County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

That's That's your job. That's your job. It's 7 o'clock uh November the 3rd. Um I'm Harry S. I'm not James Leech, your chairman. Uh he's in a uh uh his annual conference. He's going to be there all week in and out. um but he's still doing the business for the county. So, I'm going to just take over instead. From from the agenda, looks like a very short uh agenda meeting tonight. So, we're going to try to get you in and get you out. Right now, I want to recognize our commissioner, Mary McCullum, to give us the pledge and invocation.

All right. And I'm going to ask Deacon uh Davis if he'll give us the prayer. Okay. I pledge allegiance 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.

Father God, we come before you this evening, Lord, thanking and praising your holy name. We thank you, Father God, for our life, our health, and our strength. We thank you for your loving kindnesses and your tender mercies. We pray your blessings, Father God, upon this county commissioners meeting. Yes, sir. And each one of the citizens that's come out tonight to witness. May the business that they conduct, Lord, and may the actions that they take, Lord, be acceptable in thine sight. Yes, Jesus. This is my blessing. Thank [snorts] you, Lord. Amen. Amen. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner McConnell. And thank you, Mr. Davis. Appreciate that. Um item number one, is there any request to add or adopt or or um take off the agenda? I move to adopt. Second. Second. There's a motion and second that we adopt the agenda. All in favor show by saying I. All oppose, nay. Thank you. Further comment want to recognize our attorney. I do and Greg is on the line. Okay, go ahead. Thank you, sir. Um, at this moment, we will um have the public comment portion on the agenda. You will have three minutes to speak and I will um be keeping track of the timer. Um, at this point, we have Miss Kathy Leandrew.

3 minutes is not enough when we can't contact any of y'all during the week or any other time by phone or any other way. So, you need to give us more time to speak with you all. Uh, Mr. Andrew, if you call me, I'll answer the phone. Well, give me your number, honey. I'll answer. I guarantee I will answer you. If I don't answer, you'll get called back. He gave me a number and it didn't work. Yeah, that's fine. Don't Don't make me call this call you back now. Okay. I'll call you cuz I get I'll get offended about that. But don't be offended cuz I haven't called you cuz you're not giving me a hard time. Well, thank you. Except tonight. All right. You can't count that. Don't count that time. Yes. And it's been positive. I'll give you your time back.

Okay. Uh I think I've come, you know why I'm here. It's the animal shelter. That's how much has been done. I made the P. I carried 85 blankets out there for the dogs. They're having sleeping kennels outside. How many of y'all have been out to see that one? No. I mean, I've been out there to the site. I've asked y'all to go.

There's been a I when I was out there the other day to drop off the blankets, uh a truck rode through. This has been going on what July till July till now and that's all that's been done. We made it through a hot summer and now we're going to have a cold winter for these animals and y'all have promised me month after month that you would contact JK and see what's going on. I can't contact him because I'm just a citizen and he's a citizen. But you all accepted it and I don't think it was a publicity thing. So we need to find out what's going on and it needs to get carried on. It's people are getting really really upset in this county that are animal lovers. I ask them not to come to the meetings because I'm afraid some of them will be rude and I've asked them not to come until I can get something. But you guys keep promising me and nothing ever happens. You haven't got it on the agenda tonight. Did any of y'all talk to Jay and Kayla after I asked you last month?

The manager did. Any of you all? No. You know, I'm a citizen. I'm a taxpaying citizen that represents a lot of other citizens and we need to do something. You've got a wonderful lady out there that I avoid because I don't want she never says anything good, bad or indifferent. She is just wonderful. Christy, I hope that you all remember her. She's worked for 20 years. I brought that up several meetings ago. I heard that and people love her. Uh, I carried blankets, but meanwhile, a c a group out of Southern Pines was bringing canned foods for animals that couldn't eat the stuff that we we provide that y'all provide. So, she is wonderful and you need to recognize her sometime. And people love her in all the counties. I had a vet. I was at the beach yesterday at my beach house. Had to take my dog to emergency vet and there was a vet there that was part-time that retired from a place in Fedville. And he said, "Oh, you're from Hope County. Do you know that lady that runs the animal shelter?" And I said, "Well, she works there. I don't think she runs it." He said, "Her name's Kissy or something." He said, "Anytime a dog came in in favorable from her, we knew it was a well-kept, well taken care of animal, and it was okay." And when a vet at Myrtle Beach says that, then you all should say something, and I would appreciate if you do. How much longer? My question to you is, and I need an answer. How much longer is it going to be before y'all get involved and do something for our pets in this county? I am tired of taking care of everybody's animals that they throw out in my yard.

There's a 15-second lift. Okay. So, you guys, I'm asking for an answer this time. I'm a citizen. I'm just like all these others that ask y'all for things and I expect an answer. I should get one. I have supported y'all through everything. Everything. Thank you, Miss Kathy. your time and so I expect an answer this time. Will I get one next month? And will you go see what's going on? Thank you. Thank you. John Harry, may I may I approach the chairman to uh hand the chairman for his commissioners to change the Yes. Yes, sir.

How you doing tonight? Squeeze his chair. [laughter] or they've been moving around. Yeah, sir. Thank you, sir. Go this way with hers. Thank you. I got another one. Anybody got one?

Dr. Steven E. Ambrose, Ph.D., a prominent American historian once said, "The past is a source of knowledge and the future is a source of hope." Love of the past implies faith in the future. Good evening. I'm John F. Harry, chairman of Vets for Vets Hope County, a nonprofit military affiliated organization. I am here since my last appearance asking seeking information asking for county's monetary support in addition to advise the commissioners of the change of the annual veterans day celebration 11-11 2025 excuse me 2025 commissioners vets for vets hope represents the American veterans of hope when we ask for funding to support a fourth of July parade in in celebration of our country's 250th th anniversary in conjunction with our senior centennial, the adopt the adaptation of the declaration of independence July 4th, 1776 and the substantial signing in August 2nd of 1776. Since its conception, American 250 task force incorporated encouraged states, organizations, and individuals to develop programs using source such as the 250th anniversary program handbook from AASH, learning for programs idea, a great year for celebrating starting Memorial Day [snorts] 2025 and through July 4th of July. by 2026. Commissioners, with this event in seven months and several days from today, I and others over the past several years have asked various government agencies within Hope County for information on plans [snorts] for celebration. As I

stand here, it is my insight which is concurred by others where where Hope Rayford Chamber of Commerce, Rayford City Council, which I just found out tonight they're they're backing this with a monetary donation and Hope County Commissioners are now talking to each other [snorts] in planning and organizing a true breathtaking celebration. I forgot one important political structure. Mr. here. You have 15 seconds remaining. Can I say whole county school and and the board of education? That's it. I'm done. I didn't talk that fast, did I? You have three seconds.

Thank you, commissioners. I will be glad to talk to uh vice chair after this give you some other information what we like and I'll be talking to uh the backbone of commissioners. It is the county manager tomorrow. I believe we have a 10. We have either a three or 10 telephone conversation. Okay. Thank you for having me. Have a great one. Thank you, sir. Have a Joanne McKini. Joan. Joan, I'm sorry.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Dr. McKenna and I have personal concerns that I would like to bring forth to this board. In my neighborhood on 103 Garfield Drive, there is a house that has been abandoned. There's trash. The house looks like it has regurgitated trash. One afternoon on last week, the garage door and the back door to the garage was left open and it is it's trashed. It It is a sore look. I have spoken to police officers, sheriffs, and they have brought me here to your board to see if there is anything that can be done with this home. It is an eyes sore to my community as I come on their behalf. Also, when you are come I am at the Liberty Point subdivision. When you come out of Liberty Point onto North Parker Church, there is an overgrowth of trees and bushes. You really can't have a very good view of the street coming out. Me, I'm I'm already short. I have to duck under trees to see if cars are coming. And I would really appreciate your attention to that matter. And also last but not least, when it is raining very, very hard in the Rafford area, the white lines are no longer visible. They need to be done repainted because there is no illumination so people can see what side of the street that they're supposed to be on because I've almost been hit twice. So, um, if any of these items that I've brought forth to this commissioner's board can be addressed, I would really appreciate it. Ma'am, give me the address of that Garfield

103. 103. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. And that concludes the public comment portion. Thank you, Madam Attorney. Um, at this time, we're going to move on to item number three, the consent agenda. We have items 3 A, B, C, and D. One, and two. Is there any questions or concerns? Everything need to be pulled. Mr. Chairman, I make a motion to approve the consent agenda 3 A B C D 1 D1 and two. Thank you. Is there a second? Second.

There's a motion in a second that we uh approve the consent agenda items A 3 A B C D 1 and two. All in favor show by saying I. All oppose. Nay.

Stand approved. Item number four, we want to recognize our managers for the manager's report. Um good evening um vice chairman, board of commissioners. Um I work really closely with Troy Healthcare. Um Chromium in um North Carolina. They are one of our um closest partners. They help DSS and they help with um a lot of services that we get for our citizens of Hope County. But one of the things that they gave back to us this year is they gave Narcan to the county for us to be able to distribute it this year. Normally we buy it with our opioids um funding and then we give it to our fire departments. So they gave it to us this year about 396 um um units of it. And so for the fire departments come up um Andrew for our fire departments we decided to give it to each of the fire departments. So that prevents them from having to purchase that this year themselves. So which fire departments are here tonight?

That's Hillrest right there. Hillcraft. Hey Scott. Tyler Town. Tyler Town. So we um we have allocations that went out to all the fire departments equip all the fire departments with Nan. Each department we get three boxes and then like the manager said there's 396 uh units are divided between these here. So we'll make sure that throughout the week and next week we'll get all those out to each of the fire department the fire chiefs try to get the fire chiefs and they were invited. So we invited all of them. Some of them could not come but we did invite them all so that they could get their distribution. We are currently working on our audit. Very good.

We are currently working um with the board's help on working on um with DSS. I'm working with Terry. So, we're working on a lot of things for the citizens of Hook County with the help of the board of commissioners. So, well, first of all, I just want to say uh thank you to Trillium. Uh Commissioner Hunt, you sit on that board. Um I think that um giving, you know, this is teamwork, this is partnership we always talk about where the county all organizations and the fire departments all partner together to try to keep the the county safe. So, I really appreciate uh those hands. Um I think we would have be pretty a per uh fire department just you have about 40 units. How many units per It was 30. Was it 309 fire department?

390. About 40. About 40 units. 40. Yeah. And to get them for free. Yeah. That's That's big. So, yes. Allocation was about 25,000. That's right. Thank you. So, so Tish, if you could do a letter to Trillium saying thank you from the board, I'd appreciate that. And again, thank y'all for keeping us safe in the whole county. We appreciate it. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah.

Yes, sir. Thank you, Scott. Good to see you, too.

I think John H. Don't you represent a fire department? Don't you Don't you represent a fire department? Uh, not tonight, sir. Okay. [laughter] Okay. Not tonight. A different hat tonight. I got you. Okay. Thank you. Any more? Anything else? Uh, Academy, sir. Okay. Go ahead. That's it for you. Okay. Um, do the commissioners have anything they want us to discuss? I know um some things that touched Commissioner Hunt hard over the week. He kind of reached out to us. So, I want to give you the floor, Commissioner Hunt.

Yeah, Mr. Chairman, we want to um I know Tish has gathered us some information and been working with Terry uh Stanton down, the director at DSS. Um, everybody's aware of the situation with the government shutdown and the effects that it's having on our citizens and um, we don't know fully yet what all is going to take place this week, but we're doing some proactive things to try to help uh, alleviate some of the uh, issues that some of our citizens are going to have. So, I would ask if this board would um that when we get ready to uh adjourn that we would recess till Monday morning at 10:00 this coming in the morning. I don't know what that date is. What's that date? Um

the 10th. The 10th. And just to go over, she's g us some information. I think she has some more to gather and to go over this information and and maybe be uh thinking about what we want to do to kind of help our c make sure that we're ready to help our citizens if that um if we need to. So uh but um I just ask for us to do that Mr. chairman and I know that you know these are hard times and um you know with the government shutdown and the things that are going on and you know some of the other issues that are going on in our county with some um with some murders that have taken place that has um definitely hit our community out in uh the Antioch area and uh hearts are heavy and a lot of questions being asked but um you know some things we we should remain silent about until we know all the facts but uh just ask that this board and this county would uh remember that family um in your prayers and all the families that have uh had tragedy, you know, here in our county. Seems like when it rains, it pours. But u it's just some hard times and with the holidays coming up, it makes it even worseer, Mr. Vice Chair. So, I just want us to be proactive on this board of what we're going to do and stuff.

Thank you, Commissioner Hunt. Commissioner Thomas comments Commissioner McCulla. Oh, nice.

Okay. I would echo what uh Commissioner Hunt said. Uh 15% of our population here in Hope County uh depends on some form of SNAP. Um and and that's a large population. That's about almost 10,000 people. Uh right at 97 and some change, 9,700. So, you're touching a lot of people's. But the the that's the direct effect of the SNAP program and the and the reduction on cost. The indirect effect is it it hurts the kids. It hurts the schools. So it it trickle down. So it's not only going to hurt 10,000 of our citizens, but it's going to hurt even more when you look at the indirect effect of what's what's going on. So as a board, as leaders, we have to be proactive and not reactive. So we got to come up with some ideas. So I certainly appreciate uh Commissioner Hunt going to a meeting on next Monday at 10:00 so that we can sit down and just talk about what what we're going to do for our citizens going forward. So I I appreciate that. I would entertain a motion because that's the end of our meeting at this particular time.

To recess. Yes. M Mr. Chairman, I would um like to make a motion that uh we recess to uh uh November the 10th at 10:00 a.m. here in the commissioner's room. Is there a second? Second. There's a motion and second that we recess to November the 10th uh at 10:00 a.m. All in favor show by saying I. All oppose, nay. Stand recess. Thank you. Thank you. Quit meeting, Miss Green. Miss There you have a