All right, I'd like to welcome everybody tonight to the commissioners meeting Monday, February, to 7th, 2022 and I'd like to start out by asking Commissioner Thompson if he would give us an invocation and lead us on a pledge. If everybody would please rise. That is pretty. If you're having a follow-up, we thank you for the opportunity to come together tonight to carry forward the business of the county. We ask for your patience in the wisdom as we carry forward what's in the best interest of the people of this county. Jesus name a prayer, amen. and the United States of America. It's good to republic for which it stands one nation under God in the visible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you so much. All right. Anybody have anything to add to the night, so gender. How you doing? Go, sir. I do. Sir. Mr. Branson. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, if it pleases the board, I would like to add Mr. Frankie Wood, who is our local DOT engineering technician, he's going to introduce to you our new county maintenance engineer and they'll also stay to hear your road concerns tonight. I'll make that. I'll make that. What point you want to add them? When I hear the road concerns, Mr. Chairman, and I'll make their introduction when it's time. OK. Pleasure to board. Sir Moose, see. OK, I got a motion to the second to add that to the agenda and accept the agenda otherwise. All in favor say aye. All opposed? Carry. All right. accept the agenda otherwise all in favor say aye all opposed carry all right the I need a motion to approve the minutes of the January 24th meeting I got a motion in a second any any further discussion? All in favor say aye. All opposed, same side, carry. Assuming everybody's looked through the consent agenda, do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? So moved. I got a motion down a second, any discussion? All in favor say aye. All opposed? Carry. All right, that gives us to item number one, public comment if you will. See if we have one. Mr. Chair, my members of the board, we had one individual sign up for public comments. Mr. Timothy Glassby, he signed up earlier this afternoon in city we'll be back tonight, but I do not know if he's here or not. Timothy Glaspie. He signed up earlier this afternoon in the city would be back tonight, but I do not know if he's here or not. Do not see him. Otherwise, no one else has signed up with public comments, Mr. Chairman. Are we sure he's not setting outside? Will somebody please check? Oh, you just did. Okay. Oh, he is. Okay. Well, I think that's not him. That's not him. No, no, no, no. They're scouting through. I know. Okay, you know, ten minutes, not him. Chair, great. All right, well, the fact that he is not back, we will move on to item number two, Mr. Branson. Yes, sir, Mr. Branson. Yes, sir. Mr. Chairman, members of the board. At this time, I would like to introduce Mr. Frankie Wood, who is our district engineering technician at DOT, and he's going to introduce our new county maintenance engineer. Good evening. Good evening, everyone. You're doing a nice job. You're doing a nice job. Good evening, sir. Thank you all for having us. I just wanted, as in the past, I know that I would have been used to dealing with myself and Mr. Chris Rhodes for any of your highway concerns with DOT. Chris has retired. He's in the first. And so, I would like to introduce you to Daniel General, he's our new county maintenance engineer. He will be in charge of arguing that that's the maintenance. I just wanted to make a formal University and so good places with names and so everybody would think Welcome aboard Thank you Alfred opportunity List forward to to a bright future here in Duke and County. I'm a native to a ride across the County line to where I was born and raised in Oslo County near Cyprus, Korea. So I got rude to here and just look forward to improving working in a positive direction, collectively I've seen for citizens of Duke and County, Duke and Illinois. Thank y'all for coming. All County. Thank you. All right. All right. Thank you. We're glad to have you. My poor board. So at this time, if any members of the, excuse me, at this time, if any members of the board have any road or highway concerns that I can take down so I can address with Daniel or Freaky, I'd be glad to take those at this time. Commissioner Dow. I have no, but thank be glad to take those at this time. Commissioner Dow. I have no other. Thank you. Commissioner Thompson. I don't have any. Does any member of the public have any road concerns that you would like to address with DOD at this time? Yes ma'am. Which way is home? Which way is home ma'am? Okay. Maybe back up on the water. Okay. Over there by the straight. There's a B. Oh. On that side. Um, is it on 117 or is it on the side of it? Okay. It's on. It's where you get to where they are. Where you buy them big trucks. Triple T. You said, you said, you know, holding that. It's nice. I have a close to that. It was nice to have a place on this. I was so close. I probably told him out of that. We have a big cross line there that we're working on a solution for that problem. There's a big flood issue there. Yeah, yeah. The part of the reason is in the past we've had some of us keep it in the showroom there. Yeah. Because all of that water goes there and so that we've had to actually be able to show her up a little bit and keep it from washing but we're working on a more permanent solution for that. Is that the issue you're talking about me and Martin that area? Right there about the difficulty. You have seen that bottom? Yeah, for the dam, right up there here where the dam don't want to show you. What's the nearest intersect in Howellwood? What's your wife? Johnson Church. Yes, I'm nearest, I believe. Don't talk about it. But it's a thank you, well, send a thank you across if anybody tries to stop on the side of that road at night time, they're going to go in that canada. But you're not going to be in the tree. OK, but it's close to the truck once you're talking about it. The place you can see up the truck over there. Back to the mag know you're a Warsaw. Back to a Warsaw. Between the grain elevators and the diesel place the triple T place Between our 40 If you can get me an address as close to and Caldwell office and Caldwell office and let us know who we are with Willa Jersey. Okay, and ma'am I neglected to tell you this before you started but can you give me your name because I have to record this in a minute. Okay thank you Miss Pierce-All. Anyone? Excuse me ma'am, I apologize I wasn't going to be the cheer. My name is Wesley Boykin. I do have a road concern. I don't know whether a lot of it is town, the Warsaw State or County, but Hell Street, West Hell Street going out of town past the tracks going out of town. It floors, and so I run it that this is on the agenda because it was terribly flooded as I was driving it here. Okay, okay, okay, it's right. Yes, and I brought this up before in that trench. I don't know the name of the street that runs adjacent to the lodge, in the interships with hill street right at the church, the first map of the church, those trenches still floods. That's north street over there. We've done a lot of road repair, but they haven't done much to the water. Now the street, I believe it runs beside your residence in front of the lodge. That would be a town street, but now Hill Street and Penny Branch Road, I believe DLT has some responsibility for it so they'll check that out but otherwise I would refer you to the town manager worth all this for someone. I have a comment or I'll be glad to follow for you. We're represented the town was commissioned meeting as well. Newly sounds and I've taken tells and pictures over the last three or four years and shared photos. They have been out here. I just simply wanted to remain on the agenda because it may get lost through checks. And as a result of the range today, the flow is a very evident. But if you were to come back with an army, we'd appear to be dropped and non-problematic. There's a lot more of the worst-ball fouls for all of us. Going out of town, it is gotten much worse because there are tons and tons and tons of trucks. There are tons and trucks going to the new factories that are being built outside of the county but before it crosses over into the sense of county. So that is the street, Hilshree, West Hilshree, ground out of town, Westwood. I know we did some work. We did some work on Hilshree. Six months from there, right? Yeah, about six months ago, just try to alleviate some of the blood that was adding in there. I think this might be a little bit more. This is on further down towards where there are a lot of points. There actually begins in town and goes all the way just past the church. So again, when I call one municipality or entity I get a studio exactly for this county which part is state which part is town. But I just know the problem that we have is a lot of times whenever we intermingle with town streets the water may run down our right away and then it ends up going on the town property to get away from the right one. So sometimes we share it. It's kind of like when you repaired all the ones, you resolve the problem. But when you take here one problem, it takes it to another. And in this case, probably to another jurisdiction as well, which compounds it, it makes it even worse for the residents. And again, I got documentation of photos being sent to the town for the last five, six years. And bring up this, to put your history of fluids and it spills over into the streets. Dr. Borkin, when we talked about this, maybe six months ago, the things improve afterwards and deteriorate. There's activity, but the fact that I'm talking about it now, which is see that whatever improvements happen is probably temporary and surface. OK. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Boyd. I do. I'm going to do it right away. Okay. Okay. So you don't think it's supposed to work? I think he's telling my dad that he's a lot of plant-water railroads. I'm going to throw some stuff up. You know, straightness. No ball. I don't think I'm going to get down. I'm going to throw some stuff up. I'll throw the green. I know he has a prompt inside his residence, but that's because the ditches don't go under the road they did head at each drive going down that side street. Dr. Wesley Boykin. Okay, thanks guys. We really appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right, Mr. Preston. Item number three. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my Members of the board, normally we give out our service award pens at our annual Christmas luncheon for our employees and award ceremony. Of course, we have not been able to have that in the past couple of years due to COVID. So we have some individuals here tonight who I would like to recognize for having 20 and 25 years of service with Dupland County government. Now I felt like these milestone service awards need to be recognized. So that's why I've asked them to come before the Board of Commissioners tonight to receive their certificates and a pin. Would you like to hand them out, Mr. Chairman, or would you like for me to do it? Just go ahead. OK, thank you. The first individual that we will be recognizing is Ms. Rose Cronigee for 20 years of service to our health department. APPLAUSE Rose is also our infectious disease nurse, so she's been quite busy for the last 24 months. She's at the spearhead of our country over and I want to thank you Rose for everything that you've done. I present you this on behalf of the Board of Commissioners, myself and your department head that helps wrap your Miss Simmons Carnegie and also give you this service award. Now, I'd like for you to stay in here if you could because I'd like to get a picture of all of you standing from the Board of Commission. Okay, thank you, Rose. The next individual I would like to recognize also has 20 years of service, Miss Terry Eslanir. Terry, we come up. Terry has been working in the tax office for 20 years and she's currently a tax assistant too. And we want to thank you for all of your hard working dedication through the years. So here's your certificate. You're welcome. And here is your PNN recognizing your 20 years. The next individual also with 20 years service is Ms. Gwenda S Swan. on. I'm going to ask you a question. Excuse me, come on. Come on in, Mr. Hogan. Thank you. I'll give you an entry. Everybody knows Gwen. I went to high school with Gwen. No classmate. I'm not such a mother. We end as a public information assistant for the Department of Social Services and she also has 20 years of service and thank you for all your service and dedication. You're welcome. You give us a little pain, don't you? Why are you crying? Stay in here so we can get you picked. and give us a little pain on what you want to say. Stay in here so we can get you picked. And the next individual also with 20 years service is Miss Rita Sutherland. Miss Rita is a social work supervisor three in the foster care unit, but I believe right now she's our interim program manager. Is that correct? Yes. Congratulations. Well deserved. Thank you. I'm not sure about that. I'm getting confused myself, but. All right, the next group of individuals I would like to recognize have 25 years of service with Duke and County Government. Miss Phyllis Drafts. Billus is a social worker, three in our foster care unit, taking care of our foster children. And I want to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication, Billus. Thank you. But 25 years, that's a real milestone. Thank you. You're welcome. The next individual is Ms. Annie Murrell. Thank you. Annie has 25 years service at Department of Social Services and she is currently a social work supervisor, three in our adult protective services, right? Yes. All right. Well, thank you for all of your hard work and dedication. We really appreciate it. Thank you. And last but certainly not least tonight, we have Ms. Stella Simpson. Thank you. Thank you. Stella also has 25 years service, and she is a child support agent too at the Department of Social Services. I want to thank you for all your hard work and dedication. You're welcome. We also have one more individual with 25 years service lieutenant highsmith from the Sheriff's Department but he is on the Ulyfee Old Town Council and they were meeting tonight so he's going up here at your next meeting. So now if I could have all of the ladies to come up and just spread yourself out in front of the Board of Commissioners we want to get a picture or two. All right ladies, smile behind those bands. Does the Board of Commission want to stand up so I can have a little bit of it? Thank you. All right, thank you so much. Okay Mr. Branson, if you the board, I appear before you now to request a public here and be scheduled for March 7, 2022 to receive public comments regarding a request from Mr. Clifton Murphy to name a lane at 169 old NC 24 Bulaville at the limestone township comments? All in favor say aye. All opposed? Carry. Thank you, Mr. Branson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Now we move to item number five, Mr. Joe McKenzie. Good evening. I'm here tonight to make a presentation on behalf of the different county water system, SCADA system, improvements project. At this time the plans and specifications are complete and we are ready to advertise the project for the receded proposals. Back in July I met with the board and the board authorized the county to proceed with the project using American Rescue Plan Act funds. And so the project cost is 1 million 621 thousand and that's based on cost assessment that was prepared some months ago. I'll be glad to answer any questions that you have about the project. Anybody have any questions? Mr McKenzie? I got a motion. A second. I got a motion. Second. I got a motion of a second to authorize McDavid and the Association to incorporate to advertise the Dupin County Water Department SCADA system improvement project for the receipt of proposals. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. All opposed? Carried. say aye. All opposed? carried Thank you. Thank you Ended Thank you, Mr. Rancid. Thank you, Mr. Chairman members of the board The Dublin County Event Center has been awarded a state appropriation grant in the amount of a half a million dollars Through the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to fund additional paved parking at the event center facility. The Department of Agriculture has forward a notification of funding offer and a contract to the county to receive the funds which will be allocated in two separate payments on February 26th and March 26th, 2022. The funds must be expended by June 30th, 2023. Once the funding is received, the county manager and my staff will secure a firm to design the project, and then it will be built out for construction. It isn't anticipated that the project will take six to 12 months to complete once the funding is received. The acceptance of this funding requires no county match, this is an outright grant from the state. I would ask that the board accept the half a million dollars on behalf of the event center. I got a motion to accept the $500,000 in discussion. I have one question for you Mr. Preston. In regards to the project, can you share what are some of the benefits to the county to have such an endeavor to take place at the events center other than just the parking lot? Can you speak to some of the things that it will provide as well as the events that take place out of that? Yes, it's excellent. Excellent. Excellent question, Commissioner Branch. We anticipate paving. Currently, there's a gravel road leading into the office side of the event center. If you're looking at the event center on the right side, we will pay that access road into the facility and also pave a parking lot on that side of the facility for visitors to the office and also for workers who come to work events. Now we need this access road paved because during hurricanes and other natural disasters, the event center also becomes our staging point for relief supplies and we have to get tractor trailers inside that facility. As you can imagine, after a hurricane in several days of heavy rainfall, and then we bring trucks in and out that road, it can become a very muddy and treacherous. So we will gain access into the facility with a paved road, which will also help to drive through events like we've had with the COVID testing and immunization events. But I think we'll also be able to pave another parking lot in front of the event center across the access road that goes in front of it in that grassy field which will allow the visitors to festivals and events to have paved parking instead of having to park in the grassy field and walk into the event center through the grass in the mud. So, and if there are additional funds available, we will resurface the parking lot that's already in front of the event center and restripe that as well. But we're going to contract with an engineering firm to tell us exactly what we need and how much it'll cost and then we'll base our budget off of that commission branch. That was a good question, I appreciate that. Thank you, correct. Also the gate, gate and things of that nature that access to that particular area. Yes sir. We have been that has been brought by our attention by the event center manager and also the tourism chairman, Mr. Fife, that we need to look at it. It's a lot of other things that we look at opportunities to have an electronic gate made by the key panel to control access better. Is money at times and prevents access? So the 500,000 can be used on the gate as well, not just on pavement? We will verify that with the state officer budget Budget and Management, so we do not get in trouble with the State, but we think it can be used to control access to the parking paths. Yes, sir. Okay. Any further questions? Just to clarify, you know, this motion that's on the floor also is a budget amendment and designating the County Manager authorized an authority to sign the grant related to the document Just wanted to make sure that we had that verified before we voted any other discussion All in favor say aye. All opposed carry Okay, I believe that brings us to item number seven. Matthew Barwick. Thank you for allowing me to present to you tonight a request that we accept grant funding offered by the State of North Carolina Emergency Management Division. This grant funding is in the same manner of what we receive every year. However, during the COVID pandemic, they allowed us a supplemental fund, which allows a small-ish amount of money to allow us to update our plans to include the pandemic-related information such as our emergency operations plan, which we use during hurricanes and so on and so forth sheltering, and that helps supplement us to be able to have that funding and that time for employees to update that. So as long as we meet those benchmarks, as we have, there should be no questions about having to get those benchmarks done to get the funding and the budget to the funds that were already there were budget blaster in the salary line. So it should not cost accounting any more than all over what's already been budgeted. Same move. Sick. Got a motion in a second to accept the 12,695 dollars and 45 cent and the associated budget amendment in in further discussion. All in favor say aye. All opposed. Same sign. All in favor say aye. All opposed same side Carry thank you. All right that brings style of number eight miss Jones Good evening in your packet you have a copy of the digital inclusion plan for the county this was initiated in the Band-in-C grant that we received I Spoke last time about the surveys that went out the online surveys and the mailed surveys and we had close to 800 responses between those two and in the back of the plan there is anecdotal information taken from all the surveys that really points to the gaps and the needs and the trouble that our citizens have with a lack of adequate broad band. So approving and accepting this digital inclusion plan is just one step further in our digital equity plan and it puts us in good stead for funding in the future. There's supposed to be another round of the band in C money coming. He was here last time with Focus, can't remember his name. Chris Ward. Chris Ward spoke of that. And so this is something that has to be in place before we're eligible for another round of funding. And it also puts us in line for other grant opportunities. There's an adaptive technologies grant that's available. And so it's just a piece of the puzzle that helps us show where our needs are. So. Ladies and gentlemen, move to the set. We've got a motion in a second to accept the proof that Duke and County did not plan to be used to make application for further grants designed and break broad bank connections and digital tricks to the county. Sorry. Any further discussion? It shakes me up too. Any further discussion? He's further discussion. Here in all in favor say aye. All opposed same time. Thank you so much. Yeah, I'm sorry. I'll keep looking for money. Thank you so much. We appreciate it. All right, bring this to item number nine, Miss Dalton. Good evening. Good evening. I'm here once again about the surplus property at $648 Cornwallis Road in TG, formerly nine as the Duff Creek Community Center. This property was advertised for upset bid on January 13th and bids were collected for 10-day upset bid period until 5 p.m. on January 24th. The highest bid received during that period was submitted on January 18th in the amount of $100,000 by church, Iglesia, Sinai, Nuevo, Renasier of Wallace. And they provided the 5% required deposit. So I'm asking that the board accept the bid and directly to advertise for upset bids. So move second. That's a motion of a second to accept. Okay to accept the bid of $100,000 from the church. I'm not going to cry that as hard as I had with the last one I'm definitely not trying to help. Any further discussion? Here in none all in favor say aye. All opposed? Carry. Thanks. All right that brings us to number 10, Gary Rhodes. Good evening. Good evening. General statute 105, 369, requires on the first Tuesday month of February tax cleft or report the amount of unpaid taxes on the current year. That figure is $2,435,987.56 out of the original livia of $30,814,640.23. That statute also requires that the board order these taxes to be advertised in the newspaper and we generally do that in March or the first paper. Pleasure to board. I move we proceed forward with it. I got a motion in a second to move forward with the advertisement, any further discussion? All in favor say aye. All right. All opposed? Carry. All right. Thank you, Mr. Rose. That's Registrar, number 11. Mr. McMahon. I'll get even. Good evening. I appear before you did not to ask that you approve the paramedic career plan that was placing your packet. This plan is would allow current EMT and the EMT intermediates to obtain their paramedic certification. This plan would currently, this plan, PAMB will, excuse me, this plan would pay current EMTs and EMT intermediates $1,500 once they pass their state exam paramedic exam that is and Another $1,500 once they pass the oral boards with the medical director doctor need in return They was signed an agreement that they would work with us for two years once they pass the oral boards with Dr. Canadian This plan also only allows eight employees to take advantage of the program so we would only allow eight of our current employees right now to take the class. The class that James Front Community College is centered around two of our shifts so they wouldn't miss any work if they chose to go to one of those shifts that it is centered around. Pleasure to board. Move to set. I got a motion in a second to accept the EOMS career advancement plan. Father discussion. Great to hear. Father discussion Great Did you have the eight people at this time? Currently we have five we had seven two backed out Okay, although they make an application to it or you just selecting them or giving just give everybody an opportunity Yeah, we get we we told everybody about the possibility of this. They were to ask their supervisor. Their supervisor was then to allow, excuse me, to write a letter recommendation to our training officer. Our training officer, then, would write a recommendation, recommend them based on their clinical capabilities. Their supervisor recommended them based on their operational capabilities for our service. Okay, but that one other question. Are there any persons that are not qualified because it's open to all EMTs and if they are working on the streets out here, are they not qualified to pursue further education opportunities to be a parametri. Yes, sir. They are. They can go to any class they want to. We have one in Sampson Community College right now who should be finishing up in May. She's getting an associate's degree. I have one in at Oneslow right now who's in the program kind of like this one is but it's one day a week. So they do have other opportunities. However with our lack of applications for paramedics, we felt like that if we gave them some type of incentive to go to school and get their paramedic, that this will not only help us to feel these positions but also retain them for at least two years. Okay, my thank you for that. But my question is actually I should have made more of something. But are there any EMT that are not qualified to pursue this? No sir all EMTs and EMT intermediates were given this opportunity. So they were all told hey this is the So they were all told, hey, this is the opportunity. They were all qualified, essentially to apply, to get a letter recommendation from their supervisor and from the training officer. Nobody that applied for was turned down. Okay, thank you. Mr. Garne? Yes, sir, my question. Is this a one-time opportunity? Because you said that you had room for eight and asking for permission for eight, but at this point you only have five. So if you only have five this time, would you come back with another class for the other three? Or is this this time or this time only? That would be a, that we would have the work in conjunction with the college and the reason why I say that is, is that the college worked with us to get this class and to schedule around their schedule. So if the college would work with us again next year when they do their class and do it around two years, then we would entertain this same idea if you would approve it. However, if we only have 42 paramedic positions. So with this right here, we would feel, we would put these people in a work against slot, slot, and then we would fill these EMT positions. So we would be technically currently full of paramedics. So that would also play a role in it. Do you have an idea as to why the two backed out? No, sir. I do not. Excuse me. One backed out. He was going to be let. He changes the mind of when to be let. And the other one I cannot tell y'all to talk my head while they backed out. Other opportunities for one right? Yes, sir. My train officers there he can he might can answer that He told me that them too back down at the last minute. I know one started be left, but I'm not sure about the I got you To that back out they decided to go into Samson Community College because they do currently offer an age degree program for You miss and that was their goal was to give it a degree. So they had different personal options than with services. Okay. Any further questions? So for clarification, this is a one-time offer. So what we vote on tonight is allowing you the eight individuals. But if you don't get eight, then it's still you would come back for another request for another time. If you only get five, but at this point, it's one time opportunity because that's the only time the college is offering it. All right. Yes, sir, that's correct. Your class is starting correct. Yes, sir, it started on January 26th. I just wanted to make sure, you know, that's correct. The class has started correct. Yes sir, it started on January 26th. I just wanted to make sure, you know, where we're going. So do we need to amend the motion to five or leave it at eight? It looked like you're going to be able to pick up three mid-string. No, he won't this year. He'll just feel five. It's going to be five. Yeah, it's going to be five this year. I guess the model and question brand of the way we've drafted the training at James front community college or comparable institutions of the two that were one of the same son because they not theoretically still qualify for this if they wanted to do it. That would be that would be a question for the board and for Mr. Branson. I personally would think they would at least get be qualified for $1,500. That would be my preference. If I want to stay past there, because they did go out on their own and get it. But that would be the preference of the board. Let's talk about those two individuals in my office tomorrow. And then if we have a recommendation, we'll come back to the board at your next meeting and make that. I think I need some more particulars on those individuals before I say yes for no. What is it? Yes sir. Okay I need clarification on what 5 or 8. 8? Okay I need to care for clarification. So this is for 8. But he's only bound to 5 at this point. Okay. And if I could clarify in your motion, we're approving the EMS career advancement plan and we're also approving the Duke and County education on the Senate and reimbursement agreement for prospective paramedics. Correct. We can get the agreement which in has the language drafted by our county attorney. Okay that gives them the it finds them to a two-year agreement. Okay. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam. That moves us to item number 12. Mr. Tracy Simmons-Kanigee. Good evening, Mr. Chairman and fellow commissioners. I come before you tonight with an acceptance of some additional COVID funding. It is for agreement, a Dendom 620, it's an ARPA, COVID school health team workforce funding. This agreement, a Dendom will provide temporary funding for the local health department to support school nurses and other school health serving positions. That could be a variety of different ones to provide services to students. People in these positions will serve as members of the school-based health team collaborating with the local school health program to provide COVID-19 support and respond in school. Supporting positions may include supplementing the salaries of current positions to improve retention, recruiting and creating and or hiring new student serving positions to fill gaps in the school-based health care team and or contracting for positions to fill these to foster a healthier school students and schools here in our county. So we've come before you guys tonight to accept the funding for agreement AA620 for Dupland County which is $195,240 including in a budget amendment for this current year. So moved. Second. I got a motion and a second to accept American Rescue Plan at COVID-19 School Health Plan. Workforce A.A.620 funded in the amount of $195,240 on behalf of Duke and County Health Department and approved the Associate Budget of Memma. Any further discussion? No, of course. Okay. Director, can you in terms of the schools now and I'm thinking that this may afford the opportunity to have more nurses at the school to help in the effort as far as COVID-related matters that kind of what? So currently right now each county each public school does have a school nurse who is has a BSN and they also hire an assistance to help each school nurse has also been placed for COVID. So we are awaiting additional direction from the state to see what it looks like with DPI and DHHS and then what does that look like. We currently at the Health Department have a school health nurse liaison and an assistant for that so that we expand that to help our school nurses so we'll have to talk with the school doctor on the school board to figure out what's the better need for our county. Gotcha. Thank you. Those are questions. All in favor say aye. All opposed? Carry? Miss Carnegie before you leave. Okay. And I'm not putting you on spot because you didn't have the information ready but have we started down a little bit it seemed like in January we we were constantly climbing but I want to think the last couple of weeks maybe we're we're setting down. but I want to think the last couple of weeks, maybe we're steady down. So I did bring some numbers. I'm prepared. So as of today, Newfoundland County is at a 29% positivity rate. That's a roll in 14 days and the state is at 19.3. Over the last seven days, we've averaged about 37 positive cases per day. Today I think we had 42 and so think of that as of three days Saturday, Sunday, and what came in this morning. Of the last 14 days we averaged about 65 positives per day. To give you a little bit of numbers the week of November 21st we were at 4.4% positive. The week of November 28th we were at 4.4% positive. The week of November 28th we were at 9.1% positive and then the week of January 16th we went up to 40.4% positive which is the highest yet we've had thus far in this pandemic. Prior to January 16th of this year our previous highest was from May the week of May 10th of 2020 at 26.5%. Last week we were at 32.5%. So we are trending downward. Thank you for those updates. And just another reference I think is interesting of last year for the year of 2021 we averaged about 7200 positive cases thus far this year we're at 5,500 positive cases that's been reported that does not include home test kits so we've probably have already surpassed what we had previously last year. So quick maplow how many positive positive does your department have on the books total since pandemic started. Well, you're at least at 12,000. I'm not for sure what she has in 2020. So 55 hundred thus far this year's about 7,200 for 2021. And you got that on the desk. Kids. Yeah. And then what happened in 2020? Got to. And then what happened in 2020? Okay. Thank you. Do you have a way to track our employees like the school system are doing their employees and students to know how many we've got that are out, get our positive or out for contact tracing or whatever that is. Yes, yes, sir. HR tracks that information. How are you with help with the extra help coming in at night? Is with the emails we sent out? So we, um, this week we, we have not used anybody this week I've not sent out the email but as of the whole county employees it was probably about 40 that responded that have been willing to help and there's probably of those that have been about 10 or 12 that are reoccurring that are always there to help us. So and it's been a tremendous help the last two weeks. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate everything that you're doing. Thank you. All right, Mr. President. Item number 13. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to talk to you for just a few moments about the health department's roof and the fact that it is leaking. The water penetration of the roof has caused some damage to ceiling tile grid systems, ceiling tiles, sheet rock, carpeting furniture, et cetera. In the past, in order to try to address the water penetration of the roofing system, both our county facilities maintenance department and the contractors that have been hired by the county have applied sealants and taken other measures in an attempt to stop the leaks but without success. At the request of myself and the Assistant County Manager, an engineer by the name of Jerry Morfield conducted a preliminary inspection at no cost of the roofing system and suggested water tests be undertaken in an attempt to identify the source of the leaks. Our maintenance department went up on the roof and used water hoses to try and find the source of the leaks but they could not find the source. Therefore, Mr. Morfield, the engineer has determined that the only adequate measure that can be undertaken at this point to properly address the existing leaks and the improper installation of the original metal roof in his opinion is the replacement of the entire roof with a standing seam metal roofing system. I believe that in order to eliminate the risk of future structural damage we should proceed with this project as soon as possible. The proposal for Mr. Well, for more field engineering, for the evaluation, re-roof planning, creation of specifications, and the bidding services is $14,850. And then on another $5,500 for construction administration, what's the project is funded for a total of $20,350. Now keep in mind the removal of the existing roof and the installation of the new roofing system is going to have to take place while the health department is open to the public and operational. So this is going to be a challenge, but I think the engineering firm can help us move through the process as efficiently and as safely as possible. I'd like to go ahead and get the ball rolling on this because I don't want us to be putting a new roof on the health department during the mill of hurricane season. So I would request that you accept the consulting engineering design services proposal from more field engineering, structural engineers and the amount not to exceed $20,350 for the re-roofing of the Dub and County Health Department building to approve the service contract and the associated budget amendment. And Ms. Chestnut and myself have identified a source of funding within the Health Department budget to fund the $20,350 study and plan and that will let us know how much the whole entire project is going to cost and then we will come back to the board with a plan that we will fund the roofing project along with a state grant that was approved in the state budget for 140 6,065 dollars to offset the cost of the project Pleasure to board Got a motion in a second. I won't read that motion again. He he cared it word for word Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. All opposed. Carried. Thank you. Mr. Briss and 14. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a few announcements that I'd like to bring to you or tension before we go into closed session. First, the a couple of events that are happening out at our event center, the Bulls, Bronx, and Barrels rodeo will be held inside the event center this coming Friday, February 11th. This is Friday night. And also this Saturday, February 12th, both shows are at 7 p.m. A Monster Truck Wars show will be held on Saturday, February the 19th. There will actually be two shows that day, one at 1pm and a second show at 7pm. They will also take place inside the event center. The 2022 Blue, Blue, and Q outdoor Bluegrass Festival in Barbecue cook-off will be held on Saturday, March 26th. The gates for that will open at 11 a.m. I believe all of you should have received an invitation from the Duke and County Airport Commission, the Airport Commission and partnership with you, the Board of Commissioners, the Duke and County Economic Development Commission, the Northcline Department of Transportation Division of Aviation, the Northcline Department of Agriculture, and the Northcline and Forestry Service invites the Board of Commissioners for ceremony and ribbon cutting to welcome the Northcline and Forest Service Eastern Aviation hub to the Duke and County Airport. This ceremony and ribbon cutting will take place on Thursday, February the 24th at 1 p.m. Mr. Chairman, you're the, on the airport commission, that will take place at the new hangers themselves or at the terminal building at the hangers. Supposed to be at the hangers. Okay, at the two new hangers that were constructed. I have been asked by Dr. Caraway at James Sprott if I could possibly go ahead and schedule the annual retreat, I'm sorry, not retreat, joint meeting between the Board of Commissioners and the Board of Trustees for the Community College. This is normally held the morning after your first meeting in April. And this year that date would be Tuesday, April the 5th. Is that date good with the board? If so, I'll let Dr. Carole know. Following me. Okay. Commissioner Branch. Pretty good. Okay. Commissioner. What time may I ask again? Normally we convene about 730. Have a light breakfast and then carry on with the meeting and in the last few years we've been under about 830-4 to 9. Okay, I have a nine o'clock reason I was asking, but I think you'll be fine with that, I can. If I can make that work, that would be great. Okay. Commissioner Dowell, that date good with you? Good as we'll come with me. Okay, thank you, sir So I will schedule that with Dr. Careway for Tuesday April the 5th at 7 30 a.m I do not know as of yet whether it be held in Ed Emory or on campus But I'll I'll get you that information as the date for Drows closer the board retreat the I have a tentative draft agenda for the board retreat and That again is scheduled for Friday February the 18th Starting at 9 a.m. At the Duke and County Airports Conference room I won't give you the the draft agenda if there's anything that a member of the board would like added to the agenda Or if you want to talk about any of the items prior to the meeting that are on the agenda I will make myself available to you So with all that being said Mr. Chairman if I could now ask that the board go into closed session for suiting an all-con or general statute 143, 3, 18, 11, A3 for legal matters, A5I for the possible acquisition of real property and A5I for the possible sale of real property. Seven. We got a motion. Got a motion in a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. All right, we move into closed session thank you thank you mr. Chairman so we're back in the open session any action that needs to be taken all right any board members have anything all right at this point I would entertain a motion to recess. We've got a motion. We've got a motion in a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. All right. We are recessed.