11-18-2024 Meeting Minutes BOCNovember 18, 2024
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PERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS November 18, 2024
MEMBERS PRESENT OTHERS PRESENT
Gordon Powell Katherine M. Cathey, County Manager
C. Derrick Sims Michele Solomon, Clerk to the Board-ABSENT
Kyle W. Puryear Brady Herman, County Attorney
Charlie Palmer
Jason Thomas
The Board of Commissioners for the County of Person, North Carolina, met in
regular session on Monday November 18, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners’
Boardroom 215 in the Person County Office Building located at 304 S. Morgan Street,
Roxboro, NC.
Chairman Powell called the meeting to order. Chairman Powell offered an
invocation, and Commissioner Palmer led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.
DISCUSSION/ADJUSTMENT/APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
A motion was made by Commissioner Palmer and carried 5-0 to approve the
agenda with the addition of Closed Session #1 to consult with the county attorney to
preserve the attorney-client privilege.
INFORMAL COMMENTS:
The following individual appeared before the Board to make informal comments:
Liz Bradsher of 976 Estate Road, Semora stated that she has concerns about the
Sheriff’s request for a DEA Homeland Security Task Force Officer (TFO). She stated that
the cost for this is approximately $160K. She stated that she believes this position is not
needed. She stated that the DEA already has a TFO who works with the Person County
Sheriff’s Office. She stated that she contacted the DEA agency in Raleigh, and they
indicated that TFOs work with local jurisdictions using DEA resources and funding. She
stated that her concern is why at the local level, are taxpayers having to fund this position
when it is already funded by the federal government. She requested that this item on the
agenda today be tabled for further discussion.
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DISCUSSION/ADJUSTMENT/APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA:
A motion was made by Commissioner Palmer and carried 5-0 to approve the
Consent Agenda with the following items:
A.Approval of Minutes of October 31, 2024,
B.Approval of Minutes of November 4, 2024,
C.Budget Amendment #10,
D.Resolution Amending the Board of Commissioners’ 2024 Meeting Schedule,
E.Resolution Exempting Various Projects from G.S. 143-64.31,
F.SUP-04-24 – “Written Decision Approving Special Use Permit Application” (i.e.
Written Order) following Special Use Permit approval for the Garrett Recreational
Vehicle Park, and
G.Tax Adjustments for November 2024
a.Tax Releases
b.NC Vehicle Tax System Pending Refunds
NEW BUSINESS:
PRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT
FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2024
Interim Chief Financial Officer Tracy Clayton introduced Alan Thompson, a
representative from Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams & Co, P.A., the accounting firm that
completed the annual county audit. Mr. Thompson stated that county finances are good from
an audit standpoint. He presented the following audit results to the Board.
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A motion was made by Vice-Chairman Sims and carried 5-0 to accept the annual
comprehensive financial report for FY24.
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BENEFITS CONSULTING AND BROKER SERVICES
Human Resources Director Sonya Carver provided a brief over view of the current
benefits with Mark III and explained the RFP process.
Chris Pierce with the Pierce Group presented the following:
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Together we
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can do more.
Wes Grigston with Gallagher presented the following:
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Mark Browder with Mark III presented the following:
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It was the consensus of the Board to table this item to November 25, 2024 at 9:00
a.m.
PERSON COUNTY/CITY OF ROXBORO CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN
(COOP)
Emergency Services Director Thomas Schwalenberg provided a brief overview of
the COOP as presented to the Board on November 4, 2024. He stated that a governmental
Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is a plan that ensures that local government
functions are maintained during emergencies. These plans are developed by individual
agencies and departments to ensure that they can continue to operate during a variety of
emergencies. He stated that this is a living document that is For Official Use Only, will be
housed on the county’s intranet, and will be reviewed and updated annually. He stated that
COOP exercises will be scheduled to test the plan and ensure government leaders and
employees stay familiar with the plan. He stated that a Corrective Action Plan document
has been included to capture areas of improvement during exercises or any time the plan is
activated.
A motion was made by Commissioner Palmer and carried 5-0 to adopt the Person
County/City of Roxboro Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP).
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911 BOARD GRANT ACCEPTANCE-RADIO CONSOLE
REPLACEMENT/DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
Emergency Services Director Thomas Schwalenberg stated that the Person County
Department of Emergency Services – Division of Emergency Communications applied for
and received a grant award from the North Carolina 911 Board for $255,740.57 for a
Console Radio Replacement Project. He stated that this grant funding was sought
after to replace radio consoles within the Emergency Communications Center that have
reached the end of their service life and need to be replaced. He stated that the
replacement radio consoles will bring new technology and enhancements to make the
Emergency Communication Center more efficient and better prepared to handle
emergencies. He stated that this grant helps to supports two goals within the Person
County Strategic Plan. The first, Strategic Plan Goal 6.3 - Utilize facility feasibility
assessment to plan for current and future needs of the Emergency Services Department
(Emergency Services, General Services, Finance, Administration, IT), and the second,
Strategic Plan Goal 14.1 - Enhance the resiliency of the community by coordinating and
collaborating the emergency and disaster mitigation, preparedness, prevention, response
and recovery activities (Emergency Services). He stated that the Radio Console
Replacement Project is in the current approved Capital Improvement Plan (FY
2025-2029) project list for Fiscal Year 2026. He stated that the funding for this grant will
be used towards that project, thus lowering the county’s contribution to that CIP project.
He stated that the 911 Console Replacement project was initially estimated to cost
$1,435,000 with grant funding in the amount of $975,000. He stated, as a result of staff’s
working with the vendor (MCA) and the 911 Board to further define the project and
estimate costs, the total project cost is now projected to be $518,785 with grant funding
awarded in the amount of $255,740. He stated that updated revenue and expenditure
figures will be incorporated in the FY 2026-2030 CIP.
A motion was made by Commissioner Palmer and carried 5-0 to approve the
acceptance of the 911 Board Grant Funds for $255,740.57 to be used for the Emergency
Communications Radio Console Upgrade Project and authorize the County Manager to
submit the Letter of Intent and Grant Agreement to the NC 911 Board in order to receive
the grant funding.
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HOMELAND SECURITY TASKFORCE
Lt. Benjamin Massey with the Person Count Sheriff’s Office presented the
following:
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A motion was made by Commissioner Puryear and carried 5-0 to approve one full
time Special Assignment Deputy position to the Person County Sheriff’s Office effective
December 1, 2024, which will be assigned to the Homeland Security Investigation Task
Force, pending equitable sharing approval for funding in FY25.
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ARPA GRANT PROJECT ORDINANCE AMENDMENT
Interim Chief Financial Officer Tracy Clayton stated that she is submitting an
amendment to the ARPA Grant Project Ordinance, initially approved on June 20, 2022.
She stated that this amendment proposes utilizing the interest earned on ARPA funds to
support the General Fund, as permitted under ARPA regulations. She stated that the
update allows the County to reinvest accrued interest from ARPA allocations directly into
the General Fund, thereby enhancing the County’s fiscal resources for essential services.
She stated that this amendment provides flexibility to address operational needs without
impacting other revenue sources, supporting the County’s financial sustainability and
effective service delivery. She stated that this revised Grant Project Ordinance remains in
effect until December 31, 2026, or when all ARPA funds have been obligated and
expended by the County, whichever comes first.
A motion was made by Commissioner Thomas and carried 5-0 to adopt the
amended Grant Project Ordinance.
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AIRPORT TERMINAL STUDY RECOMMENDATION
County Manager Katherine Cathey presented the following:
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A motion was made by Commissioner Puryear and carried 5-0 to designate $2M
from ARP funds (previously designated for economic development) to fund a new airport
terminal.
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TIRE AND MATTRESS SHREDDER
Amanda Doss, Director of Person Industries and Person County Recycling Center
presented the following:
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A motion was made by Commissioner Puryear and carried 5-0 to use contingency
from the 2024 LOBs Fund, if needed, to complete electrical and building upgrades to prep
for the tire and mattress shredder.
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PCBIC STATUS REPORT
PCBIC President Phillip Allen provided an update to the Board on PCBIC’s status.
He stated that at the last PCBIC meeting in September, he created a committee that was
made up of PCBIC members, Scott McKinney, Marilyn Newell, Donald Long, and
himself, to review and make recommendations to the bylaws. He stated that the committee
met a few times and would be presenting the recommended changes to the PCBIC at their
scheduled meeting on November 19, 2024.
A motion was made by Chairman Powell and failed to carry 2-3 to dissolve the
EDC Board and for the PCBIC to operate as it is with its current members as a nonprofit.
Chairman Powell and Commissioner Palmer voted in favor of, while Vice-Chairman
Sims, and Commissioners Puryear and Thomas were opposed.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Chairman Powell stated that the Veterans have had a couple of good, well -attended
events over the past few weeks. He stated that they are a good organization, doing a lot of
good work. He mentioned the Enterprise Fleet Management Program and its status. He
stated he had concerns on how this program is going, and that Enterprise has not lived up to
their responsibilities nor the County’s expectations. He stated that he is very disappointed
with Enterprise, and it is his recommendation that they come before the Board on November
25, 2024 to explain their situation and give an update. He stated that Person County history
is important. He stated that signage at the Courthouse and Paine’s Tavern are not reflecting
the correct information and history. He stated that he has reached out to the state, and they
advised the two signs are the responsibility of the County. He asked the County Manager to
investigate and bring back to the Board. He mentioned the need for a new school
maintenance facility. County Manager Cathey advised that it is her recommendation that
the school system submit this as a CIP request to be considered for funding through that
process.
MANAGER’S REPORT
County Manager Katherine Cathey stated that County offices will be closed on
November 28 and November 29, 2024 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. She
stated that the December 2, 2024 meeting is at 5:30 p.m. in the Person County Office
Building Auditorium. She stated that outgoing Board members will be recognized and new
Board members will be sworn in.
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COMMISSIONER REPORTS/COMMENTS
Vice-Chairman Sims stated that he attended the Duke Energy Air Permit Hearing
on November 12, 2024 at PCC, along with Chairman Powell, County Manager Cathey, Ray
Jeffers, and Beth Townsend. He stated that he does not plan on speaking at the next meeting,
as it is a time for celebration for new Board members. He congratulated the three newly
elected Commissioners and wished them the best. He expressed thanks to all who have
supported him and the Board over the past four years. He stated that it has been a pleasure
working with this Board. He mentioned a few major accomplishments by this Board, to
include, Moriah Energy Center, Country Club Road Closure, and Microsoft buying the
Mega Park. He expressed thanks to PCBIC, EDC, Phillip Allen, Brandy Lynch, BOC staff,
and County Attorney. He stated that one thing he will not miss about serving on this Board,
is the attacks and lies being spread and posted on social media about him and the Board.
Commissioner Palmer stated that it has been a pleasure to work with the County for
the past four years, and that he is content with everything that he did. He stated that he will
be watching, and he will be ready in 2026 if needed. He stated that he attended the Farm
City breakfast along with others in attendance from the County. He stated it was a well-
attended event.
Commissioner Puryear and Thomas had no report and stated that they both would
say their “good-byes” to outgoing Board members at the next meeting.
A motion was made by Commissioner Thomas and carried 5-0 to enter in to closed
session at 12:12 p.m.
CLOSED SESSION #1
A motion to enter into Closed Session #1 per General Statute 143-318.11(a)(3) for the
purpose to consult with the county attorney in order to preserve the attorney client
privilege with the following individuals allowed to attend: County Manager Katherine
Cathey, and County Attorney Brady Herman.
Chairman Powell called the closed session to order at 12:14 p.m.
A motion was made by Commissioner Puryear and carried 5-0 to return to open
session at 12:22 p.m.
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RECESS:
A motion was made by Commissioner Puryear and carried 5-0 to recess the meeting
at 12:23 p.m. until Monday, November 25, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners’
Boardroom 215 in the Person County Office Building located at 304 S. Morgan Street,
Roxboro, NC.
____________________________ ______________________________
Michele Solomon Gordon Powell
Clerk to the Board Chairman