Okay ladies and gentlemen welcome to our December 19th 2022 commissioners meeting. Glad to see you all love you here. This is our last meeting before Christmas. So I would like to again tell everybody to the steak time over Christmas to enjoy family and friends but most of all to remember why we have Christmas to celebrate. It's easy to get called up into the excitement of the guests and the travel and the food that it's all about the birth of Christ and we need to pause and take time to understand and appreciate that. We wouldn't have these privileges if God hadn't provided his son, Jesus Christ, to be here for us. So with that, if I may, I'd like to call on Reverend George Futreau to give us an invocation and lead us in the pledge. Will everybody please stand? I was kind of grateful to seven of all that we thank you for another day of life and opportunity. Thank you Lord for allowing us to get up this morning and go about our normal business affairs and together to not for this county commission meeting. We pray to your Lord that you are blessed those that leave this county our commissioners and bless their families. We pray to your Lord that you have blessed all the business at hand. We thank you Lord for giving them and the wisdom that give us the ability to carry out the orders of the evening and the praise Your Lord that you will bless us and all that is said and done tonight. And finally thank you for the blessing of this past year and all the accomplishments that you have allowed the Duke and County to enjoy. We prayed to your Lord that you would continue to bless us in the upcoming year Lord that we would continue on with the momentum that has begun, that we continue to fail to serve the citizens of this County. We know that we serve you and serve others and we just give you thanks and praise. We prayed to your Lord that you would bless each one gathered tonight in the families and give us all a good Christmas. As the Germans said, Lord, please help us to remember that Christmas is about Christ. And you can't have Christmas without the Lord Jesus Christ. And your word tells us that you love us so much, that you gave us your son. That you came to the born manger and lived the perfect sinless life, and that you died of an atoning death. We might have the privilege to have salvation, have a wonderful life here, Lord, and the bond of life here, and the eternal life in heaven. We pray to Your Lord that You would just help us to remember that. Thank You, and Lord, for the blessing of life. We pray that You would just bless this, our bread and the sinbed tonight. We pray that this in Jesus' name for the blessing of life. We pray that Jesus bless this of our President Assembly tonight. And pray that his Jesus name will cross the Christmas. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord to the Republic for which it stands one nation under our individualism, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Reverend Feutel. Before we get started into the night agenda, I hope all of yous had an opportunity to see the new addition to the county. Look on the front of the... Diocese. Yeah, whatever. And you see, you see in God we trust. And if you come in to town down 24, when you stop at the stop sign, look at the courthouse, and you'll see across the top of the courthouse, we have put in God we trust. And then if you would, and also up seminary street, so on both sides of the courthouse. Yeah, I didn't know we had it on both sides, okay? And then at the airport, we have it at the Pylates entrance, and also in the lobby of one of our tasks that we wanted every pilot that come to our airport to visit Duplin County, whether they were stopping in to fuel up in their passageway from Miami to New York or wherever we wanted them to see and understand that we, Duke in County, believe and stand in God we trust. And I appreciate everybody that's helped provide that opportunity. And the board had a unanimous vote on installing this in God unanimous vote on installing this in God we trust and say I think it's very important so I wanted to make note of it. All right I'm assuming everybody's had a chance to look over the agenda does anyone of the commissions everything they have? I do not. I do not. Mr. Chairman. OK. But that said, I'll entertain a motion to approve the agenda for tonight. I got a motion in a second. Any further discussion? Here in the all in favor say I. Pass. All right. Then the meeting is over. Our last meeting. Entertain a motion. I got a motion in a second to accept the minute says red or as sent out from the last meeting. Any further discussion? Here and none. All in favor say aye. All opposed. Same side. Carry. All right. That opposed, same side. Carry. Right, that moves us to the consent agenda. It's kindly short this week. Any questions about the consent agenda? Here in them, entertain a motion. Absolutely. I got a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda. Any further discussion? Here in them. All in favor say aye. All opposed, same side? Carried. All right, that brings us to item number one, public comment. If we have anyone? Oh, you presented together, ma'am. Yes, okay. All right, Mr. Chairman, we have Mayor Diane Brown of Green Embers and Mr. Barry McGee of Green Evers. If you'd like to come up to the podium, Mayor, Mr. McGee. Thank you. We're here on the behalf of the children, Athletic League, a Green Evers, they're called Green Evers Grasshoppers. We're having an issue with them playing in the league. They had been playing prior to the pandemic for 15 to 20 years. And then once the pandemic was lifted, the children conjugated again, and they were able to play. These children went to the Baptist Ministry charity middle school, and they were able to play. These children went to the Baptist ministry, charity middle school, and they practiced last year. And Mr. McGee went to Wallace and asked them if the children could play. He spoke to a man named Mr. David. Mr. David said no, the children could not play. So the children were brokenhearted, and we tried to make them feel better and understand what had happened. This year the same thing has happened. These children they practiced hard, they were looking forward to playing in the league and now they cannot play again. Mr. Barry went and spoke to Mr. David, Mr. David did not. He said the schedule was already made out. The children could not play. We had no notifications about the schedule. These children are being deprived of this game and we don't understand why. I have called all around trying to find out why this is happening. I spoke to the athletic department of James Keenan and he told me that he was not in charge of this department and it was the county's association that runs this for the children. So that's why we're here today to speak to the county commissioners to give us an understanding of why the Green River's grasshoppers cannot be allowed to play in the lead. This is the second time and we're trying to keep these children off the street and trying to give them the upbringing that they deserve and they want to have and we just cannot understand why they keep on saying no to these children. This is the second time. Yeah, we've been in league about 20 years. I've been doing about 20 years now and I mean, I give my time and I go to the table at the table. We go, can we play this year and he say, well, I got called a man at the box sketch. That one November the 21st and we call him box sketch. He said, he's texting email me and say, well, then we, y'all, my man said, he's too late, he called. The sketch is already written, but the first game went to D7, the 16th. That was my track. Fri, that's the D7, the 16th. And so this year, we go back, he really, on the skews he gave me was too late. The sketch, but my band did, I bought my holiday keys. Hey, I don't be like that. I work hard for them. And I mean, I just try to, because I mean, I had a rope pass and I'm trying to let them come up. And I'm different. This boy is just teaching the kids what to do. You know, he's just trying to give them your love. You know, love, but keep a kid. I'm a trouble. Keep my whole thing there. He could get into it, but you got to show love. And I mean, that's what I'm trying to do. For the last two years, I ain't been able to do it. They always tell me that it came to play. So I mean, I'm trying to figure out why I went to the mayor and she said, when we got to go to the county meet, so we're going to counting me, and we have the night. And that's the problem we got with. And we've been up to play. Our kid has been playing since October. For the evening, we started. And just a second time, we ran on. Can I get in the lead? So I would love a good excuse. A best excuse to give me, say, the sketch is on me. So the sketch is on me. Whoever makes the schedule get paid that you want to job. I mean that's what I end the job you go to. Anybody that get paid to do the job, you might do a job open and open and open and open again. So it's right. But now my kids get deprived of their joy. They enjoy me and I enjoy them if we just have fun. We just come here tonight for four weeks. We just want to read. But really, of course, I'm going to give a chance to play in the lead. Can I ask you about the age group? On 10 to 12. 10 to 12, you know. Do you know what other towns are in this league? Yeah, you got on. And it's basketball correct. Yes, sir. You got Wallace. You got Facing. Facing? Facing the skimmy and being a bread that just come in. And... That good field. They just come in. They just come in, they just come in in the lead. But it was pretty nervous, flawless, flawless, it was about five minutes, well, so, and five minutes in the lead, and now, they got some new pounds in, and our kids don't have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They don't even have a chance. They and we need your contact. You can leave it with to clerk and somebody will be getting back to you, okay? Thank you so much. We appreciate that. You said you've been playing in this league up until this point. It's just a chance to have that. That became a long, so we're here. Up until then. Up until then, we've played there for you. And well, we've been doing long, we're in the jungle win, but now I don't know what happened. We'll check on it. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. No, I'm going to come to you. No, I'll give it. Anybody else signed up for the comment? No, sir, Mr. Chairman. Okay. Well, that moves us to item number two. Mr. Tracy Simmons-Penighi. Good evening, Mr. Chairman and fellow commissioners. On behalf of the Health Department, we have three agenda items tonight. The first one is recognition for retirement of Ms. Pady Hardrow, who we have two presentations for tonight. The first one is for, as a Dupland County retiree, for a total of 30 years of service, 29 year in Dupland, and one year of service in Sanson, as a public health nurse. I think she's done everything at the health department in those 30 years. So we wanna recognize as a county employee this. So the second award is from the Governor's Office, Governor Rui Cooper from North Carolina as the Order of the Longleaf Pine. So a little bit of Ms. Hardgroves passed Admiral Dedication and Service to the Citizens of Sanson County. She started in 1992 and then came into Dupland in 1998 as a public health nurse. So she was an enhanced road registered nurse for child health for 29 years. This provided the ability to perform physical assessments and function understanding orders to provide preventative care for the underserved and at-risk children of Sanson and Dupland counties. Additionally, she has provided services for and supervise a number of public health case management programs while in Dupland County to include child service coordination, maternal care coordination, newborn postpartum home visit program, adolescents parenting program, adolescents pregnancy prevention program, community care of North Carolina and the maternal outreach workers. While she has worked at the Dukeland County Health Department, she served as the chairman and review coordinator for the county's local child fatality prevention team and was a longtime member of the juvenile crime prevention council. During her last five years as a public health nurse, she as the county was late led the county employee wellness department as the count she was lead led the county employee wellness department as the public health nurse who participated in direct patient care of county employee serving clinical services at the health department and providing disease state management and wellness coaching for our employees. So I would also like to present to Miss Petty Hardgrove's their long leave time. You're welcome, thank you. And we're willing to let you give her to Mike and we can speak to you she would like to. Oh my goodness. And I don't know what I had to do to get her. But now that she's here. Oh my goodness. I would just say thank you so much. It has been a pleasure working in Dupland County. This is a great county to work in. I've enjoyed it very much. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the people of Dupland County in both the public sector and in the county employee sector. And it's just been great. And these last few years under Tracy's guidance and leadership have just been awesome. I've enjoyed it very much. So thank you for the opportunity. Thank you. We appreciate all the time and effort that you've put into the county. Thank you so much. OK. Other comments? Thanks. OK. You have your handshake. I can tell you everything. Thank you. Okay. Thank you for your service in Mayor Christmas Eve. Thank you so much. Thank you for everything you've done. Hope your time goes well. Thank you so much. I don't understand how you started at H.T. I'm glad you were congratulating me. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you for the service and the graduation. I appreciate it so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right, then. The news is right along to number three. Okay. The second agenda item is come before you guys for family planning for physical year 2223. It's a revision. So the agreement, theendom, is revision one to increase, that was increased the title, 10 funding to enable the local health departments to purchase family planning methods to provide to client seeking additional family planning services. So these additional funds are available only through March 31st, 2023. So I would like to ask for acceptance of this additional funding for $1,440 for the family planning fiscal year 2223 AA 151. in a second to accept this these funds $1440, $AA, $151 funding. They've been going to help the department and approve the budget amendment. Any further discussion? Here and none. All in favor say aye. All opposed. Same side. Carried. Number four. All opposed, same side? Carried. Item 4. The next agenda item is under Public Health Emergency Preparedness for Physical Year 223 AA514. The North Carolina Public Health Preparedness and Response Branch makes them additional funding available through the Bright Ideas grant program for this physical year to pursue innovative preparedness related projects. So the Health Department had conversations with the county's animal control services and as well as emergency management and did some review of Hurricane Florence and came up with the idea to write a grant under the Bright Eye of the Project for an additional animal disaster relief mobile equipment trailer to provide additional care for animals and to support animal caregivers during a mass sheltering event or incident. So the department's Bright Eye deers project was accepted and we received a total funding of $23,722. And this project's activity shall be completed by May 31st, 2023. So I would like to ask for acceptance for this AA 514 under public health emergency preparedness for $23,722 and a budget amendment. You've heard the request about the pleasure of the board. I got a motion and I got a second any further discussion. Here and none all in favor say aye. All opposed same side. Here you thank you right, that brings it out of number five. Mr. Judge McKenzie. Good evening, Chairman and members of the board. I'm here tonight to do for the grant application that the county submitted back in September. On December 1st, we were notified by the Golden League Foundation that the grant was awarded this through their site program. The amount of the grant is $999,150 and it is to construct a water supply well at West Park. And also some of the bums will be used to complete some due diligence items such as a title opinion. So the next step is to accept grant funding and to adopt a project budget and to execute the grantee acknowledgement and agreement with Goldingland of the Glad to Answering questions that you have. Pleasure to board. Motion to the separate green. So, I've got a motion in a second to accept the Golden Leaf Grant award in the further discussion. Here and none, all in favor say aye. All opposed, say aye. All opposed same side. Curied thank you That moves us to item number six miss Donna Brown Good evening. I'm here tonight to get the boards approval to increase the hookup fee to the county water system The hookup fee has not been increased since 2005. With a rapid increase of material, the system is losing on average of $185 to $530 per hookup depending on size of meter. So tonight I need the board's approval to raise the rates effective immediately. Pleasure to go. I have a motion. I got a motion in a second to prove the increase rate to hook up the county water system $1,500 for a three quarter tap $1,00 for one inch tap. Due to the raising cost of materials needed to install these meters. Any further discussion? Derry, you're not increasing the two inch tap. The two inch tap we've already increased because I have the authority to win the material rises to cost of it. I can raise it up with the 20%. So it's already said in the rules and regulations of the Water Department. Any more discussion? Here and none. All in favor say aye. All opposed, same side. Carried. Thank you. Thank you. That brings us to item number seven, Mr. Roger Jones. Thought you might have got tied up at the other board meeting. I had to step out. Be of the night. Well, good evening. Sorry I had to come back for it again. I came back tonight for a minute application from our last meeting. The Card Access System, we actually do it in the schools and the actual support buildings was funded on two parts, Safe School Grant and the ballots would be the lottery application. We ended up with a shortage on the grants so I had to come back and amend the amount in which I was asking for in the lottery application for a difference of $12,849.41. So I'm asking for approval of the public school building capital fund of Carolina Educational Lottery application amount of 363,000, $27.30 to help fund the purchase ventilation of the card access systems in the Duke and County of School of Dance for years. All right you've heard the request, but the pleasure is more. That's too good. Got a motion. Second. And a second. Father discussion. You'll give them the deer, so they don't have to boast you win this out again. I hope we don't have the more that we had a bit for time. Any further discussion? Here it is. All in favor say aye. All opposed. Same side. Carried. Thank you, Mr. Jones. I appreciate it, Americans. Thank you so much. That brings us to item number eight. Random masters. Good evening, commissioners. Mr. Chairman, I've come before you tonight to request acceptance of grant funding awarded by the Duke Energy Foundation to incurie prepared and escape abilities and approval of a budget amendment in the amount of $25,000. This grant funding will allow us the opportunity to make EOC enhancements, purchase hazardous material detection devices, and emergency communications equipment. Pleasure to board. I got a motion. Do I have a motion in a second to accept the grant funding for $25,000 from Duke Energy Foundation and a budget amendment. Any further discussion? Here in the audience, all in favor say aye. All opposed, same side. Kerry. If this was the pleasure of the board, I would also like to invite Mr. Derek Lima up front to present the funding and make a few words. Good evening. Good evening. Good to have fun. Come on. We got to get a good picture with this. Good evening, Mr. Chairman. Members of the Board. I think for having me here today, I'm Derek Rema. I represent Duke Energy, government community relations. So I'm your contact into the company for issues management and anything that happens going on. Also I have a little bit of background emergency management so when we get to give out grants like this it makes me a little bit happy so I'm real happy it's fast and great to work with so you've got good folks here so really happy to present this to the county. We know that emergency is starting and at the local levels to be able to really help out with the CEOC funding. We're proud to do that. So thank you all for having us here today and I'd like to get a little picture of you all online. I would like to thank you and do energy. I mean, we do appreciate all the help and support. And if you want to go out and from or you want to just let him line up there. Come on. Come on. Let's go out and from or you want to just let him line up there Yeah, let's go out front You think we'll work around shift she'll find everybody's face Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. No problem. Please give me a call if I can never be a assistant. That's what I'm here for. All right. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right. That brings to our number nine. Mr. Gary Rage. Good evening. Good evening. I'm here this afternoon. I'm submitting a resolution for y'all's acceptance to move the revaluation back from January 1, 2023 to January 1, 2025. You all heard the request? Pleasure to board. I don't really don't think we have ready. Would it be possible to ask them to have it ready for 24 and then get a minute if they don't. I guess we could set it for 20-24 tonight. If Edgy could come back here next year by this time and move back if Edgy. Well I think we all understand what's happened, but at the same token you know we need it done and you know if you know new company don't know if to have the time but if we tried that would make some of us feel good So you're willing to move it to January 2024? Yep, but now if we get about this time next year and we see that it's not going to work, I'll come back to y'all asking to be with 2020-25, but we'll do our best to have it ready for 2024. Or do you need to let it, do you to come, do you need to talk with them and then come back to us another meeting? No, we have to have this done by the end of the year. Any action tonight, Mr. Chair? Um, of course, Mr. Rose, not really trying to have you on the bubble, but at the end of the day, do you really think it's going to happen before the 20th, 2025? I mean, really? Just put it up. Yes, sir, I did. You think it can't happen before 2025? Oh, before 2025 or before 2025? Before 2024. And 2024, is it even realistic to acts with all that you know about what's taking place To have to come back and say basically you're still gonna need the 2025 It'd be a long shot Once you get the bugs out of the software, how long will it actually take for the software to run and do that? First of all, first of all, when he converts, hopefully we can have it converted the old software by sometime in March so we can get ready for the Building for July next year And then once again that ready then we'll have to start working on the revaluation part and Then go back and rekey all the stuff the Presters have done that in the field key that in set new schedules and all and Hope we don't have a lot of problems and that's the favorite thing around smooth. I know we're converting from a real oak system from back in the we get it back in the 80s and I think it's a savings version. It's gonna be a lot of work. I hope we can get it done for 20 or 24, but I'm just not bothered if we can. I thought the company that we were working with was going to still do the building. They're going to do the building, but we got to get it ready. We got to get the real property part. We got to be able to make the transfers, do the valuations and all. So we can get that ready to send to BIS to send the bills out but we have to have the new software working for that. The new software will do everything but the real property as far as doing the valuations and kind of ownership changes and then we'll take that information and dump it into BIS, which is the old system, just for the actual building installations. Well, I really want to see, try to see 2024, if we put 2025 on paper, you know, I really feel like that's what it's going to be. If we don't shoot for 2024 on paper, we might not make it. But I'm willing to make a motion to post-pilot in January 1, 2024. OK. I have a motion on the floor. Do I have a second? That'll say. OK. have a second. Okay, I got a motion and a second to adopt a resolution that moves it from January of 23 to January of 24. That correct? That's correct. Any further discussion? So in regards to just being on paper, it makes us look like we're putting forward the effort to get it done soon. But in our reality is going to be 2025. I'll come back in the first meeting in September and report to y'all wherever I at. What I think can happen at that point. We'll give it up this shot. So we have a check in. Yes, okay. Well, I mean where I'm setting this uncomfortable there, if we don't ask for it, we won't get it. Go. And so we ask for it. They know we're behind. They know that's the reason that they're getting a asked for it. They know we're behind. They know that's the reason that they're getting the chance at it. If the other crowd had a gun, they wouldn't have got a chance at it. So we may be surprised at how hard they'll work and what kind of staff they'll devote to prove to us that they deserved our business and we're proud to have it and meet our deadline. And if they work hard to meet our deadline and it just is impossible, then you know, we have to revisit. But like I said, if you don't put the deadline out there, it's not going to happen. Any further discussion? All right, hearing none, I asked for a vote. All in favor say aye. All opposed? Here. Thank you Mr. Rhodes. Mr. Chair, but I have another contract for the new software. In the contract, that was in Y'all's package. That mistake in the first section, the first page on the strip of the services number one. It just referred to attachment one instead of attachment A, B, and C. Or we'll wait make that variation one. Make sure you go either way. This contract is for the the Camer portion, the real estate part of the tax software. It's with bi-tech. They've we've seen a demonstration. We've talked to several counties since Wayne County, Unsular County, Jones County. And I think it's in 30 some counties of the 100 counties of the state. They, there's to be a good software package and they will try everything they can to have it ready so that we can start working on for the building for 2023 and March. The full price of this is 100 and And 9,102 50. Yes. And 30,000 of that is the conversion. And everything but the conversion can be spread over three to five years. And there will be annual maintenance fee of $47,850. Can it number again? $47,850, which is more than what our current one was, but it's going to be a lot better than what we had. Is that $191.250? That's the total price of the purchase of the software. Yes, sir. Mr. Wilson, you reviewed this time track. I did. So they original version they sent out of what we did is we were placed their contract with ours and then attached, you'll see the three documents the A, B, and C that this rose was telling you about. That was the one in change. I made two, what was in your agenda packet, it was just, it's an attached one. The changes say A, B, and C, A, B, and C, B, and A is going to be more D as they are software licensing agreement and then C is the pay schedule, but the main contract is our standard contract. Correct what I told Commissioner Garner that includes that 191 and does include 30,000 for conversion of the data, which is not actually software, but it goes along with the conversion. You get to set up. Yes, I'm sure. He's got the extracted data out of the old system, and put it in the new software. But this is just a contract for the Rebell software. The KAMA, yes, sir. It's not for the, not for billing collections. That's in a separate, separate, at separate apartment. Yes, that's separate apart from this contract. But this replaces everything that we've had prior to as pertains to the rebound. Yes, sir, the camera, yes, sir. Pleasure to board. I might have measured to approve the second. I got a motion and a second to approve the contract between Duke and County and by TEC LLC to provide the by TEC computer aid, mass appraisal, camel, tax software and authorized chairman to sign the same. Any further discussion? All right. All right. All opposed? Carry. Thank you, Mr. Rez. All right. Thank you. All right. That break is the item number 11. Mr. Charlie, fair you. All right. Evening commissioners. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening I'm going to go to the commission. Even the commissioners. Come to you tonight representing the EDC again. Hopefully next month we're going to have a new EDC director and you won't get to see me anymore. And I know you'll all be very happy. But we have a proposed memorandum of agreement that I'd like to explain to you for the purpose of a public hearing tonight. And this is dealing with the development of Air Park. You know, EDC continues to work on developing Air Park. And I know you all have heard this, but we've got two sides of Air. George says he's got Ocean side, which is next to the runway. EDC has the sound side, which is the northern part on the other side of Airport Road. So we're working hard to develop the sound side. You all have seen the Master Plan, Commissioner Edwards, you might not have seen it yet, but we'll be sure that you see the master plan. We think it's a great plan. The next phase in implementing that plan is to put streets in on the northern side of airport road. Before Carrie left, she applied for a grant through the southeastern development region. We had a proposed estimate from parishion partners to plan and develop a streets through there for less than $262,000. We did receive that grant. The grant was in the name of the foundation because we thought when we applied for it, that funds would be expended to us prior to the work being done. But after we received the grant, we realized that it was a performance grant, which means that the work has to be done. The work has to be paid for in phases, but it has to be done, has to be paid for, then we have to submit that payment, proof of payment to the Southeast region. So what we're proposing is since it is in the name of a foundation that we use Eastern Region money, this is the old licensed plate money that came to the county after the Eastern Region was went away and after the county pulled away from the eastern region. That is a line item within the county budget that can only be used for economic development. We're proposing that that fund be used as a transfer. That fund has $467,000 in it and the way this would work would be it's a transfer and a replacement. Ask the work progresses and EDC gets a bill. We are proposing to apply to the county to transfer the amount of that particular bill into the foundation. Foundation would then pay parish and partners, supply southeast region with proof of payment. They would issue money back to us and it would be replaced into the county's fund, into the Eastern region, into the $467,000 fund. Mr. Chair, not interrupting, but just to be clear for the record. Mr. Chairman, this was the public hearing we had requested at the last meeting pursuant to 158-7.1 on it. This was clear in the agenda, but the purpose of the public hearing is for the appropriation of funds for economic development purposes specifically for retention of parish reporters to engineer and design the airport really ways and infrastructure. Given what Mr. Ferryer has already told you what he's going to continue to tell you, you could read the statute to not actually require public hearing system money is going to ultimately go right back in the budget. What Mr. Brinson, Mr. Chestnut now felt was appropriate on abundance of caution and for full transparency was to conduct the public hearing, have them come and explain for the record and memorialize it in this memorandum of agreement, exactly how this is all gonna be structured. Thank you, Mr. Wilson. That was very well said, and I appreciate the help. So easy, Mr. Wilson. That was very well said and I appreciate the help So easy, Mr. Fairies. Yes, with that said, I need to open enough for public area now so that the people in the audience can Can pass any comments or opinion or Are we looking for Another night. No, I would go Go ahead. Okay so at this particular time we are at a public here so the audience feel free to take in the comments he said before you are already listening then but I'll let you finish and y'all feel free to question him on any part of his request. Okay, Mr. Ferry? There is an agreement that there's a timeline for the money being paid back after the foundation receives the money 30 days to pay it back. It's a formality as Tim says. There is a sunset to this agreement that we are anticipating this work to be done in six months, but it does sunset at the end of 2023. I think that's pretty much it. As Tim said, this is just a way to agree and have it formalized And I'd be glad try to answer any questions The payments of they do after each phase. Yes That how you're gonna do it. Yeah, yeah, they will Parrish apartments will build us at percentage of completion for each particular thing. Once we get that bill, then we will contact Tracy and Davis and say, we've got a bill from parish partners. Here it is. Can you transfer that amount of money? We'll pay parish partners, supply that bill to the southeast region, then they'll refund this money through the grant and then we'll get it back into that. This funding is strictly architectural work. It's designed and the sunset, you said the sunset date is strictly architectural work. For this particular one. For this particular project. It's a 2020-33. Yes. Comments from the public, questions from the public. So, I mean folks back there in the back, did you all hear the comments? back the Joe here, the comments. They're not responding to that. Mr. Snot, you've had a chance to, I guess, to be directly involved. You see any. Just a normal dead meal. Actually, I made several requests, so that's why it's been structured the way it has normal one of the MOUs that we have an audit trail, how long that we're given. And in addition, they have requested the entire amount up front, but we're getting how much 4% on our investments right now. So I wanted to do it in phases so I could continue to thank the fans of the interest that we're earning on this money. So that's why we're doing it in chunks versus one long run. Any more comments for the public? If not, I'm going to close the public here and we'll go back into open session. So commissioners still make your questions. No more questions at this point. It must have been pleasure to board. I got a motion to approve the request. Do I have a second? Okay. So I've got a motion and a second to approve this transfer. And we're going to pay it in segments. Any further discussion. I think Mr. Ferrier explained it very well, so I'm gonna call for a vote. All in favor say aye. All opposed, same side. Thank you, Gary. Thank you. Merry Christmas. We want to bring some of the sound side. About greeners. Yes sir. I got to be in town all morning. That's my topic. Who is the hit of that league? Is it Wallace or is it? Well, I always thought that David made the schedule. But now that could have changed since I've been gone. There's still a lot of alluded that somebody else made the schedule. Okay. But, and I don't know, it kind of sounds like maybe he didn't get in early enough to get put into the schedule, but I don't know, I'll have somebody call. Thank you, I appreciate that. Thank you. That's exactly what it sounded like to me to this is when he got his information in, they had probably already grouped up and made the schedule, but also it sounded as if he didn't know the deadline. And to me, that's it. This has happened twice. David should have told him the first time he gets you a request and to me by this date when he gets you the schedule. So that's where he's going a little bit. Thank you. Still a little opposite. All right that brings us to item number 12. Mr. Tracy Chess that. Good evening. Good evening. Mr. Chairman and members of the board. I'm here this evening to request that you approve the amendment to the fiscal year 22 contract with RHCPAs. The original due date on the contract was October 31st, 2022 and I'm requesting that we extend that to December 31st, 2022 to allow RACPAs the time that they need to complete our audit to financial statements and submit that to the local government commission. that were missing. You all heard your request? That's too big. I've got a motion. Second. I got a motion and a second to approve, shifting the date until the 31st of 2022. Any further discussion? Yes, Mr. President. Is there anything that you can do any further discussion? Yes. Yes. The other thing that you can do to try to help facilitate the, the get it done in about two. I can say that I can do everything in my power to get my work done on time. But can I make a CPA firm do something they don't want to do any faster? I don't have control over that. Now I do keep close contact with our HCPA firm and our previous soliters monthly and then sometimes weekly up until the deadline date. I've been speaking with them weekly, asking for updates. So when we have a meeting, or if you have a question, then I can provide you with the most recent information from them. But on my end, I have asked on several occasions, do you have everything you need from my office to make sure that you can complete what you need to do for the LGC and to be able to present our financial statements and so far they've told me I have. Do we need to time to sign another contract? It will be, we can sign, we don't have to renew their contract, but I would need to do another RFP pretty quickly if you would like for us to To go out and search for a new firm. Well, I'm not looking to search for a new firm, but I am looking Should we put some type of penalty clause? Because we've had this problem with everybody we work with yes, sir, and so Should we put some type or could we? Could we put some type of penalty clause in the contract that would hold their feet to the fire to help facilitate getting it done on time? Mr. Chairman, if I may, I think you could do that, but as Mr. Chestnut has scolded me, there's only two audit firms that are doing about half of the county audits now in the state of North Carolina, one of which was the one that we went away from last year. Only, frankly, how many counties got there all the time this year? I cannot remove that number off the top of my neck. I might have it in my email 50 or 51. There's less than half and as of the update I received this week from the Treasurer's Office, there are 9% behind in all municipalities counting turn in their audits. And the reason being 76 units, whether it be a town or a county loss Their CPA firm last year for fiscal year 22 nine audit firms back out of doing audits Government of audits Because just the standards that they have to adhere to in the timelines that don't change Has made it harder for the young to get everything done on time. And I'm not making that as an excuse. I'm just saying for lack of a better, I don't know that we could find an audit firm that could do any better. I wish we could. In my career, I've been a finance officer since 2012 and my only time I was able to get a firm to turn the audit in on time. It was with the town of Wallace and it's because the board made them put a clause in that there was a financial penalty. And then we counted on every week until they got it turned in by the 31st. But that's a much smaller audit than when you do the county audits. First I'd like to say to you Miss Chestnut is thank you for your efforts because in light of a meeting I was in maybe two weeks ago with you as saying Mr. Brissen is what was talked about from the NCC and they've been conversation with Mr. Fallwell and Miss Wood is about the different challenges that all the counties was having as a result of it being two CPA firms, as a result of a lot of them getting out of it because of the abundance of effort that has to go into doing these audits in a timely manner. So a lot of people running away from it, so they was kind of like, they don't really know which way they're going to go. Me and Mr. Farwell and Mrs. Woods, because it is really putting a challenge on the small accountees and townships in terms of getting it done. We don't have anyone to, from what was discussed, there's not a lot of people to turn to. So my question then was, are you going to relax some of the guidelines for the CPAs? And that was a resounding note. So at the end of the day, we're counting the situation. But again, just thank you for what you're doing in terms of trying to get it done. And we just had to keep riding this train until we can find the right turn. Thank you. We appreciate that. I know a man, my staff is working very hard to help us meet the deadline so that at least that's not the finance offices error and we continue to train our staff in higher level accounting practices so that they can assist me so that all the work for the audit is not put on my sale for the accounting manager and we continue to do that every year. That takes a little time, but that helps move what we have to do along a lot faster than it has in the past couple of years. Well, the request for tonight is to approve the amended contract to move the date to December 31st, 2022. Yes, sir. Because I don't know if you recall we probably had this conversation before, but they can't submit our audit on our behalf if we don't have an amended contract approved at the state level. The auditor will not accept it unless we have a valid contract and you don't have a valid contract unless you extend your contract. It's there again. Yes, the state doesn't do anything. Thank you. All right. Did I get a motion second while I got it? Yes, sir. So, my father's discussion. All in favor say aye. All opposed? Carry. Thank you very much. Thank you. And again, I don't think that there's any any of us that are forwarding you and what you're doing but just trying to just it's it's it's it's cost that trying to figure out is there a way that if we apply I mean for some reason that 51 that they've completed there's a reason and you know just trying to find out what it is that has got those completed so that we could try to get in that because I believe that it's less pressure on you than it is when they keep putting you off and getting deadlines that makes it harder for you as well. So, and then, you know, we're all of a sudden trying to get something done. But anyway, thank you for what you do as Commissioner Branch said. With that, that moves us into... Mr. Chairman, if I may, can I go ahead and give a couple announcements and then we have a close session? Yes. Okay, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to announce to the board that Dr. Bossa-Hahn and myself have scheduled a joint meeting with the Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners and that will be held on Tuesday, January 10th at 7.30 a.m. be of breakfast meeting. It will be held in the Board of Education's meeting room. Dr. Bossaahan and I would like to know if there's any specific item of interest that any of the members of the board would like placed on the agenda. I will work together to craft the agenda and get it out to you guys. And I know I'm putting you on a spot, so if you can't think of anything right now that you'd like to be addressed at the meeting and if you'll get me that within the next two to three days I can get that Dr. Bossahons who we can have you agenda out in plenty of time. Did you say to have them 30? Yes sir, it their meeting room. The other announcement that I have is the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments will be hosting a legislative breakfast on Monday, January the 23rd at King Kings Barbecue Restaurant in Kenstone. It's an opportunity for you to talk with your state legislators and hear about their priorities and vision for the upcoming session. The gathering will be a breakfast buffet, the skaters to begin at 8 a.m. and the program will begin at 9 a.m. If you would like to go, I need to pre-register you. So if you'll let me know if it works in your schedule and you do want to go, I'll be glad to take care of the registration for you. Again, that's January 23rd, Monday, 8 a.m. at Kings Barbecue Restaurant in Kentston. Those are my two announcements for tonight, Mr. Chairman. I would ask that the board go into closed session for certain North Carolina General Staffs at 143-318-1183 for legal matters to consult with county attorney. Measure the board. Where's the court? I got a motion now a second to go into closed section. Father discussion. Here none all in papers say aye. All opposed same sign carried. All right we're now officially going into closed session. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I appear before you tonight seeking a motion from the board to authorize me to enter into a settlement agreement and a contract amendment with BIS resolving a contractual dispute related to appraisal software and support of that product assuming you make that motion and approve it. I will finalize that deal and return a signed version of that settlement agreement to the board in the consent agenda packet at the upcoming first meeting in January. I've heard your request. What's the pleasure to board? I have a motion in a second to approve Mr. Wilson to enter into a seven-minute discussion. Hearing none, all in favor say aye. All opposed? Here in none all in favor say aye all the phones carried Mr. Brinson you have anything else on the bring up I do not miss chairman other than the wish each member board and your family's I'm very Christmas Board members have anything Can you sit out of message from the board to the employees? Yes sir, I will. We'd like to do that. I entertain a motion to adjourn. To adjourn. Thank you. I've got a motion to the second. Further discussion. Here in them, all in favor say aye. Thank you. We have completed this year. Hope you're doing well.