All right. Ladies and gentlemen, the commission of Vice Chairman Garner presiding over the meeting in the absence of Chairman Dexter Edwards to not to to January the 17th. I'm going to call this meeting to order. And I'm going to ask Assistant County Manager George Future of Human Lead, lead us in the invocation and pledge allegiance. May we pray. How much kind of gracious Heavenly Father will he come to you? The name of Lord Jesus, thank you Lord for another day of the sunrise and of the sunset. Now evening time. And thank you for the privilege for which we have gathered and for the commissioners who are elected to serve this county to lead and guide the direction of the affairs of the Duke of the County and be as pray that you'll bless them and the family. less in, less in family, and returning back to us at a point in time. All that we do, thank you for those of us that have the privilege to work here in the county, and we just pray that you help us to know that we're public servants and that we will carry out the direction of this board. Thank you for the citizens that have come to not pray that you'll bless all the citizens of the New York County. Bless us continually in this new year we pray, and we pray this from Jesus name. Amen. I pledge to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, and God, and indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We all have the agenda before tonight as presented. Does any of the commissioners have any additions? They would like to add to the agenda. Does the clerk have anything that he would like to add to the agenda. There's the clerk having the thing that he would like to add to the agenda. Yes, sir. Mr. Vice Chairman, members of the board, if it pleases the board, I'd like to add the bad debt and deceased right off the Dukeman County EMS prior to January 2013 to to the consent agenda. The amount to be written off is $165,758.44. All right. The pleasure of the board on the agenda is amended. Some of them have a motion to have a second. Second. Have a second. Any discussion? All in favor? The seat of the file is saying aye. All opposed, same sign. The agenda, keys. Now on to the Consent Agenda. You have a motion to approve the Consent Agenda. Have a second. Say, I have a motion of no second. It can approve to consider agenda. Any questions or comments? All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. All will put. I'm sorry. All opposed, same side. I think we missed the approval of the minutes from the last meeting. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Jim. As backup and approved a minute from our regular Hill meeting on January 3rd. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes? So I have a motion and a second to approve the minutes as submitted. All in favor say aye. All opposed? Motion carries. All right, that goes through to Consumption agenda. Did that motion Mr. Vice Chairman include the joint meeting with Hill with the Board of Education on January the 10th, 2023 as well? Yes. OK, thank you, sir. Way I would understand it. Yes, sir. Thank you sir. We understand it. Yes sir. Thank you. Public comments. So wherever you're public comment. Yes Mr. Vice Chairman. Mr. Anthony, is it Rose Soat? Yes sir. Did I get it right? Okay. You can come up to the podium Mr. Rose Soat. He wants to speak about the traffic pattern and teaching with your line. Okay. When you get to the podium there, which you would probably start your comments, think your name and speak your last name for the record. And then you can proceed and you have three minutes. All right. Anthony Roso, last name spilled R-O-S-S-O. Ready? Here you go. All right, so I've got to print it out. I'm just a speed real quick. Hello, and thank you for letting me speak. I'm here to raise concern over the new traffic pattern that was installed on January 3rd, 2023 at the intersection of Highway 117 in Bay Road. Again, Highway 117 with a 55 mile-power speed limit. I started a petition around two weeks ago and have acquired over 1,500 signatures, mostly from Dublin County residents. This traffic pattern has been picked up by two new stations already and has caused two wrecks. A coordinate NCDOT only 21 wrecks have been recorded over the past year with one last year. We're halfway through January and this intersection already has two more. The attention is there and NCDOT is well aware that they have created an issue. Just today they installed more warning signs about the four-way stop. These have attached flags on them. So not only do they have a huge board telling you there's a new four-way, there's also two huge signs warning you, there's a stop sign ahead. Yet just today a state-tuber friend of mine has wrote four tickets for driving right through it over the past days he has wrote an average of three tickets per hour for running that stop sign he gave him all warning tickets and said a real ticket I've sat there personally and watched many cars trucks and 18 wheelers skid to a stop with blow right through the scariest part is the 18 wheelers coming from Murphy Brown and blowing through the stop sign as this is their daily routes. The main mission is to either get it removed or a blinking light be placed instead, along with a stop light being put at the intersection by the high school, which is only 500 yards away. I understand you guys have no control over traffic laws that are put in a place here in Dupland County, but you do have the power to schedule meetings, make some phone calls or whatever else you can do. All NCDOT is done is throw out statistics that the four-way stop reduces crashes by 77%. So far it's done nothing but increased risk of accidents and injury of Dupland County residents. Dupland County residents have voted you guys in to do the necessary things we cannot do such as this. To stand up for us and protect us, I hope you guys take this seriously as a result of whatever you do for this situation, we'll be recognized by many citizens of Duplin County and hopefully secure your votes for the next election. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. We appreciate your comments and we take that under advice and we'll go from there okay. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, well whenever you guys talk or whatnot it will just be like posting online so we can see as far as what you guys do is there a way to get updated? Should I come back and come over with the clerk somebody and be back to clerk. Thank you so much. Thank you guys. Right now. Call on Scottie Sermon our economic development director. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. This has been my first meeting. Do I have to spell my name as well? No, you're welcome. Thank you. We got your words on the record. Thank you, sir. Again, I want to thank you for your time this evening and your continued support for economic development efforts to develop our county industrial parks and infrastructure. That's what I'll be speaking about this evening. The description of why I'm here this evening is we have an opportunity to continue to expansion and build out of the Duplin County Airport Business and Industries Park with new access roads, a waterline extension, sewerline extension and associated improvements. The source of the grant funding is the North Carolina Department of Commerce Commerce Finance Center, the Industrial Development Fund utility account. At the quick overview we bring a potential gift this evening. A previous legislative appropriation of one and a half million dollars that you may know about. I'm sure you do for airport. Should serve as a required cash match for the IDF grant that I speak of. If approved, the funds would result in the completion of access roads and water and sewer service for the area most near the airport terminal. As applicant, we're asking the county board of commissioners to make a blessing to make the application for Commerce Finance Center for the improvements that I speak of. The engineers preliminary estimate is approximately four and a half million dollars which again will not require any additional cash match from the county other than what we've already identified through the allocation from the legislature. So with that being said, we thank you for your consideration. All right. Commissioners, we've heard the request from Mr. Sarman. What's the plan for the vote? The money for it has already been allocated. Yes sir. In previous budget. There's our blood. Yes sir. It's kind of good. You're good. It's just recorded. Yes sir the when contacting commerce they've at least given us preliminary indications that the one and a half million from the county is actually the county's money now it is allocated for the park project and can be a match. That one and a half million commissioner, it was like direct appropriation from the General Assembly. It was not duplicated tax money. It was North Carolina state tax money. Part of the last budget that legislature did. Yes sir. This right here is a pre-application. Yes sir. That's the misunderstanding that I had been called. Okay. It's a pre-application. I'm good. I'm a motion that will improve the second. I have a motion and a second to approve the economic development direct. They're just a minute of pre-application to the North Carolina Department of Commerce for an industrial development fund utility account grant. There are any more questions or comments from the board? Here and then, all in favor say aye. All opposed? Motion carried. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Now I will come on Mr. Roger Davis. Well, come on Mr. Roger Davis. Names Roger Davis. I am the vice chairman of the Think of development board Scottie was just talking about that but I'm also your representative to the South Cth Southeastern partnership Mr. Chairman Members of the board to thank for your time Mr. Chairman, members of the board, thank you for your time. Mr. Vice Chairman, I guess I should say. I basically come to you tonight, I wanna give you a brief report on what's going on at the South Eastern region. One of you, Mr. Edwards probably, does not know this, but Duke and I moved from the Eastern region to the South Eastern region about six years ago. And at this point in time, I think I can categorically say that was one of the best movies that we've ever made without that. The partnership that we're talking about is made up of 43 private investors and 20 counties in eastern, southeast and north Carolina. If you glance at page 45 in the report, I just put out that tells you who the members are and who the counties are, they're involved. They're involved there. The partnership operates on approximate $800,000 a year budget. Private investors joined a partnership for a three year term and it costs $10,000 a year, which is $30,000 for a three-year term. Counties paid $20,000 a year per year. This point, I'd like to call your attention to the report that I just put, this is a two-year annual report. Just came out recently, and I just want to touch some highlights in that report. In the last two years, 2627 jobs have been created and 573 million dollars of investment. This is throughout the region. But in that number, numbers I just threw out there that three of those businesses are located in Duper. If you glance at page 11, it shows you, basically, where the money goes. 88% of the money that goes into the southeast of the region is used for either marketing, marketing strategists or business development. Now I want to talk specifically to the return on investment for Dupland County. If you glance at page 12 and 13, that's a big page. The partnership went after and received a $5 million legislative grant to the partnership. Dukelands Award out of this grant was $262,000. As were the other 18 counties at the time. There are 20 counties in the mail that at this time there were 18. What we did with that money, Scotty was talking to you all about this grant, the finished infrastructure at the port. We use this $262,000 if you all remember you did a resolution a couple of meetings ago to pay for the work organization, work offentization out there, I call it an engineering plan, but the plan and the route water sewer infrastructure in South airport, I guess most of the north part of the airport, basically the large percentage of the park out there. This was the seed many we needed to get started with. We were able to let this work organization, this work authorization agreement go ahead and do all the engineering for this end of the park out there. And if this grant, the Scotty's talk map comes through and there's going to be enough many to complete the north end of the park as far as roads, water, sewer, infrastructure. And that's what we're looking for them working on at the long time. Also, I wanted you to note, if you will, this is just a little, a carrot for Dupline County. If you look on page 13 right at the top of the page, they insert a small copy of the air park master plan that was done a couple years ago. On page 14, back during the high for COVID, the General Assembly appropriated $750,000 to Southeast Department to partnership. This $750,000 in my opinion is well open to door for the five million that came after that. Okay, we applied and went to the General Assembly for that, for the same purpose we did the last money before economic development purposes. But it came to us right in the height of COVID and it had some strings attached to it. Basically found out we could not use it for that. So the partnership then divided that money out among all the hospitals in the South Eastern region. And Duke invited, it was a little better than $40,000 of that money came to the county. In addition to that, a couple of three years ago, the partnership developed a drone video of airport. You don't know what that is. We used that for marketing purposes of the airport. It's a shock from a drone. Cost of those runs for $5,000 to $7,000. This was a money that the partnership received and passed it on to the counties to do these videos. They also are always available and ready if a company coming into the area or whatever needs any information, no, they have all the demographics that we will need and they can supply them on the moment to notice that. They do a lot of good things for the county and I want to highlight just a minute how this thing works over there. I didn't tell you I'm your board representative to the South Eastern region and I have been ever since we moved over there. We have quarterly board meetings. We always get this thing right here called Active Projects Report. They go down through this and these are companies that have indicated an interest or have sought to contact the South Eastern region. The South Eastern region screens these companies. Then when we get a report, this report is divided into three sections. The first part of it is announced location. That means that actually amounts. They're going to be all they're going to move whatever to the region. On this protective port, which was November the 14th, we had four announced projects. But the way the system works, and if you thumb on through these reports, the next section is we had 30 companies that had either visited the region or met with the South Eastern State. They were looking at place to go. In this case, this is their contact. Okay, it was 30 of those. And when you move on over in the last section, there's 28, what we call qualified recommendations. Now, here's where I want to stop just a minute. There's 28 what we call qualified recommendations now. Here's where I want to stop just a minute. South Eastern region is very familiar with Dukeland County. They know what buildings we got. They know what sites we got. They know everything there is to know about even our development in Dukeland County, or they're right on top of that. So when a business comes into being, and they get referrals from NC, NC, something like that, the big place in Iran, and all other places, also they do missions as far away as trade missions they call it, California, New York, Washington, are going on all the time over there. Like I said, well, a good part of their money is spent out recruiting businesses and going to trade shows and such as that. But anyway, when they get a business in and they get to a point, if that business is looking, I'm just gonna give an example here. This particular, I don't read that one. Project, this business requires a hundred thousand square foot existing to build in with 25 foot ceilings. Least prefer need natural gas, need access to the interstate. This is a business approach to it. All right, what South East and people do is they look down the business and if Dupline County has what this industry is looking then they get a referral and in this report here it is about five referrals to Dupline County. So that's the way we operate the thing. Now five counties may get the referral. If five counties meets the needs of what this kind of is going to, five counties may get renewed and then when it drops in lap, then it's our job to sell it and do the camp. So like I said, in this report, we've had three businesses that receive some kind of help or direction, not necessarily all of it, through the southeast of region. And they're all established businesses now so I can throw the name out. EGORMACE solutions down in Wallace, Metal Stance, going in South Park, Design Mode Cabin Tree, this is the Cabin Tree that's going in the old National Spending Bill now. These three projects are going to have an investment of $17 million. We're going to create two hundred and twelve jobs, and the incidentally they brought a million, 125,000 dollars of grant money to come from various sources into the county. And what do you give you an idea of having a southeast and region works? They do work hand in hand with your local economic developer, the study. They're always there, their phone call away. I just want to tell you that I think the money we spend in the southeast region is some of the best money we spend in terms of economic development. Anybody got a question? I'd like to come and watch the file and have a good report. I have a good report. I think this is good. Thank you, much. Thank you. Roger, we thank you for your dedication to our economic development, but more than also to the South East and regional partnerships. I do it. All right, next we're going to download on me to savage our register needs. Is she going to come for please? Good evening. Good evening. I'm requesting the adoption of a resolution to remove four property books from the registered needs office for a preservation. Along with the approval of a budget amendment, the funds will come out of the already budgeted AEP fund and a grant from the state. Motion to approve. See, I have a motion on a second to approve the request to have property record books 27 part one, 27 Park 2, 29 and 96 professionally preserved and approval resolution to allow the register deach to remove the books from her office in the courthouse while preservation is being performed and to approve the requested budget amendment in the amount of $12,033. Is there any questions or comments? I'm just curious to how old they are. There are some of the oldest books in the office. I would say probably 111 years old. They're old. All right. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed. Motion carries. All right, all in favor say aye. All opposed? Motion carries. Now that carries us to our health director, Ms. Tracy Simmons-Kanigee. Good evening fellow commissioners. Two agenda items on behalf of the health department. For tonight, the first one is, and the subject is the Region 8 ARPA. Many grant funding opportunity we were awarded. There was quite a bit of detailed information included in your packets. I'll just summarize some of the important parts of this. So with the COVID-19 pandemic, we all know that it has stretched our public health workforce throughout North Carolina and it has exposed a number of gaps of the fundamental public health capabilities not only to the state but also locally here within Dupland County. So the North condo vision of public health received some funding from the CDC in regards to public health workers related to COVID. So with that, the grant was to provide, establish, expand, train, and sustain the public health workforce to support COVID-19 prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives, including strengthening the public health workforce capabilities to address local public health priorities driving from COVID-19. So Dupland County is the lead for Region 8 of the health departments and so we have through our partnership with the South Eastern Regional Health Collabor. We budgeted $450,000 in the COVID-19 workforce grant for these eight counties nine counties to apply for under A621. For the purpose to support and enhance each of these nine counties health departments public health infrastructure. So each county could apply up to $50,000, which in half that is what Dupland County Health Department did do. So with workforce development being a key component to achieving one of Public Health's fundamental responsibilities known as organizational competencies. Through our review we wanted to look at recruitment and retention since those have been challenges for rural public health. Then I included some data for you guys as it has related to challenges with the health department here in Dupland County throughout the last couple of years. So we came up and looked at and submitted for our request was aimed to provide for recruitment and retention and succession planning within our skilled public health workforce to fill some critical gaps within Dupland County. These funds will be used for educational stipends for any current health department employee who meets one of the following criteria and commits to working in Dupland County, which is a tier one underserved count for a specific number of years. Those three criteria are one plans to graduate with a public health related or graduate professional degree prior to May 31st, 2023 and commits to working for two years post graduation. Or two currently enrolled in a public health related or graduate professional degree program and good academic standards to assist with current educational related costs and commits to working for two years after receiving their stipend or three hired in the past five years with public health related or graduate professional degrees, loans and commitments to working for two years after their stipend. Additionally, we have two current vacant positions that have been vacant for a while. One is a nutritionist, one position that we have had no qualified applicants for at least two years now. And then we have our registered environmental health specialist positions which are those are too hard to hire positions and so we would also allow a sign-on bonus for any one as we make a contingent offer if anyone is to feel either positioned by April 27 2023 20-7-20-23. So I would like tonight to ask for acceptance of the many grants, Region 8, Arpre funding for Dupland County Health Department for $50,000. Also approval to sign any associated agreements or contracts related to the funding prior approval of the county attorney. So what we would do is with our employees so the goal would be to send out an email and they can apply. So there will be an application process which they would have to apply for and then through that then we would have a contract agreement with Dupland County and that employee if they are awarded for their term and then approval of a budget amendment for this fiscal year 2022 2023 for a total of 50,000. All right, commissioners, we've heard the request to pledge your vote. I make a motion that we accept the Region 8 opera in any grant award. Second, about 50,000. All right, we have a motion in a second to accept the region eight, all for minigrain awarding the amount of $50,000 and authorize the chairman to sign any associated agreements. Contracts related to this funding, depending approval by the county attorney and approved associated budget amendments. Any more questions or comments. Here you know, all in favor say aye. All opposed. Motion carries on the number five. Okay. The next is related to breast and cervical cancer screening for physical year 2223, AA552, in regards to revision two. So there was one time funding opportunity that health departments could apply for for some additional funding for the breast and cervical cancer screening. And this is for the underinsured and uninsured women between the ages of 40 and 52, which we currently had about 60 women that qualified. So we applied for this one time funding of $13,000 and received this funding. So I would like to ask for an acceptance of breast and cervical cancer program AA452 revision number two for an additional 13,000 in a budget amendment. All right, we've heard the request. Pleasure to board. Moose to approve. Say, have a motion in a second to accept the branch to cervical cancer program, A-A-452 revision number two, for an additional $13,000 on behalf of the Duke and County Health Department and approved associated budget amendments. All in favor say aye. All opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. All right. Mr. Clerk. Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair and members of the board. I have just a few announcements about some things that are going on at the event center coming up. The American Rough Star Association finals rodeo will be held February the 10th and 11th, that's nightly at 7 o'clock. The Monster Truck Wars Monster Truck Show will be February the 18th. We'll have country artists Justin Moore in concert on March the 3rd, and the annual Blue Brew in Q Festival will be held on March the 25th of the events. That's all the announcements I have tonight, Mr. Vice Chairman. All right. That brings us to the end of the agenda where I ask you any of the commissioners that they have, anything they wish to speak on this time? Yes, Mr. Vice Chair chair. I have something. All right. And I apologize for the fact that I didn't say something doing the public comments. We typically don't. But based on what Mr. Rosso came before us to speak about, I personally have received several calls in regards to what's taking place with the stop signs. And though it not be in the control of any members that sit here before you, it is my observation that such a change has created a lot of conversation without the leadership being involved. To it, several phone calls have been made by myself to Senator Jackson, Representative Dickson to kind of see what information they had. And it is for the record to be known that our representatives at the state level have not been contacted about the changes that pertains to these stop signs. So I rolled it up to the board of the Board of Transportation Board and I spoke with a couple of members on that board to try to figure out where this originate from and why. I do not have those answers as of yet but what I would like to share is that in this process, we may not have the decision-making power, but I think it's appropriate that we at least be included in the decision prior to the decision taking place so that we can be prepared to communicate the citizens here in the county what is coming. To my understanding, Mr. Clerk, you had no indication of these changes taking place here in the county as well correct? No so the first knowledge I have was when a citizen called to express their concerns when they saw the signs go up on 117 that a new traffic pattern would be in place. And again a situation where things change we need to be aware so we can communicate. Now, to get it redirected, that's not something that I can prepare to speak on, but to make sure that everyone aware of these changes are taking place as a result of a DOT decision, the way we should communicate, in my opinion, is make sure that everyone is in the center of the same page so that we all speak in the same language to those that's going to have questions. And if there is a change and attempt to be made at least we're well aware as to what and how we can come together collectively to make those changes. Again it's I've gone out there looking in the district it is in my district and I think it's a part of it is in Commissioner Dowd district and I think it's a part of it is in Commissioner Dow district and I personally to sit at that intersection and observe what's taking place it is very surprising to me that the decision was made however it has been made but I'm hoping that the next meeting that I will have information in writing as to how this came about so that at least everyone is well informed as to where the decisions came from and how it evolved and where we may be able to go as a county. But it's most important that we as elected officials are speaking the same language and show the core for each other so that when the decisions come and the questions come, we're prepared to respond to those in a professional and inclusive manner so that the citizens don't feel totally blindsided. I just wanted to make sure I communicated that. It is a process that we're dealing with, but I can assure you that we're making all efforts possible to make sure that our citizens are well informed about the actions that take place here in Dubin County. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. And I will say this. I know the warning clips are open today, correct? I'll have to go to Durham this morning and with the intersection I came home the side of the minute have stopped. And I've got a call today. And the lady was sitting there five minutes and there was two cars on 117 coming out of my not my not I'll never stop just 35 right on through 45 whatever that speed limit is there. So it's not only we're not only dealing with the one that was, we mean, we've got that one in clip so and there's two more coming in the wrongs chapel area toward the end of the month. And on four or three and there only gonna be a hundred yards apart. And I believe it was another one on one on one on 17 at clip so. That's mine. But one 17 alternate and trade street is what of today. I believe it was another one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on one on I understand there's a total of five that's going to be done in the county. So what was on the channel seven news with side anyway, and I can't remember. That's four of them. I don't know. Can't remember where the fifth one was. But all right. Any other commissioners have anything? All right. Well, that brings to the end of the agenda. So so I'll entertain a motion to adjourn until Monday, February 6th, 2023 at 6 p.m. I'm emotional in a second. I'll involve us signify to say an eye. I'll oppose We now stand eternal Thank you all for coming