HomeMy WebLinkAbout090925 wsHARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Minutes of Work Session
September 9, 2025
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners met in work session on Tuesday, September 9, 2025
at 9:00 am, in the Commissioners Meeting Room, Harnett County Resource Center and Library,
455 McKinney Parkway, Lillington, North Carolina.
Members present: Matthew B. Nicol, Chairman
William Morris, Vice Chairman
Barbara McKoy, Commissioner
Duncan "Eddie" Jaggers, Commissioner
Members absent: W. Brooks Matthews, Commissioner
Staff present: Dwight Snow, County Attorney
Kimberly Honeycutt, Finance Officer
Brent Trout, County Manager
Melissa Capps, Clerk
Chairman Nicol called the Harnett County Board of Commissioners meeting to order at 9:00 am.
Vice Chairman Morris led the Pledge of Allegiance and provided the invocation.
Chairman Nicol called for any additions or deletions to the published agenda. There were no
additions or deletions to the published agenda.
The following agenda was before the Board of Commissioners:
1. Call to order — Chairman Matt Nicol
2. Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation — Vice Chairman William Morris
3. Consider any additions and/or deletions to the published agenda.
4. Recognition of Special Achievement Award received by the Harnett County
Sheriffs Office
5. Update on the 2026 countywide property reappraisal; Christine Wallace, Tax
Administrator
6. Discuss a request for approval of a change to the Flat Branch Fire Department
Relief Fund Board Chair; Larry Smith, Emergency Services Director
7. Discuss a request to approve the fireworks application from Pyro East Coast, Inc.
for Campbell University fireworks display; Larry Smith, Emergency Services
Director
8. Discuss a request to approve the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIOA) agreement with Mid -Carolina Regional Council; Charlotte Leach, Harnett
County Workforce Development Programs Manager Director
9. Discuss a request for approval to enter into a contract with Cornerstone Detention
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September 9, 2025
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Products, Inc. to purchase a Bosch computer server for the Detention Center; Gary
McNeill, Major
10. Discuss a request to approve Dewberry Engineers, Inc. for the Sheriffs Office and
Detention Center generator project; Gary McNeill, Major
11. Discussion on the public comment period length; Matt Nicol, Chairman
12. Development Services briefing on upcoming public hearing:
• Proposed Zoning Change: Case PLAN2502-0002 Landowner / Applicant: C
and W Country Mart, LLC / Barnwell Capital; 3.05 +/- acres; Pin # 9568-76-
3173.000; From RA-20R to Commercial Zoning District; Barbecue
Township; Intersection of NC 87 N & SR # 1205 (Olivia Road).
13. Discuss a request to hold a public hearing to allow Harnett County citizens an
opportunity to comment on transportation needs and the proposed 5311
Community Transportation Program application submission to the North
Carolina Department of Transportation, Integrated Mobility Division
(NCDOT/IMD); Barry Blevins, General Services Director
14. Discuss a request to amend the current Library Service Policy; Kimberly VanBecl;
Library Director
15. Discuss a request to approve Economic Development staff to negotiate and execute
a contract with Colliers Engineering & Design to identify where to construct a new
road from Hwy 87 to Harnett County property that is contiguous to Lexington
Plantation; Stephen Barrington, Economic Development Director
16. Discuss a request to approve updates to the Personnel Ordinance; Janice Lane,
Human Resources Director
17. Discuss pay for Board of Elections members; Claire Jones, Elections Director and
Mike Morrow, Assistant County Manager
18. Discussion of purpose and structure of the Harnett County Historical Commission;
Christopher Appel, Senior Staff Attorney
19. Discuss a request to fund the jail navigator position for two years from opioid
settlement funds; Christopher Appel, Senior Staff'Attorney
20. Review applications to serve on Boards and Committees.
21. County Manager's Report — Brent Trout, County Manager
• September 15, 2025 Regular Meeting Agenda Review
• Upcoming meetings and invitations
22. Closed Session
23. Adjourn
Recognition of Special Achievement Award received by the Harnett County Sheriffs Office was
moved to the September 15, 2025 Regular Meeting.
Christine Wallace, Tax Administrator, provided an update to the Board of Commissioners on the
2026 countywide property reappraisal. Information included:
Reappraisal is required at least once every eight years; counties may decide to shorten
their reappraisal cycles
The process resets all real property tax values to current market value, as of January 1 of
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
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September 9, 2025
Page 2 of 8
the reappraisal year
• Property tax values generally do not change from year to year until the next reappraisal.
Exceptions include new construction and parcel splits/combines
• The Tax Department analyzes market sales between buyers and sellers to determine
market patterns and trends to create market value
• There are about 79,000 parcels of real property in Harnett County
• Reappraisal Objective
o Appraise all real property in the county at 100% of its market value, as defined by
statute
o G.S. 105-283: "all property, real and personal, shall as far as practicable be
appraised or valued at its true value in money."
o True value in money is "the price estimated in terms of money at which the
property would change hands between a willing and financially able buyer and a
willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or sell and both having
reasonable knowledge of all the uses to which the property is adapted and for
which it is capable of being used."
• Reappraisal Process
o Data Collection/Field Work
o Neighborhood Delineation
o Sales Analysis
o Land Valuation
o Building Valuation
o Value Review
o Appeals
• Mobile Home Reassessment
o Problem
■ Mobile homes classified as personal property are required to be assessed
annually as of January 1 st
■ The Schedule of Values, originally established in 1998, has not been
revised since its adoption
■ Over time, the growth in mobile homes sales has contributed to increasing
disparities in equity across the county
o Action Taken
■ Worked with GIS to create an application to collect data; Created
assessment attributes
• Staff visited 3,773 mobile homes sites in mobile home parks
• Staff reviewed 2,991 parcels with personal property mobile homes
o Results
■ 662 unlisted mobile homes were discovered for 2025
■ Tax Year 2024 — 5,612 mobile homes
■ Tax Year 2025 — 6,257 mobile homes
o Next Steps
■ Data Quality Control Check
■ Create a Schedule of Values for personal property mobile homes
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September 9, 2025
Page 3 of 8
■ Mail value notices in Spring 2026
o Appeals
■ Mobile homes owners may appeal the mobile home value
Next Steps - Schedule of Values
o Tentative timeline of events related to the adoption of the Schedule of Values
Date
Description
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Present the Schedule of Values to the BOC
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
First advertisement in the Newspaper that the Schedule of Values are
open to the public for inspection in the office of the Tax Administrator
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Second date to advertise notice. Same as above.
Wednesday, October 15,
2025
Third date to advertise notice. Same as above.
Wednesday, October 22,
2025
Fourth date to advertise notice. Same as above.
Monday, November 3, 2025
Public Hearing on the Schedule of Values
Monday, November 17, 2025
Adoption of the Schedule of Values
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
First date to advertise notice that the SOV has been adopted by the
BOC and if anyone wishes to take exception with them and appeal to
he NC Property Tax Commission. The appeal must be in writing in 30
days.
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Second date to advertise notice. Same as above.
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Third date to advertise notice. Same as above.
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Fourth and final date to advertise notice. Same as above.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Last Day Schedule of Values can be challenged
o Present the Schedule of Values
o Advertise proposed Schedule of Values are available for review
o Public Hearing on the Schedule of Values
o Adopt the Schedule of Values
o Advertise the Notice of Adoption of the Schedule of Values
o Any appeal to the Schedule of Values must be submitted to the NCPTC in writing
within 30 days.
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September 9, 2025
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Larry Smith, Emergency Services Director, reviewed a request on behalf of the Flat Branch Fire
Department requesting Board approval of a change to the Flat Branch Fire Department Relief
Fund Board Chair. The department is requesting to change 1 position on their Board. Mr. John
Taylor to replace Mr. Holt Felment who recently passed away. Consensus of the Board of
Commissioners was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Mr. Smith also reviewed a request for the approval of the fireworks application from Pyro East
Coast, Inc. for Campbell University fireworks display. East Coast Pyrotechnics meets all
requirements along with fire code compliance for the event. The event will take place on 9/20/25
showtime will be 8:30 pm. Consensus of the Board of Commissioners was to place this item on
the next consent agenda.
Charlotte Leach, Workforce Development Program Manager Director, reviewed a request for the
Board of Commissioners to approve the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
agreement with Mid -Carolina Regional Council. Consensus of the Board of Commissioners was
to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Major Gary McNeill reviewed a request for approval to enter into a contract with Cornerstone
Detention Products, Inc. to purchase a Bosch computer server for the Detention Center. The
present server has failed and has to be replaced. This server is part of the video recording system
in the Detention Center. This server will be purchased under the Sole Source exception.
Consensus of the Board of Commissioners was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Major McNeill also reviewed a request for approval from the Board of Commissioners to enter
into an agreement with Dewberry Engineers Inc. to manage the Sheriffs Office and Detention
Center generator project. At present, the Harnett County Sheriffs Office and Detention Center
has a generator that provides backup power only for "life safety" functions and the 911 Center.
During power outages, the Sheriffs Office and Detention Center is not able to operate at one
hundred percent. A study was completed to purchase and install a generator at the Harnett
County Sheriffs Office and replace the current Main Electrical Switch, located at 175 Bain St,
Lillington to provide sufficient backup power to run the building systems, including HVAC.
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September 9, 2025
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Harnett County issued Electrical Engineering and Project Management RFQ for the purchase and
installation of a new generator and main electrical switch for the Sheriffs Office as
recommended by the study. Five engineering firms presented proposals for the project. A five -
member committee was formed to evaluate each proposal and score them on a points system.
The top three scored firms were selected to be interviewed by the committee. The committee
interviewed two of the firms, the third selected firm withdrew from the selection process.
Dewberry Engineers Inc. was selected by the committee as the top choice for the project.
Funding for the project has been secured from the State of North Carolina, no additional funding
is required at this time for the project. Consensus of the Board of Commissioners was to place
this item on the next consent agenda.
Chairman Nicol requested the Board of Commissioners consider revising the length of the public
comment period and going back to 5 minutes per speaker. Chairman Nicol reviewed the current
rules regarding the public comment period. Discussion included enforcement of the rules,
cameras being turned off during the public comment period, opportunity for residents to come in
and speak to the commissioners, and speaking respectfully and professionally to the
commissioners. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next agenda for continued
discussion when all members are present.
Sarah Arbour, Planner II, provided a briefing on an upcoming public hearing for Proposed
Zoning Change: Case PLAN2502-0002 Landowner / Applicant: C and W Country Mart, LLC /
Barnwell Capital; 3.05 +/- acres; Pin # 9568-76-3173.000; From RA-20R to Commercial Zoning
District; Barbecue Township; Intersection of NC 87 N & SR # 1205 (Olivia Road).
Chance Torin, Transit Services Manager, reviewed a request for the Board to hold a public
hearing to allow Harnett County citizens an opportunity to comment on transportation needs and
the proposed 5311 Community Transportation Program application submission to the North
Carolina Department of Transportation, Integrated Mobility Division (NCDOT/IMD). At the
conclusion of the public hearing, and as required by NCDOT/IMD, HARTS seeks a Board
resolution to apply, enter an agreement with NCDOT and provide the necessary assurances and
required match. Total grant budget is $754,946 with a total county match of $96,713.
Specifically, the Section 5311 program intends to enhance access for citizens in non -urbanized
areas to healthcare, shopping, education, employment, public services and recreation. Section
5311 assists in the maintenance, development, improvement and use of public transportation
systems in non -urbanized areas.
Kimberly VanBeck, Library Director, reviewed a request for the Board to amend the current
service policy to make updates that reflect the libraries current mission and vision statements,
update strategic goals to match our current strategic plan, add Benhaven Public Library, and
adjust branch hours of operation to reflect current operational hours. Additionally, a circulation
detail about library card or photo identification for check-out has been added and Legal has
updated the document to reflect current law and legislation. Consensus of the Board of
Commissioners was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Stephen Barrington, Economic Development Director, reviewed a request for the Board of
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September 9, 2025
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Commissioners to approve staff to negotiate and execute a contract with Colliers Engineering &
Design to identify where to construct a new road from Hwy 87 to Harnett County property that is
contiguous to Lexington Plantation. Such analysis will also identify location of one or more
easements or property acquisitions needed for this road connection project. THIS IS AN
IDENTIFICATION ONLY PROJECT. Completion of a Phase 1 Environmental Assessment and
a Wetlands Determination or Delineation on the Harnett County property is part of our request
for Colliers Engineering & Design to complete. Should the Economic Development staff not be
able to successfully negotiate and execute a contract with Colliers Engineering & Design, we
will move directly to firm 2 (see below) to negotiate and execute a contract, and subsequently to
firm to 3, then 4, if needed. Colliers Engineering & Design is ranked number one (1) of four (4)
short listed firms who responded to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to provide Engineering
/ Consulting Services for this project. Kimley-Horn (2), WithersRavenel (3), and RK&K (4) are
the other short-listed firms. There were a total of seven (7) respondents to the RFQ. After
considerable deliberation from the RFQ Review Committee, Colliers Engineering & Design is
rated as the most qualified firm for this project. Consensus of the Board of Commissioners was
to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Janice Lane, Human Resources Director, reviewed a request to approve changes to the Personnel
Ordinance in accordance with the recent approved MOU between the BOC and BOE. The
proposed changes are in Article 1 Organization of the Personnel System Section 2 Coverage -
Item E (page 7) and (page 8) item F. Consensus of the Board of Commissioners was to place this
item on the next consent agenda.
Mike Morrow, Assistant County Manager and Claire Jones, Elections Director, reviewed
information regarding the Board of Elections Member Pay. Currently, the Board of Elections is
an appointed board made up of 5 members selected by the Democratic Party and Republican
Party. In February 2017, the Board of Elections voted on a $50 per month increase effective for
July 1, 2018 budget year. As a minimum, General Statute163-32 requires members of the County
Board of Elections be paid $25 per meeting by the Board of Commissioners. Present member
compensation for the Board of Elections members monthly pay is as follows: Chairman $250
and members $200. We have reviewed the surrounding Counties pay information and the
existing appointed County board pay information. If the Board of Commissioners decides to
increase the pay for the Board of Elections, staff recommends including the increase in the
upcoming budget cycle, with implementation effective July 1, 2026. Upon implementation of
any increase with the budget approval, the additional pay would be added to our regular pay
cycle after July 1, 2026.
Allison Fenderson, Board of Elections member, provided comments to the Board of
Commissioners.
Brent Trout, County Manager, shared the Chair of the Board of Elections could not attend today
due to him attending a funeral. The authority to establish the pay for each board that works for
the County resides with the Board of Commissioners to determine the pay for the Boards unless
otherwise set by General Statute. Consensus of the Board of Commissioners was to send this
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September 9, 2025
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back to the Board of Elections to bring back a recommendation from the board.
Christopher Appel, Senior Staff Attorney, reviewed information regarding the general statute
pertaining to the creation of a historical preservation commission. Discussion included possibly
revamping the Historic Properties Commission. Consensus of the Board was to schedule a
meeting with the Historic Properties Commission to discuss duties at a future work session.
Attorney Appel also reviewed a request for the approval of a Resolution to Direct the
Expenditure of Opioid Settlement Funds. The Resolution, if approved, will authorize the County
to expend funds in the amount not to exceed $250,000 from September 15, 2025 through
December 31, 2027 for the purposes of continuing the funding of a clinical social worker as part
of the Medications for Opioid Use Disorder ("MOUD") program at the Harnett County Jail.
Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
The Board of Commissioners reviewed applications received for the Harnett County First
Responders Advisory Committee. Consensus of the Board was to place the appointment of Alan
Jarvis and Chris Prince as the Harnett County Fire Chiefs Association members to the Harnett
County First Responders Advisory Committee on the next agenda as well as the review of
applications and possible appointments to the Harnett County First Responders Advisory
Committee as an item on the next agenda.
Brent Trout, County Manager, shared former commissioner Mark Johnson is coordinating the
9/11 Remembrance event on Thursday at 11:00 am at the Dunn Community Center and he
wanted me to remind you all you are invited to come.
Commissioner Jaggers made a motion to go into Closed Session to consult with the county legal
staff in order to preserve the attorney -client privilege concerning the handling of certain
litigation, namely the worker's compensation claim of "Jennifer Davis v. County of Harnett" IC
File No. 24-046267. The motion is made pursuant to NC General Statute Section 143-318.11
(a)(3). The motion was seconded by Vice Chairman Morris and carried unanimously.
Following a motion to come out of Closed Session, Chairman Nicol called the meeting back into
open session.
Commissioner Jaggers made a motion to adjourn the Board of Commissioners at 10:30 am. Vice
Chairman Morris seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
Matthew B. Nicol, Chairman
e con
Melis4wCapps, Clerk
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
September 9, 2025
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