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Home My WebLink About112624 wsHARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Minutes of Work Session November 26, 2024 The Harnett County Board of Commissioners met in work session on Tuesday, November 26, 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 Matthews 3. Board of Elections Update; Claire Jones, Board of Elections Director 4. Discuss a request to approve the Strategic Plan for Harnett County Public Libraries; Angela McCauley, Library Director 5. Discuss a request to confirm designation of Child Fatality Prevention Team/Community Child Protection Team (CFPT/CCPT) as a single county team; Ainsley Johnson, Health Director 6. Discuss a request to approve a vaccine administration fee for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV); Ainsley Johnson, Health Director 7. Discuss a request to approve the updated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Project Ordinance; Brent Trout, County Manager 8. Review applications to serve on Boards and Committees. 9. County Manager's Report — Brent Trout, County Manager • December 2, 2024 Regular Meeting Agenda Review • Upcoming meetings and invitations 10. Special Presentation 11. Closed Session 12. Adjourn Harnett County Board of Commissioners Work Session Minutes November 26, 2024 Page 1 of 4 Claire Jones, Board of Elections Director provided the Board of Commissioners an update on the 2024 election. For this election, we have recruited and trained over 240 election workers. Voter registration is over 94,000. Voter turnout was almost 70%. Of the 63,000 people who voted, 47,000 voted during early voting. Ms. Jones shared information regarding the sample hand eye count, hand eye count matched voting results exactly. We also had a recount for the Supreme Court Associate Justice seat six and we completed that last week and results matched election day totals. Audits have been completed and everything has balanced out. Ms. Jones shared some challenges included being short one fulltime staff member, also had to reprint ballots due to presidential contest and highlighted a need for a facility. The Board would also like to access precinct sizes as Anderson Creek and Barbeque have grown and well over 10,000 people each. Ms. Jones thanked all the election workers. Bill McNutt, member of the Board of Elections, also provided comments. He asked consideration to be given for additional facilities. We are a growing community and need larger facilities. Additionally, we are looking at the redistribution of polling places. Angela McCauley, Library Director, presented information regarding the 2024-27 Strategic Plan. This comprehensive plan is designed to align library services with the evolving needs of our community while advancing the County's core priorities -enhancing organizational excellence, fostering an informed and engaged citizenry, and supporting superior educational opportunities. Grounded in extensive community feedback, data -driven analysis, and collaborative input from staff, stakeholders, and consultants, the 2024-27 Strategic Plan sets forth strategic objectives and actionable priorities to guide our growth. Approval of this plan will allow us to proceed with impactful initiatives aimed at strengthening the library system, expanding outreach, and enriching services for patrons across all branches. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda. Ainsley Johnson, Health Director, presented information on a request to confirm designation of Child Fatality Prevention Team/Community Child Protection Team (CFPT/CCPT) as a single county team. This is a requirement in NC Session Law 2023-134. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda. Ms. Johnson also reviewed a request for approval of funding from NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in the amount of $2319 to assist staff in utilizing the new National Review Case Reporting System (NFR-CRS). This is a requirement in NC Session Law 2023- 134. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda. Ms. Johnson also reviewed a request for the approval of the establishment of a $50 vaccine administration fee for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine. This fee is consistent with other vaccine administration fees we charge. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda. Brent Trout, County Manager, reviewed a request for the Board to approve to amend the Grant Project Ordinance for the $26,411,744 received from the American Rescue Plan Act - Harnett County Board of Commissioners Work Session Minutes November 26, 2024 Page 2 of 4 Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA/CSLFRF). This amendment shall recognize modifications to spending amounts for projects previously approved by the Board in Project Ordinance format. $5,000,000 of the County's ARPA/CSLFRF funding had been allocated to a contract with Adams Robinson Enterprises, Inc. for the construction of a 9MGD capacity upgrade at the North Harnett Wastewater Treatment Plant. The State General Assembly approved legislation that eliminated the county match provision for CAB Grants. The state will now be funding the entire amount of the grant funding for each project in the CAB program. Harnett County therefore is not required to commit the matching funds and can now approve the addition of $1,941,785 to be used on the treatment plant project. Spectrum was chosen for a second GREAT Grant project in Harnett County. The County's match for this project was modified from $375,000 to $218,626. The money not required for the match ($156,374) is being reallocated to the North Harnett Wastewater Treatment Plant project. The project ordinance also showed an amount of $1,411,600 that was unallocated to a project. The amount must be obligated towards a project by December 31, 2024. There are no other qualifying designated projects, so the above amount is now being obligated to the North Harnett Wastewater Treatment Plant project. The changes to the various line items now bring the total amount of funding for the North Harnett Wastewater Treatment Plant project to $8,509,759 up $3,509,759 from the original $5,000,000 amount. The approval of this ordinance will ensure that the requirement to obligate the ARPA funds by the December 31, 2024 deadline will have occurred. The County will have until December 31, 2026 to spend the money. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda. Commissioner McKoy requested any additional funds available be considered for the Riverside Project. Commissioner Weatherspoon asked with the additional funds going to the Water Treatment Plant does that have any impact on the amount our partners would pay for capacity. Mr. Trout stated unfortunately no it would not; it does allow us to not have to use more of our reserves. The Board reviewed applications received for vacancies on Boards and Committees. Consensus of the Board was to appoint Drew Bryant to serve on the Administrative Appeals Board for School Bus Stop Arm Violations as the Harnett County Employee Alternate Member and Ciara Monique Suros to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council as a Public Member. Chairman Morris presented Commissioner Weatherspoon with a plaque for his service to the County as a Commissioner from December 2020 to December 2024. He also presented a engraved gavel for serving as Chairman to the Board from December 2021 — December 2022. Chairman Morris read a Resolution Recognizing the Service of Commissioner Lewis W. Weatherspoon. A framed copy was presented to Commissioner Weatherspoon. Commissioner Weatherspoon stated I would like to thank our fellow commissioners for four years of service and working together. It has been pleasure. I want to thank the staff, our Deputy Harnett County Board of Commissioners Work Session Minutes November 26, 2024 Page 3 of 4 County Manager, Assistant County Manager, Department Heads, Attorney Snow, it has been a pleasure to work with everyone. I especially want to thank Brent Trout, he made being Chairman easy and I appreciate everything he has done for this County. Thank you and I appreciate everything; may everyone have a good Thanksgiving. Commissioner Nicol made a motion to adjourn the Board of Commissioners at 9:40 am. Vice Chairman Matthews seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. i liam Morris, Clairman r� Melissa Capps, Clerk Harnett County Board of Commissioners Work Session Minutes November 26, 2024 Page 4 of 4