011023 ws HARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Minutes of Work Session
January 10, 2023
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners met in work session on Tuesday, January 10, 2023
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
W. Brooks Matthews, Commissioner
Lewis W. Weatherspoon, Commissioner
Staff present: Dwight Snow, County Attorney
Brent Trout, County Manager
Kimberly Honeycutt, Finance Officer
Melissa Capps, County Clerk
Chairman Nicol 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— Chairman Matt Nicol
2. Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation— Commissioner Barbara McKoy
3. Presentation regarding the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice
Assistance's "Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions," opioid
program; Coley Price, Assistant County Manager and Christopher Appel, Senior Staff
Attorney
4. Discuss the Pilot Animal Foster Adoption Program; Brent Trout, County Manager
5. Discuss a Resolution requesting NCDOT add Magnolia Lane in Rolling Springs
Subdivision and Old Salem Drive and York Court in Country Squire Estates to the
State's Secondary Road System;Jay Sikes, Assistant Development Services Director/
Manager of Planning Services
6. Discuss a request to claim the .gov domain for our local government entity; Ira Hall,
Chief Information Officer
7. Discuss state appropriations non-profit funding agreements;Ally Fouts, Lead for
North Carolina Fellow
8. Discuss Register of Deeds Office Reorganization; Matthew Willis, Register of Deeds
9. Discuss legislative priorities; Brent Trout, County Manager
10. Discuss extension of Chairmanship on the Workforce Development Board; Brent
Trout, County Manager
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
January 10, 2023
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11. Review applications to serve on Boards and Committees.
12. County Manager's Report-Brent Trout, County Manager
• January 17,2023 Regular Meeting Agenda Review
• Upcoming meetings and invitations
13. Closed Session
14.Adjourn
Coley Price,Assistant County Manager and Christopher Appel, Senior Staff Attorney shared
information regarding"Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions." The Office of
Justice Programs' Bureau of Justice Assistance(BJA)announced that seven community leaders
from Harnett County were selected to participate in the inaugural class of the Reaching Rural:
Advancing Collaborative Solutions Initiative. Co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the State Justice Institute, the initiative will support the County's work to
address the overdose crisis that has disproportionately affected our local community.The
Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions initiative is a collaborative project providing
training to a class of over 67 fellows working to adopt bold solutions to the persistent challenge
of substance use and misuse in 81 rural communities across 15 states. The fellows include
elected county leaders, county and tribal judges, law enforcement officers,prosecutors,public
defenders,public health and behavioral health practitioners, emergency management
professionals,reentry coordinators, and individuals working in community nonprofits. A press
release will be going out today.
Brent Trout, County Manager, stated when we updated the Animal Ordinance, staff brought
forward a concept for a Pilot Animal Foster Adoption Program. Staff has not had the
opportunity to complete that,we will bring this back in February. We will also have information
from the consultant regarding the Animal Shelter.
Jay Sikes, Development Services Assistant Director/Manager of Planning Services,reviewed a
Resolution requesting NCDOT add Magnolia Lane in Rolling Springs Subdivision and Old
Salem Drive and York Court in Country Squire Estates to the State's Secondary Road System.
Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Ira Hall, Chief Information Officer,reviewed a request to claim the .gov domain. All U.S.
governments are switching over to .gov domains for the websites and email addresses. This
letter allows Harnett County to claim the.gov domain for our local government entity.
HarnettCountyNC.gov will be Harnett County's .gov domain. To eliminate confusion we will
maintain our current domain Harnett.org along with the.gov domain for the foreseeable future.
Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Ally Fouts, Lead for North Carolina Fellow,reviewed a request to approve state appropriations
non-profit funding agreements. 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
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
January 10,2023
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so they can receive their funds and begin their projects. This first batch includes contracts with
the following organizations: Angier Area Food Pantry, ARC of Harnett County, Blessing Box
Ministry, Five N Two Ministries, Harnett Food Pantry, His Daily Bread Community Ministries,
Project Not Forgotten, Sandhills Antique Farm Equipment Club, Santa& Friends, and
Shawtown High School Alumni Association. Consensus of the Board was to place this item on
the next consent agenda.
Matthew Willis, Register of Deeds, reviewed a request regarding the reorganization plan for the
Register of Deeds Office. This request has multiple steps involved to best reorganize the
Register of Deeds Office:
1. Open the "frozen" Deputy Supervisor position. la. Reclassify the Deputy
Supervisor position to a Senior Deputy position
2. Change Alison Simpson from Administrative Asst. II to Senior Deputy. Request
to keep her salary the same with no reduction.
3. Hire new staff member as Administrative Asst.
From February 16-June 30, the costs for the additional staff member(Admin Asst. II) would be
$25,972.50. Asking the Board of Commissioners to cover this amount out of the fund balance.
Moving forward, this position will be budgeted yearly. Consensus of the Board was to place this
item on the next consent agenda.
Mr. Trout reviewed the legislative priorities and project funding priorities for 2023. Additional
discussion included the bypass around the City of Dunn, county sales tax, family farm land
purchase, greenway projects, natural gas expansion and economic development. Mr. Trout asked
the Board to rank the funding priorities and return to him. Additional discussions to be held.
Mr. Trout stated in the process of standing up the brand new Workforce Development Board,
Commissioner Weatherspoon when he was Chairman, took over the responsibility of being
Chairman of the newly formed Board. He did a lot of work to find representatives to serve on
that board working with chairs of the other counties. With the way the fiscal years runs, we
would like to try to have him continue as chair on the Workforce Development Board for six
months and then the chair position will transition to different county. The recommendation was
to extend Commissioner Weatherspoon's chairmanship on the Workforce Development Board
for six months. Chairman Nicol stated as the current chair understanding this position as well as
Commissioner Weatherspoon spearheading this and being very impactful on that board, I make a
motion to extend Commissioner Weatherspoon's chairmanship on the Workforce Development
Board. Vice Chairman Morris seconded the motion. Commissioner Matthews asked if it would
was something we should put on the consent agenda for next week's meeting. Attorney Snow
agreed. Chairman Nicol asked if everyone was in favor of adding it to the next consent agenda.
Consensus of the Board was to place this item on the next consent agenda.
Applications to serve on the various board and committees were reviewed. Commissioner
Weatherspoon recommended the appointment of William Dan Andrews on the Harnett County
District H Tourism Development Authority; and appointment of Lee Marshall and Emily
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
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January 10, 2023
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Plemons' for a two-year term to serve on both the Angier Planning Board and Board of
Adjustment. Commissioner Matthews recommended accepting the recommendation of John
Rouse and reappointing Dr. Laura Smith as the Optometrist and Dr. Stacie Hogan as the
Pharmacist on the Board of Health. A resignation was received from Anitra Hart, District 2
representative on Harnett County Commission for Women and Youth. Consensus of the Board
was to place these items on the next consent agenda.
Mr. Trout shared offices will be closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of Martin Luther
King, Jr Day.
Dwight Snow, County Attorney, reviewed a request to add a budget amendment for$75,000
regarding the condemnation of a 0.2 acre tract of land adjacent to the former County library that
is being remodeled for the use by the Board of Education for office facilities. The land is a part
of the parking lot for that building. 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 litigation including the following case: Workers Compensation Claim of Jonathan Ivey
IC File No. 22-035843. This 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 to
into open session.
Vice Chairman Morris made a motion to adjourn at 10:26 am. The motion was seconded by
Commissioner Matthews. The motion carried unanimously.
-112"
Matthew B. Nicol, Chairman Melissa D. Capps, Clerk
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Work Session Minutes
January 10, 2023
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