MINUTES  REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING OFTHEI BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS  OF EDGECOMBE COUNTY JULY5, 2022. AT 7:00 P.M. INTHEJONATHAN FELTON COMMISSIONERS ROOM COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING TARBORO, NORTH CAROLINA  1.  MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY CHAIRMANIFONARD WIGGINSAT MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr.I Leonard Wiggins, Chairman, Rev. E. Wayne Hines, Vice-Chairman, Mrs. Evelyn Powell, Mrs. Viola Harris, Mr. Donald Boswell, Mr. OTHERS PRESENT: Mr. Eric Evans, County Manager, Mrs. Natalie Bess, Deputy County Manager, Mr. Michael Peters, County Attorney and Ms. Frangie Mungo,  7:00 P.M.  Ralph Webb and Mr. William Wooten. MEMBERS ABSENT: None. Clerk to thel Board. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS. Safety instructions provided by Mrs. Bess. Prayer provided by Rev. Hines.  2. 3. 4.  PRAYER.  MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL. Rev. Hines moved to approve the minutes of the June 6, 2022, June 14, 2022 and June 27,2022 meetings as presented. Mr. Webb seconded the motion, which carried 1. Mr. Wiggins called aj public hearing to order to receive citizen comments relative to the possible county-line merger of Edgecombe County Public Schools.  by unanimous vote. PUBLIC HEARING:  5.  Mr. Peters read thej public notice as published.  Mr. Evans stated that the Board has had multiple meetings with Edgecombe County School System Board and as series of] public meetings to gather public comment. Therefore, thel Board felti it would be appropriate before you considered taking action on this is tol have an official public hearing tonight.. Mr. Evans provided an outline of what the steps would bei ift thel Board takes actioni in favor of moving in that direction. Those steps are already outlined in Senate Bill 382 or Session Law 2016-14. Mr. Evans directed attention to Section 7, which basically describes what is tol happen if this Board decides not to continue to provide thei funding as required through this statute: Step #1 states that effective. July 1 on the following calendar year, that isi if thel Board takes action tonight to directs staffi not toi fund this aj year fromi nowi then the actual transfer of the school board districts willl happen thei following July 2024. Also, it describes here the changing of thel boundaries. The boundaries would then go to the County lines. #2 talks about terms of office of those Board of Education members who are not residing within thel local school administrative unit for which they serve would then expire; #3 says that before then the electoral districts for the schooll boards would have to be redrawn to reflect thel boundaries ofe each of the newly drawn school administrative units; Step #4 says that within 120 days of the certification of thei funds ceasing to be given tot thes school system, that then a written plan is tol be developed and submitted to the Statel Board Education. This is a plan that will detail the plan  1    oft transfer of that portion of the districti into Edgecombe County Schools. It also goes into detail on what that plan is to include; #5 discusses thet transfer of property; #6 talks about any claims and demands that are held within that school district for those schools would transfer to the school unit and any debt Mr. Evans stated that ift thel Board takes action toi initiate this tonight the steps of Mr. Wiggins acknowledge the presence of Dr. Valerie Bridges, ECPS Superintendent and Rev. Raymond Privott, ECPS Board Chairman and asked Dr. Raymond Privotts stated that when members of Edgecombe County Board of Education took their oaths of office, they swore or affirmed in that oath that they would provide thel bests sound appropriate quality education that they could possibly provide for all of thes students in thel Edgecombe County District. Not some. Not wheni it was popular. Not even wheni it was unpopular. Not even when people wanted, or didn'twant it, but they swore or affirmed to make that commitment toj provide thats sound basic popular education. Dr. Privott stated that though they have no vote as a school board, they still swear and affirm their commitment to thes same. Toj provide the best sound quality basic education for all of the students within thel boundaries of thel Edgecombe County School District. He stated that hel believes in the Superintendent, her staff, and the Board of] Education. There is no questions about whether they can provide that sound basic quality education for all of the children within thej perimeters of the Edgecombe County boundaries. Dr. Privott asked that thel Board give an affirm Dr. Valerie Bridges thanked the. Board of Commissioners: for over the years providing the things they asked for so they could be a school district that would create an environment for our students that would bei impactful, that they would be ablet tos support a positive projectory for their lifestyle. She also thanked the School Board members that were present. Dr. Bridges stated that whatever happens this evening, her job as Superintendent is to make sure that she provides the best education fors students that are aj part of] Education County Teresa Deloatch-Bryant, 701 E. Church Street, Tarboro, stated that she stood before the Board toj provide them with a prospective hopefully that may be more objective than someone who has really beeni in this. She stated that she attended thel May 31st meeting and shel listened to a lot up of the history and al lot ofit to her is not] helpful, may be more harmful than) helpful. She stated that since she graduated from law school in 1993, during the time period when the mergers Edgecombe, Tarboro, Nash, Rocky Mount, those were going on and it was something ofi interest in law school as a student. Mrs. Deloatch-Bryant stated that shel has always been ini favor of] Edgecombe County providing education for the students in] Rocky Mount. She stated that she does have some issues with the planl but she stilll left thel May 315t, meeting convinced that Edgecombe County should provide the education for the studentsi in Rocky Mount. She stated that shel has understood this relationship wel have, or this arrangement wel have with Nash County. Why can Edgecombe County provide education for students in Pinetops, Battleboro, Tarboro, but therei iss something about Rocky Mount that you can't provide education for. Nash County has an obligation to their citizens, to their students, and sometimes, even though you may be aligned or friendlyi in terms ofl business and or personal, sometimes youri interests just don't align and ity would makes sense that an entity has tol bel led by what would be best for whomever they serve. Shes stated that she does not have ani issue with] Nash  obligations would as well.  that transition are outlined in the Session Law 2016-14. that they come forthi if they had any comments.  vote to allow them to do that.  Public Schools.  2    County. They have done no more or nol less than what they havel been permitted to do. With regards to the makeup of the district or thel Rocky Mount, the children can have the misfortune ofl being Carolina blue and we still would have ad duty tos serve them. Itis your duty to serve them. She stated that with regards to what she sees, she did not thinki iti is a merger, but we contracted out a very important duty tol Nash County and it's time toj pull the contract back. Evaluate the contract. How have they performed the service? Without getting into topics or things that might cause distraction, thel bottom linei is that the contract has not served us well. She stated that she could not believe that we go yeart to year waiting for another County to tell us how much money they are going to spend for their schools and then you) have toj pay fori it. She stated that thej plan needs tol be more fiscally conservative. We've got three elementary schools underutilized. We already have a middle school. Thel biggest thing is thel high school. What's going to happen with thel high school. The City of Rocky Mount, is now not making the gap payment. Wei need that money and she hopes that Edgecombe willl lean upon Rocky Mount asi it benefits the citizens in their municipality tol have al high schooli inl Rocky Mount. Mrs. Deloatch-Bryant stated that shei is in favor ofi it without having thei formal plan. She stated that shei is hoping that thel board will get ahead ofi it and do something about it and C.B. Daughtridge stated that he was ai fellow commissioner and he thanked the Board for allowing him to express his approval of the demerger. Mr. Daughtridge asked thel Board, "Do you give as signed blank check to anybody? Would you, have you? Well,i ify you do not vote affirmative then that is what you are doing tol Nash County. You are giving them al blank check and it's going to get bigger and bigger. He stated that what was started thirty years ago was a patch and then about seven years ago we come along and we readdressed the patch. We tried toj put another patch oni it, or somebody helped us doi it. Patches are usually used fora al healing period. The healing period is over. Let's get rid of that] patch. He stated that we are cheating our Edgecombe students out of the opportunity of about $2 million by the unbalanced County funding. Wej pay for those students to go over there, we are not equaling that fund to the 7,000 we got. Three: reasons are enough to vote affirmative for the demerger. With thes students that will be moving backi into our school system he would like to see thes startup ofa vocational training program with a goal to expand it to the Edgecombe County full system ass soon as we can do that. Mr. Daughtridge stated that hel hasi ideas about negotiations on addressing the demerger plan, but Faye' Taylor,240 Temperance Hall Road, Rocky Mount, stated that her community asked her to represent them on the consideration of the demerger issue. She stated thats shei is] proud of] Dr. Bridges for her deep caring and enlightened approach as our superintendent. She provided background information: From teaching gth grade at West Edgecombe, becoming Assistant Principal at both Phillips Middle School and Martin Middle School; Principal at Bullock Elementary: for twelve years; after retirement shes served on the School Board; last two years served at Edgecombe Early College High School. She stated that shei is always going to be concerned about the education in Edgecombe County. There are several issues that concerns her about the demerger: teacher retention and hiring, school safety, the effect of the pandemic on the value of education, uneducated parents who are now choosing tol home school their children, financial concerns, student scores and the transition period, Qualified teachers are very difficult toi find, shortage of teachers. When our supplement is 7%, they can go right over tol Nash County for 11%. Itwould also be easy for Nash to choose the best of their teachers toi fill their voids. The teachers who are nowi in their schools willl be able to remain in thel Nash County. After thej previous school shootings, parents are extremely concerned about  vote ini favor.  let's hold that until we get this affirmative vote.  3    safety. They feel this area of Rocky Mount is high in drugs and gangs. During the year and half of the pandemic many students did not get any education at all. They were given all the capability toj participate in virtuall learning. Before and after thej pandemic some parents chose tol home school their children. Knowing thei inability of these parents tot teach is a concern. We talk about we want to educate every student. She stated that to address thei financial concerns, she understood that Edgecombe has had to send allotment dollars for each of these students tol Nash County and we also have toj pay a percentage for their new buildings, which are often no where near Edgecombe County. However, ift the demerger takes place, there will have tol be: al high school provision made because Southwest is overcrowded. There will also be great expense to repair their existing schools and assume any debt that they may have. Mrs. Taylor asked the Board to consider all these concerns when making this decision. Please think about having to get even more qualified teachers, retaining those that we do have, providing thel best possible safety for our students, placing student value back on education and keeping our education level up and moving rather than dropping. Thel Board's decision will greatly affect so many in our County. Roosevelt Higgs, 127 Midway, Tarboro, stated that he has distributed over the course of thel last seven years and over the course of the last two weeks (Senate Bill3 382). The talk has been put out there sol he cannot think of anybody who has not had to opportunity tol hear about this. He stated that whatever decision is madei it willl be the right decision. Mr. Higgs stated that thatl he did some homework and found out that out of1 100%, 50% of people don'twant to serve onj public boards. Another 30% want to serve but for some reason they don't pursuei it. So mathematically that's20% left. Out of that 20% left, 13% has strong reservations about making unpopular decisions. That leaves only 7% that realize thate every decision is not going toj please everybody. He stated that hisi is that thel Board are alli in that' 7%. Mr. Higgs stated that he was speaking on behalf of thel Edgecombe County Coalition for the Advancement of all People. He stated that iti is time that we try to find a way to equalize funding for all of Andre Knight speaking on behalf of thel Rocky Mount Branch oft the NAACP stated thatl NAAÇP encourages thel Edgecombe County Commissioners to vote for the consolidation of all of Edgecombe County under thel Edgecombe County Public School System. We are saddened about, and frustrated in the condition of physical and ratings of allf four Rocky Mount schools located in Edgecombe County. According to estimates ity will cost over $10 million to bring Fairview Early Childhood Center, Johnson) Elementary School, Baskerville Elementary School, Parker Middle School up to current physical plant standards. We believe that under the Nash County Commissioners leadership, wel know that some, voted against it. Under the Nash County Commissioners leadership, the Rocky Mount Edgecombe Schools have been intentionally underfunded and the physical improvements, staffing priorities, and programming creativities and support. None of thel Rocky Mount Edgecombe Schools meet or exceed State growth guidelines. From our perspective this is at travesty and ani injustice and wel believe that our students deserve more and we expect more. Wel have been struggling with thel Nash County Commissioners, the majority of them, tol keep our regional system intact that has brought about prosperity to both Edgecombe and) Nash counties. However, wei feel that fighting tos stay with system who devalue our sanity and our children are nol longer worthy of our investment and energy. We enthusiastically are encouraged by thel leadership and the track record of Dr. Valeriel Bridges, Edgecombe County Superintendent;, who has also been named thel North Carolina Superintendent of the Year in 2021. We: are excited that with the proper support and funding that thel Rocky Mount children and families that livei in] Edgecombe County will finally see them as being prioritized, their value, and willl bei invested in. For us, justice comes with the  the students in the County on ai fair and equitable way.  4    shift of our economic, social and political capital to consolidate under the united Edgecombe County. Wel believe that Nash County owes. Edgecombe County and Rocky Mount millions of dollars that wej paid, that they used tol build and improve Nash County Schools. For which Edgecombe County students would never benefit. Refund the money or repair thes schools for which Edgecombe County residents paid for. Today, for those who don't know history, are destined to repeat history. Studying history help us understand how eventsi in thej past made things the way they are today. We look back on decisions that havel been madei in thej past, that's why we: arel here today and wel hope that you will maket the right decision. You) heard the citizens today. Wel hope that you Bronson Williams, 1230 Cokey Road, Rocky Mount, stated that he stood before the Board to talk about thej public hearing in which we arei in the midst of right now, to determine whati is right and what is wrong. Itis a huge battle that each Board member has to1 really tackle with, and he would hope that nol Board member has come here tonight with a made-up mind saying what's the right decision, what's the wrong decision, but tol listen to the constituents of this county. He hoped that the children would have been heret to talk about what their school experiencei is. What their expectation isi for our community as well. Mr. Williams stated that hei found its somewhat disheartening that throughout this process there has been limited conversation with Nash County School Board to understand what is that section 7 talks about (b) the transfer of all funds, contracts, obligations, assets, and liabilities relevant to the area tol be transferred effective. July 11 from) Nash-Rocky Mount. Board of Education to thel Edgecombe Board of] Education including but) not limited to, consideration ofreal property, furnishings and improvements, encumbered and unencumbered property, equipment, buses, band and sports equipment, textbooks otheri instructional materials, and library resources, computers and supplies. He stated that what really bothers and concerns himi is liabilities. There has been no conversation in thej public community about what liabilities exist. We are talking about this thing from a financial aspect but we have not really looked at thet totality. We must do the full due diligence wheni it comes to this. He understands the history and the true significance andi importance ofl history. We are dealing with the city system that merged with the county type situation. That is how Rocky Mount got into thei funding because Rocky Mount was funding those special school tax and when that stopped, of course thel legislation didi it, at the end of the day when youl look at thel law talking about who's responsible, everybody's responsibility is to follow thel law. Nash County's responsibility is toi follow the law when it comes to building facilities, wheni it comes to supplements, etc. Therei isar number of financial questions gone unanswered. Mr. Williams stated that therei is a whole lot of emotional conversations in the community about what somebody might] have done to you, but the reality is the core of this conversation isa about the children. The core oft this conversation isl how are we making an investment into our future. We cannot maket that with restlessness in our hearts. Wec cannot make that with envy in our hearts. We cannot make that with Iet me get back at somebody. When he hears the passion from this Board andj people in the community talking about] lowj performance schools he has never seen many of you at the Nash-Rocky Mount School system where they were talking about low performance schools. He has never seen any ofs youi in the conversation about how do we raise the standards of these schools. Today we say perhaps the way to change iti is to take our children back. First of all, they arel Rocky Mount children. They were neveri in Edgecombe School system. Mr. William stated that regardingi information put out toj public, be sure that the information is Rueben Blackwell, 912 Sycamore Street, Rocky Mount, stated that as an Edgecombe County citizen and a member of the Rocky Mount City Council, his  will maket the right decision.  accurate.    children grew up in Rocky Mount. They attended each of those four schools in Rocky Mount. His soni is 27 and daughter will be twenty-five. He stated that those schools are in the same condition today as they were then. Hes stated that hei is aj product of the 60s and the 70s and the generation that was the first generation tol benefit fromi integration. His children in Rocky Mount, Edgecombe County grew upi in more segregated school systems than he did. He stated that when hel looks at the issues before us today, the children in Rocky Mount are Edgecombe County citizens. We pay Edgecombe County taxes. We have tol look tol Nash County tol have the conscious to treat our children as well as they treat their own. Asaresident and al leader that has been in these meetings and conversations, the reason why some of us have not been in more conversations isl because when wej presented facts and trues, we were éxcused from the room. We were told our presence was not welcome. In Rocky Mount we weret told that our money was not good enough. Mr. Blackwell stated that how long do we wait to value the lives of children who are going to school in unsafe conditions, who arel being raised upi in systems that wel know are not well performing. He stated that hei is not willing to wait and county dollars and time for more children's dreams not tol be able to be achieved and for more folks to notl be able to count on solids schools building communities around them that create energy for young families to movei into our city. Rocky Mount, Edgecombe is beings starved and I: ask you that you make some more room on your plate, which we: are willing toj pay for, sO we all can grow together better. Mr. Blackwell asked the Board tos support the resolution to move forward. There being no further public to come forward Mr. Wiggins asked for questions Mrs. Harris had concerns regarding the obligations and liabilities mentioned in section 7(b) of Senate Bill 382 that will come tol Edgecombe County Public Schools. She asked if anybody has taken a closel look as to what those obligations Mr. Evans stated that he did not know the details of what that might be, but assumed that in general they are talking about any debt owed are any payments that are due related to those four schools, which would not be unusual. Mrs. Harris stated that we: are going intoi it blindly if we do not know what we Mr. Wiggins stated that hel has been dealing with this for over thirty years and thisi is the first opportunity that wel havel had, based on the change in thes statute, to actually take the responsibility of our children. Nothing about this will change unless this Board makes the decision to merge our system. The schools will get worse: and itl has already been stated that they will do nothing with capital improvement. Mr. Wiggins stated that anyl blame after tonight should be onl Edgecombe County for those schools. Wel have neglected these children for not bringing themi into our system. Mr. Wiggins stated that hei is prepared to Mr. Wooten stated that we are going intoi it blind financially. Hes stated that he has concern about due process. We do not have aj plan. The schools in thel Nash system that reside on the Edgecombe County side have about $10 million of needs. The existing Edgecombe County Schools outside of Rocky Mount had $101 million worth of needs. Wel have not been able to fix that. How do you think we can fix the ones inside? Mr. Wooten stated that we do not have aj plan. Mr. Boswell alsol had concerns about the cost and the plan.  and or comments from the Board.  and liabilities willl be.  aret taking on.  make a motion.    Mr. Wiggins stated that thel Edgecombe County students attending Nash are in After more discussion Mr. Wiggins moved to declare that iti is the intention of this Board toi initiate county-line merger of] Edgecombe County Public Schools beginning with the 2024-2025 school year; and to effect that transition, for this Board to direct the County Manager to no longer appropriate current expense funds or capital outlay funds tot thel Nash School Administrative Unit beginning fiscal year 2023-2024; and to authorize the County Manager toj prepare and execute any plans or documents necessary to establish a county-line school system forl Edgecombe County Public Schools beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. Mrs. Powell seconded the motion. Voting for the motion: Wiggins, Powell and Hines. Voting against the motion: Wooten, Boswell, Harris and A. Alan Thompson, Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams and Co. presentation of the B. Tanya) Heath, Cooperative Extension Director, toi introduce the 4-H Jaileea Knight came forth toi introduce herself to the Board.  no man's land.  Webb. Motion failed. SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS: FY-21 Audit.  Mr. Thompson provided aj power point presentation. representative to thel NCACCI Conference. Mrs. Health introduced Jaileea Knight.  7.  PUBLIC: PETITIONS. None. 8. OTHER BUSINESS:  A. Approval of budget amendments. No budget amendments to approve. B. Approval of Health Department fee changes.  Mr. Evans stated that wei regularly review our fee schedule to add fees as needed and to ensure existing fees cover the costs associated with providing the services. Hej presented for thel Board's consideration the requested changes for Health Mr. Wooten moved to approve the approve the fees as presented and as recommended by thel Human Services Board. Mrs. Harris seconded the motion, . Approval of the] Involuntary Commitment (IVC) Transportation Agreement. Mr. Evans stated that NC General statues requires that cities and counties adopt what isl known as an "Involuntary Commitment Transportation Agreement" regarding the custody and transportation of respondents ini involuntary commitment proceedings. This agreement addresses the chain of custody and Mrs. Harris moved to approve the Involuntary Commitment Transportation Agreement as presented. Mr. Webb seconded the motion, which carried by D., Approval of Offer tol Purchase on property located at 1681 Cox Ave. Rocky Mr. Evans stated that an offer toj purchase was received from Carolyn Thigpen top purchase property the County owns at 1681 Cox Avenue in) Rocky Mount.  Department fees.  which carried by unanimous vote.  the responsibility of thej parties involved.  unanimous vote. Mount,NC.  7    This property was acquired through tax foreclosure. The offeri is the $300. If the offer toj purchase is accepted by thel Board, a minimum 10-day public notice  must then be given for upset bid. Property Information Address: 1681 Cox Avenue Tax ID#: 3870-17-5097 Acreage: <1 acre (100'x200') Tax Value: $18,000 (land only) Cost to County (back taxes & legal fees): $215  In order to remove this liability from the County's ownership, to recoup the costs the County hasi in the property, and to return it to taxable status, itis recommended that thel Board of Commissioners accept this offer toj purchase and direct stafft toj publish the aforementioned public notice. Mr. Boswell moved to accept the offer and to direct staff to publish notice for upset bid. Mr. Wooten seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous vote. E. Approval of the addition ofal Deputy Tax Administrator position. Mr. Evans stated that we reorganized in 2013 to better align the work of the Collector and the Assessor's offices. In doings so, we created a' Tax Administrator position. Tarasal Lewis, our Tax Administrator, holds the duties ofl both' Tax Collector and' Tax Assessor. We also have both a Deputy Tax Collector and al Deputy Tax Assessor whos serve in her absence in each of those functions. Toj provide better continuity of operations of the overall functions of Tax Administration, Mr. Evans asked to transition thel Deputy Tax Assessor Position to al Deputy Tax Administrator Position. To do so, the Deputy Tax Mrs. Powell moved to approve the addition ofal Deputy Tax Administrator position to a grade 22 on the Pay Scale. Mr. Boswell seconded the motion, which F. Approval of Deed of Trust to Transfer Property from Edgecombe County to Mr. Evans stated that the County owns two parcels within the Lakeside Mobile Home Park on which arel lift stations for Water & Sewer District 6. USDA fundingi is available to the County for renovations tot the sewer system in District 6. Toi finalize the funding, these parcels need tol bet transferred from the County Mr. Wooten moved to approve the conveyance of parcels 4737-95-4334 and 4747-29-3802 to' Water & Sewer District 6. Mrs. Powell seconded the motion, G. Approval of] Right-of-Entry for Survey and Exploration to the US Army Corp of Mr. Evans stated that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers isi in the process of conducting Culturall Resource and Geotechnical Surveys in connection with the Princeville Flood Risk Management Project. They are requesting the County's permission to enter the property identified in the attached right-of entry fora a Mrs. Harris moved to approve the Right-of Entry for Survey and Exploration and Certificate of Corporate Authority as presented. Mr.] Boswell seconded the Mr. Evans stated that during both the Budget Work Session and the Public Hearing he presented his recommendation toi increase Solid Waste fees,  Administrator position needs tol be created.  carried by unanimous vote.  Edgecombe County Water and Sewer District No.6.  to Water and Sewer District 6.  which carried by unanimous vote.  Engineers.  period of up to twelve months to conduct this work. motion, which carried by unanimous vote. H. Approval of change to Solid' Waste Fee Schedule.    including raising the Construction and Demolition fee from $46 to $50. However, in error we did not change that on the Solid Waste Budget Ordinance thel Board adopted on June 27th. Also, staff has since recommended that we increase the Yard Waste fee from $44.50 to $46.00 per ton. Mr. Boswell moved to approve the Solid Waste Fee changes as presented. Rev. Hines seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous vote. Mr. Evans presented to the Board the proposed changes to the Planning and Inspections Fee Schedule. These additions are the result of the recent changes to our Unified Development Ordinance. The proposed changes are necessary and Mr. Boswell moved to approve the revised Planning & Inspections Fee Schedules as presented. Rev. Hines seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous vote. A. Approval of] Home & Community Care Block Grant Funding - FY 2023. Mrs. Bess stated that thel HCCBG programs arei intended to encourage and maintain independence for persons over 60 as well as provide protection for older adults. The funds that support thel HCCBG programs come from county, state and federal funds. Thei federal funds are provided through the Older. Americans Act that was created in 1965. Edgecombe County is one of the five counties within Region L currently receiving HCCBG funds. The block grant gives County Commissioners maximum discretion in deciding how aging funds willl be: administered and budgeted in the county. By endorsing al local Funding Plan, Boards of County Commissioners will define the services to bej provided, determine funding levels for services, and identify the community service providers to bei involved with providing Home and Community Care Block Grant services. In addition to giving counties increased decision-making authority for planning and delivering aging services, thel block grant is also intended to achieve the following goals: 1. Promote the visibility and importance of aging programs locally; L. Establish a single set of policies and procedures for in-home and community- based services provided with block grant funds; 3. Provide for an equitable distribution of funds to each county consistent with the requirements of the Older American Act. Ina accordance with thej procedures for funding oft thel Home and Community Care block Grant, a recommendation: for the allocation of $599,612 forl FY-24 funding is presented for the Board's consideration. Edgecombe County is being awarded $599,680 for FY-23, which is an increase of 4.95% from the $571,363 awarded in FY-22. The total requests from the providers ($648,315) was $48,365 more than thei funding available to the County. After much valuable discussion, presentations fromj providers and guidance from Upper Coastal Plains Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging, thej plan is being recommended. Wel believe this plan reflects the needs of] Edgecombe County'sa aging population and the bet use of available funding. Mr. Boswell moved to approve thei funding plan as presented. Rev. Hines seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous vote.  I. Approval of change tol Planning Fee Schedule.  reasonable.  UPIMENTALAGENDA: LOTHER BUSINESS:  9. APPOINTMENTS:  A., Edgecombe County Planning) Board. motion, which carried by unanimous vote.  Mr. Boswell moved to appoint Michael Davis Brinkley. Rev. Hines seconded the  9    10. AFTERLISTS AND] RELEASES FORI REVIEW AND APPROVAL. seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous vote. 11. APPROVALANDOR REVIEW OF CONTRACTS. the motion, which carried by unanimous vote. A. Water and Sewer update. B. Monthly Financial Summary. C. Solid Waste update.  Mr. Wooten moved to approve the afterlists and releases as presented. Mr. Boswell Mrs. Powell moved to approve the contracts as presented. Mr. Wooten seconded  12. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS FOR] REVIEW. ***Received***  13. MANAGER'S REPORD--Recehed": A. Workforce Development indicators. C. Opioid settlement update.  B. Notice from Dominion energy regarding a transmission line rebuild project. Mr. Evans announced the retirement of Mark Walters, EMS Director and Katherine Walters, Finance Director effective August 1st.  14. COMMISSIONERS REPORT. 15. ATTORNEY'S! REPORT. 16. CLOSEDSESSION.  None.  Mr. Boswell moved to goi into closed session to discuss: A. Economic Development. [N.C.G.S. 143-318.11 (a)(4)I B. Personnel. [N.C.G.S. 143-318.11 (a)(3)] Rev. Hines seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous vote. Wooten seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous vote.  Rev. Hines moved to go out of closed session and resume the regular meeting. Mr.  Mr. Wooten moved to ...Salary for Finance  Mr. Evans stated that thel Board approved a 4% COLA increase. He asked the Board to vote to make that effective June 21st. He stated that it was approved with the. July 1sts starting budget, but if they allow it to go to. June 21st it will cover the Mrs. Powell moved to approve Mr. Evans' recommendation. Mr. Boswell seconded 17. MRS. POWELLI MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING UNTILMONDAY, AUGUST: 1,2022 AT7:001 P.M. MR. BOSWELL SECONDED THE MOTION,  whole pay period andi it will make payroll al lot easier. the motion, which carried by unanimous vote. WHICH CARRIED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.  Approved August 1, 2022. Fml. Frangiel Mungo, Clerk tolthel Board  10