BERMUDA RUN – The roundabout, expansion at the soccer complex and homeowner insurance rates were on the minds of the town council when it met here last week.

Although the council approved a time extension with the N.C. Department of Transportation for the long-awaited roundabout on US 158, town manager Lee Rollins said it is merely a “bookkeeping” matter.

The original agreement for funding the project anticipated a completion date of Dec. 31, 2013, and the supplemental agreement extends the deadline until Dec. 31, 2014.

“Unless some huge unforeseen event takes place, we’ll complete that project well before then,” Rollins said in last Tuesday night’s meeting. “For bookkeeping purposes for DOT, this is simply a supplemental agreement and not uncommon for these types of projects.”

The NCDOT approved plans for the project on Jan. 9. Rollins said that after receiving right-of-way certification, the DOT will give the town the OK to seek bids for the project. He said he hopes to award the bid by the end of February and then let the project by the end of March.

The total estimated cost is $510,000 for the roundabout, which will be constructed at the Bermuda Run entrance across from BB&T Soccer Park. For its part, Bermuda Run is providing a 20 percent local match of $102,000.

The project has been in the works for quite some time. In a meeting early last year, Rollins said that the slow pace of moving forward was “sort of like going round and round, but we’re going to get there.”

Now, the finish line is in sight ahead of the extended deadline of Dec. 31.

“At this point, we anticipate an early spring start with completion by early to mid-summer,” Rollins said.

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As a new year begins, Mayor Ken Rethmeier talked about reaching some of the components of the Comprehensive Plan last year and anticipating a productive 2014.

“We are looking forward to the planning session at the end of the month,” Rethmeier said. “That will give us an opportunity to look back at last year and the many accomplishments and identify the high-priority items that we will front-end load, so to speak, items we think are appropriate from the Comprehensive Plan for this year. I think we’re all going to be quite surprised how much we’ve actually accomplished or is ongoing out of the Comprehensive Plan.

“And then we will take a look at two to five years out and five years plus. As we perceive potential growth in the town and the opportunity to go after further greenway projects, we have two now on the books, so to speak. Lee Rollins and I have spent some time looking at the town and the areas, especially Kinderton Commercial across the highway where the lakes are as well potential if we get voluntary annexation from Twin City Soccer to go after a greenway project at the river. So there’s a lot out there to think about.”

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Regarding Twin City Soccer, Rethmeier said he spoke with executive director Scott Wollaston recently about plans at the complex by the river.

“They are looking at potential expansion with four Astroturf fields, which would bring the total to 18,” Rethmeier said. “That would put them in position to go after some major national events, which would be a huge plus for eastern Davie County and all of our businesses and well as the community.”

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In another item, the council voiced its displeasure over the proposed homeowners insurance rate hike requested by the N.C. Rate Bureau on behalf of all companies writing that type of coverage in the state.

Requested rate changes vary by region, but Davie is part of an eight-county group with a proposed hike of 29.8 percent. By comparison, the proposed rate hike for Forsyth is 13.8 percent and nearby Yadkin County’s proposed rate increase is only 2.9 percent.

Council members asked Rollins to find out what input could be meaningful to let the appropriate officials know of their concern over such a hefty increase.

Also, it was pointed out during council comments about traffic problems being created with the new Zaxby’s building under construction near US 158 and NC 801, and the difficulty of getting in and out of CVS.

Rollins said he had been in touch with representatives for the franchisee and that they are trying their best to alleviate the congestion in the area.