JACKSON — An architectural consultant to conduct a needs assessment of the Northampton County Courthouse has been selected.

The Northampton County Board of Commissioners approved the assessment to be done by Moseley Architects of Charlotte.

The $6,000 needs assessment will evaluate the 150-year-old courthouse both in terms of assessing existing facilities and future needs of a possible new facility.

The request for proposal put forth by the County Manager’s Office received six responses and only two were within the price range ($10,000) that had been budgeted for the assessment.

Those two bids were Moseley Architects at $6,000 without reimbursements and Surapon Sujjavanich Architects, PA at $8,500 with reimbursements.

On June 3, the Courthouse Facility and Security Committee, which has been discussing and making recommendations to the commissioners about the courthouse, approved the recommendation to hire Moseley Architects.

The commissioners asked County Manager Wayne Jenkins if he had been in contact with those who had utilized the firm in the past.

He responded he had been in contact with three counties, including Rockingham, Craven, and that Moseley Architects had received “above excellent and excellent comments.” The commissioners approved the measure contingent upon County Attorney Charles Vaughan reviewing the contract.