013123 ws HARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Minutes of Work Session
January 31, 2023
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners met in work session on Tuesday, January 31, 2023
at 9:00 am, in the Commissioners Meeting Room, Harnett County Resource Center and Library,
455 McKinney Parkway, Lillington, North Carolina.
Members present: William Morris, Vice Chairman
Barbara McKoy, Commissioner
W. Brooks Matthews, Commissioner
Lewis W. Weatherspoon, Commissioner
Member absent: Matthew B. Nicol, Chairman
Staff present: Dwight Snow, County Attorney
Brent Trout, County Manager
Kimberly Honeycutt, Finance Officer
Melissa Capps, County Clerk
Vice Chairman Morris called the Harnett County Board of Commissioners meeting to order at
9:00 am.
Commissioner McKoy led the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation.
The following agenda was before the Board of Commissioners:
1. Call to order— Vice Chairman Morris
2. Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation— Commissioner Barbara McKoy
3. Discuss Grower's Market; Marge Morton, Fuquay-Varina Growers Market
4. Discuss acceptance of the Veterans Treatment Court Grant and an opportunity to
apply for a new grant; Eric Truesdale, Veteran Services Director
5. Discuss stream debris removal service agreement approval for Neills Creek; Lynn
Lambert, Natural Resources Director
6. Discuss additional family planning funds from NC DHHS; John Rouse, Health
Director
7. Discuss a request to establish vaccine rate; John Rouse, Health Director
8. Discuss a request to barr off taxes for 2011 and 2012; Christine Wallace, Tax
Administrator
9. Discuss Ag Storage Building; Tim Mathews, County Extension Director
10. Discuss a request regarding a Resolution Supporting Compression Increases for NC
Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Detention, Youth
Development Center and Court Services Staff; Kimberly Whitted, Chairperson,
Harnett County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council
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January 31,2023
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11. Discuss Year of the Trail Resolution; Carl Davis, Parks and Recreation Director
12. Discuss Nonprofit Funding Agreements ($1.5 Million State Appropriations); Ally
Fouts, Lead for North Carolina Fellow
} 13. Discuss a Resolution to Increase Micro-Purchase Threshold; Ally Fouts, Lead for
North Carolina Fellow
14. Discuss Land Lease Agreement between the County of Harnett and Lenora Johnson
Holding Co.; Christopher Appel; Senior Staff Attorney
15. Discuss and consider approval of Legislative Priorities; Brent Trout, County Manager
**Please note action may be taken on this item**
16. Discuss a budget amendment for Harnett High School Press Box replacements;
Brent Trout, County Manager
17. Discuss Administration Department Position Change; Brent Trout, County Manager
18. Discuss Animal Control Contracts; Vice Chairman William Morris
19. Discuss fire inspections; Vice Chairman William Morris
20. Review applications to serve on Boards and Committees.
21. County Manager's Report- Brent Trout, County Manager
• February 6, 2023 Regular Meeting Agenda Review
• Upcoming meetings and invitations
22. Closed Session
23. Adjourn
Marge Morton, Market Manager, Fuquay-Varina Growers Market, provided information
regarding the Growers Market and how they used ARPS funds to help preserve farms and
provide food security to those in need in the community and advocated for county farmers
markets as defined in Harnett County's 2032 Strategic Plan. Discussion included locations of
Farmers Markets currently within the county. Commissioner Weatherspoon made a motion to
table this item until the February 28th work session. The motion was seconded by Commissioner
McKoy and carried unanimously.
Eric Truesdale, Veterans Services Director, reviewed a request for the approval and acceptance
of the Veterans Treatment Court Grant. During the March 29, 2022 Work Session, the request
for the Veterans Treatment Court to apply for this grant was approved. Acceptance of this grant
will allow for appropriations of this funding. This grant is for a four year period in the amount of
$750,000. Grant Award Number is 15PBJA-22-GG-04375-VTCX. Consensus of the Board was
to place this item on the consent agenda.
Mr. Truesdale and Zane Campbell, Director of the Harnett County Veterans Treatment Court,
also reviewed a request to apply for a BJA Drug Court Grant O-BJA-2023-171509 in the amount
of$1,000,000.00. This is a four year grant. Purpose of grant is attached and will allow for the
expenditure of funds for 4 current positions,training, mileage, outpatient mental health
treatment, substance abuse treatment, drug testing supplies, office supplies and software.
Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the consent agenda.
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Work Session Minutes
January 31,2023
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Lynn Lambert, Natural Resources Director, reviewed a request for approval of the service
agreement with J &J Environmental, LLC in the amount of$379,528 for stream debris removal
within Neills Creek. Work performed will be in line with the Streamflow Rehabilitation
Assistance Program guidelines. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the consent
agenda.
John Rouse, Health Director, reviewed a request for approval to accept additional Family
Planning funds in the amount of$1,699 from NC DHHS. These funds will be used to purchase
family planning methods for clients seeking family planning services. Consensus of the Board
was to place this item on the consent agenda.
Mr. Rouse also reviewed a request for approval to establish the following fee that was approved
at the January 19, 2023 Board of Health Meeting. CPT CODE 90677; DESCRIPTION
PREVNAR20 (Pneumonia); RECOMMENDED PRICE $302.00. Consensus of the Board was to
place this item on the consent agenda.
Christine Wallace, Acting Tax Administrator, reviewed a request to barr off the 2011 and 2012
delinquent taxes. Per statute delinquent taxes that are more than ten years past due cannot be
collected using enforced collection remedies. This statute of limitations affects the use of bank
or rent attachment, the garnishment of wages, sheriff executions, debt setoff, or foreclosure in
collecting delinquent taxes. Although forced collections is no longer permissible by law the
delinquent taxes still remain a lien on the property and may be collected by other payment
methods including private sale of the property. The amount of county taxes to be barred off for
2011 as of September 30, 2011 - Real and Personal Property$22,510.82; Motor Vehicles
$39,310.56. The amount of county taxes to be barred off for 2012 as of September 30, 2012-
Real and Personal Property$27,197.18; Motor Vehicles $47,024.06. Consensus of the Board was
to place this item on the consent agenda.
Tim Mathews, County Extension Director, reviewed a request for approval of the Ag Storage
Building structure as capital outlay and to allow the department to use lapsed salaries instead of
the state appropriation. The Cooperative Extension Department applied and was approved for a
grant from North Carolina State University for a grant from the NC AgVentures Program in the
amount of$8,000. The grant also required a local appropriation and during the budget
development, the use of$7,000 of local funding was appropriated and approved. The funds were
to be used to construct a shelter for the various pieces of farm implements that the department
uses for the benefit of citizens within the County. The award of the funds was approved by the
Harnett County Board of Commissioners August 1, 2022. Because the total projected expense of
$15,000 was below the capital threshold, the purchase did not require formal Board approval.
The department moved forward with securing a vendor but later learned that they would receive
a legislative appropriation from the State as part of the$1.5 million funding from Senator
Burgin. As a result of the additional funding, the department expanded the scope of the purchase
to include sides which would provide better protection from the elements and theft. The
expansion of the scope of work increased the cost(from $15,000 to $22,200) qualifying it as
capital and requiring Board approval. Additionally, the County has learned that the appropriation
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January 31, 2023
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from the State must follow Federal procurement guidelines. The State funding was allocated to
multiple units within the County and Cooperative was not directly involved in the reporting
requirements; as a result Cooperative Extension was not aware of the requirements until recently.
Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the consent agenda.
Kimberly Whitted, Harnett County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council Chairperson,review a
request for the Harnett County Board of Commissioners to adopt a Resolution Supporting
Compression Increases for NC Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Detention,Youth Development Center and Court Services Staff.Consensus of the Board was to
place this item on the consent agenda.
Carl Davis, Parks and Recreation Director,reviewed a request for the Harnett County Board of
Commissioners to adopt a.Resolution of Support for Trails and 2023 Year of the Trail.
Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the consent agenda.
Ally Fouts, Lead for North Carolina Fellow,reviewed a request for approval of funding
agreements with the following organizations: 1. Angier Chamber of Commerce; 2. Autism
Society of NC; 3. Averasboro Battlefield Commission;4. C.O.M.B.A.T. VTC; 5. Central NC
Tax Assistance; 6. Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce; 7. Dunn PAL; 8. Erwin Area Chamber of
Commerce; 9. Habitat for Humanity of Harnett County; 10. Harnett Health System; 11. Harnett
Sheriffs Office PAL; 12. Lillington Area Chamber of Commerce; 13. SAFE of Harnett County;
14. Special Olympics North Carolina; 15. Town of Angier; 16. Town of Coats; 17. Veterans
Legacy Foundation. In the State of North Carolina's most recent budget, $1.5 million was
allocated to Harnett County to be passed along to a list of 46 entities,which was created by
Senator Burgin. Our legal team is drafting funding agreements to be signed by external recipients
so they can receive their funds and begin their projects.Consensus of the Board was to place this
item on the consent agenda.
Ms. Fouts also reviewed a request for the Harnett Count Board of Commissioners to adopt a
Resolution to Increase Micro-Purchase Threshold. In 2020, the federal Office of Management
and Budget revised the Uniform Guidance to allow non-Federal entities to raise the threshold for
micro-purchases to relieve the administrative burden of projects utilizing federal funds. This
resolution would raise the County's micro-purchase threshold from $10,000 to $30,000 for
certain projects and $50,000 for other projects.Consensus of the Board was to place this item on
the consent agenda.
Christopher Appel, Senior Staff Attorney, reviewed a request for the Harnett County Board of
Commissioners to approve the Land Lease Agreement between the County of Harnett and
Lenora Johnson Holding Co.Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the consent
agenda.
Brent Trout, County Manager,reviewed a request to approve the Legislative Priorities for Fiscal
Year 2023. Commissioner Matthews made a motion to approve the Legislative Priorities for
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January 31,2023
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Fiscal Year 2023. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Weatherspoon and carried
unanimously.
Mr. Trout also reviewed a request to approve a Capital Project Ordinance Amendment to
appropriate funds to be used for the replacement of the football press boxes located at both
Harnett Central High School and Western Harnett High School. Consensus of the Board was to
place this item on the consent agenda.
Mr. Trout also reviewed a request for approval of the reorganization of the department to create a
Deputy County Manager position and the selection/promotion of Coley Price into the position.
The cost of the additional salary for FY 2023 will be covered by contingency funds so there are
no additional funds needed from fund balance to cover the cost of this change in salary.
Commissioner Weatherspoon made a motion to place this item on the next consent agenda for
approval. Commissioner McKoy seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
Vice Chairman Morris expressed concerns regarding an issue in Erwin pertaining to the
enforcement of the animal control ordinance. Attorney Appel provided information on the
Animal Control Interlocal Agreements, enforcement of the animal control ordinance, civil
penalties and civil action taken for enforcement of the ordinance.
Vice Chairman Morris asked staff to look at moving fire inspections to the building inspections
office. He stated the fire code is intertwined with the building code, are we being redundant by
having two different agencies doing inspections, or would the public be better served if it was
combined. Mr. Trout stated we would like to work with staff to figure out what our options are
and provide recommendations back.
The applications to serve on Boards and Committees were reviewed. Consensus of the Board
was to place the appointment Tim Thompson to serve as the public citizen member on the
Transportation Advisory Committee on the next consent agenda.
Commissioner Weatherspoon made a motion to go into Closed Session to discuss certain
personnel matters and to instruct the County's staff concerning the position to be taken by the
County in negotiating a contract for the acquisition of real property. This motion is made
pursuant to NC General Statute Section 143-318.11 (a)(6) and (a)(5). The motion was seconded
by Commissioner McKoy and carried unanimously.
Following a motion to come out of Closed Session, Vice Chairman Morris called the meeting
back into open session.
Commissioner Weatherspoon made a motion to adjourn at 11:01 am. The motion was seconded
by Commissioner Matthews. The motion carried unanimously.
William Morris, Vice Chairman Melis D. Capps, Clerk
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
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January 31, 2023
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