The meeting will be held on April 3, 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. March 20, 2023 Regular Session Minutes and March 20, 2023 Reconvened Session
The Board will be requested to approve the minutes of March 20, 2023 Regular Session and March 20, 2023 Reconvened Session, as shown in the following documents.
B. Tax Releases and Refunds
The Board will be requested to approve the tax releases and refunds, as shown in the following document.
Tax Administrator, Leslie Young, provided an explanation for the following release:
Owner – Michael Lindsey Bruhn did not establish residency or situs for Account #113921 for Tax Year 2022. Requesting to release Tax Year 2022 Taxes for Account Number 113921 in the amount of $4,878.97.
C. Proclamation – Resilient & Thriving Communities Week 2023
The Board will be requested to adopt a proclamation, shown in the following document, recognizing April 29 through May 6 as “Resilient & Thriving Communities Week” in Craven County.
D. Resolution In Support Of 9-1-1 Saves Act
The Board will be requested to adopt a resolution, shown in the following document, in support of the 9-1-1 SAVES Act passed by the House as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.
Board Action: A roll call vote is needed to approve the consent agenda items
DEPARTMENTAL MATTERS:
3. 2023 Tax Revaluation Update: Leslie Young
Tax Administrator, Leslie Young, will provide an update on the 2023 Craven County Tax Revaluation.
Board Action: Information only
4. Facilities: Gene Hodges
A. Craven County Courthouse/EOC Recovery Project Update
On September 19, 2022, the Board of Commissioners approved a Project Ordinance Amendment and related Budget Amendment in the amount of $5,607,000 for the Courthouse/EOC Recovery Project. These amendments were needed in order to budget the $5,000,000 State Capital and Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) grant that Craven County received in November 2021. County staff began working with our design team Oakley Collier Architects (OCA) and Barnhill Contracting, the Construction Manager at Risk, to begin developing a scope of work and finalizing designs. Internally referred to as Phase 3 of the project, this phase will include the new accessible entrance and elevator that provides access to all parts of the building. Additionally, this will provide flood proofing for the portion of the facility that is below street level.
Extensive collaboration was performed with the owner, the designer, and the constructor to find efficiencies and cost savings, commonly referred to as value management. This has resulted in an initial Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) of $6,777,988 for construction of this phase. Utilizing the $5,000,000 in SCIF funding that was previously budgeted, a Project Ordinance amendment and related Budget Amendment in the amount of $2,000,786 will be needed to move forward with contract change orders for OCA and Barnhill. The following document provides detailed information regarding the pricing and scope of Phase 3 of this project. Additionally, this document provides detailed information on the changing market conditions that have occurred over the time that Craven County was notified of the SCIF grant award to present.
Staff is requesting that the Board of Commissioners approve a Project Ordinance Amendment and related Budget Amendment (documents to follow) in the amount of $2,000,786. This includes adding $1,777,988 in general construction and $222,798 in architect and engineering fees. Additionally, staff is requesting authorization to execute all contracts and change orders in order to begin construction on this phase of the project.
Board Action: Approve the Project Ordinance Amendment and related Budget Amendment and authorize staff to execute change orders to Barnhill Contracting and OCA in relation to renovations related to Phase 3 of the Courthouse/EOC Recovery Project.
B. Approval of Barnhill Preconstruction Fee
On Feb. 20, 2023, the Board of Commissioners selected Barnhill Contracting Company as the Construction Manager at Risk for the Department of Social Services Building expansion and renovation project. Staff, along with the design team of Oakley Collier Architects, have had several meetings with Barnhill to begin the scoping and planning phases of this project. All parties have a thorough understanding of the goals and direction of the County in regard to the deliverables on this project. The next steps are to enter into a Construction Manager contract with Barnhill Contracting Company and approval of the Preconstruction Proposal Fee of $195,006 for this initial portion of the construction phase. The following document is a detailed listing of the included items in the proposal.
The Board of Commissioners are requested to approve a Project Ordinance Amendment and related Budget Amendment (documents to follow), in the amount of $195,006 and to authorize staff to execute all necessary documents to begin the construction phase of the DSS expansion and renovation Project.
Staff is available for any questions.
Board Action: Approve the Project Ordinance Amendment and related Budget Amendment, approve the pre-construction fee for Barnhill Contracting as the Construction Manager at Risk for the DSS Expansion/Renovation Project and authorize staff to execute all necessary agreements for this phase.
5. Appointments:
Pending:
Craven Clean Sweep
Craven County Planning Board
Emergency Medical Services
Fireman’s Relief Fund Board (District 5)
Highway 70 Corridor Committee
Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC)
Local Emergency Planning Committee
Volunteer Agricultural District (District 6)
Current:
Upcoming:
Juvenile Crime Prevention Council
– Jordan Sawyer (Attorney)
– Ira Whitford (County Manager Appointee)
– Chip Hughes (Sheriff)
– Nikeisha Roger (Health Dept.)
– Clint Rowe (Judge Appointee)
Fire Tax Commissioners Board
– John Hawkins (TWP 3 Cove City Fire)
– Chad Anderson (TWP 8 West New Bern)
– Carl Barwick (TWP 8 WNB Rhems Fire)
Fireman’s Relief Fund Board –
– Donald Heath (TWP 3 Ft. Barnwell)
Craven County Social Services Board
– Gwen Bryan
Craven County Recreation Advisory Council
– Kortesha George (District 5)
Craven Community College Board of Trustees
– Ervin Patrick (appointed 2019)
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
Submitted By Alison Newcombe
* Editor’s note: During the Petition of Citizens, 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