FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The following is a summary of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners meeting, which was held Sept. 18, 2023, at 6:45 p.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. To view the agenda and supporting materials for this meeting, go to www.cumberlandcountync.gov/bocmeetingmaterials.
Fayetteville-Cumberland Youth Council Members Elizabeth Taber, a student at Terry Sanford High School, and Dayana Allison, a student at Cumberland International Early College High School, gave Commissioners a brief update from the organization.
Cumberland County Public Library Director Faith Phillips gave a presentation on National Library Card Sign-up Month and highlighted resources available at no cost to community members with a library card. She said three of the many resources include Brainfuse HelpNow online tutoring, which offers online live tutoring for students from 2-11 p.m., as well as a writing lab where students can receive feedback on draft papers; Brainfuse JobNow, which provides interactive online help and resources to guide people through the necessary tasks to get a job; and free online access to The Fayetteville Observer. She said Library cardholders can go online to cumberlandcountync.gov/library to access these resources and for more information about getting a Library card.
Phillips also announced several transitions taking place at Headquarters Library, located at 300 Maiden Lane, Fayetteville, including the realignment of the fiction and nonfiction collections to allow for an expanded fiction collection, and additional interactive programming in the children’s section on the second floor. She said the Library will be closed this Wednesday through Sunday, Sept. 20 – Sept. 24, while the transition takes place; however, other Library locations will be open during this time.
The Board unanimously approved the following items as part of the CONSENT AGENDA, unless otherwise noted below.
- Approval of September 19, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes
- Approval of Sole Source for Annual Maintenance for OneSolution Software for Sheriff's Office and Detention Center
- Approval of Proclamation for Manufacturing Day in Cumberland County
- Approval of Budget Ordinance Amendments for the September 18, 2023 Board of Commissioners’ Agenda
- E. Approval of Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Agenda Session Items
- ARP Committee Recommendations and Associated Budget Ordinance Amendment #B240339
- Intergovernmental Support Agreement with Fort Liberty for Animal Services
- Bid Award for Production Drive Extension and Site Preparation for Sandhills Road Industrial Site
- National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) Annual Recertification Progress Report
- Update to the Community Transportation Program Drug and Alcohol Policy
- Submission of FY25 Applications for Community Transportation Program (ROAP, 5307, 5310) Grant Funds
- Resolution for the Northern Cumberland Regional Sanitary Water and Sewer District (NORCRESS) Grant Application
- Resolution for Landfill Leachate Treatment for PFAS Grant Application
- Request for Proposals (RFP) for Property Acquisition Services
- Bid Award for Crown Coliseum Elevator Modernization
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
- Public Hearing on the FY 2025 5311 Program Grant Application and Resolution. The Board held a public hearing for submission of the FY25 grand application for the U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Transit Administration’s Formula Grant for Rural Areas known as Chapter 53, Section 5311 funds (commonly referred to as “5311”). This is an annual request that funds the Cumberland County Community Transportation Program, which coordinates existing transportation programs operating in Cumberland County using local transportation providers. The funding period will run from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. There were no speakers during the public hearing. The Board voted unanimously to approve the FY 2025 projects and accept the funding and local match for the program.
- Community Development Program Year 2022 Draft Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The Board held a public hearing on the Program Year 2022 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER), prepared by Community Development. The report provides detailed program accomplishments and an assessment of the department’s efforts in meeting the goals and objectives set forth in its Annual Action Plan for the period from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. There were no speakers during the public hearing.
- Public Hearing for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is seeking to apply for funding from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) through the U.S. Department of Justice. The grant continues the USDOJ’s efforts to support law enforcement at the local level. A public hearing is required to apply for the funding. There were no speakers during the public hearing. The Board voted unanimously to approve the application for funding.
Rezoning Cases
Case ZON-23-0020. Rezoning from A1 Agricultural District to R40A Residential District or to a more restrictive zoning district for 2.4 +/- acres; located at 6602 Murphy Road, submitted by Cynthia Coe (applicant/owner). There were no speakers during the public hearing. The Board voted 6-to-1 to approve the request.
ITEMS OF BUSINESS:
- Recommendation for Contracts for Opioid Settlement Funds. Cumberland County is set to receive $30,691,375 over 18 years from the historic $26 billion opioid settlement. The County conducted a Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to $800,000 of these funds and in February 2023, the Board of Commissioners approved recommendations multiple agencies to receive these funds to provide related projects. Staff requested Board approval of contracts with the following organizations: ATS of North Carolina (Carolina Treatment Center) for $200,000; Myrover-Reese Fellowship Homes Inc. for $200,000; North Carolina Harm Reduction for $199,990; and Cumberland Fayetteville Family Drug Treatment Court for $200,000 to be administered by Cumberland County Justice Services. The Board voted 6-to-1 to approve the four contracts.
- Consideration of Service Agreement with HDR Engineering, Inc. of the Carolinas for Hydrogeological Services. At the June 19, 2023, Board of Commissioners meeting the Board accepted the selection of HDR Engineering, Inc, of the Carolinas as the best qualified engineering firm to provide Hydrogeological Services to assist with ongoing study, assessment, evaluation, and development of groundwater for public drinking water development and granted permission for staff to enter negotiations for detailed scope of work, cost of services and to prepare an agreement to bring back to the board. The resulting Service Agreement is for an amount not to exceed $225,000 and the term of the agreement will be for 12 months following execution. The agreement will be funded from the Capital Investment Fund for Gray's Creek. The scope of services includes: Identify Potential Well Lots, Test Well, Development Assistance, Well Construction and Observation Services. The Board voted 6-to-1 to approve the agreement.
- Consideration of Service Agreement with HDR Engineering, Inc. of the Carolinas for Water Resources Study. At the June 19, 2023, Board of Commissioners meeting the board accepted the selection of HDR Engineering, Inc, of the Carolinas as the best qualified engineering firm for the Water Resources Study to assist with ongoing study, assessment, evaluation, and development of a new water source for public drinking water development and granted permission for staff to enter negotiations for detailed scope of work, cost of services and to prepare an agreement to bring back to the board. The resulting Service Agreement includes the preparation of a preliminary engineering report. The agreement amount shall not exceed $325,000 and the term of the agreement is 10 months following execution. Funding for this agreement is from the Capital Investment Fund for Gray's Creek. The Board voted 6-to-1 to approve the agreement.
- Consideration of Architect Selection for Cumberland County Homeless Support Center. On July 10, 2023, Cumberland County advertised a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Professional Services for Programming, Design Services and Construction Administration for the Cumberland County Homeless Support Center. The County received three responses and a staff committee evaluated submissions with LS3P scoring the highest. Staff recommends the selection of LS3P for this project. The Board voted unanimously to select LS3P as the architect for the Homeless Support Center project.
- Consideration of Contract for Crown Event Center Construction Manager at Risk. On April 17, 2023, the Board of Commissioners approved a recommendation from the Board of Commissioners Crown Event Center Committee to hire T.A. Loving/Metcon as the Construction Manager at Risk for the Crown Event Center project. The executed CMAR preconstruction services contract allows the joint venture to perform preconstruction services to include cost estimating, scheduling, constructability reviews, and value engineering to support the Owner and Design Team in constructing the Crown Event Center within the project scope and budget approved by the Board of Commissioners. The Board voted unanimously to approve the contract.
County Manager Clarence Grier informed the Board and those watching that staff intends to bring the recommendations from the County’s Classification & Compensation Study to the Oct. 12, 2023, agenda session.
The Board recessed their meeting and convened as the Gray’s Creek Water and Sewer District Governing Board, during which they approved the following items:
- Request for Proposals (RFP) for Property Acquisition Services
- Service Agreement with HDR Engineering, Inc. of the Carolinas for Hydrogeological Services
- Service Agreement with HDR Engineering, Inc. of the Carolinas for Water Resources Study
The Board then convened as the NORCRESS Water and Sewer District Governing Board, during which they approved the following items:
- Resolution for the Northern Cumberland Regional Sanitary Water and Sewer District (NORCRESS) Grant Application
The Board then reconvened as the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and adjourned the meeting.
Cumberland County Board of Commissioners meetings are streamed live on CCNCTV (Spectrum Channel 5), the County’s website cumberlandcountync.gov and the County’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/CumberlandCountyNC.