Board Receives Update on Subdivision Lot Standards

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners received an update on Subdivision Lot Standards from Planning and Inspections Director Rawls Howard during their Dec. 8, 2022, agenda session, which was held in the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

Howard came before the Board following direction at its October 13 agenda session to solicit feedback from the Planning Board and the development community on options for a possible amendment to the County’s Subdivision Ordinance regarding Zero Lot Line subdivisions. He said that staff reached out to the Home Builder’s Association of Fayetteville to request feedback and received input from the Planning Board at its November 15 meeting.

Howard provided potential options to Commissioners, including:

• Option 1: Removing single-family developments from the definition of “Zero Lot Line” and inserting standards to allow for Variable Lot Residential Developments. This option allows lot reductions administratively of up to 25 percent and sets standards for how the maximum number of lots and open space are calculated. Exercising this option would require that the development connect to public water and sewer.
• Option 2: This option included all of the above adjustments, but allows septic and wells if feasible and allows developers to provide a fee-in-lieu of open space dedication in accordance with current subdivision regulations.

Following the presentation, the Board directed staff to prepare a text amendment based on Option 2 to go before the Planning Board for consideration before coming back to the Board of Commissioners.

Commissioners received the following additional presentations during the meeting:

• Update on Classification and Compensation Study – Assistant County Manager Brian Haney and Human Resources Director Dominique Hall provided an update on the County’s ongoing Classification and Compensation Study, as well as background on the County’s retention and recruitment issues that led to the Board continuing funding for the Study in the FY2023 budget.
• Overview of Substantial Equivalency – Human Resources Director Dominique Hall gave an overview of the process for the County obtaining Substantial Equivalency related to Recruitment, and Classification and Compensation for positions that fall under the State Human Resources Act, meaning those in the Department of Social Services and Department of Public Health. Hall said not having Substantial Equivalency has resulted in significant delays in seeking approvals from the State related to these personnel actions in the affected departments. The Board gave consensus for staff to continue moving forward to determine what the County must do to obtain Substantial Equivalency.
• Review of Environmental Justice Report for Ann Street Landfill Project – General Manager for Natural Resources Amanda Bader presented the Board with the draft Environmental Justice report related to the potential expansion of the Ann Street Landfill and installation of a transfer station to transfer solid waste that comes into the facility to another disposal facility outside the County.

The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to place the following agenda items on the consent agenda for the December 19 Regular Board of Commissioners meeting:

• Amendment to Contract to Audit Accounts
• Recipient Agreement with the State of North Carolina for Methodist University Stream Restoration Funding
• Formal Bid Award for Emergency Watershed Program (EWP)
• Request from NCDOT to Abandon a Portion of SR 4089 (King Road)
• Piedmont Natural Gas Request for Easement
• Request by Sheriff to Use Funds from Detention Center Telecommunications Contract for Detention Staff Retention Incentives

The following agenda items were approved by the Board, but not unanimously, meaning they will be discussed as items of business for the December 19 Regular Board of Commissioners meeting:

• Request by Robert Van Geons for Matching Funds to Community Development Foundation

The Board received the Health Insurance Update, Financial Report and Project Updates from the staff in their agenda packet. Please visit cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/commissioners-group/commissioners/meetings/agendas-minutes-and-videos to see the detailed presentations..

Commissioners also voted to go into closed session to discuss Economic Development Matter(s) Pursuant to NCGS 143.318.11(a)(3).

Agenda sessions are held once a month and provide an opportunity for the Board of Commissioners to discuss potential agenda topics for Regular Board of Commissioners’ meetings.

Meetings are live streamed on CCNC-TV though the County’s website at cumberlandcountync.gov, YouTube Channel and on CCNCTV Spectrum Channel 5. All associated documents to this meeting can be found on the Cumberland County website to include meeting agendas, minutes and links to the videos under the Board of Commissioners tab.

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