintenance fee of $351 for five years.

“That covers anything and everything,” Kobek said.

Commissioners also approved a contract with Pembroke for a work crew from Effingham County Prison.

According to Kobek, Pembroke would pay for the fuel and the vehicle to take the crew from the prison to Pembroke. The arrangement is similar to the one with Guyton for a prison work crew.

Pembroke also would pay for the salary and benefits for a guard, who would come from the existing staff at the prison. The city also will cover the cost of tools and equipment.

Warden Ronald Speirs said about 80 of the prison’s inmates stay within the walls each day and about 160 are sent out on various work details. He said he has realigned some of the duties of his top staff to make sure there are guards in the prison to keep an eye on the inmates who are not on work detail.

The state reimburses the county $13.27 per day per inmate. “This contract will not cover that expense,” Kobek said.

But what it will do is reduce the local payroll obligation for the cost of the guard, according to Kobek.

Commissioners also approved the appointment of George Shaw as zoning administrator. Shaw had been serving as interim zoning administrator for more than a year.

County offices will be closed for Christmas beginning Dec. 24 and will reopen Dec. 29.