HomeMy WebLinkAbout073024 wsHARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Minutes of Work Session
July 30, 2024
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners met in work session on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, 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, Chairman
W. Brooks Matthews, Vice Chairman
Barbara McKoy, Commissioner
Lewis W. Weatherspoon, Commissioner
Matthew B. Nicol, Commissioner
Staff present: Dwight Snow, County Attorney
Kimberly Honeycutt, Finance Officer
Brent Trout, County Manager
Melissa Capps, Clerk
Chairman Morris called the Harnett County Board of Commissioners meeting to order at 9:00
am. Vice Chairman Matthews led the Pledge of Allegiance and provided the invocation.
The following agenda was before the Board of Commissioners:
1. Call to order — Chairman William Morris
2. Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation — Vice Chairman Brooks Matthews
3. Discuss a request for approval to accept a grant from Building Bridges
Implementation Funding; Major McNeill, Sheriff's Office
4. Discuss a request to accept additional grant funding from the North Carolina
Department of Environmental Quality for the North Harnett Wastewater
Treatment Plant Project; Steve Ward, HRW Director and Brent Trout, County Manager
5. Discuss a request from the Tax Administrator to give a report of the tax settlement
to the Board of Commissioners; Christine Wallace, Tax Administrator
6. Discuss a request to charge the Tax Administrator with the collection of all real,
personal and public service company taxes for the 2024-2025 levy year and the
collection of delinquent taxes from 2014-2024; Christine Wallace, Tax Administrator
7. Discuss a request to adopt a Resolution to participate in the Kroger National Opioid
Settlement; Christopher Appel, Senior Staff Attorney
8. Discuss a request regarding the Juvenile Counselor Office; Kenneth Snipes, Facility
Maintenance Manager
9. ARPA Quarterly Update and request to amend the ARPA Grant Project
Ordinance; Ally Fouts Gaines, Management Analyst
10. Economic Development Quarterly Update; Stephen Barrington, Economic
Development Director
11. Financial Quarterly Update; Kimberly Honeycutt, Finance Officer
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
July 30, 2024
Page 1 of 6
12. County Manager's Report — Brent Trout, County Manager
• Resolution requesting NCDOT add Folly Court in Sweetwater Subdivision to the
State's Secondary Road System.
• Request from Harnett Regional Water to approve contract/amendments for FY 25
in the amount of $3,395,738.00
i. $500,000.00 Utility Service Co. Inc. Water Tank Maintenance
ii. $725,500.00 The Huffstetler Group, Inc. Filter services and repairs
iii. $2,170,238.00 CRU (Charles Underwood) Booster pump and Sewer lift
station repairs.
• NCACC Annual Conference Voting Delegate
• August 5, 2024 Regular Meeting Agenda Review
• Upcoming meetings and invitations
13. Closed Session
14. Adjourn
Major Gary McNeill, Sheriff's Office, reviewed a request for approval to accept a grant from
Building Bridges Implementation Funding issued by the Institute for Intergovernmental Research
(IIR) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The funding
will be used to support efforts to enhance the Harnett County Sheriffs Office Opioid Treatment
Program in the Detention Center. Grant funds will be used to pay for personnel, equipment and
training. The grant is in the amount of up to $ 250,000.00. The grant will end July 31, 2025.
There are no matching funds required by Harnett County. Chairman Morris asked if this funding
would support with Sheriffs MOUD program. Major McNeill stated yes sir. Chairman Morris
asked if that would help ensure the continued success of the MOUD program and Major McNeill
stated yes, we have used different funding to start with and this will ensure we have funding for
the next couple of years to continue the program. Major McNeill stated we are continually
looking at grants and other sources of money to operate this program in the future. Major
McNeill stated we are in the pilot stage, we've seen 7, the longer we have gotten in, the more
response we have gotten from inmates. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next
consent agenda.
Steve Ward, Harnett Regional Water Director, reviewed a request for the Board of
Commissioners to adopt a Resolution approving the acceptance of grant funding and agreeing to
follow the guidelines of the grant award from the North Carolina Department of Environmental
Quality for the North Harnett Wastewater Treatment Plant Project. The Department of
Environmental Quality has selected Harnett Regional Water to receive a grant in the amount of
$14,775,000 for the construction of our expansion of the North Harnett Wastewater Treatment
Plant. The grant will be used to pay for a portion of the cost for the $104 million dollar plant
expansion. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Christine Wallace, Tax Administrator and Amy Bain, Deputy Tax Collector, reported the 2023-
2024 Tax Settlement to the Board of Commissioners. Per N. C. General Statute 105-373 the Tax
Collector must make a report of settlement for the fiscal Year 2023-2024 and prior years. This
settlement report is a summary of charges to the levy, discovered levy, and penalties. The report
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
July 30, 2024
Page 2 of 6
included the collection of this levy along with releases and adjustments. This report showed the
charged levy and collections of Real Property, Personal Property, Public Service Companies,
Motor Vehicles, and Gap Registration bills and a comparison over the years. Consensus of the
Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Ms. Wallace also presented a request in accordance with North Carolina G.S. 105-321(b), the
Harnett County Board of Commissioners adopt and enter into the minutes an order directing the
Tax Administrator to collect the taxes charged for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and with the
collection of delinquent taxes from 2014-2024. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on
the next consent agenda.
Christopher Appel, Senior Staff Attorney presented a request for the Board of Commissioners to
adopt a Resolution authorizing execution of Kroger Opioid Settlement and approving the second
supplemental agreement for additional funds. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on
the next consent agenda.
Kenneth Snipes, Facility Maintenance Manager, reviewed a request for the Board of
Commissioners to designate office space located at 5845 US Hwy 421 S, Lillington, North
Carolina for the purposes of relocating the Juvenile Court Counselor's Office. Consensus of the
Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Ally Fouts Gaines, Management Analyst reviewed a request for approval to amend the Grant
Project Ordinance for the $26,411,744 received from the American Rescue Plan Act -
Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA/CSLFRF). Ms. Gaines reviewed the
following information:
ARPA-Eligible Projects as of June 30, 2024
Expenditure Deadline: December 31, 2026
Project
Status
Obligated
Expended
North Harnett Wastewater Treatment Plant Contribution
In Progress
$
5,000,000.00
$
Brightspeed GREAT Grant (#1)
In Progress
$
375,000.00
$
Spectrum GREAT Grant (#2)
In Progress
$
$
Brightspeed CAB Grant
In Progress
$
$
Emergency/County VIPER (Sheriff, HARTS, EMS, HRW)
Completed
$
5,619,227.49
$ 5,619,227.49
Local Police VIPER (Municipalities)
Completed
$
1,571,308.65
$ 1,571,308.65
Premium Pay for EMS (Ineligible as of 4110/2023)
Completed
$
117,822.60
$ 117,822.60
Revenue Replacement (Reimbursement for eligible salaries)
Completed
$ 10,000,000.00
$ 10,000,000.00
Total
$ 22,683,358.74
$ 17,308,358.74
Remaining
$
3,728,385.26
$ 9,103,385.26
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
July 30, 2024
Page 3 of 6
Obligation Reporting to Treasury as of June 30, 2024
Obligation Deadline: December 31, 2024
Project
Jan - Mar 2024
Apr - Jun 2024
Jul - Sep 2024
Oct - Dec 2024
Project Total
North Harnett WWTP
$ 5.000.000.00
$
$ 1,411,599.96
S -
$ 6,411,599.96
Brightspeed GREAT Grant
$ 375.000.00
$
$ -
S
S 375.000.00
Spectrum GREAT Grant
$ -
$
$ 375,000.00
S
$ 375,000.00
Brightspeed CAB Grant
$
$
S 1,941,785.30
S
S 1,941,785.30
Local Police VIPER
$
$
S
S
S 1,791,293.35
Emergency/County VIPER
$
$
S
S
S 5,619,227.49
Premium Pay for EMS
$
$
S
S
S 117,822.60
Revenue Replacement
$
$
S
S
S 10,000,000.00
Total Obligated
$ 5,375,000.00
$
$ 3,728,385.26
S
$ 26,631,728.70
Remaining to Obligate
$ 3,508,400.56
$ 3,508,400.56
S
$
$
Harnett County Projects Made Possible
by ARPA/CSLFRF Displaced Funding
June 3C. 2024
Displaced Funding
project
Amount Allocated
Lead for NC Fellow
$ 15,000
IT River Fiber Extension
S 149,332
Funding for Harnett Retgortal Jetport
$ 2,500,000
CloaxANyze Fiber Phase 2 Match
$ 2,000,000
DSS 2nd Floor Upfu
$ 1,200,000
Office 365 Claud Mgratm
S 1,043269
R—side Flood Project
$ 750,000
Retention Pay for EMS Eriployees
$ 382,177
Contribution to Saleeby YMCA
$ 295,000
Management Anayst
$ 150,000
Digital Literacy Training (ClordWyle)
s 5,000
County Morgue
$ 396,100
North v t Harrte6 Stabort 3 Emergency Services
$ 216267
New Desks for Department of Social Se—
S 73.610
New Utility Vehicle for Parks 6 Rec
$ 13,870
Rewrite Documentalgn for Harnett Reg —I Jetport
$ 22.535
Transit Vans for HARTS
S 26,612
Tranfer to General Fund (Protects cut by BOC)
$ 209.594
Transfer to Gen Fund to reduce use of Fund Balance
s 500.000
Total:
$ 9.947.346
Remaining Funds for Contingency for Displaced Projects: "
$ 52.654
Project Tout:
$ 10.1)M000
**These are LOCAL funds and
are NOT subject to
timeline requirements**
Commissioner McKoy expressed concerns regarding the Riverside Flood Project. Coley Price,
Deputy County Manager, provided a quick update of the project and Withers Ravenal will be
performing a Water Hydraulic Study.
Consensus of the Board was to place the approval to amend the Grant Project Ordinance for the
$26,411,744 received from the American Rescue Plan Act - Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal
Recovery Fund (ARPA/CSLFRF) on the next consent agenda.
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
July 30, 2024
Page 4 of 6
Stephen Barrington, Economic Development Director, provided a quarterly Economic
Development Update. Additional discussion included the recruitment of industry and jobs for
Harnett County.
Kimberly Honeycutt, Finance Officer, provided a few highlights as the fiscal year ended June 30,
2024. So far for the year, expenditures have totaled $155 million, revenues have totaled $151
million, we do still have two months of sales tax to come in and property tax collected has been
about $73 million and DMV is $9.4 million. Auditors should be in around August or September
and our report should be completed around October or November.
Brent Trout, County Manager reviewed a request for the approval of a Resolution requesting
NCDOT add Folly Court in Sweetwater Subdivision to the State's Secondary Road System.
Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Mr. Trout also reviewed a request for approval of contracts/amendments related to operations at
Harnett Regional Water for FY 25 in the amount of $3,395,738.00 which included the following:
• $500,000.00 Utility Service Co. Inc. Water Tank Maintenance
• $725,500.00 The Huffstetler Group, Inc. Filter services and repairs
• $2,170,238.00 CRU (Charles Underwood) Booster pump and Sewer lift station
repairs.
Consensus of the Board was to place approval of the contracts/amendments on the next consent
agenda.
Mr. Trout stated Commissioner McKoy, Coley Price and I are registered to attend the North
Carolina Association of County Commissioners Annual Conference next week and as a part of
the conference NCACC has requested the Board selected a voting member for the Business
Meeting. Commissioner Weatherspoon nominated Commissioner McKoy. Commissioner
McKoy stated I am not sure I will be attending, and suggested Brent Trout be selected for the
voting member. Consensus of the Board of Commissioners was to select Brent Trout, County
Manager to serve as the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Annual
Conference voting delegate in Winston-Salem, NC. Consensus of the Board was to place this
item on the next consent agenda
Commissioner Weatherspoon made a motion to go into Closed Session to consult with the
County's Legal Counsel in order to preserve the attorney -client privilege concerning the
handling of certain claims and litigation including the following case: "Longman v. John Doe
and Jane Doe, et al, Harnett County District Court File No. 24CV 1993-420." This motion is
made pursuant to NC General Statute Section 143-318.11 (a) (3). The motion was seconded by
Commissioner Nicol and carried unanimously.
Following a motion to come out of closed session, Chairman Morris called the meeting back to
order in open session.
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
July 30, 2024
Page 5 of 6
Commissioner Nicol made a motion to adjourn the Board of Commissioners at 10:03 am. Vice
Chairman Matthews seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
William Morris, Chairman �Mefis�Capp�sCle�rk���
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
July 30, 2024
Page 6 of 6