The meeting will be held on July 5, 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 will have three 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. Minutes of June 5 Regular Session and Minutes of June 19 Regular Session
The Board will be requested to approve the Minutes of June 5 regular session and June 19 regular 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 documents.
C. Recreation – Re-budget International Paper Grant – Budget Amendment
In Fiscal Year 2022-2023, Craven County received an International Paper Grant in the amount of $5,000 for the development of new beach volleyball courts at West Craven Park. The Board of Commissioners approved $19,500 towards the development of the beach volleyball courts in the FY 2023-2024 budget.
The $5,000 grant was added to the FY 2022-2023 budget and staff is requesting to rebudget this amount in the FY 2023-2024 budget so the funds can be used towards the development of the courts.
It is anticipated that the construction of this project will begin in late Summer/early Fall. Community interest in the sport of beach volleyball is very high in Craven County.
The Board will be requested to approve a budget amendment, in the amount of $5,000, as shown in the following document, that re-budgets the International Paper Grant to be used for construction of beach volleyball courts at West Craven Park.
D. International Paper Donation Check – Budget Amendment
The Sheriff’s Office has received a donation from International Paper Company for $1,000 to use towards activities related to law enforcement. This company has given donations and grants to our agency for the last few years. These funds will be used to purchase a variety of items related to the Sheriff’s Office needs.
The Board will be requested to approve a budget amendment, in the amount of $1,000, as shown in the following document.
Board Action: A roll call vote is needed to approve the consent agenda items
DEPARTMENTAL MATTERS
3. CARTS: Kelly Walker-Cuthrell
A. NCDOT/IMD Change Request – Budget Amendment
The North Carolina Department of Transportation/ Integrated Mobility Division (NCDOT/IMD) approved new vehicle contracts in FY 2022-2023, which included a substantial increase in the cost of vehicles. The additional amount was due to increased chassis and bus fabrication costs. For vehicles previously approved in the FY2022-2023 grant, NCDOT/IMD is providing funding for the additional costs, less the increased local match portion (see attached e-mail correspondence). For CARTS, that computes into a local match increase of $12,090. Staff is confident that the higher resale value of light transit vehicles will be sufficient to cover the increased local match portion. CARTS is requesting approval of this budget amendment and authorization to proceed with documents required to increase the amount of the combined capital grant by $120,900 of which $108,810 will be state funding and $12,090 will be local match generated by CARTS. This will allow CARTS to purchase the second revenue vehicle which was approved in the FY2022-2023 budget but could not be ordered due to the price increase.
The Board will be requested to approve a budget amendment, in the amount of $120,900, as shown in the following document.
Board Action: Approve budget amendment in the amount of $120,900 and authorize staff to proceed with the required documents to accept the additional funding from NCDOT/IMD for the purchase of the second replacement light transit vehicle from FY 2022-2023. A roll call vote is required.
B. Re-budget of Previously Approved Replacement Vehicle
CARTS was approved to purchase two replacement vehicles in the FY2022-2023 Budget. However, once the North Carolina Department of Transportation/Integrated Mobility Division (NCDOT/IMD) approved a new statewide contract for the procurement of vehicles, the cost per vehicle was significantly higher than the expiring contract. The additional expenses were attributable to increased chassis and bus fabrication costs. The required procurement documents were not released by the State until May 5, 2023. At this time, CARTS ordered one vehicle so as not to miss the production window for this vehicle cycle. CARTS ordered one vehicle instead of two because the approved amount in the State grant and corresponding approved budget could not support the cost of both vehicles. At this time, staff is requesting a budget amendment in the amount of $98,715 to re-budget the cost of one replacement vehicle that was previously approved and budgeted in FY2022-2023.
The Board will be requested to approve a budget amendment, in the amount of $98,715, as shown in the following document.
Board Action: Approve a budget amendment to re-budget $98,715 for the purchase of a vehicle previously ordered in FY 2022-2023. A roll call vote is required.
4. Recreation & Parks – Billy Wilkes
A. Recreation Truck Purchase – Budget Amendment.
In Fiscal Year 2022-2023, the Board of Commissioners approved $33,068 for the purchase of a new Ford truck for the Recreation Department. The truck was ordered in August 2022 and still has not been delivered due to several production delays. Ford Motor Company assures staff that the order will still be fulfilled.
Staff is requesting that the $33,608 that was budgeted in FY 2022-2023 be re-budgeted to FY 2023-2024, as shown in the following budget amendment.
Board Action: Approve a budget amendment, in the amount of $33,068, to rebudget the funds to complete the purchase of the previously approved Ford truck for the Recreation Department. A roll call vote is needed.
B. Re-budget Pickleball Court Project Money.
In the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget, the Board of Commissioners approved $150,000 for 6 new pickleball courts at Creekside Park. Also, in FY 2022-2023 the Recreation Department was awarded a Harold Bate Foundation grant in the amount of $30,000 to be utilized in the construction and development of the new pickleball courts.
After a few contractor delays, construction of this project started in June. The projected completion of the pickleball courts project is late July/early August. Staff is requesting to re-budget the total amount of $180,000 to fiscal year 2024 so the pickleball courts project can be completed.
o $150,000 included in Recreation’s Capital Outlay–Other Improvement budget
o $30,000 included in Recreation’s Harold Bate Foundation grant line
Total of $180,000
The Board will be requested to approve a budget amendment, in the amount of $180,000, as shown in the following document.
Board Action: Approve a budget amendment, in the amount of $180,000, that will allow for the completion of the pickleball courts at Creekside Park.
5. Sheriff – Award of Firearms to Retiree: Captain W. Scott
The Sheriff’s Office would like to sell the assigned service side arm to recently retired Captain Jarrett Hardison under the provisions of NCGS 20-187.2. This statute states that the governing body of law enforcement agency may in its discretion, award to a retiring member, upon request, the service side arm of such retiring member. The price has traditionally been set at one dollar, at which we will honor the same price for the above retiree.
A copy of the statute is shown in the following document.
Board Action: Approve the sale of assigned service side arm to recently retired Captain Jarret Hardison.
6. Appointments
A. Pending:
Craven Clean Sweep
Emergency Medical Services
Fireman’s Relief Fund Board (District 5)
Highway 70 Corridor Committee
Volunteer Agricultural District (District 6)
Craven County Recreation Advisory
B. Current:
Craven County Recreation Advisory
► Matt Webb seeks reappointment
► Chad Braxton seeks reappointment
► Daniel Miller has already served 12 years and is not eligible for
reappointment
Five (5) interested applicants follow
Havelock Board of Adjustment
► Thomas McCarthy seeks reappointment
► Reuben Mikul does not seek reappointment
Community Child Protection Team- seeks reappointment
► Emily McDonald (DSS Director Designee)
Juvenile Crime Prevention Council – seeks reappointment
► Wendy Peaden (DSS)
Craven County ABC Board
► Appoint a Chairperson – Roster of Board Members:
ABC SEATS MEMBER TERM APPOINTED
1 Kenneth Morris 2 June-21
2 Chip Chagnon 4 Jul-13
3 Dred Mitchell 1 Jun-23
4 Denny Bucher 2 Jul-19
5 Kathleen Cook 2 Jul-19
C. UPCOMING: Terms Expiring August
Fireman’s Relief Fund
► Daniel New (TWP 3 Dover)
► Mark Dail (TWP 8 WNB Rhems)
Emergency Medical Services –
► Brian McGuire
► Michelle Smith
Craven County Planning Board
► William Farmer
Board Action: Appointments will be effective immediately, unless otherwise specified.
7. County Attorney’s Report: Arey Grady
A. Initial Offer to Purchase Real Property – 2308 Pearson Street, New Bern (Parcel Number 8-039-040).
The County has received an offer in the amount of $2,500 for this real property, which was acquired jointly with the City of New Bern through a tax foreclosure, with past due taxes and costs of foreclosure totaling $4,624.39. The tax value of this property is $5,000.00. Attached are copies of the Offer to Purchase, Foreclosure Deed, GIS information, and proposed resolution approving the offer and authorizing the upset bid process.
Note that this property is jointly owned with the City of New Bern, which has already approved this initial offer.
Should the Board of Commissioners approve this transaction, the proposed resolution, shown in the following documents, should be adopted, which will in turn authorize advertisement for upset bids. Once the upset bid process is concluded, this transaction will be brought back before the Board of Commissioners for final approval.
Board Action: Adopt resolution approving transaction and authorizing upset bid process.
B. County Attorney’s Report- Initial Offer to Purchase Real Property – 1724 Rhem Ave., New Bern (Parcel Number 8-024-094).
The County has received an offer in the amount of $10,200 for this real property, which was acquired jointly with the City of New Bern through a tax foreclosure, with past due taxes and costs of foreclosure totaling $6,867.59. The tax value of this property is $20,250. Attached are copies of the Offer to Purchase, Foreclosure Deed, GIS information, and proposed resolution approving the offer and authorizing the upset bid process.
Note that this property is jointly owned with the City of New Bern, which has already approved this initial offer.
Should the Board of Commissioners approve this transaction, the proposed resolution, shown in the following documents, should be adopted, which will in turn authorize advertisement for upset bids. Once the upset bid process is concluded, this transaction will be brought back before the Board of Commissioners for final approval.
Board Action: Adopt resolution approving transaction and authorizing upset bid process.
C. Initial Offer to Purchase Real Property – 305 John Street, New Bern (Parcel Number 7-005-015).
The County has received an offer in the amount of $1,500 for this real property, which was acquired through a tax foreclosure, with past due taxes and costs of foreclosure totaling $2,901.08. The tax value of this property is $3,000. Attached are copies of the Offer to Purchase, Foreclosure Deed, GIS information, and proposed resolution approving the offer and authorizing the upset bid process.
Should the Board of Commissioners approve this transaction, the proposed resolution, shown in the following documents, should be adopted, which will in turn authorize advertisement for upset bids. Once the upset bid process is concluded, this transaction will be brought back before the Board of Commissioners for final approval.
Board Action: Adopt resolution approving transaction and authorizing upset bid process.
8. 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
9. COUNTY MANAGER’S REPORT – Jack Veit
10. COMMISSIONERS’ REPORTS
11. Closed Session
The Board will be requested to go into closed session pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11 (a)(1) to prevent the disclosure of information that is privileged or confidential; and 143-318.11 (a)(3) to consult with an attorney.
Submitted By Alison Newcombe