03/28/2024
Bladen County
Spread the love

by Blake Proctor

The February 1st County Commission meeting began promptly at 6:30pm with the bang of Chairman Charles Ray Peterson’s gavel. With Commissioners Dr. Ophelia Munn-Goins, Arthur Bullock, and Michael Cogdell joining the meeting telephonically, all Commissioners were in attendance.

The Reverend Warren Hill of Bladenboro’s Bethel Baptist Church provided the invocation, and County Manager Greg Martin led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. Without any queries, the Consent Agenda was unanimously approved.

Chairman Peterson opened a public hearing to receive comments regarding a $200,000 Forgivable Loan to Bladen’s Bloomin’ Agri-Industrial to help fund a 10,600 square foot expansion for an industry at the Elizabethtown Airport Industrial Park. There were no comments, and the public hearing was closed.

For the Public Portion of the meeting, several people from the Louis Hester Road neighborhood off NC211 north of Bladenboro had come to the meeting to petition the Board to take action regarding the widespread flooding problems in their neighborhood caused, in their estimations, by runoff from NC211.

Ms. Judy Hester from that road explained to the Commission that the waters inundating her yard had adversely affected her septic tank, with the result being septic spill all around her yard; and with the continuing rains, there is nowhere for the excess water to run off.

Three of her neighbors were on hand to lend support to Ms Hester and expand on her remarks: Michaella Allen and Linda White reiterated the earlier comments; and, expanding on those comments, Kenya Plotnick asked if the County could get EPA assistance.

Chairman Peterson explained the continuing problems faced by all communities in the county due to the massive rainfall that not only Bladen County, but all the counties in the eastern part of the state have experienced over the last several months. He said that if the runoff is indeed coming from NC211, it is up to the NC Department of Transportation to make it right.

Taking the ladies’ contact numbers, the Chairman then tasked Mr. Martin and Dean Morris, Director of the Bladen County Soil & Water Conservation District, to contact the appropriate officials at DOT to invite to go with them to observe the matter. When asked if this wouldn’t take months, he told the ladies he hoped it would be days.

In Commissioners Comments, next on the agenda, Commissioner Cogdell asked if funds could be sought to address this problem, and Chairman Peterson opined that this option was always on the table; also on this matter, Commissioner Ray Britt suggested the complainants also contact their legislators.

On a separate matter, Commissioner Munn-Goins queried the Board about the status of the beaver eradication program. The Chairman suggested she contact Mr. Morris, as he is the employee who should know about that program.

Moving on to Department Reports, the Commission heard first from Tax Administrator Renee Davis about the sale of tax-liened property off Pine Acres Road in the White Oak community. The request to sell the property was unanimously approved.

Ms. Davis then presented a “Report of Unpaid 2020 Taxes That are a Lien on Real Property.” She then requested a March 19, 2021 payment deadline, which would allow the County to avoid having to advertise for “Unpaid 2020Real Property Taxes.” By unanimous vote, this request was approved.

Emergency Services Director Nathan Dowless stepped to the dais to request the Board’s consideration of approving a demolition contract to Corbett Clearing & Demolition LLC for the FEMA-approved Hurricane Matthew demolition of properties at 16460 NC210 East in the Ivanhoe community and 1486 NC11 in Kelly; the lump-sum cost is $20,200. This request was unanimously approved.

The Soil & Water Conservation Board’s Mr. Morris came to the podium to update the Board of ongoing drainage projects in the county: he informed the Commission that recently-let contracts consisted of projects at Slender Branch, Horsepen Branch, and again at the Big Swamp.

At the conclusion of his scheduled presentation, and considering the issues onNC211, Mr. Morris informed the Board and those in attendance that in 2020, Bladen County had experienced the fourth-greatest rainfall since rain has been measured in the county.

Dr. Terri Duncan, Director of the County Health Department announced that February every year is American Heart Month, under sponsorship of the American Head Association; she stated that fully a third of American women die from heart disease. National Wear Red Day this year is Friday, February 5th ; that day is also “Go Red for Women” Day across the country.

Before stepping from the podium, Dr. Duncan provided her twice-monthly Covid19 snapshot:

POSITIVE
CASES
DEATHS PERCENT
STATE 751,302 9,343 1.24%
BLADEN 2,633 34 1.29%

Dr. Duncan informed the Board that there were ten deaths in the month of January, versus twenty-four in all of 2020. It must be remembered, however, that there were no deaths for the first months of 2020; and, further, that the January deaths were from 2020 illnesses.

Chairman Peterson reminded the Commission that at the February 15 th meeting, they would be considering one appointment to the Airport Appeals Board, two to the Division on Aging Advisory Board, and three to the Lisbon Fire Protection District Committee.

County Manager Martin, for the Commissioner’s information, then provided his calendar review for the month of February; as part of that review, he emphasized the first 2021-2022 budget meeting would be at 3pm on Thursday, February 25th . Lastly, he provided an update on the Elwell Ferry, stating that it scheduled to be operational on May 1st .

When Mr. Peterson announced the “Matters of Interest to Commissioners” portion of the meeting, Ms. Allen, who had spoken during the Louis Hester Road matter, asked if she could speak again. With the consent of the Chair, Ms. Allen opined that the library facilities throughout the county are being underutilized.

She said they could be used as a vehicle to inform county residents more fully of county educational, social, and senior programs, as well as for general outreach to the community.

There being no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting adjourned at 7:16pm.

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