Carbon County officials adopted an ordinance to begin the process of obtaining a $12 million bond for various county projects.

On Thursday, the commissioners approved the action regarding the issuance of one or more series of general obligation bonds not to exceed $12 million. A public notice outlining the ordinance was published in the Times News on March 2.

The bonds would provide funds for the Susquehanna Street building project and the multiuse fire training facility project, as well as other improvement projects at existing buildings.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that approximately $2 million of that bond is earmarked for the fire training facility, but did not have an exact figure on what would be used for the Susquehanna Street project.

The fire training facility project will be located next to the Emergency Management Agency on the Broad Mountain in Nesquehoning and will include live fire training sites, a drill tower and other training necessities for firefighters, police, county departments and EMS, while the Susquehanna Street building project will include a two-level, 110-space secured parking garage and 25,000 square feet of office space situated in the current parking lot of the 76 Susquehanna offices.

Nothstein added that some unexpected projects, like the water emergency that just occurred at the jail, could shift some of the money around in the bond.

The commissioners hired RBC Capital Markets LLC on Feb. 14 to serve as the sole underwriter for the 30-year bond.

Carbon County refinanced part of another bond $14 million series of 2011 bonds in the amount of $4.2 million in 2017 and has also used part of that bond for additional capital projects in the county.

In a related matter, the commissioners approved two actions regarding the Susquehanna Street building project.

The board hired McNees, Wallace and Nurick LC of Harrisburg to represent the county in any matter regarding the project. The rates will be between $215-$350 an hour depending on which person from the law firm provides the service, plus expenses.

The commissioners also approved an agreement for conditional approval with the Borough of Jim Thorpe for the Susquehanna Street project final land development plan.