Aug 22, 2023, 10:19 AM by Jon Soles

The following is a summary of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners meeting, which was held Aug. 21, 2023, at 6:45 p.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The following is a summary of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners meeting, which was held Aug. 21, 2023, at 6:45 p.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

Commissioners recognized Cumberland County 4-H volunteers Alfreda Williams and Lillian Hughes, who have recently taken on leadership positions at the district and state levels. Williams, who has been a Cumberland County 4-H volunteer since 2007, most recently served as president-elect for the State Volunteer Leaders Association and will become president for the 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association in February 2024. Hughes has been a Cumberland County 4-H volunteer since 2015 and currently serves as secretary for the South Central District 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association.

The Board also recognized Hector Hughes, who is Cumberland County’s 2023 YouthVoice delegate and will attend an intensive two-day citizenship and leadership seminar on Aug. 25-26 in conjunction with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Annual Conference, which will be held in Wake County. Hector has been part of Cumberland County 4-H since 2015.

Commissioners recognized Alexandra Garcia and Sara Uharriet, who are two of six statewide winners of scholarships from the N.C. Association of Agricultural Fairs. Garcia is a recent graduate of Gray’s Creek High School who will attend Fayetteville Technical Community College and intends to complete a degree in Plant Nursery Management. Uharriet is a graduate of Terry Sanford High School and is attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she will study environmental science. Their combined scholarships total nearly $9,000.

Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Director Lisa Childers gave commissioners an update on the Cumberland County Fair, which will be held Sept. 1 – 10 at the Crown Complex. The fair will begin Sept. 1 at 5 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Childers said the theme of this year’s fair is “Off to the Fair,” taken from the children’s book Charlotte’s Web. The focus on this year’s event will be children’s literacy and agriculture, and the goal is to create an interactive experience for children.

Cumberland County Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green gave the Board an update on COVID-19, noting that wastewater surveillance data from the State shows that the number of COVID-19 particles in wastewater is higher than it has been in some time, suggesting an increase in the spread of the virus. She urged people to prepare for Fall Respiratory Virus Season by getting up to date on their COVID-19 boosters, getting the new updated COVID-19 booster shot when it becomes available in late September or early October, getting the seasonal flu vaccine, and getting the new RSV vaccine if recommended by their health care providers. She also encouraged people to get tested and treated, advertising at-home COVID tests that are available for free at the Health Department. She also encouraged people to continue exercising preventive health measures including washing their hands, covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze, and staying home if they’re sick. For more information, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/publichealth.

Bill Koonz, Regional Director for Crown Event Center project architect EwingCole, gave the Board a presentation updating them on the schematic design for the new facility, which was approved by the Crown Event Center Committee last week. He also shared several renderings of what the building’s exterior will look like.

The Board unanimously approved the following items as part of the CONSENT AGENDA:

1. Approval of Proclamation for Gun Violence Awareness and Prevention
2. Approval of Proclamation Declaring Sept. 15, 2023 as POW/MIA Day in Cumberland County
3. Approval of Sole Source Upgrade of Pneumatic Controls at Detention Center
4. Approval of Sole Source Upgrade of Pneumatic Controls at Hope Mills Library
5. Approval of Sole Source Upgrade of Pneumatic Controls at North Regional Library
6. Approval of Sole Source for Annual Maintenance for Security System at the Detention Center
7. Approval of Sole Source for Annual Maintenance for Cornerstone Hardware for the Detention Center
8. Approval of Sole Source for SafeGuard Warranty and Protection Plan for Integrated Ballistics Identification System Equipment for Sheriff's Office
9. Approval of Budget Ordinance Amendments for the Aug. 21, 2023 Board of Commissioners' Agenda
10. Approval of Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Agenda Session Items
    1. Reallocation of FY24 SNAP ARPA Funds And Associated Budget Revision #B240652
    2. Animal Medical Fund Ordinance Revision
    3. Piedmont Natural Gas Request for Land to Expand Regulator Station
    4. NCDOT Request for Entry Agreement to Commence Work at Camden Road Convenience Center

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

1. Public Hearing on Proposed Economic Development Incentives for “Project Wave.” Robert Van Geons, President and CEO of the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Commission (FCEDC), presented on Project Wave, a China-based company engaged in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of advanced energy storage systems and lithium-ion batteries. The company is considering a vacant building on Corporation Drive for a new manufacturing facility. If selected, the proposed project would create 282 new jobs over the next five years; pay an average wage exceeding the county average for private industry of $44,897 annually or $21.59 per hour; and invest $79 million in real estate improvements and equipment by 2026. The project would inject more than $12.6 million of annual payroll into the community. Van Geons requested the Board approve a local incentive grant not to exceed $2,128,000, paid in installments over five years. Over a 10-year projection horizon, the County would receive more than $6 million in tax revenue from the project and retain nearly $4 million in new revenue after paying the incentive grant. There were no speakers during the Public Hearing. The Board voted unanimously to approve this item.
2. Rezoning Case ZON-23-0014. Conditional rezoning from C1(P) Planned Local Business District and M(P) Planned Industrial District to M(P)/CZ Planned Industrial District Conditional Zoning or a more restrictive zoning district for 10.58 +/- acres, located at the northwest corner of Middle River Loop Road and River Road, submitted by Garret Fulcher (agent) on behalf of Fulcher Real Estate, LLC (owner). The Board voted unanimously to approve the rezoning request.
3. Case ZON-23-0016. Text Amendment to the Cumberland County Zoning Ordinance to update and reflect the name change of Fort Bragg military base to Fort Liberty; submitted by Planning & Inspections Staff (applicant). The Board voted unanimously to approve the item.
4. Case ZON-23-0019. Text Amendment to the Cumberland County Subdivision Ordinance to update and reflect the name change of Fort Bragg military base to Fort Liberty; submitted by Planning & Inspections Staff (applicant). The Board voted unanimously to approve the item.

ITEMS OF BUSINESS:

1. Consideration of Crown Event Center Pre-Opening Consulting Agreement with Oak View Group and related Exception to Policy and Budget Amendment #B240323 to Pay Prior Year Expense. As part of the design process for the new Crown Event Center, County Management seeks to engage current Crown Complex manager Oak View Group (OVG) to provide consulting services to ensure the facility includes what is needed from an operational standpoint. Per the agreement, the services would be provided at a cost of $5,000 per month from February 2023 through the Opening Date of the new facility, along with a not-to-exceed amount of $15,000 for travel and other expenses through the term of the agreement. This item was moved to the Consent Agenda where it was approved in a unanimous vote.
2. Salary Classification Schedules for County Attorneys. At the Aug. 10, 2023 Agenda Session, the Board of County Commissioners requested that an alternative plan be brought forward for the classification and compensation of all county attorneys instead of contracting with an outside legal firm to provide legal services for the County, in particular, the Department of Social Services. County Manager Clarence Grier provided information about current salary ranges for the County’s attorney positions along with comparable ranges from other large counties. He recommended the following salary ranges for the County’s attorney positions.
   • Attorney I (Child Support):$93,000 to $147,551.98
   • Attorney I (DSS):$95,000 to $148,551.98
   • Attorney I (County Attorney’s Office):$100,000 to $170,834.78
   • Attorney II (County-wide):$110,000 to $169,096.58
   • County Attorney:$144,711.30 to $243,548.43

   Grier said the total budgetary impact would be around $64,000. He requested Commissioners approve the recommended changes to starting salaries and salary ranges and authorize the required compensation adjustments effective Aug. 28, 2023. The Board voted unanimously to approve this item. Commissioners noted that they had specifically directed the County Manager to address attorney salary issues, but that the results of the ongoing Classification and Compensation Study to address all positions would be presented in the coming months.

3. Consideration of Agreement for Utility Services. Laketree Inc., is requesting installation of sanitary utility services for the Eagles Bluff - Phase I subdivision project in Wade. The developer will install, at no-cost to the County, 1,031 feet of 8-inch PVC sewer main, 215 feet of ductile iron piping sewer main, 37 feet of 4- and 6-inch sewer laterals, in addition to 257 feet of 12-inch PVC and 500 feet of 12-inch ductile iron piping for the gravity sanitary sewer outfalls and interceptors. Phase I consists of 36 single family residential lots with a total projected daily design flow of 12,960 gallons per day. The NORCRESS and Cross Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility have capacity to accept the flow. The Board voted unanimously to approve this item.

The Board recessed their meeting and convened a meeting as the NORCRESS Water and Sewer District Governing Board, during which they approved the agreement with Laketree Inc. for connection to the NORCRESS system. Following the action, the Board reconvened as the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.

The Board went into Closed Session to discuss Economic Development Matter(s) pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11(a)(4).

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.