Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

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this meeting to order of the Board of Commissioners. Commissioners, the first item on our agenda is a Pledge of Allegiance. We have a special guest with us today, Mr. Mike Gavin. Will you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? Thank you, Mike. Everybody. Commissioners, the next item of the agenda is agenda approval. What's the will of the board? Make a motion to approve. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? If you're going to call a question, I'll let you raise your right hand. Any opposed? Likewise, the agenda has been approved. Commissioners, the next item is a public hearing. Bear with me as I pull this up. I'd like to recognize Frankie Hamrick, our fire marshal. This is a public hearing considering a resolution approving changes in adjoining service district boundaries. I will open the public hearing now.

Sir.

Chairman, commissioners, tonight before you is two resolutions. The first one is approving the insurance districts, and the second one is approving the service district boundaries. You have all the exhibits and the maps there before you. Basically, in a 100-foot view, this... is because of ISO ratings for the fire departments. Each ISO rating that the department goes through, KD goes through and does all their math through GIS, and the state has become really strict on that process. Used to, if a parcel was split between a five-mile and a six-mile district, the fire service would just put it all in the five-mile. but now they're looking into that really closely. So a lot of our district right now in Cherry Mountain has been split. So some of the Cherry Mountain six mile stage of them, but that parcel has been split so some of it's going into ORA. Also, the majority of the changes are coming from the Shingle Hall of Fire Department is building a substation and a lot of the either ORA or a six-mile district is going into their five-mile district, so that'll give the residents a better insurance rating for their ISO. So if y'all have any questions, we're happy to answer those.

Thank you, sir. This is a public hearing 4569. It's the last four digits of it. Since it is a public hearing, I'll ask if any members of the public would like to speak regarding this matter. We'll be considering two resolutions in a few minutes on this public hearing. Would anybody like to speak regarding this matter? We are at a public hearing. Anybody want to speak? Okay. Hearing no, we'll close the public hearing. It's closed. Commissioners, there's actually two resolutions before you look in your packet. The first one is a resolution approving the insurance districts with exhibits. What's in the will of the board?

I make a motion that we approve the resolution approving the insurance districts with exhibits.

Motion do we have a second second a motion second any discussion? You know call question all favor raise your right hand any folks likewise, okay? Thank you the second item before you Right there.

What's the will the board make a motion that we approve the resolution approving the service districts I?

Boundaries, thank you second get a motion second in discussion You're not a call question. All favor is your right hand any opposed likewise? Thank you Thank you friend Like Jim on the next item on her commissioners is public comments Grayson Porter it has signed up for her three minutes and please I Have to run well. We won't start the clock. Do you start talking?

This one's a really bad one. This guy was really fired up. It's an activist comment. It's anonymous, so I don't know who wrote it. Like fracking and 5G global infrastructure, the stampede to build out data centers is happening fast while there are no regulations. The billionaires are frantically trying to deplete pure aquifer water while running PFAS chemical-laden water back into the sewers, contaminating municipal water supplies to make us ill. People are reporting that their wells are going dry. Others report brown, dirty water coming out of the tap. The country is in a nationwide drought. Yet they want to deplete what little water we have left. Lake Mead and Lake Powell are running dry, which will shut down farming in California, the nation's breadbasket, which gets about half of its water from the Colorado River. Crashing our water supply is intentional. Meanwhile, the noise from data centers is driving away all birds and bees, preventing cattle, sheep, pigs from giving birth. Thousands of people are reporting seizures from infrasound. And these installations are a military weapon to destroy our environment, our food and water supply, make us ill, collapse our energy to grid, and spread disease. They are looking at a $1.3 trillion investment in this build-out. There are now 5,400 data centers, with 1,500 currently in the planning or construction. The U.S. hosts 45 percent of all data centers worldwide, yet tech billionaire-controlled administration is trying to claim we are behind the race. Virginia leads the nation with 665 facilities, followed by Texas and California. At least 5,000 more are planned. Ninety-five percent of the American people do not want them, yet they are being forced on us behind our backs. It is an anti-human agenda that offers nothing good to anyone except a handful of tech billionaires. Everyone gets higher power bills, contaminated water, destroyed property values, constant noise, illness, seizures, sick pets, dirty electricity, and the list goes on. But they don't care because they're planning to kill us anyway. And I read this tonight to sort of start breaking down the silo around data centers because data centers are such a problem now. And it's really I'm proud of the American people for fighting them. But we have one data center. Anecdotally, I've been told that the animals are not thriving around the Facebook data center. So I don't know how to go out and confirm that. But I hope you guys will really think twice before entertaining any concepts of bringing in a data center. Thank you.

Thank you. And we have two data centers. Okay. Thank you. Commissioner, the next item on the agenda is the consent agenda. Is there an item that the commissioner has to add or remove from the consent agenda? What's the name of the board? Motion to approve the consent agenda. Second. We've got a motion to second. Any discussion? If you're going to call a question, all in favor raise your right hand. Any opposed, likewise. Commissioners, next item is 4582. This is an appointment to the Isotermal Community College Board of Trustees. At this point, I'd like to recognize Hazel Haines. Hazel?

Thank you, Chairman. A vacancy currently exists on the Isotermal Community College Board of Trustees, so the board may wish to approve an appointment to this board tonight.

Okay. The will of the board.

Make a motion we appoint David Herndon. Okay.

I have a motion. Do we have a second? Second. Okay. I have a motion to second. Any discussion? I'm going to call a question. All in favor, raise your right hand. Any opposed, likewise. Thank you. Carries. Performance of the Transit Advisory Board is next. I recognize Hazel.

Okay. Two vacancies have occurred on the Transit Advisory Board, one due to a retirement and one to a resignation. The policy of the board has been to advertise the vacancies, accept applications, and approve appointments at a future meeting. So the board may wish to take action to start this process.

Thank you, Ms. Hanson. Commissioners, what's the will of the board?

Make a motion to approve advertising the vacancies and accepting applications in order to make appointments at a future meeting.

Thank you, Commissioner. We've got a motion. We need a second. Second. We've got a motion to second. Any discussion? If you have another call or question, all in favor raise your right hand. Any opposed, likewise. Carries. Thank you. Commissioner's next item is 4573. This is an appointment to the Vibe Partners County Commissioner Advisory Board. Hazel Haynes, you're on.

Yes, sir.

The launch of VIA Partners will occur on October the 1st of this year. One of the governing bodies of VIA Partners will be the VIA Partners County Commissioner Advisory Board. Every county in the catchment area will appoint one representative to this board. Commissioner Haynes has offered to serve as Rutherford County's representative. The board may wish to approve that appointment.

Thank you, Hazel. Commissioner, what's the will of the board? Make a motion to approve the appointment. Second. We've got a motion to second. Any discussion? Thank you, sir, for serving. Thank you for serving.

Yes, sir.

Any pro-discussion? If you're going to call a question, all in favor raise your right hand. Any opposed, likewise.

All right.

There you go, sir. You're on. Commissioner's next item is the 2026 Great Trail State Day Proclamation. The director of the TDA, Don Cason, is here to tell us about it. Sir.

Mr. Chairman, commissioners, Mr. Attorney, Hazel. Anyway, great to be here. Appreciate this time to be with you. As you know, the state of North Carolina is known and working to become known as the Great Trail State. It's the TDA's mission and goal to partner with the state and become known as the Great Trail County. So we've got massive opportunities all across our great county to create more trails and enhance what we have and so forth. So that's what this proclamation here tonight is. is we're participating with the state with the Great Trail State Day on October 17th. But the month is the month of September and end of October. We've got events going on all across the county, a lot of events and so forth. So we're going to continue to promote Rutherford County as a destination to outdoor recreation and so forth. So that's what the proclamations are for tonight. We do it year-round, but we're just making it special. So I appreciate your vote of confidence with the TDA and the state and the trails that we have in our community.

Any questions or comments?

Make a motion we approve the proclamation.

Let's do the first one, Great Trails State Day. That's the motion. Do we have a second? Second. We got a motion to second. Any discussion? How many trails do we have, John?

We have potentially 150 miles of opportunity. The different trails, I'm going to be honest with you, I don't know right off the bat on the number of different trails, but as you know, we've got paddle trails, we've got hiking trails, biking trails, so forth. But the goal is we've had Destination by Design take a look at all the trails in our county. Potentially, we can come up with 150 miles worth. So at some point, we hope to have 150 miles.

Any further discussion? All in question, all in favor raise your right hand. Any opposed, likewise.

Okay.

And the next one is the Great Trail State Month Proclamation.

I make a motion to approve that proclamation for the month.

Thank you. Second. Do I have a motion to second? Any discussion? You're gonna call a question law fair is your right hand any folks likewise. Okay, you guys Thank you, Don. Thank you, sir. Thank you. I Was gonna ask him how many state trails were but it's right Mr.. Next item is resolution proclaiming agent orange Awareness Day like to recognize Danny Cersei deputy county manager I

Good evening, commissioners. You have a resolution before you tonight. I'd like to point out that the Rutherford County honors the service and sacrifice of Vietnam veterans and recognizes the lasting impacts of Agent Orange exposure on those veterans, their families, their caregivers and survivors. Tonight, this resolution speaks to the fact that National Agent Orange Awareness Day is observed on August 10th, and it commemorates the first use of Agent Orange in Vietnam back in 1961. This event is to promote remembrance, education, and awareness. I want to remind you that following Veterans Day in November, That's right here in Rutherford County. We're going to host the Wall of the Hills at the Isothermal Community College, former soccer fields, and that's going to be November 12th through 15th. Community volunteers like to begin this with a kickoff of a sunset candlelight ceremony next Monday night, the 10th, to commemorate Agent Orange Awareness Day. And one of the things that the county is prepared to do with your approval of this resolution tonight is to be able to try to light up the courthouse with some orange lighting in its windows to honor this occasion.

Any questions from the board? What's the will of the board?

Make a motion we approve the resolution. Second.

We have a motion to second. Any discussion? If you're going to call a question, all in favor raise your right hand. Any opposed, flat wise. Carries. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The next item is 4568, the Department of Social Services monthly update. I'd like to recognize our director. He's been working really hard. Tiffany Dodd. Good to see you, man.

Good evening to our chairman and county commissioners. So before you, you have the Rutherford County DSS Reporter Services. And one of the things that I do want to put to your attention, some things that's trending, is that our adult services numbers are starting to go up. Our guardianship, we're starting to see that we're getting a lot of guardianship of younger adults. And if you'll notice, the guardianship is at 65. And if you'll go down to SA In-Home, we're at 30. which was at 16 last year. And what S.A. in-home is, is if they haven't been deemed incompetent, it means that they still need a worker to go out and help them and assist them and make sure that they're getting what their needs are. And then if you'll look down to community referrals, if a report doesn't meet the definition of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an adult, we still go out and give those individuals referrals and let them know what's in the community. Our numbers are going up in adult services. It was a day when workers from children's services would head over to adult services, but now adult services is really just as moving just as much as children's services. So children's services, we're still steady. We're still getting reports. And if you look at child support and all the things and Medicaid and program integrity, we continue to move forward in those areas. Economic services, I did get those thresholds for him in regards to what it could look like, so I'm just going to throw out a few numbers. A household size of one with an income of $1,696 could look at getting at $298. A household of five with an income of $4,079, they could look at getting food stamps and be qualified for Medicaid of up to $1,183. We are seeing a decline in applications because it's research period. And what we're finding is that 20% of people don't redo and a lot are worried about the HR1 that's coming and thinking they're not going to get approved anyway. So those are just some things that's trending right now. We do have crisis intervention money that we do have. So those applications have went up as well.

Are there any questions from the board? What on this report causes you concern or attention, more attention to than other things? What's the priority for you?

So the most essential thing for me for DSS would be adult services and children's services. You know, making sure that we are keeping good staff and keeping people that are qualified and can do the job. We did just hire a contract trainer for our children's services unit to make sure, because we're building, because we had a lot of people that left last year. I was going to ask about that. Yeah, we are rebuilding, we are building that solid foundation and making sure that we are meeting all the needs of our most vulnerable population. So those two areas are my biggest concern because we're starting, one thing we do know in life, we got a birth date and a death date. And when we get someone that's in adult services that's 100 years old, they may live another 20 years, we don't know. But when you get somebody that's 20 years old, that means that case is going to be held by that worker. Could be a long time, could be a short time, we don't know. So that is a concern because we're getting – our numbers are going up. We're getting a lot of gifts from the courts. And when I say gifts from the courts, that means we get called and say, hey, we have an adult up here that needs to be – that we've put into guardianship, and then we'll have a temporary hearing. So in the last two weeks, we've had almost 11 hearings, and we have got guardianship of all of them. So it's been very, very, very steady.

Well, I see children in foster care continue to –

That is correct.

And number of foster homes are almost, I mean, you gain one, lost one, looks like. So you end up overall, you gain one foster home. So is that still a, I'm sure it's still a serious issue.

Oh, absolutely. We still work with that. If you'll see, last month we had eight that went through a class, so we're working on that eight. they still have to go through the process. So you might not see that number until next month where we get those foster homes to go up.

So what you're saying is some good news.

It is. We're working. We're out in the community. We're asking and we're posting and trying to get as many as we can.

Are there any other questions from the board? How many hours is the course that they take?

So it is a six-week course. Six weeks. And our staff is trained. They go out. They meet with the families. They go through the curriculum. And then they have to do a test. And then they have to do the things that meet the requirements of the state as well. So it could take up to about eight weeks. And then to hear back from the state, that takes time, too, because they have to do their processes and make sure they're cleared on every end as well as us making sure they're clear. So it could take about eight to ten weeks.

Who does the inspection of the homes? So we do.

Yeah, the social workers do, and then they'll report that to the state. Very cool. And then the state will do their checks, and then they'll send us information back letting us know if it's approved or not.

Thank you. You're welcome. So it takes about six to eight weeks, and then you hear back from the state?

Correct.

Are there any other questions from the board? I have one. You mentioned early on some people that are not renewing or coming home because they're afraid of H-1, but they may qualify, right?

They could, but it's a fear. It's a fear out there, but we're educating and we're doing the same thing.

Are you going to do an education campaign? Absolutely. Okay. Well, thank you. Commissioner, there's a recommended motion before you at this time. I'll look for the will of the board. I make a motion to accept the monthly DSS report. Sorry. Thank you. I have two motions. I need just one second. I have a motion to have a second. Second. Thank you, sir. I've got a motion to second. Any discussion? Hearing none, I call a question. All in favor, raise your right hand. Any opposed, likewise. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you very much. Thank you. We'll make it to church. She told me for that. Yeah. Commissioner's next item is... 4579. I got it. Next item is 4579, Rough County Regionalization Study, Internal Controls Policy. I'd like to recognize our Deputy County Manager, Danny Searcy.

Thank you, Commissioners. This business before you tonight is actually a bit of a formality. It's in an effort to close out an American Rescue Plan Act and DEQ Regionalization Study grant. It was for Rutherford and Spindell to look at merger and regionalization of wastewater insurer. As we have began to close out that grant project, the ARPA folks in DEQ met with us recently to talk through our closeout, and they said, oh, by the way, since you guys received the funds, we've changed our checklist, and you've never adopted this policy. So we have a policy, internal controls policy. The good news is there's nothing about it that was surprising, disappointing, or anything that we hadn't already covered in our normal policy. So tonight is a formality asking if you would please consider adopting this, and it will be the last item in our checklist to close out this project. We've already received the report from the vendor, and I'm sure that with you guys in a previous meeting.

Thank you. Any questions from the board?

Were there any changes? And this from what you were previously?

There was not. It's kind of interesting. The intent of the policy was to provide reasonable assurance that the American Rescue Plan, as well as the DEQ funds, that they were used only for eligible purposes, that they were clearly documented, that they were safeguarded, and that they were managed with accountability, transparency, and compliance with all applicable federal requirements. And we had accomplished all of those. And tonight, again, is a formality just to make this official.

Was there an adopted policy before this one, or is this the first official adopted policy?

Actually, there was a prior one that was adopted. They had shared a template with us a number of months ago, and whenever we went through the closeout, they indicated that their error, they had actually sent us the wrong policy, and they were apologetic and said, oh, by the way, we still need to do this and get board approval, and we said, after the fact, and they said, after the fact. Appreciate that. Very good questions. Thank you, sir.

What's the will of the board?

Make a motion we approve the policy as presented. Thank you. Second. Have a motion, second. Any discussion? Maybe it'll come back again. We'll do it again.

Any further discussion? Any other call to question? All in favor, raise your right hand. Any opposed, likewise. Okay. Thank you, commissioners. Thank you. Six times four or five eight one animal adoption fee reduction request like to recognize a deputy County manager Danny Searcy.

That's quick.

My apologies. You just stayed. Gentlemen, tonight you've got some business before you. Our animal control, Heart of the Foothills Rescue, they typically have a policy in place that allows our manager to be able to approve when they have a one-day discount. However, in an effort toward the initiative called Clear the Shelters, Animal Control is requesting approval for a temporary adoption fee reduction for the entire month of August, August 1st through 31st of 2026, in support of the national Clear the Shelters campaign. I want to note that lower adoption fees are expected to reduce the animal's length of stay. It also lowers operating costs, eases kennel capacity, and reduces disease risk while increasing community engagement. So just tonight, the proposed fee is for 50% off their adoption and other fees throughout the month of August for your consideration.

Thank you.

Are there any questions for the board? No, I think this is very important. I think we need to get the word out. We've got too many animals we keep all the time, so this is a great program, I believe. Richard, would you like to share anything?

Yes, sir. For clarification, I might suggest this board might wish to consider adapting the amended policy. The current reduced day policy contemplates just a single day with certain restrictions. The amended policy will increase this to where the animal control director working with the county manager will be able to determine a length of time that a month would be fine, but up to 45 days in which if shelter conditions warrant it, that this reduced pricing could be made. I think that would cover any potential for this matter to be adopted as well, not just for this August, but at a point in time in the future without having to come back to the board.

Well, it's my understanding on this one that another nonprofit's been reached out to to cover the other fees. So this is not a taxpayer-funded half-month rate that is being picked up. So I like knowing that. So if we do give it to the county manager, I'd still like to know that the costs are being covered in another way so that we understand that there's no extra monies coming out of the county budget to give a half-rate month. I don't know how we would go about that.

uh... and that was it's actually is this coming as a recommendation from the vendor this is where they they actually called last week uh... i get an email and i'm when i was on phone with them on saturday the way the policy is now the county manager can only authorize one day and they want and so i'm i'm told them that we'll bring this to the board tonight and this this amended policy allows through their recommendation and the county manager whoever that is or we know who this is going to be um... to go up to i think 30 days 30 days 45 45 i believe is actually what the policy stands you know and this is this is actually a management and a marketing decision by the heart of foothills and so um i agree with it i just i agree with it as long as there's a way to that that safeguards put in place that the funding is there by a partner And that's as the as the vendor this up to them yeah, I mean so But I believe I heard you correctly the recommend motions to prove the amended policy.

Yes, sir Okay, that is that the amended policy is attached It actually as a Friday the amended red line copy was on there Hazel is added on the actual final version as it will appear as well

So is there a motion to approve the amended policy? Make a motion we approve the amended policy. Second. We have a motion to second. Any discussion? If you have a call or question, all in favor raise your right hand. If not, likewise. Okay.

Thank you, Commissioners. Thank you, Council.

Thank you. Danny, would you let them know that, please? All right. Thank you. All right. The next item on the agenda is a motion to adjourn.

Make a motion we adjourn.

Second. We have a motion to second. Any discussion? Second. Who didn't call a question, all in favor raise your right hand. Any opposed, likewise. We are adjourned. Thank you, everybody.

Thank you.