The Bladen County Board of Commissioners met on Monday, July 12, 2021. All Board members attended in person except for Commissioner Michael Cogdell, who did not participate due to an out-of-town meeting. The agenda was long, but the meeting lasted less than an hour.
The County’s Human Resource Director, Tyshell Jones, was present at the meeting along with members of the county planning board and the county health board.
There was an invocation and the Pledge to the Flag at the start of the meeting. Before approving the 26 consent items, Chairman Peterson noted item 7. B. on the agenda, to consider repealing Chapter 29, Manufactured Homes and Trailers; Chapter 41, Signs; Chapter 47 Subdivisions; Chapter 53 Telecommunications; and Incoroportating North Carolina Statue 160D into Bladen County Code of Zoning Ordinance would not be an action item to be voted on during the meeting.
The consent items were unanimously approved. Commissioner Cameron McGill announced the community is planning a 20th-anniversary event in memory of 9/11, the terrorist attack on our nation. The event will be held on September 11, 2021, at 7 pm. Commissioner McGill asked the commissioners and the public to provide any input they feel is needed for the event.
Next, the Commission gave special recognition to county employees for their years of service and two county employees for their retirement. No county employees were present. However, Chairman Peterson recognized the employees by calling out their names and years of service. Following are the county personnel members who were recognized.
-Donna Taylor, BARTS, 10 years
-Deborah Edwards, Division on Aging, 25 years
-Cindy Acosta, D S S, 5 years
-Martha Howe, D S S, 10 years
-Sarah Russ, Revenue, 5 years
-Cynthia Jones, Revenue, 15 years
-Donnie Williamson, Sheriff’s Office, 5 years
-Shawn Caison, Sheriff’s Office, 10 years
-Daniel Clark, Sheriff’s Office, 10 years
-Elizabeth Blanks served BladenCounty citizens as a Life Skills Coordinator for sixteen (16) years and has retired.
-Susan Daniel served Bladen County citizens as a Child Support Agent II for sixteen (16) years and has retired.
The Commission then heard from Rusty Worley with Bladen County Schools to consider approving the review of the 2020-2021 Department of Public Instruction Facility Needs Survey. According to Worley, Bladen County Schools is in need of 18.5 million dollars for facilities needs. 12.7 million of those dollars are needed for auxiliary buildings at schools in Bladenboro and Elizabethtown and a cafeteria for one school. The Commission approved the review of the survey unanimously.
A public hearing to receive comments about amending the Bladen County Zoning Ordianices to Incorporate North Carolina General Statute 160 D was next on the agenda. Greg Elkins with the County of Bladen gave a short presentation about the new land use law for North Carolina Local Governments.
According to Elkins, communities were to amend the existing zoning and development ordinances to comply with the new law by January 1, 2021. However, due to the Covid Pandemic, the date for compliance was extended to July 1, 2022. Six hundred fifty communities have to update existing ordinances, with an estimated 200 communities needing to develop and adopt comprehensive plans to keep development ordinances in force. Commissioner Arthur Bullock stated a citizen contacted him saying there should be a year’s permit time, not six months.
Elkins went on to say this is the first reorganization of planning and development regulations statutes since the early 1970s. The new law is a result of the combined efforts of the American Planning Association and the North Carolina Bar Association. The new land use law for North Carolina Local Governments was first drafted in 2013, passed the NC House in 2015, passed the NC Senate in 2017, and was enacted in 2019.
The purpose of the changes is to consolidate city and county planning and development statutes as a new Chapter 160 D where counties were previously covered in Chapter 153 and Towns in Chapter 160 A, reorganizing statutes into a more user-friendly framework, and to clarify, modernize and simplify the language used.
Elkins’ presentation included examples of the changes. The new law requires planning and development regulations and decisions to be based on an adopted comprehensive plan. Therefore, to zone, a local government must have a comprehensive plan. Simplify city regulation of agriculturally used in ETJ-same as county zoning exemption. (North Carolina cities have the authority to apply their land development regulations to a perimeter area around the city. This area is the municipal extraterritorial planning jurisdiction, commonly referred to as the city “ETJ.”) Commissioner Dr. Opheila Munn-Goins raised concerns about the new laws’ effect on the Town’s ETJ. Elkins addressed Dr. Munn-Goins, stating there should be no effect on the ETJ.
Another example of the new law is there is no set age limit for manufactured homes. Uniform terminology for a special use permit and conditional zoning are other changes made in the new law, and it allows minor administrative modification.
After the presentation by Elkins was made, the Commission moved to the Finance Department for a twelve-month financial dashboard report. According to Finance Officer Lisa Coleman, “The Revenue looks pretty good.” She noted the Federal Inmate program netted a profit of $580,895.92 for the County.
The Commission went into the Bladen County Water District Board of Directors session after the dashboard report. The board unanimously approved adopting a resolution providing for the issuance of $997,000 Water System Revenue Bond Series 2021 of the Bladen County Water District after County Manager Greg Martin said the funds were necessary. The Commission closed the Board of Directors session and then heard from Dr. Teresa Duncan with Bladen County Health and Human Services Agency.
Dr. Duncan gave the 2020 Vital Statistics report stating the County had 322 deaths and two births. Bladen County does not have a birthing center. One of the births in 2020 was at home, and the other was in the emergency department.
Next, Dr. Duncan gave an update on COVID-19 in the County and the vaccination process. Over the past month, there have been seven COVID-19 related deaths, according to Dr. Duncan’s report. Bladen County is the only County in the state to remain in the red zone due to the increase in positive COVID-19 cases.
According to Dr. Duncan, out of the positive cases the County has reported, 99% are unvaccinated. It is important to encourage people to social distance, wear masks, and get vaccinated.
“Now is not the time to let off the gas,” Dr. Duncan stated.
The local health agency did secure some Pfizer vaccines from Cape Fear Valley Hospital to offer people 12 years of age to 17 years of age, according to Dr. Ducan. They also offer the Moderna Vaccine at the local health department. The public is welcome to walk into the health department located on Mercer Mill Road in Elizabethtown to receive a vaccine. Vaccines are given Monday through Thursday from 9 am until 4 pm and on Fridays from 9 am until 12 noon.
Dr. Duncan also told the Board, “We’re going on 100 years strong.” The 100th anniversary of Bladen County Public Health is July 21. The county was the fourth in the state to organize a public health department. Dr. Ducan explained that the health agency is working to celebrate the occasion safely amid the Covid Pandemic. More information about the 100th-anniversary celebration will be provided as soon as it is made available.
Advisory board appointments were approved by the Commission unanimously. Following is a list of the appointed advisory board members.
-Adult Care Home Advisory Board – Deanna Patrick
-Division on Aging Advisory Committee – Jennifer Beyer.
-Keep Bladen Beautiful – Luke Barber
The Bladenboro Planning Board and the Eastpointe MCO had reappointed members.
The County Manager reviewed the calendar of events with the commissioners. The commissioners scheduled a Joint Session with Bladen County Planning Board for September 21, 2021, at 7 pm.
Before adjourning, Commissioners addressed other concerns. Commissioner Dr. Munn-Goins and Commissioner Bullock raised concerns about the local Lock and Dams. Debris was one concern, and the other was the bathrooms being unlocked for public use. County Manager Martin confirmed he would address the issues with the appropriate personnel.
Commissioner Cameron McGill asked about the Bladen Baptist Association’s disposal fees for providing new ramps for Bladen County citizens. Mr. Martin explained the Division of Aging should be paying, at least in part, for the disposal fees.
The next Bladen County Board of County Commissioners meeting will be held Monday, August 2, 2021, at 6:30 pm at the Bladen County Courthouse.
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