The county will add fencing to the old Department of Social Services food stamp building which will be the new home to probation and parole.

Additional security measures may be added as allowed by the budget because the building is near the entrance of Weldon Middle School, County Manager Tony Brown said today. The additional security could include lighting and cameras.

The additional security comes after meeting with school officials, discussions with probation and parole before the school system had concerns and planning for the move, Brown said.

Sex offenders will not report the building when renovations are completed, Brown said. Instead they will report to the day reporting center.

In February the county agreed to renovate the former food stamp building after the state informed officials it would no longer pay the lease for the current building, which is located in the Forest Hills Shopping Center in Roanoke Rapids.

With an annual lease payment of $26,640 and annual operating costs of $15,000, commissioners decided they could make improvements to the food stamp building for $87,000.

The food stamp building has 5,500 square feet while the current building has 3,000 square feet.