05-02-2022 Agenda Packet BOCPERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MEETING AGENDA
304 South Morgan Street, Room 215
Roxboro, NC 27573-5245
336-597-1720
Fax 336-599-1609
May 2, 2022
7:00pm
This meeting will convene in the Commissioners’ Boardroom 215 in the County Office Building.
CALL TO ORDER ………………………………………………………………... Chairman Powell
INVOCATION
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
DISCUSSION/ADJUSTMENT/APPROVAL OF AGENDA
PUBLIC HEARING:
ITEM #1 (pg. 3)
Request to add Fast Rock Road to the database of roadway names used for
E-911 dispatching ……………………………………………………………………… Sallie Vaughn
ITEM #2 (pg. 4)
Consideration to Grant or Deny Request to add Fast Rock Road to the
database of roadway names used for E-911 dispatching ………………………... Chairman Powell
INFORMAL COMMENTS
The Person County Board of Commissioners established a 10-minute segment which is
open for informal comments and/or questions from citizens of this county on issues, other
than those issues for which a public hearing has been scheduled. The time will be divided
equally among those wishing to comment. It is requested that any person who wishes to
address the Board, register with the Clerk to the Board prior to the meeting.
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ITEM #3
DISCUSSION/ADJUSTMENT/APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA A.Budget Amendment #18 (pg. 5), andB.NC Education Lottery Application for South Elementary School contracted painting
for$95,000 (pg. 6)
NEW BUSINESS:
ITEM #4 (pgs. 7-10)
GREAT Grant Partnerships – ZiTEL and Charter Communications ………... Katherine Cathey
ITEM #5 (pgs. 11-35)
FY23 Fire District Tax Request ………………………………………………………. Adam Morris
ITEM #6 (pgs. 36-49)
Person County State of Emergency and Emergency Management
Ordinances ……………………………………………………………………. Commissioner Gentry
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
MANAGER’S REPORT
COMMISSIONER REPORTS/COMMENTS
Note: All Items on the Agenda are for Discussion and Action as deemed appropriate by the Board.
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The Person County Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday,
May 2 at 7pm in Boardroom 215 of the Person County Office Building at 304 S Morgan St,
Roxboro, North Carolina to hear the following:
Request by the Person County Address Coordinator to add Fast Rock Road to the database of
roadway names used for E‐911 dispatching. The proposed private roadway will be located
along and east of Mount Harmony Church Rd between Medford Oakley Rd and Howard
Vaughan Rd in Mount Tirzah Township. Article IV, Section 402 H of the Ordinance Regulating
Address and Road Naming in Person County requires any private roadway serving three or
more homes to be officially named.
Citizens will have an opportunity to speak regarding the above request.
Specific information about the request can be obtained from the Person County GIS
Department, 325 S Morgan St, Suite D.
Sallie Vaughn
GIS Manager
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AGENDA ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 2, 2022
Agenda Title: Public Hearing to add Fast Rock Road to the database of roadway
names used for E-911 dispatching
Background Information: Tax Map/Parcel A97 7, which is accessed via shared private easement,
was recently purchased with plans for a home. In accordance with Article IV, Section 402 H of the
“Ordinance Regulating Addresses and Road Naming in Person County,” any driveway serving three
or more addressable structures must be named. Naming this road now will prevent future residents
from having to change their addresses as more lots are developed.
Summary Information: There are two residences currently. The addition of a new residence
necessitates the naming of the driveway (see map below). North Carolina General Statute 153A-
239.1(A) requires a public hearing be held on the matter and public notice be provided at least 10 days
prior in the newspaper. The required public notice was published in the April 22, 2022 edition of the
Roxboro Courier-Times. A sign advertising the public hearing was placed at the proposed roadway
location on the same date. All seven adjacent property owners were contacted in person and via
certified mail. Of those seven, only three residents will be affected with address changes. The required
two-thirds majority was reached and Fast Rock Road was provided as their road name of choice,
which is compliant with all naming regulations in the Ordinance.
Recommended Action: Approve the recommended roadway name, Fast Rock Road to be added to
the database of roadway names used for E-911 dispatching.
Submitted By: Sallie Vaughn, GIS Manager
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5/2/2022
Dept./Acct No.Department Name Amount
Incr / (Decr)
EXPENDITURES General Fund
General Government 219,157
Public Safety 18,000
Human Services 3,932
Culture & Recreation 1,500
REVENUES General Fund
Other Revenues 1,500
Intergovernmental Revenues 40,162
Fund Balance Appropriation 200,927
Explanation:
BUDGET AMENDMENT #18
To recognize additional grant funds approved by the NC Department of Public Safety for the Roots & Wings Program
($18,000); reducing fund balance appropriation (-$18,230) for receipt of Emergency Management Performance Grant
revenue ($18,230) for already budgeted expenditures in the Emergency Management Department; received
additional grant revenue for Veterans Services ($1,609); received donation to Sportsplex ($1,500); appropriating fund
balance in the Information Technology Systems Fund ($219,157) for the backup and security software purchase
contract that the BOC approved execution for in their meeting on 4/18/22; and receipt of Energy Neighbor program
revenues at DSS ($2,323).
BA‐185
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AGENDA ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 2, 2022
Agenda Title: GREAT Grant Partnerships – ZiTEL and Charter Communications
Summary of Information: The Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology
(GREAT) Grant is a competitive grant program that provides funding to private sector
broadband providers to deploy last-mile broadband infrastructure to unserved areas of North
Carolina. The current 2021-2022 funding round may award up to $350 million in federal ARP
funding. The state extended the GREAT Grant application deadline to May 4, 2022.
On March 21, 2022, the Board of Commissioners approved an MOU with Brightspeed in support
of its GREAT Grant application. If Brightspeed is awarded the project by the state, Person
County has committed $1.25 million of the county’s $7.67 million American Rescue Plan (ARP)
funding to partner with Brightspeed on deploying fiber-to-the-home service to approximately
2,600 locations.
The board provided letters of support for Brightspeed’s GREAT Grant application as well as
Charter’s application. Charter proposes to serve 500 locations. The board did not commit
financial support for Charter’s application but voted to reserve an additional $250,000 of the
county’s ARP funding for future broadband expansion.
The information below summarizes another broadband infrastructure expansion proposal
received from ZiTEL and revisits possible financial support for Charter’s proposal. Brandon
Camden, President/CEO, and Rodney Gray, COO, will attend the meeting on behalf of ZiTEL,
and Justin DeLancey, Senior Manager, Government Affairs, will be present on behalf of Charter.
The providers and county staff will provide a brief presentation and allow time for questions and
discussion of the proposals.
ZiTEL
ZiTEL is a local private Internet provider headquartered in Bedford County, Virginia with a
current footprint that can provide service to 2,400+ homes and businesses in Bedford County and
Campbell County, Virginia. ZiTEL will be expanding to 4,000+ locations by the end of calendar
year 2022.
ZiTEL also partners with the City of Danville to provide service on their municipal-owned fiber
plant as a preferred provider, giving ZiTEL another 15,000+ passings. ZiTEL is seeking to
expand its footprint to other rural areas in both Virginia and North Carolina.
As initially proposed, ZiTEL’s project would build 162 miles of fiber and reach approximately
2,174 unserved locations in Person County. In addition to these unserved locations, the new fiber
routes would pass 2,089 other locations for a total reach of 4,263. This project would be funded
with an estimated $3.6 million GREAT Grant as well as provider and county financial
contributions. ZiTEL requests a county commitment of $1,818,709.20 in ARP funds, and ZiTEL
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would match the county contribution. The total project cost would be $7,274,836.80. Future
expansion of ZiTEL’s network could reach a total of 14,639 locations in Person County.
ZiTEL has emphasized their flexibility and willingness to work with the county to modify their
proposal to best meet the county’s needs in terms of coverage and cost. Staff will continue to
work with ZiTEL to refine the initial project proposal, and alternative options may be presented
on May 2. Potential adjustments could include leveraging the county’s fiber network, co-locating
equipment, and reallocating the cost share.
Charter Communications (Spectrum)
On March 21, 2022, the Board of Commissioners voted to support Charter’s proposal to build 97
miles of fiber and reach approximately 500 unserved locations. The project would position
Charter closer to and within easier reach of an additional 734 underserved locations. The board
did not approve Charter’s request for a county commitment of $250,000 in ARP funds to help
improve the score of the grant application. The board may wish to reconsider this request in
order to ensure that Person County has the strongest representation possible in this round of
GREAT Grant funding.
Potential GREAT Grant Partnerships for Person County
A single grant award shall not exceed $4 million. No combination of grant awards involving any
single county may exceed $8 million in a fiscal year. The GREAT Grant is a competitive grant
program. Applications will be scored based upon a system that awards a single point for criteria
considered to be the minimum level for the provision of broadband service with additional points
awarded to criteria that exceed minimum levels. A county may use unrestricted general funds or
federal ARP funds for the purpose of improving broadband infrastructure for a financial match.
An applicant may receive additional points for a proposed partnership where the county's
financial match is comprised entirely from federal ARP funds intended for broadband
infrastructure.
Details of Proposed Projects Brightspeed Charter ZiTEL
(Option 1)
Unserved Locations Reached 2,602 500 2,174
Fiber (miles) 118.8 97.0 182.1
Person County ARP Funding $1,250,000 $250,000 $1,818,709
Cost per Location (Person County) $480 $500 $837
GREAT Grant Funding $4,000,000 $2,600,000 $3,600,000
Total Project Cost $8,370,000 $4,700,000 $7,274,837
The county has committed $1.25 million to Brightspeed if awarded a grant and reserved an
additional $250,000 for future broadband expansion. The board may designate additional ARP
funding in support of and to strengthen Charter and ZiTEL’s GREAT Grant applications. For
example, the board may increase the county’s reserve of ARP funds for the purpose of
improving broadband infrastructure to $2.5 million (inclusive of Brightspeed and other approved
providers) and negotiate with ZiTEL to reduce the county contribution to $1.25 million or less. It
is unlikely that the entire amount would be needed for the GREAT Grant, as redundancies would
be eliminated, likely reducing the total project cost, prior to the state’s making a second grant
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award.
Future Broadband Infrastructure Projects
After the GREAT Grant application period closes, the NC Department of Information
Technology (NCDIT) will share guidance related to the new Completing Access to Broadband
(CAB) Grant program. This new program will provide an opportunity for individual NC counties
to partner with NCDIT to fund broadband deployment projects in unserved areas of each county.
The CAB Grant program complements the GREAT Grant program to provide solutions to areas
not served by the GREAT Grant. Per legislation, projects applied for and not funded under the
GREAT Grant can be considered for funding under the CAB Grant program
Brightspeed, Charter and ZiTEL have expressed an interest in continuing to work with Person
County to expand broadband infrastructure through this program.
Recommended Action: 1) Designate additional ARP funds for broadband expansion, and 2)
Approve the attached resolution.
Submitted By: Katherine M. Cathey, Assistant County Manager
Attachments: 1) Resolution of Support
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RESOLUTION SUPPORTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR BROADBAND
PROVIDERS IN THE NORTH CAROLINA GROWING RURAL ECONOMIES WITH ACCESS
TO TECHNOLOGY (“GREAT”) GRANT PROGRAM
WHEREAS, Person County has been made aware of the opportunity to partner with private sector
broadband providers in the North Carolina Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology
(“GREAT”) Grant program; and
WHEREAS, the GREAT Grant is a competitive grant program that provides funding to providers
to deploy last-mile broadband infrastructure to unserved areas of North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, funding is available for up to $4 million for a single grant award and up to $8 million
in a fiscal year for any single county; and
WHEREAS, an applicant may receive additional points for a proposed partnership where the
county's financial match is comprised entirely from federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds intended
for broadband infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the following private sector broadband providers desire to partner with Person
County:
Brightspeed,
Charter Communications (Spectrum), and
ZiTEL; and
WHEREAS, the providers listed above request a financial match from Person County should the
grant application be successful; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Person County Board of Commissioners that:
1.The board chairman is authorized to sign a letter of support for the GREAT Grant applications
of the providers identified in this resolution.
2.Person County will provide NC GREAT Grant matching funds in an amount not to exceed
$____ million from the county’s ARP funds for the provider(s) selected by the State of North
Carolina for the grant award.
RESOLVED this 2nd day of May, 2022.
Gordon Powell, Chairman
ATTEST:
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Brenda B. Reaves, Clerk to the Board
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AGENDA ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 2, 2022
Agenda Title: FY23 Fire District Tax Request
Summary of Information: Person County Fire Marshal Adam Morris will present a proposal to
increase the fire district tax to fund paid part-time firefighters during the day at seven volunteer fire
departments and the Person County Rescue Squad. The accompanying PowerPoint and handouts
provide information and data to support the request.
Recommended Action: Receive the presentation and provide feedback on the proposal to raise the
fire district tax from the current rate of $.0275 to $.05 cents to fund the addition of paid part-time
staff.
Submitted By: Adam Morris, Fire Marshal
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Request for Part‐time Paid StaffPerson County Chief's AssociationMay 2, 202212
Consider…1.Do you and your family deserve a timely response in an emergency? YES, YOU DO!2.Do the citizens and visitors in Person County need and expect the best service that we can provide to them? YES, THEY DO!3.In a critical moment of need, how long do you want to wait? AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE!•In Person County, approximately 60% of citizens are served by a volunteer fire department.•We must plan now to improve our ability to respond in the most cost‐effective means possible!13
What’s Required of a Volunteer?NC requires that a volunteer firefighter/rescue squad member obtain 36 hours of training per year. That is all! But, in order to obtain a firefighter certification, Emergency Medical Technician certification, or Rescue certification the following hours are required:•Firefighter –514 hours (Includes Firefighter, Haz‐Mat Awareness, TIMS)•Basic EMT –228 hours•Technical Rescue (all disciplines) –520 hours Once certified, you have to maintain continuing education hours every year (number listed below are the minimums):•Firefighter –36 hours•Basic EMT –24 hours•Technical Rescue –36 hours14
Objective•Identify the problem•Propose a solution•Explain implementation15
Problem•The number of emergency calls continues to increase for the volunteer fire departments. •They are no longer just “fire calls”:•Medical calls (cardiac/respiratory arrest, diabetic, stroke, overdoses, etc.)•Automatic fire alarms/false alarms•Citizen complaints/concerns (illegal burning, smoke complaints, malfunction of fire alarms systems, smoke detectors beeping, smell of gas/odor, etc.)•Motor vehicle accidents•Downed trees in the roadway (high winds, thunderstorms, hurricanes, ice storms)•Hazardous materials incidents16
Problem (continued)•An overall decline in volunteer membership in departments + increased training requirements + increased family priorities = fewer people available to respond to emergencies in Person County 312936263335322924253021203734270510152025303540Allensville Ceffo Hurdle Mills Moriah Rescue Timberlake Triple Springs SemoraDepartment Members (2018 and 2021)2018202117
Current Ages of Volunteers•As of April 2022, there are a total of 214 volunteers serving Person County. The aging volunteer base is a concern.•Breakdown of age groups:•15‐18 = 15 = 7%•19‐30 = 51 = 24%•31‐45 = 55 = 26%•46‐67 = 75 = 35%•68‐over = 18 = 8%18
Age (continued)•There are 7 volunteer fire departments and 1 rescue squad in Person County. One of the 7 fire departments, Semora, covers district in Person and Caswell County. Person County Rescue Squad assists with all motor vehicle accidents and rescue calls and responds to structure fires for rehab all across the county. •Most volunteers are in the age group of 46‐67 years old. 15‐18 years old is one of the lowest‐represented age groups. This is concerning for the future. •The age groups of 19‐30, 31‐45, and 46‐67 are working class volunteers who make up approximately 80% of the volunteers in this study. Most of them are working typical 8am‐5pm, Monday‐Friday jobs and are unable to respond to emergency calls during the day. •The age group of 68+ will have the potential of retiring/dropping out in the next 5 years or less .•If a member has been with the department in good standing and they have paid into the state’s Firefighters’ and Rescue Squad Workers’ Pension Fund for 20 years, and they are the age of 55, that individual can retire and start drawing their pension each month. We could see more of this happening in the near future, leading to more potential loss of members. •Adding part‐time paid members would increase each department’s total number of members. They will be added to the NC State Fireman's Association roster (helping with the 15 and 19 minimum rule). ISO counts 1 paid staff member as equaling 3 volunteers, so this will help with the next ISO inspections. 19
Why Is This Important?•NC OSFM requires that a single‐station department have 15 members on their roster. If that department has a second station, then the department must have 19 members on the roster.•In the last 3 years, there has been a slow decline in memberships within the departments in Person County. (Exceptions: Triple Springs acquired some Woodsdalevolunteers and Timberlake added part‐time paid staff.)•NC OSFM also requires that a department respond with a minimum of 4 members (1 out of the 4 must be an officer of the department) and 1 fire engine to all structure fires calls. If a department does not, then the department goes on probation. If this happens a second time, then the department loses their certification, the ISO grade goes to a 10 and the homeowners within the district have no fire protection coverage (Reference: previous WoodsdaleVFD situation).20
Time of Day Response ChartData collected from 2018‐2021Daytime (7AM‐7PM)Nighttime (7PM‐7AM)348384740510797153152349123822543049938810079625202004006008001000120014001600AllensvilleCeffoHurdle MillsMoriahRescueSemoraTimberlakeTriple SpringsDaytimeNighttime21
Why does time matter?https://youtu.be/piofZLySsNc4.415.175.386.487.566.216.90123456789AllensvilleCeffoHurdle MillsMoriahRescueTimberlakeTriple SpringsSemoraAverage Number of Minutes from En Route to Arriving On Scene (2018‐2021)22
SolutionAdd 2 paid, part‐time personnel to each volunteer department, working a 12‐hour daytime shift Monday thru Friday.How will this help?•Guaranteed response •Better response times•Mutual aid for neighboring departments•Equipment clean, serviced, and ready for use•Station upkeep•Community service 23
Implementation•Raise the current fire tax rate of $.0275 cents to $.0500 cents to fund this new proposal.•With the additional funding, add 2 paid part‐time personnel at each main station, working 12‐hour shifts, Monday‐Friday at $15 an hour (plus social security, taxes, and worker’s compensation insurance).•Each department would be responsible for hiring, terminating, job requirements, day to day duties, timekeeping, supplies, etc. These expectations would be standardized across the county for all of the departments. Person County Government would be responsible only for funding.24
Implementation (continued)Department# of Part‐time PositionsPay Per HourTaxesWorker’s CompTotal CostAllensville 2 $15 $9,396 $1,875 $105,231 Ceffo 2 $15 $9,396 $1,875 $105,231 Hurdle Mills 2 $15 $9,396 $1,875 $105,231 Moriah 2 $15 $9,396 $1,875 $105,231 Semora 1 $15 $4,698 $1,875 $53,553 Timberlake 2 $15 $9,396 $1,875 $105,231 Triple Springs 2 $15 $9,396 $1,875 $105,231 Person County Rescue2$15 $9,396 $1,875 $105,231 $70,470 $15,000 $790,170 25
NC Fire Tax Rate MapRed Counties –No fire tax Yellow Counties –Fire tax rate below $0.05 per $100 value Green Counties –Fire tax rate between $0.05‐$0.09Blue Counties –Fire tax rate $0.09 and higherAlamance –0.09 Anson –0.096 Avery –0.07 Beaufort –0.064Buncombe – 0.105Cabarrus –0.06 Caswell –0.0369 Chatham –0.096Cherokee –0.051Chowan –0.055 Craven –0.055 Davidson –0.075 Davie –0.04Durham –0.072 Forsyth –0.074 Franklin –0.087Guilford – 0.10Halifax –0.071 Iredell –0.09Jones –0.03Moore –0.095Nash –0.08 New Hanover –0.077 Orange –0.09Person – 0.0275Rockingham –0.10 Stokes –0.08 Transylvania –0.063Union –0.021Vance –0.089 Wake – 0.091Warren –0.05 •Alamance, Davidson, Nash, Orange, Rockingham, and Warren are an average, they have different fire tax rates depending on which district you live in.•Note: Data is from counties that had data accessible to the public and the most current tax rate.26
Conclusion•Person County needs to provide its residents with the best possible emergency response. Our current method is “getting us by” for now but is quickly being overstretched with the decline of volunteers coupled with an increased number of emergency responses.•Therefore, providing each volunteer station with paid personnel will ensure a timely response, resulting in better survival rates in medical calls and lower property loss in fires.•All departments have already or are currently working towards lowering their ISO grade to help the homeowners in their districts. This is ensuring the best quality of fire protection, effective and adequate training, above standard equipment, preplans for businesses, and adequate water supply to the community.27
Ask yourself these two questions…1.If you had an emergency, how long do you or a family member want to wait for help to arrive? 2.If you were a potential new home owner, business, or industry looking to move to Person County, would you not want a quick response and the best possible ISO rating for that area?Businesses and industries are looking at these numbers, and we continue to improve them, they may have an impact on generating new tax growth for Person County.28
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AGENDA ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 2, 2022
Agenda Title: Person County State of Emergency and Emergency Management Ordinances
Summary of Information: Statutes that establish emergency management authorities for state
and local governments are found in Article 1 of G.S. Chapter 166A (North Carolina Emergency
Management Act of 1977) and Article 36A of G.S. Chapter 14 (Riots and Civil Disorders).
Article 1 of Chapter 166A defines responsibilities within State government for direction and
control of the state’s emergency management program, and authorizes cities and counties to
establish local emergency management programs. Article 36A authorizes cities and counties to
enact ordinances imposing various restrictions and prohibitions during a locally declared state of
emergency.
On Dec. 2, 2013, the Person County Board of Commissioners adopted the Person County State
of Emergency Ordinance (attached) following an extensive overhaul of North Carolina’s
emergency management statutes. The updated North Carolina Emergency Management Act
included items such as new (and more modern/relevant) terminology and definitions,
prohibitions (e.g. gun laws, curfew, etc.), and clearer lines of authority concerning emergency
management functions within specified jurisdictions.
The governing body of each county is responsible for emergency management activities within
the geographical limits of such county. These activities include prevention of, preparation for,
response to and recovery from natural or manmade emergencies or hostile military or
paramilitary action and to do the following:
1.Reduce vulnerability of people and property to damage, injury and loss of life and
property.
2.Prepare for prompt and efficient rescue, care, and treatment of threatened or affected
persons.
3.Provide for the rapid and orderly rehabilitation of persons and restoration of property.
4.Provide for cooperation and coordination of activities relating to emergency mitigation,
preparedness, response, and recovery among agencies, officials of such county and with
similar agencies and officials of other local, state and federal governments, and with
other private and quasi-official organizations.
The governing body of each county is authorized to establish and maintain an emergency
management agency for the purpose contained in G.S. 166A-19.1 The County Manager shall
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appoint a coordinator who will have a direct responsibility for the organization, administration,
and operation of the county program and will be subject to the direction and guidance of such
governing body through the County Manager. In the event that any county fails to establish an
emergency management agency, and the Governor, in the Governor's discretion, determines that
a need exists for such an emergency management agency, then the Governor is hereby
empowered to establish an emergency management agency within that county.
On Dec. 1, 2014, the Person County Board of Commissioners adopted the Person County
Emergency Management Ordinance (attached). This ordinance established the Person County
Office of Emergency Management to be the coordination agency for all activity in connection
with emergency management as the instrument by which the Person County Board of
Commissioners will exercise authority and discharge the responsibilities vested in them during
emergencies.
Emergency Services Director Thom Schwalenberg will provide an overview of the emergency
management ordinances and will be available to respond to questions.
Recommended Action: Review the purpose and provisions of the current State of Emergency
and Emergency Management Ordinances and provide feedback and direction to staff on potential
revisions.
Submitted By: PJ Gentry, County Commissioner
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