NEWTON — Catawba County commissioners used their Sept. 21 consent agenda to move two capital projects forward: a livestock education building bid just over $1.5 million, and nearly $918,000 in engineering work for the next cell at the Blackburn landfill.
The Board of Commissioners met at the Justice Center, called the session to order at 7 p.m., and adjourned at 7:59 p.m., according to the county’s official meeting recap published Sept. 22.
Livestock Education Facility
On a Finance and Personnel Subcommittee request, the board:
- Awarded the construction bid for the Catawba County Livestock Education Facility to DDI of Hickory, LLC, in an amount not to exceed $1,525,800
- Accepted and appropriated $600,000 in legislatively directed grant funds into the existing capital project
- Appropriated $400,000 from General Fund fund balance to cover the project deficit
- Authorized the County Manager to execute the related documents
Taken together, the consent package pairs a private construction award with state-directed grant money and a local fund-balance patch so the project can proceed.
The county’s published recap does not name a street address or completion date for the facility. Catawba First News will update those details when they appear in a later agenda packet or county release.
Blackburn Landfill Unit 4
Separately on consent, the Policy and Public Works Subcommittee brought an engineering agreement for the Blackburn MSW Landfill Unit 4 Expansion.
Commissioners approved a contract with HDR Engineering Inc. of the Carolinas for bidding, construction administration, and construction quality assurance services totaling $917,500, and authorized the County Manager to execute the agreement and task order.
That is professional services for the expansion package — not the full construction bid for Unit 4 itself.
Also on the same agenda (already covered)
The same night, commissioners approved the 2026–2036 Parks Master Plan and terminated the non-performing Wanzl North America economic development agreement after missed investment and job marks. Catawba First News covered both actions separately:
- Commissioners unanimously approve 10-year Parks Master Plan
- Commissioners terminate Wanzl incentives after company misses jobs and investment marks
In a public hearing the same evening, the board also approved rezoning 2.54 acres at 5785 E. NC 150 Highway — owned by applicants James and Mary Strickland — from R-20 Residential to Highway Commercial (HC). County planning filings list the case as RZ2026-05, heard by the Planning Board on Aug. 31 and the commissioners on Sept. 21.
Source: Catawba County BOC Recap for Sept. 21, 2026; county board agendas and projects table for RZ2026-05. Agenda packet cited in the recap: https://bit.ly/3utv5SE.
