Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Good morning. Um, I'm County Manager Bryant War Morehead and I call to order the uh Haywood County Board of Commissioners meeting for December 1st. At this time, I'd like to uh stand for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the prayer of Sheriff Bill Wilkkey. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please have a seat briefly. Today's prayer comes from Proverbs chapter 2, beginning of verse 6. It says this, "For the Lord grants wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. I would invite you to join me in prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. And as we go about the business of the people, I would pray that you would give us wisdom and understanding and encourage us each and every moment of our lives to walk with integrity and to stick up for those who can't stick up for themselves and to be just and to seek righteousness at every turn. as we conduct today's business. Lord, I

just pray that your presence be here among us and that our operations as government officials seek to first serve the people of this county in a way that pleases you and takes care of this county. It's in the name of Jesus that I pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Sheriff. Uh, next on the agenda is a public hearing. We have none. So the next would be uh public comment section. Um we have one speaker uh um I I

Kyle Kyle Edwards Mr. Edwards. Good morning. I hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving. Uh, I've got a little bit of a hearing problem, so I can hear you good. I can hear me good on this microphone. [laughter] I don't know how good I want to be able to hear you all. U I have I I have come here today to express my upset. I am a current I can't hardly see that. I don't know. Uh I am with current system Hwood current environmental service department. My name is Kyle Edwards a native of Haywood County US Army 100% disabled service connected veteran and a general contractor. I have been a member of the Masonic Lodge for 55 years and a member of the Shriners for 45 years. A former Maggie alderman for 21 years and owner and builder of the Stomping Ground uh for 43 years and owner and builder of

an RV park camping country in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. I was accused by someone in the environmental health department of spitting on a woman while she was out at my property in regards to a septic tanks. This was a lie and I would never do nothing like that. Anyone knowing me knows that the county manager was informed incorrectly about my land being mud, but I invited county commissioners to come observe the location and and he is in agreements with me and the state of property and the state of the property being in good condition. I invite all commissioners to come visit the property in my 30 years experience in septic tanks. I have never been I've always been successful on record by the county. I never had a failure in 30 years and I stand by my record. My twin brother Berlin is professional engineer and he completed a perk test which is no longer accepted by the state that has been used for the 50 years for the past 50 years and it was denied by the department but it passed inspection. attached to the letter of approval for four sites. I paid for 10 sites and got no credit for the others. All

all kinds of stipulations. I have a license installer to do the work with my supervision. I do not need help from the environmental department. I have put in more safety tanks than the current inspectors ever looked at combined in a soil silence is needed. I am requesting the county pay for the cost. I spoke with Jodie Person, county planner, and she start stated an argument about Redwood Mountain Road is all it passed all regulations. I asked her to come out and observe this area herself and she uh continued to argue. So I hung up. I ended call. I have many years of experience working for heavy uh experience in roads working in the heavy un I have an I had an unlimited license contractor myself and I know the rules and regulation of roads if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Common sense is is an anchor and you should try to some to sometimes try it sometimes or start with the truth. I'll stand my ground. Thank you very much. And uh I'd like you to observe it and take take a a note of it because it's wrong. Thank you. Thank you, Master Edwards. Uh, no other

uh, citizens have signed up. Now, we'll move to the organizational section of our agenda. At this time, I'll open the floor for nominations for chairman of the board of commissioners. I'd like to nominate Kevin Enzley for chair. Okay. Have Kevin Enley nominated as chair. Any other? Second by Commissioner Long. Any other nominations for chair? Hearing none, I'll close the nominations. And uh I have one nomination of Kevin Enley for board chair. Uh all those in favor say I. I.

Opposed. Unanimous. Congratulations, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Okay, thank you very much. Uh, I'll open the floor for to the commissioners to accept nominations for vice chair. Like to nominate Commissioner Brandon Rogers to be vice chair.

Okay. Are there any other motions? Okay. We've we have elected vice chair for vice chair Brandon Rogers. Okay. So, we Okay. Is there a motion? So, Tommy made the motion. Is there a second? I'll second. All those in favor say I. Anyone opposed?

Okay, that's unanimous. Thank you. This is a formality we have to do every December. Okay. Okay. I'm going to request approval of the 2026 holiday meeting schedule. Anyone have any questions about that? I think it's Do you all have that in your packets? I make a motion we accept the um schedule for 26. Second.

Okay. Any discussion at all? All those in favor say I. I. I. Anyone opposed? Okay. We have set that. Okay, next order of business will be constituent concerns. Does anyone have anything constituent concern wise? Okay, hearing none, I will move to administrative agency reports and presentations. We do not have any of that today. I do not have a discussion or adjustment to the agenda. Does anybody have anything? Okay, we'll move on to the consent agenda. I have five items on the consent agenda. Does anyone have any questions about the five items on the consent agenda?

On number one, we found a just a typo in there. Amy's Okay. Fixing it. Okay. Okay. And we'll Let's see. How did you phrase that, Amy? That we'll uh

if you'd like to Excuse me. Commission a typo in the consent agenda item number. Well, I I would make a motion that we approve the [clears throat] minutes with the correction as uh our clerk stated. You want to amend that to be the whole agenda? 26, wasn't it? Instead of six, it was a typo. Yeah.

Yeah, that's correct, Commissioner Damy. Yes. Yeah. Okay, I'll second that. Okay. Are Okay. All in favor say I. I. I. Okay. That was for the minutes. Can we do the consent agenda just to be sure? Okay. I' I'd move that we approve the consent agenda. Okay. The other four items on the consent agenda. Second. Okay. Now, is there any discussion on that? Hey, hearing none, we'll I'll call for let's see. All in favor say I. I.

I. Anyone opposed? Okay. Okay. Next order of business. Our regular agenda. We need to request approval of a budget amendment for SR 911 fund $11,337 to appropriate fund balance for the purchase of 8 911 workstations. Expenditure has been preapproved by the 911 PSAP board. What does PSAP mean? Um, Shanda may have to correct me, but my best memory is it is public safety answering point. Am I right, Shannon? Okay,

she got the nod.

Yes. So, this goes with item number five on the consent agenda. We put um out to bid for eight 911 workstations. In the regular budget, we budgeted $180,000 of that in the PAP fund. Um, so we're asking for $11,337 from fund 23 PAP uh fund balance to complete that project. Anybody have any questions? I think it might be important just for the public's knowledge to uh let them understand what these workstations uh are about if if if you don't mind to come up maybe and explain that. I mean, I think we're all aware of it, but I think for the public's knowledge, it'd be good to uh to understand that. You know, that system, you don't you don't pay it much attention till you need it, and then when you need it, you want everything to work correctly. So, So basically it's an ergonomic weight like a workstation that holds six to eight monitors roughly for your phone, your radio, your computers. It they lift, they they'll raise, they'll lower, they have heat, they have air because basically those folks sit there for 12 hours at a time 247 365. So that is that is their office and there's eight of those um throughout the the center

and a lot of folks probably don't understand until you've been in that room and see what all happens. It truly is a war room, you know, where all the calls are coming in and uh can get chaotic at times. So it it's a much needed things. Absolutely. And the old ones are 10 years old and the board allows you to replace those every 10 years. So that's how long they last and getting this PAP money is definitely beneficial. We're only going to approve the a little over 11,000. So it's definitely helpful, but thank you for the explanation. Thank you, Janda. I know you're up here kind of on the spot. This may be a little off topic, but how many calls are y'all averaging a day now?

Um, last year we did like 168,000 phone calls a day. I've not broke it up this past month yet, but normally anywhere from 2500 to 4,000. It just depends on what's going on in the county. Wow. So, and that's fire, medical, and law. And then we dispatch for all those as well. And I would remind everyone that our 911 group was a state award-winning uh 911 group here a couple years ago. So, yeah. Thank you. Say that again. How many calls per would you say

last year? It was 168,000. Okay. For the year. And that's 911 and admin, which admin calls are are 911 as well. That's your fire alarms, your medical alarms, and anyone calling for the sheriff's office. 2500 a day. It it just depends on the day what's going on. It could be 500. It could be,000. It could be 2,000. Just depends on what's happening. If it's a snowstorm, floods. Yeah. Exactly. It just depends on what's going on that day. Okay. You got a lot of calls that day even though the phones were out. Absolutely. Absolutely. There's a few worked and that overwhelmed us. So yeah,

I appreciate those folks. They are um the calm calm voice when you know our worlds are coming apart. So absolutely. Yeah. I visited in there a couple of times and it's um they're all you know like ducks on the water. You don't know it rattles them, but it definitely scares the rest of us. So, thanks for what y'all do. Thank you.

Motion in this. I'll make a motion to approve that item. Thank you. All those in favor say I. I. Okay, it's unanimous. Okay. Okay. Item number two is request approval of a resolution authorizing the purchase of sports lighting equipment for exception to competitive bidding requirements. Brian, I'll let you explain that if you

Mr. Chairman. Uh we we've worked with um uh Mr. McCay on um this lighting project. And it might be good for him to come up and give an overview. He could probably explain to you what we're accomplishing. But these two items uh number two and three are uh to make sure that we follow the state procurement laws and also then to appropriate the money from fund balance. Uh but the details I'll turn over to Mr. McCay.

Okay, Mackie, you can come on up and let us know. I had spoke with Mackie about this and this has to do with lighting at the Elks Lodge for the Elks Club for the uh baseball field that got when the flood came it wiped them out pretty much. And so, uh, they being a nonprofit, they're having trouble getting FEMA, uh, and insurance to pay for that. So, go ahead, Mackie. Let us know.

Thank you. Uh, I'm Mackie McCay. I've been involved in the rebuilding of the Little League, Mountaineer, Little League baseball field at the Elks Lodge. Uh, that field was destroyed uh during the hurricane. uh at this point and that uh destruction included the lighting. At this point, we've rebuilt the field and we're very proud of what we've done there with volunteer money and u uh just hard work on a lot of people's part. But we're at a point now where while the field is playable and we have played on that field in October, uh without lighting, we only get 50% of use of the field because half of the the games for the little league are at night. Uh so we we're looking for uh a way to uh get lighting for that field. I've been involved with Musco Lighting for 20 years or so, going back to helping them put in lighting for the Western Carolina baseball field. Uh, so my first thing I did was contact them uh to see the possibility of getting lighting system for the Elksfield. Uh Musco is considered the uh premier sports lighting field of sports lighting company in the world. Uh they have a system that uh has a 25-year guarantee. Uh they have proven to stand by that guarantee at Western. I know from

personal experience uh and they have uh put in fields in North Carolina. They're presently uh constructing new lighting at Western Carolina University. They have little league fields uh around Western North Carolina and all throughout the state. Uh the system is uh completely remote controlled. They are uh monitoring the lighting capacity from Iowa. Uh so we we think that's the best that we can do. So we had them to come to the field, design a system and give us a price for that system. Uh there has been some concern about uh uh the future of the lighting and that we don't own the land. Uh the little league field there is a regulation little league field and the Musco lighting system is a modular system. So worst case situation is the land is no longer there. we can take our system and go to any uh standard little league field. So, what we've done now is we're asking the county commissioners to contribute to the purchase of that lighting. So, I'd be willing to answer any question

and then so that that is in a flood area and you might explain what that that you'll be the concrete.

Okay. The way this system is constructed, uh there's a concrete base, a a cone that goes in the ground and that system uh make that cone goes in the ground 10 ft. Uh it extends above the ground uh and then a galvanized steel uh pole is uh slid onto that base. All of the components of the lighting system are 10 ft above the ground for several reasons. One being flood control uh or flood management, but the other one is just uh protecting the system against anybody trying to get into it. Uh at the Elksfield, the 100red-year flood elevation uh is roughly 30 in. Uh and this past year, past hurricane, the water was about 24 in deep. Uh so everything that we've done there as far as from building the dugouts to putting in this lighting system will be flood resistant. And then you're a professional engineer also. I I should have said that. So you're licensed to

I'm a licensed civil engineer. Civil engineer in North Carolina. Okay. And let's see. Anybody have any other questions about that? Okay. Just wanted to add and and we've talked uh Mr. McCay from the county's perspective. We we don't have the agreement complete yet, anou about how we would proceed, but in that we would also have u a clawback provision should that property not be used for little league in some fashion that that the county could recoup those funds if if that per public purpose of of funding little league didn't exist. Frank may have something to add, but he and I have talked and we're working on that uhou.

We can do that. Okay. All right. Anybody else have any other questions on I Okay. All right. So, can I can we have a motion to approve? I'll make that motion. Okay. Is there a second? This is item two of the regular agenda, which is the uh resolution. Uh I second the motion. uh with u discussion we're going to you're going to get theou in hand before we release the money is that correct and so the county has protection and we have a clawback clause

correct yes we we'll we'll have to formalize that before we can release the funds

yeah also we'll make a comment I uh I'm kind of a big supporter of little league my kids played little league I remember Mr. McKay uh when we played all-star tournaments over here at Wesville Elps Club and I remember him uh doing groundskeeping and and and actually being around over he probably don't remember me but uh that's been years ago and I I [clears throat] remember I remember years ago my brother carried me over here and signed me up to play down at the VFW field little farm league over there and played played for Toby Ray and Mr. Arrington was the assistant coach, but uh did pretty good till John's Jones found Johnny Jones John Jones found out I lived in a Canton address, so I had to go to play little league in Canton, which that was great. I I lived over there, but I kind of live in between, but but anyway, I played little league on that field and uh and my kids played and uh I I think it's kind of an extension of our parks and recreation. I think this is a good project for our kids. Uh playing ball is a good thing. teaches them a lot of life lessons and uh I'd rather have them doing that is getting involved with with drugs and and alcohol and all those kind of things. So, I think it's a it's a very uh a very good a very good project. Okay. So, all those in favor say I.

I. Anyone post?

Okay. All right. Item three is the budget amendment for 155996 to appropriate fund balance to purchase lighting for the Mountaineer Little League. Um, when we were looking at this, I remember Mackie reminded me that the the land that we had on Jonathan Creek was supposed to be for a recreation complex and we ended up turning that into uh because we couldn't get grants at the time. That was about the time that the economy tanked. So, we weren't able to get uh grants for that and we trans we decided to use it for economic development. Then we decided to sell it for housing and we were able to make a few hundred,000 and so the way I'm looking at that is we're taking the profits from that sale of that property to uh to fund this, if you will. So, I know that the money went into fund balance, but that the whole amount of money did, but we did make some on that. So I feel like this is putting a piece of that which is really just the profit back into our recreation program. So I do, you know, there is a reason for being able to do that this way. And one thing uh I guess since I've been I've been here so long, I remember and Mackie reminded me also in 2006 we did a recreation study. And in that study, the main thing we needed to do as a county was to take care of our existing fields and our existing facilities. And we've really not done that too much. And that was the main uh thrust if you will that came out of that meeting or out of that study rather was that that's what we needed to do instead of buying new fields and and things like that was just to enhance the ones we had. So, um, so there was two different things that from the past that I wanted to make y'all aware of on that. So, but anyway, can I have a motion to approve item three?

I'll make that motion. Second. Okay. Any other discussion? Okay. All those in favor say I. I.

I. Okay. That's unanimous. Thank y'all. Okay. That concludes our regular agenda. Uh, we'll go move. We don't have appointments or a close session. So before we adjourn, does anybody have anything else they want to make? I know today's filing day. So I guess for a lot of county offices, so good luck to everybody. I did want to read something uh when we when we had public comment last time and it's totally my fault, but I wanted to read policy about I know Amy, you gave it to me the last page here on the bottom. Um, we need to remember that speakers will not discuss matters regarding the candidacy of any person seeking public office, including the candidacy of a person addressing the board, the viewpoints or platforms of any political party or political action committee or political issues currently of interest on a state or national level unless those issues relate directly to the actions under consideration of the board. So, uh, we will not I should have stopped Mr. Hef Kef Neper. Yeah, that's it. I should have stopped Mr. Napper. He he did basically just introduce himself. He really didn't make any kind of a platform other than he wanted to make sure that information was good and that's and that's admirable in today's world of social media. So, uh, but I do I'm probably going to read this at the next meeting before we have public comment, um, to make sure everybody understands that. And so, that's in our board rules about public comment. Okay. So, just thought I'd remind everybody of that. Okay. Does anybody else have anything?

I just like to thank Mackey and all of them for the work they've done. He's done four ball fields around here so far and and I want to appreciate that because a lot of people talk about that and they they I don't know if they tell you or not but they do appreciate what you're doing for the county.

Yeah, Mikey's I know he he's redoing Dutch Fisher field now. The lights were able to stay there. Uh and he's rebuilt that field because if we if we wait on FEMA, it'll never get done. Let's just let's just face the facts. So Macky's kind of a a get or done kind of guy and and I know the community appreciates him. I know a lot of these kids should, you know, always remember that Mackey's behind that. I don't know how many ball fields you've built, Mackey, but I guess Tuscola wouldn't have a been able to play on their fields if you hadn't been there to help them. So we appreciate all your work uh and all you do because I think you're an expert in uh fixing baseball fields and I think you've even been to the Little League World Series and worked on that field. Isn't that right? So that's up in where is that? In Ohio, I guess or Pennsylvania. Okay, I ought to know that. But anyway, he's actually been up there working on those fields. So, we have somebody in in our community. It's always amazing to me that we have people in our community that have a lot of knowledge and I don't think anybody's ever written about that, Mackie, but uh but we do have some really good experts in our community to do that. We appreciate you taking this on.

Okay. Just to add to that, I I know that Mr. Mackey may not remember me as well as Commissioner Long, but seems like he was always a staple around the ball field. You know, us kids knew who he was. So, uh I was like Commissioner Long. My boys played up there on that field in the Canton Allstars. Uh I believe it was Tommy if I remember right. And uh we coached that team and actually done pretty good, I think. But didn't didn't win. But uh well I tell you Brandon [clears throat] all things considered it boiled down to coaching and [laughter] we didn't we didn't come out in the end. So at least you was you the head coach.

Well I didn't want to mention that [laughter] part and and outside of that thank you for what you do. All you guys I know that y'all play a part as well. You got to have some good supporters behind you to be able to do what you do. Uh, and outside of that, uh, I think it's our last meeting this year. Got one more. You got one more. Okay. Well, that's right. Sorry. Just voted on that. Last first meeting of the year, but uh anyway, uh, just hope everybody has some a good Christmas. That's what I wanted to mention, but I'll tell you that next meeting as well. So, well, we have a lot going on. We got we got a lot of great employees, and I just wanted to be sure we recognize them. Okay. All righty. All right. Uh, I'll entertain a motion we adjourn.

Move to adjurnn. Okay. Is there a second? Okay. All in favor say I. I. Okay. We're adjourned. Everybody be safe.