The meeting will be held on March 6, 2023, at 6 p.m. in the Craven County Commissioners Meeting Room at the Craven County Administration Building in New Bern. View the agenda here.
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
APPROVE AGENDA
1. PETITION OF CITIZENS – AGENDA TOPICS
Comments directly pertaining to items on the agenda of any regularly scheduled meeting of the Board shall be made during an agenda comment period occurring at the beginning of each regularly scheduled meeting. Comments during this period shall be limited to those comments directly pertaining to items on the agenda for such meeting.
Each speaker must address the Board as a whole (and not any individual Commissioner, County staff member or the audience) from the lectern and shall begin his or her remarks by giving his or her name and address and the topic about which they intend to speak. Each speaker will have three (3) minutes to make remarks, as measured by a timer operated by County staff. A speaker may not yield any of his or her time to another speaker. *
Speakers must be courteous in their language and presentation and must abide by generally accepted standards of decorum. Speakers shall not make the same or repetitive comments, whether during a particular comment period or over the course of multiple comment periods. Speakers shall not attack or insult any person or group of people, and speakers shall not give belligerent or hostile comments during any comment period.
Board Action: Receive information.
2. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Feb. 20, 2023 Regular Session Minutes
The Board is requested to approve the Regular Session Minutes from February 20, 2023, as presented in the following document.
B. Tax Releases and Refunds
The Board is requested to approve the tax releases and refunds, as presented in the following document.
Tax Administrator, Leslie Young, submitted an explanation for the following refund:
Owner – Mucho Bueno Street Food and Tequila, Personal Property Account #8301643, was double billed for Tax Year 2022 in the amount of $2,634.65. The owner was correctly billed as a beer and wine account number.
C. Military Service Person of the Quarter Resolution
The Board will be requested to adopt the resolution, shown in the following document, recognizing Lance Corporal Rachael C. Alboucq as Military Service Person of the Quarter.
Board Action: A roll call vote is needed to approve the consent agenda items
DEPARTMENTAL MATTERS:
3. Social Services – County Social Services Budget Amendment: Geoffrey Marett
Social Services Director, Geoffrey Marett, is requesting $100,000 to be utilized in meeting the needs of individuals through the provision of Adult Protective and Guardian Services. Both services are mandated through North Carolina State Statutes.
Justification for his request and a budget amendment in the amount of $100,000 is shown in the following document.
Board Action: Approve budget amendment; a roll call vote is needed
4. APPOINTMENTS:
Pending:
Craven Aging Planning Board
Craven Clean Sweep
Emergency Medical Services
Local Emergency Planning Committee
Volunteer Agricultural District (District 6)
Fireman’s Relief Fund (District 5)
Current:
Craven County Planning Board
Bruce Hice (does not seek reappointment)
Applicant Heather Lane seeks to fill his vacated seat (Document follows)
Craven Aging Planning Board
Applicant Bettina Jahr seeks appointment to fill the Client Rep vacant seat (Document follows)
Applicant Joanne Blackwell seeks appointment to fill the 60+ vacant seat (Document follows)
Fireman’s Relief Fund Board – does not seek reappointment
Wesley Griffin (TWP 2 Little Swift Creek)
Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC)
Applicant Albert Lester seeks appointment (Document follows)
UPCOMING: Terms Expiring in March
Highway 70 Corridor Committee
Danny Walsh (First appointed 2004)
Bobby Darden (First appointed 2013)
Fireman’s Relief Fund Board
Keith Morris (TWP 1 Vanceboro)
Marlow Jones (TWP 1 Vanceboro)
Matthew Spirko (TWP 2 Tri Community)
Donald Heath (TWP 3 Ft. Barnwell)
Milton Everette (TWP 5 Harlowe)
Oswald Chance (TWP 7)
Robert Blalock (TWP 7)
Fire Tax Commissioner
Sammy Lilly (TWP 1 Vanceboro)
Tommy Cowan (TWP 2 Little Swift Creek)
Terry Gaskins (TWP 2 Little Swift Creek)
Thomas Gaskins (TWP 2 Tri Community)
Jackie McKinney (TWP 7)
Emergency Medical Services
G. Chuck Strickland (Vidant)
5. COUNTY ATTORNEY’S REPORT: Arey Grady
6. PETITIONS OF CITIZENS – GENERAL TOPICS
Comments directly pertaining to policies or issues which are under the statutory or administrative authority of the Board shall be made during a general comment period occurring at the end of each regularly scheduled meeting. Comments during this period shall be limited to those comments directly pertaining to issues which are under the statutory or administrative authority of the Board.
Each speaker must address the Board as a whole (and not any individual Commissioner, County staff member or the audience) from the lectern and shall begin his or her remarks by giving his or her name and address and the topic about which they intend to speak. Each speaker will have three (3) minutes to make remarks, as measured by a timer operated by County staff. A speaker may not yield any of his or her time to another speaker. *
Speakers must be courteous in their language and presentation and must abide by generally accepted standards of decorum. Speakers shall not make the same or repetitive comments, whether during a particular comment period or over the course of multiple comment periods. Speakers shall not attack or insult any person or group of people, and speakers shall not give belligerent or hostile comments during any comment period.
Board Action: Receive information.
7. COUNTY MANAGER’S REPORT – Jack Veit
8. COMMISSIONERS’ REPORTS
9. CLOSED SESSION
The Board will be requested to go into Closed Session pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11 (a)(3) to consult with attorney to protect the attorney – client privilege.
Submitted By Alison Newcombe
* Editor’s Note: During the Petition of Citizens (POC), the board has two rules that potentially violate peoples’ freedom of speech. One — people are asked to state their name and address. Two –addressing the board, “Each speaker must address the Board as a whole.” The Board of Commissioners cannot enforce these rules because it would infringe on peoples’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
If you want to address the board, sign up before the meeting starts at 6 p.m.
Questions or comments? Send an email.
By Wendy Card, co-editor