2026-09-17 - Board of County Commissioners

10:53Good evening and welcome to our regular

10:55meeting of the forite county board of

10:57commissioners. Persons who wish to speak

11:01concerning items on this agenda or about

11:04a matter related to county government,

11:07they have two options to voice their

11:10opinion. In-person attendees should

11:12complete a speaker card and deliver it

11:15to the clerk to the board of uh to our

11:18clerk to the board before the meeting

11:21begins. Comments are also accepted by

11:24calling 3364221200.

11:29You will be placed on hold and

11:31recognized to speak in the order that

11:34your call was received. The public

11:37comment period will be limited to 30

11:40minutes in its entirety. The maximum

11:43time allotted to each speaker shall be

11:46three minutes. If there are a large

11:49number of speakers supporting or

11:51opposing the same position, they should

11:55appoint a spokesperson.

11:58In its discretion, the board may vote to

12:01extend the length of the public comment

12:04period or to change the time. It is

12:07expected that speakers shall behave in a

12:09matter in keeping with the decor of a

12:12formal meeting. Speakers and audience

12:15members who disturb the meeting will be

12:17required to leave. We will begin our

12:20meeting with a moment of silence

12:23followed by the pledge of allegiance led

12:25tonight by Commissioner Limble. Could we

12:28all stand if you're able?

12:43Amen.

12:46To the flag [clears throat] of the

12:48United States of America and to the

12:51republic for which it stands. One nation

12:54under God, indivisible, with liberty and

12:58justice for all.

13:00[clears throat]

13:06The first item on the agenda is a

13:08resolution recognizing September 20,

13:112026 as National Infant Mortality

13:14Awareness Month and support of the 15th

13:18annual Walk a Mile to Save Our Babies uh

13:22event. Uh Sherido Sutton is here to

13:25receive the resolution. Please meet

13:28Commissioner Rick Daniel at the podium.

13:32I'll meet you after I read them the the

13:34resolution. So, nonetheless, this

13:37resolution is recognizing September the

13:392026 as National Infant Mortality

13:42Awareness Month and support of the 15th

13:46annual Walk a Mile to Save Our Babies in

13:49Force County, North Carolina. Whereas

13:52the month of September is National

13:54Infant Mortality Awareness Month and it

13:57is imperative to increase community

14:00awareness about the high rates of infant

14:03deaths. Whereas for side county

14:05communities are encouraged to support

14:08women and mothers to be in such a way as

14:11to ensure their health and well-being

14:15and that of their of their children.

14:19Whereas walk a mile to save our babies

14:22will coincide with events across the

14:24nation to bring attention to high rates

14:27of infant mortality.

14:30Whereas in 2024, 33 Forside County

14:34infants died before their first

14:36birthday. And in 2023,

14:4030 Forside County infants died before

14:43their first birthday. Whereas in 2024

14:46for Scythe County infants, infant

14:49mortality rate was 7.4 mill 7.4 deaths

14:55per 1,000 live births and extended the

14:58statewide rate of 6.3.

15:02Whereas for Scythe counties,

15:04African-American babies die

15:06disproportionately when compared to

15:09other babies, accounting for 55% of

15:13those infant deaths in the most recent

15:15reporting year. Whereas prematurity and

15:19low birth weight, birth effects, sudden

15:22unexpected infant death and unsafe sleep

15:26practices are signific significant

15:29contributors to infant death and

15:31disproportionately affected minority

15:34communities.

15:36And whereas the force county infant

15:39mortality reduction coal coalition

15:42has endeavored to foster a spirit of

15:45awareness and equity to combat the

15:48incidence of in infant mortality and

15:51maternal morbidity.

15:54Now therefore, be it resolved that the

15:56Force County Board of Commissioners,

15:58hereby recognizing the month of

16:01September as the Infant Mortality

16:03Awareness Month and support the goals of

16:06the Force County Infant Mortality

16:08Reduction Coalition's efforts to raise

16:11awareness of the problem of infant

16:14mortality in our communities with the

16:1715th annual Walk a Mile in our Walk a

16:20Mile to save our children, our babies on

16:23Octo. October the 10th, 2026 at Highland

16:26Avenue Park. And be it further resolved

16:30that the Forside County Board of

16:32Commissioners challenges all public and

16:34private entities to better understand

16:37their role in addressing the social,

16:39behavioral, and health factors that

16:42affect birth outcomes and in doing so

16:46protect and promote the health of

16:48Forside County's youngest and the most

16:50vulnerable citizens. adopted this 17th

16:53day of September 26 providing I get a

16:57second.

16:58There's a motion by Commissioner

17:00McDaniel. A second.

17:02>> Second.

17:03>> Second by Commissioner Parker. All in

17:06favor, please say I.

17:07>> I.

17:08>> That is unanimous. Thank you.

17:13[applause]

17:23Good evening. Receiving this resolution

17:26and is always a meaningful reminder that

17:29the voices and lived experiences of the

17:32parents must remain at the center of our

17:34work to address infant mortality. We are

17:37honored to stand alongside three

17:38mothers, Chanel, Britney, and Ariana who

17:42have transformed their experiences into

17:44advocacy. helping us move towards a

17:47healthy future for every mother and

17:49baby. We also carry the memory of

17:53Princess Serenity,

17:55Princess Tiana, and Princess Avery,

17:58precious children who we have lost,

18:00whose lives remind us why this work

18:03matters so deeply. Their legacies

18:05inspire us to continue raising

18:07awareness, supporting our families, and

18:09advocating for the future where every

18:11mother and baby has the opportunity to

18:13thrive. Thank you for recognizing this

18:15effort. Um, and we look forward to

18:18continuing this work.

18:19>> Thank you all.

18:22[applause]

18:46The next item on the agenda is a

18:48resolution declaring September 2026

18:52as suicide prevention month in Versail

18:55County. Michael Duncan is here to

18:58receive the resolution. Please meet Vice

19:01Chair Wilson at the podium

19:04>> and I'll read and then come down to join

19:06you.

19:08Whereas every life has value and even

19:11one death by suicide is too many.

19:14Whereas mental health conditions and

19:16thoughts of suicide can affect anyone

19:18and should be met with compassion,

19:20understanding and access to appropriate

19:22care rather than judgment or shame.

19:26Whereas suicide is preventable and

19:29knowing the warning signs, asking direct

19:31questions, listening without judgment,

19:33and connecting someone to help can save

19:36a life. Whereas prevention requires the

19:39shared commitment of the entire

19:40community, including but not limited to

19:43families, schools, health care

19:45providers, first responders, faith

19:47communities, businesses, nonprofit

19:50organizations, government agencies, and

19:52community members.

19:54Whereas for Scythe County is committed

19:56to promoting mental wellness, reducing

19:59stigma, expanding access to behavioral

20:01health services, and ensuring that

20:04residents know they are not alone and

20:05that help and hope are available.

20:08Whereas anyone experiencing a mental

20:10health or substance use crisis or anyone

20:13concerned about a loved one may call,

20:15chat, or text 988 to reach the suicide

20:19and crisis lifeline and receive free

20:22confidential support. at any time. Now,

20:25therefore, be it resolved by the Force

20:28County Board of Commissioners hereby

20:31complains proclaims September 2026 is

20:34suicide prevention month in Force County

20:37and encourages all residents to learn

20:39the warning signs of suicide. Check in

20:42on friends, family members, co-workers,

20:44and neighbors. Listen with compassion

20:46and without judgment. share information

20:48about available resources and help

20:51create a community in which every person

20:54feels valued, supported, and connected

20:56to hope. Adopted the 17th day of

20:59September, 2026.

21:02>> Second.

21:03>> That was a motion by Commissioner uh

21:07Wilson and second by Commissioner

21:09Bessie. All in favor, please say I.

21:12>> I. That is unanimous. Thank you,

21:15Michael.

21:18>> [applause]

21:43>> Good evening, chair, vice chair,

21:45commissioners, and everyone else here

21:47tonight and listening online, thank you

21:50for recognizing September as suicide

21:52prevention month. On paper, this might

21:55look just like another resolution, but

21:57for a lot of people in our community,

21:59it's much more than that. It means

22:01something to the parent who would give

22:02anything for one more conversation.

22:05To the friend who still wonders if there

22:07was something that they missed. To the

22:09person who survived and still figuring

22:12out what comes next. And to the many

22:14people who get up every day, they go to

22:16work, take care of their families, might

22:18even sit beside you at church, but yet

22:21they're carrying something very heavy

22:22inside.

22:24This resolution sends a message to them.

22:27You matter. Your life matters. And you

22:30don't have to do this all alone. That's

22:33really what prevention is all about.

22:35It's making it okay to say, "I'm not

22:37doing okay. I'm not doing well." And

22:39know that somebody is listening. It's

22:42noticing when someone's not quite

22:43themselves. It's asking the question one

22:46more time.

22:48And sometimes it's simply just saying,

22:50"I'm here. I don't have words, but I'll

22:53sit with you."

22:55We can't bring back the people that

22:56we've lost in our community. But we can

22:58honor them by doing everything that we

23:00can in our power to make sure that the

23:02people who are still here remain.

23:05Somewhere tonight in Forsythe County,

23:08someone may be wondering if it's worth

23:09seeing tomorrow.

23:11And I hope you hear this. Please stay.

23:14Stay another day.

23:17Give someone the chance to help.

23:21And if you can't find that hope inside

23:22yourself right now, let someone else

23:24know so they can help hold you. For the

23:28rest of us, the next step is simple.

23:30Check on somebody. Ask how they're

23:33really doing and take the time to listen

23:36and remind them that they matter.

23:38Commissioners, thank you for honoring

23:40those that we've lost, standing with

23:42those who are still struggling, and

23:44reminding our community that no one

23:45should have to walk through this alone.

23:47[clears throat]

23:48There is still a place for everyone

23:49here. There are people who need you and

23:52that care about you and every life is

23:55worth fighting for. Thank you.

23:58>> Thank you, Michael. [applause]

24:03The next item on the agenda is a

24:05resolution

24:07commemorating the 50th anniversary of

24:09the Winston Salem Forside County Utility

24:12Commission. Courtney Driver is here to

24:15receive the resolution. Please meet

24:18Commissioner Parker at the podium.

24:27First of all, I want to me mention and

24:30um say a big happy birthday to our

24:32chairperson, Chair Wizenhut.

24:36>> Thank you.

24:38Whereas being here

24:42whereas the Winston Salem for Scythe

24:44County Utility Commission was formed 50

24:46years ago on July 1st, 1976

24:50by consolidating the water and sewer

24:52systems of Winston Salem and for Scythe

24:54County to operate as a semi-independent

24:57enterprise.

24:59Whereas since its inception, many of our

25:01community's most distinguished citizens

25:04have served on the utility commission,

25:06volunteering countless hours to ensure

25:08superior management and compliance with

25:12all state and federal regulations over

25:14the vital public health and

25:16environmental safety functions delivered

25:18by the Winston Salem for Scythe County's

25:20utilities department.

25:23Whereas Winston Salem for Scythe County

25:25Utilities has consistently delivered

25:28water and wastewater services to its

25:31residential, commercial, and industrial

25:33co customers at a lower cost than most

25:36other major metropolitan areas in North

25:39Carolina and the southeastern United

25:41States. Whereas the utility commission's

25:44record of success provided the impetus

25:47to consolidate management of various

25:49solid waste disposal programs throughout

25:51the county under their governance in

25:531990. Whereas the utility commission has

25:56consistently guided the department's

25:58efforts to foresee future demand

26:00expanding capacity to support growth and

26:03economic development in the region.

26:06all while achieving consistent financial

26:09success and fiscal management to

26:11maintain superior credit ratings. Now,

26:14therefore, be it resolved that the

26:16Forcite County Board of Commissioners

26:18congratulate the utility commission and

26:20department staff on the monumental 50th

26:23anniversary of its inception.

26:26Adopted the 17th day of September, 2026.

26:31Move approval.

26:33>> Motion to approve by Commissioner

26:35Parker. Second

26:36>> second by Commissioner McDaniel. All in

26:39favor, please say I.

26:40>> I.

26:41>> That is unanimous. Thank you.

26:47[applause]

26:54>> Uh, good evening, chair and commission

26:56members. I just wanted to say thank you

26:58for your support and your leadership.

27:00the the county's partnership along with

27:02the city of Winston Salem has allowed us

27:04to provide a critical service, water,

27:07sewer, and solid waste management to

27:09this community. So, thank you again for

27:11this.

27:11>> Thank you.

27:14[applause]

27:16>> The next item is approval of the minutes

27:19for the regular meeting of August 27th,

27:232026.

27:26>> Move approval. Motion to approve by

27:28Commissioner Parker.

27:31>> Second by Commissioner Bessie and Vice

27:33Chair Wilson. All in favor, please say

27:36I.

27:36>> I.

27:38>> That is unanimous.

27:41Uh the next item on the agenda is our

27:44public session. Madame Clerk, do we have

27:47calls or cards?

27:49>> Madam Chair, we have eight speaker

27:51cards.

27:52>> Thank you.

27:53>> The first speaker is Robert Hail. Please

27:56come forward. State your name and

27:58address for the record.

28:05>> Robert Wayne Hail.

28:10Good evening, chair, vice chair, and

28:11members of the county commission board.

28:13Thank you for the time and opportunity

28:15to express my concerns and your service

28:18to the Fory County.

28:20My name is Robert Hail and I live in in

28:23Pufftown. I come before you to discuss

28:24and ask for revision of section 15-3 to

28:28the county code which is entitled

28:30restrictions regarding discharge of

28:32firearms and exceptions. Since we live

28:34in the country county, discharging of

28:37firearms is illegal within 300 ft of a

28:39dwelling without the written permission

28:41of a current owner or all lawful

28:43occupant of such property. Before I

28:46bring up possible revisions of this

28:48county code, I would like to share a

28:50personal experience that occurred

28:51concerning discharging a firearm that

28:54caused personal property damage and

28:57personal fear.

28:59Earlier this year, my wife and I were at

29:01home. One of our neighbors who lives

29:03behind us on a different road was

29:06shooting and my wife heard a few loud

29:08bangs and she thought something hit the

29:09house. She told me about it and when the

29:12shooting stopped for several minutes, we

29:13went out and looked around in front of

29:15the house. Upon further investigation,

29:17we noticed that the roof of our carport

29:19was damaged from bullets. Our neighbors

29:22across the street came over and asked if

29:24we were okay. He informed me that they

29:26heard loud noises that came from the

29:28area around our house and he also heard

29:31four bullets pass over his head and they

29:32ducked until the shooting stopped. I

29:35contacted the sheriff's department and

29:37they sent a deputy out to investigate.

29:39The deputy investigated the shooting by

29:42talking to the individual that admitted

29:43to the shooting. That individual was

29:46arrested, taken to the magistrate's

29:47office, and the magistrate said there

29:49was not enough evidence to hold him. I

29:52later provided the evidence myself to

29:54the magistrate, needed to arrest him and

29:56hold him, but it was too late because

29:58the individual had already moved. Now,

30:01please consider the following revisions

30:03to this code. Due to the distance that a

30:06bullet can go, please increase the

30:09distance in agreement with the North

30:10Carolina Code Statute 8-1, discharging

30:14firearms and other related prohibitions.

30:17Paragraph A, general purpose, sub

30:19paragraph 1. No person shall without

30:21permission of the current owner or

30:23lawful owner of the property discharge a

30:25firearm within 500 ft of a dwelling or

30:29other building or structure which is

30:30designed to be occupied by human beings.

30:33Secondly, I would request that you would

30:35include neighborhoods and/or

30:38subdivisions to the county code. And

30:41third, wipe out written permission.

30:43There should be no exception to the

30:44distance. And one last note, um,

30:48pertaining to this code, please make

30:51sure the sheriff and the deputies are

30:53trained about the county code. I

30:55personally correct that a deputy that

30:56section 15-3 required written

30:59permission, not just verbal permission.

31:02Thank you all again for your time and

31:05listening for to me.

31:06>> Thank you.

31:10>> No disrespect to the

31:14and their department. I love them and I

31:16support them 100%.

31:20>> The next speaker is Andrea Vale. Please

31:23come forward. State your name and

31:25address for the record.

31:31Andrea Vil um 4370 Bridal Path and happy

31:36birthday. Thank you. Um my name is

31:38Andrea Vale and I'm speaking today about

31:41the proposed asphalt plant at 6010 Gun

31:44Club Road. I want to focus on one thing,

31:48UDO 112 and the clear intent behind it.

31:52In 2004, this region did something

31:55remarkable

31:57for Scythe County, Winston Salem,

31:59Clemens, Kernersville, Lewisville, and

32:01Walkertown all sat down together and

32:02said, "Asphalt and concrete plants have

32:05been placed too close to neighborhoods,

32:08schools, and community corridors." And

32:10that has to stop. They didn't just say

32:13it, they wrote it into law. UDO 112 set

32:17out real conditions.

32:20a 500 foot minimum setback from any

32:23school, library, or church, or from land

32:27zoned RS, RM, AG, Y R, IP, or C.

32:34A 50-foot undisturbed buffer yard around

32:36the entire property with a 6-ft security

32:40fence. a requirement that site access

32:43comes from a major or minor thoroughare

32:47or a route approved by Winston Salem DOT

32:50or NC DOT. Gun Club is not a major or

32:55minor thoroughare. It is a residential

32:58school serving corridor. Heavy truck

33:01traffic from an asphalt plant on that

33:04road is exactly what this region's own

33:06leaders decided 20 years ago. They

33:09decided it should not happen.

33:12Here's what should trouble every person

33:15in the room in in our community in in

33:17Forside County. Um those same

33:20protections that this region wrote into

33:23law in 2004, the ones tailored precisely

33:26to a site like this one, do not clearly

33:29and unambiguously protect this site

33:32today. Whether that's a legal gap, an

33:34oversight, or something else. Um,

33:39what we do know is the intent behind UDO

33:42112 has never gone away [sighs]

33:46and it applies with full force to 6010

33:49Gun Club Road. I am not asking this

33:52board to resolve a zoning situation. I

33:55know that you don't vote on that. Um, I

33:58know it's not squarely in your hands.

34:01I'm asking you to say on the record that

34:04Forsythe County has already decided what

34:06belongs near its schools and

34:08neighborhoods

34:10and that this community expects um that

34:13decision to be honored by whoever holds

34:16the pen. Thank you.

34:18>> Thank you.

34:20[applause]

34:26>> The next speaker is Don Banks. Please

34:29come forward. State your name and

34:30address for the record.

34:37>> Hi, good evening. My name is Don Banks.

34:39I live at 175 Cogill Drive, Winston

34:42Salem. I'll be 622 feet from the

34:45proposed asphalt site. I'm here to talk

34:47to you about Kinnaman Road. Um I'm here

34:50tonight um regarding the potential

34:52asphalt plant at 6010 Gun Club Road in

34:55Clemens with the access to the facility

34:57from Kinnaman Road. I am here to discuss

35:00the transportation safety and

35:01infrastructure impacts this project will

35:05have on Kinnman Road, the bridge and the

35:07surrounding community. Kinnaman Road is

35:09approximately 2.2 mi long and it has not

35:13it is not an industrial roadway. Along

35:16this stretch are approximately 24

35:17residential driveways, 12 business

35:20driveways and nine connecting roads.

35:22There are no shoulders and there's no

35:24guardrails. This road is not designated

35:27to accommodate designed to accommodate a

35:29major increase in heavy industrial

35:31traffic.

35:3350 or more asphalt trucks could

35:34potentially travel to and from this

35:36facility each day. Fully loaded, these

35:39trucks can weigh as much as 80,000

35:41pounds. I have very simple question. Can

35:43Kinnaman Road safely handle that kind of

35:46truck traffic? Kinnaman Road already

35:48experiences accidents and unsafe driving

35:50behavior, adding dozens of large, heavy

35:53loaded trucks traveling in both

35:54directions every day creates additional

35:57opportunities for serious crashes and

35:59dangerous interactions with residents,

36:01commuters, and other motorists. And then

36:03there is our children. The company has

36:06publicly stated that it begins

36:07operations around 6:00 a.m. with trucks

36:10beginning at 7:00 a.m. That overlaps the

36:12morning school bus period when children

36:14are outside waiting for buses along

36:16roads without shoulders. What happens

36:19when an 80,000lb truck meets a school

36:21bus? What happens when a child is

36:24standing near the roadway with no

36:25shoulder and a large truck is passing?

36:28These are not hypo hypothetical

36:30concerns. There are transportation

36:32safety issues that need to be evaluated

36:34before, not after an industrial

36:36operation begins. I am also very

36:38concerned about the winter weather.

36:40Kinman Road has already or Kinnaman Road

36:43already has areas that are very

36:45difficult to navigate during ice and

36:47snow, including the curve near Gunlo

36:50Road. Additional heavy loaded trucks to

36:53this condition creates another

36:54significant safety concern. Kenaman Road

36:56Bridge replacement NC DOT project

37:00BR-0075

37:02is coming in 2027 to 2029 for at least

37:0618 months um detouring traffic onto an

37:10already narrow hazardous two-lane road.

37:12What will the asphalt trucks travel?

37:15Because this is not simply about whether

37:17trucks can get to the property. It is

37:19about whether they can get there safely.

37:21Our community should not have to wait

37:23for serious injuries or tragedy before

37:25these transportation concerns are

37:28addressed. I respectively ask you to

37:30come out and look at Kinnman Road in

37:32person. Drive the entire 2.2 mile

37:34stretch. See the curves. See the lack of

37:37shoulders. See the driveway.

37:40Wh see the driveways

37:44connecting roads, school bus activity,

37:47and existing traffic conditions. Thank

37:49you very much. We appreciate your time.

37:51>> Thank you. [applause]

37:58>> Aaron Gibbons, please come forward.

38:00State your name and address for the

38:01record.

38:04[clears throat]

38:06>> Aaron Gibbons, 4720 Kinnman Road. Good

38:10evening. I'm here to make a few points

38:12in opposition to the proposed May

38:15asphalt plant on Gun Club Road, Winston

38:17Salem.

38:19As mentioned before, UDO amendment 112

38:23relates specifically to asphalt and

38:25concrete plants. Section 2 bullet C

38:28titled access,

38:31I'll quote it, site shall be accessed by

38:34a major or minor thoroughare or another

38:38access route approved by North Carolina

38:41DOT.

38:43According to the NC DOT website, Gun

38:46Club Road in Winston Salem is a

38:47secondary route owned and maintained by

38:50North Carolina DOT. This road is a

38:53narrow two-lane road laden with

38:56potholes, broken shoulders. It is a

38:59third of a mile long ending in a in a

39:01dead end.

39:03There is no other route in a route. This

39:05street is a dead end. It dead ends into

39:07a creek. And on the other side of this

39:09creek is Cogill Drive. Cogill Drive is a

39:13part of the Rolling Green neighborhood.

39:16I implore you to give this careful cons

39:20care careful attention. Do not give May

39:24any special treatment.

39:26Do not allow them to make any sort of

39:29backdoor deal with DOT to allow them to

39:34somehow get away or get around this UDO.

39:41My second point, I'm sure this has not

39:44been considered

39:46and I'm sure it won't be on any

39:48application in the process, but if a

39:52fire was to start at the proposed

39:54asphalt plant, similar to the fire that

39:56made major headlines at the May

39:58Statesville asphalt plant in 2019,

40:02this would trap the personnel at the two

40:04businesses that exist at the end of Gun

40:06Club Road. Salem Fabrica Fabrication and

40:10Sylvester Cochram, a large HVAC

40:13contracting company.

40:16The case against this location for an

40:19aspole plant is growing by day by day

40:22and it is not a good fit. Thank you.

40:26>> Thank you. [applause]

40:32>> The next speaker is Scott Couch. Please

40:34come forward. State your name and

40:35address for the record.

40:43possible to use this. I would appreciate

40:45it.

40:48>> My name is Scott Couch. Uh I own the

40:50property at 4641 uh Kinnaman Road. Um I

40:54want to just bring some light on that

40:58property. uh UDO 1112 has some very

41:01specific constraints and so just to kind

41:04of help understand a little bit and are

41:06you all able to see this? Do you have

41:08screens that are

41:09>> Yes.

41:09>> I didn't know how this worked but this

41:11is the flood plane. You actually have a

41:13copy of this in your folder that I'm

41:15giving you and an explanation of it. But

41:18if you look um all of the different

41:20areas that are constrained by flooding

41:21are shown in that legend. This UDO12

41:25talks about one of the first things and

41:27that is a type 4 undisturbed buffer

41:30zone. The property as it sits is 5.49

41:34acres. But if you take out the buffer

41:37zone uh which is required again by UDO12

41:41uh that drops that property down to 3.79

41:44acres. Now beyond that, that same UDO

41:48talks about 100 ft from any adjacent

41:51property. And so if we were to look at

41:53that and again you can see it here uh

41:56that drops that property size down to

41:582.27

42:00acres.

42:02Now the most revealing thing of all is

42:05the final one and that is that any RS

42:09zoned property has to have a 500 foot

42:12set back from this this property has to

42:15have a 500t set back. So if you look

42:18right here, uh, this property adjacent

42:21is zoned RS9.

42:24And if you look at the 500 foot setback,

42:26that allows them 34 acres according to

42:31the statute that you all approved and

42:33set out to build an ashalt plant. Now,

42:37the reality is there is no earthly way

42:40that that can be done, and you know it,

42:42and I know it. The problem is also that

42:46they're trying to circumvent it and the

42:47way they're doing that is by trying to

42:49use asbuilts instead of site plans. Uh I

42:52was a general contractor. I am also a

42:55realer but if you take a look at their

42:57current facilities um around the country

43:01um they are substantial. They are

43:04sprawling um and they um take a lot of

43:08space. The next smallest property that

43:12they own is nine acres and most of them

43:16are in the hundreds of acres. The

43:18smaller properties happen to be in

43:19conjunction with a Vulcan concrete or

43:22with another type of facility where

43:24they're leasing space on a large

43:27property.

43:28So by the UDO setbacks,

43:32this property should not even be

43:33considered if what you approved is

43:37enforced. And so that's what we're

43:39asking for. We're asking for what you

43:42approved to be enforced. Now, this piece

43:44that you all have actually goes through

43:46and shows you what each of those

43:48setbacks were. And it refers to the UDO.

43:50And I have a copy of that UDO also for

43:52you if you need it. But we'd like to ask

43:54you in as far as you have the ability to

43:58enforce the UDO that was supposed to

44:00have already been in full place.

44:03>> Sir, your time's expired.

44:05>> Okay.

44:06>> Thank you.

44:10>> [applause]

44:16>> The next speaker is Elizabeth Burns.

44:18Please come forward. State your name and

44:20address for the record.

44:28My name is Elizabeth Burns. I live at

44:304671

44:32Forest Manor Drive in Winston Salem.

44:35It's actually Clemens, but it's a

44:36Winston Salem mailing address. Uh, thank

44:39you. Thank you for hearing us tonight.

44:41Thank you for being here. Um, I'm sure

44:43as stewards of some great resources here

44:47in Foresight County, I would think it'd

44:49be critical to be careful who we do

44:52business with. One of our greatest

44:54resources are the people of Foresight

44:57County. So, the company that we're

44:59talking about is May. and Wy Ror the

45:02president of May clearly states and you

45:05can find it online that they do

45:07everything according to the law. They

45:08are above board and they want to keep to

45:11zone good zoning practices. Um they want

45:14to be a good neighbor to the places they

45:16work and build.

45:19So let's talk a little bit about the

45:21character of May.

45:24Federal building bidding fraud.

45:27The most severe legal infraction on

45:29May's corporate record is a federal

45:32criminal case involving bid rigging.

45:36This happened in September 2002. The US

45:39Department of Justice filed criminal

45:41charges against May in federal court.

45:43The infraction was that May made

45:46fraudulent statements to the Federal

45:48Highway Administration.

45:51They falsely certified that they had not

45:53disclosed their bidding prices to a

45:56competitor on federal road paving

45:58project when in reality that's exactly

46:00what they did. The outcome may meet

46:03entered into a formal plea agreement

46:05with the department of justice to

46:06resolve the antirust and fraud

46:08infraction.

46:11Let's talk about air quality. Very

46:14important.

46:15May's regional asphalt operations have

46:18faced several specific state air

46:21compliance citations and the Pineola

46:24plant fire uh fine, excuse me, they were

46:28fined $6,000, a meager $6,000

46:33um for an air pollution violation at

46:35that Pineola facility in Boone. uh many

46:39infractions,

46:42six compliant non-compliance notices

46:45over a multi-year operating period. It

46:47include four infractions for late

46:50quarterly reporting, one infraction for

46:52excessive dust emissions, and one

46:55infraction for violating visible

46:57emission opacity standards.

47:01Let's talk about water.

47:04The state inspectors have cited Maymade

47:06for failing to protect local waterways

47:09from industrial runoff. And I know that

47:11you're aware this backs right up to

47:13Muddy Creek, which then feeds in to our

47:16river that provides our water. In the

47:19Boone facility, uh the NCDEQ,

47:23they issued three concurrent notices of

47:25violation to May. the infractions. Uh

47:28the inspectors documented that May

47:30failed to maintain its general storm

47:33water authorization permit. They failed

47:36to properly manage point source storm

47:38water discharges

47:40and neglected they actually neglected

47:43its sediment erosion control barriers.

47:46The state statutes dictate that these

47:48infractions can carry a maximum fine

47:51potential of up to $25,000 a day.

47:53>> Ma'am, your time has expired. Thank you.

47:57>> [applause]

48:02>> The next speaker is Beth Norman. Please

48:04come forward. State your name and

48:06address for the record.

48:12>> Hello and happy birthday.

48:14>> Thank you very much.

48:15>> My name is Beth Norman and I live at

48:183609 Comrock Court in Clemens, North

48:21Carolina.

48:22Thank you for hearing us this evening.

48:25On behalf of many citizens of Clemens,

48:27we have submitted two formal objections

48:30to the DAQ regarding the May air quality

48:33permit application. We fully expect

48:36these objections to be addressed prior

48:38to approval of May's air quality permit.

48:42The permit application by May has been

48:44carefully reviewed.

48:47We have talked with Mr. Barnett

48:48regarding these um [clears throat]

48:51objections being addressed and he has

48:54stated that he is short staffed and

48:55doesn't have time. Please make sure that

48:58Mr. Barnett has the staff he needs to

49:01get this done. Our objections are not

49:04unreasonable. They are from a

49:05toxicologist in our community. We feel

49:08like our requests are valid and could

49:12stop this application from moving

49:14forward and they need to be addressed.

49:18Our concern is in regard to emissions

49:21calculations for benzene and

49:22formaldahhide. Each of these toxins has

49:25a range of low, average, and high for

49:27their emission factors.

49:30The upper values of emission factors for

49:32benzene and firmaldahhide respectively

49:35are three to 4.5 times higher than the

49:38averages in the data table. It appears

49:41that on the application the average

49:44number for each was used to calculate

49:46the maximum output

49:49significantly underestimating the

49:51emissions of these two toxins released

49:54into our air. The average does not

49:57predict the maximum. Is this standard

50:00industry practice? If so, does standard

50:03equal accurate information? What is the

50:06upper? What if we took the upper

50:08acceptable acceptable limits of benzene

50:11and formaldahhide and they were used to

50:13calculate the maximum output? That makes

50:16sense.

50:18Would it push the now normal levels of

50:21accept out of acceptable range? These

50:24are questions we need answered prior to

50:26approval of the application.

50:28Commissioners, will you be the one

50:30signing the zoning consistency

50:32determination?

50:34No. Okay. I do want um anyone who checks

50:40that box on the zoning consistency

50:44determination that says the proposed

50:47operation is consistent with applicable

50:49zoning ordinances when the only zoning

50:52ordinances address up to this point is

50:54air quality. There's no sealed site

50:57plan, no sediment erosion control plan,

51:00no storm water plan, no plan to protect

51:03our water supply, no acknowledgement of

51:05this property being in a partial flood

51:07plane or other environmental concerns,

51:10and most importantly, no plan to protect

51:12our over 5,000 children who will be

51:15impacted by the toxins emitted from this

51:18plant and the neighborhoods less than

51:21500 ft from this plan's potential

51:23location. Please research zoning

51:26ordinance 1-5.2G3

51:29which discusses removing threats to

51:31public health and ordinance 92.03

51:34sections AJ and K in which the Clemens

51:37Council has the power to declare and

51:39enforce. We are not pawns to be used in

51:42the game.

51:43>> Time has expired.

51:44>> Okay. Thank you.

51:48[applause]

51:52The last speaker is Marcy West. Please

51:55come forward. State your name and

51:56address for the record.

51:59>> Good evening, commissioners. Um

52:02I I am the county manager. Uh I wanted

52:05to talk a little bit about the drone AED

52:08program that we got something on the on

52:11the agenda tonight to grant some

52:13additional funding there. And I think

52:14that's a an exciting program. It's

52:16really nice to be on the front end of

52:18this. One of the things that I notice in

52:21looking through the payment schedule is

52:22all of those payments are for equipment.

52:25And what I haven't heard anyone ask

52:27about is how much the county is paying

52:29in personnel to man this equipment. And

52:32we're going to be adding a new location.

52:34And I just don't know. I think it would

52:36be great to know what those personnel

52:38costs are at the same time that we're

52:40making these kind of decisions. The

52:42other thing is we we we really I would

52:44love if you asked for a briefing so that

52:47we could hear about the program and how

52:48many of these AEDs they have delivered,

52:51how many have been used on people

52:53because I think it would be great to

52:54know that it's you know it's exciting to

52:56be working in this program. The second

52:59thing that I wanted to talk about was

53:00the data center moratorum. I know on

53:03September 28th you did have a straw poll

53:05that you would be discussing that a

53:07little bit further. I do think it is

53:09very important that we move forward with

53:11figuring out a way to consider how we

53:14move forward as a community. You can

53:16hear from the number of people who are

53:18here complaining about the asphalt

53:20plant, the number of people that have

53:21been in here multiple times about data

53:23centers. The community is upset about

53:26not having a voice in any of this

53:28process. And I think that there has got

53:30to be some way that we can figure out to

53:32define data centers, these new hypers

53:35scale data centers that didn't exist 25

53:38years ago. Just because we have the word

53:40data center can't mean that applies to

53:43anything that ever says data center. It

53:45would be the same thing as saying that

53:46our smartphones have to follow all

53:48regulations of a rotary phone because

53:50they're both phones. It just doesn't

53:51make any sense. I think that we really

53:53need to look at this. So, thank you very

53:55much, commissioners.

54:02Madame Manager, I'll turn the agenda

54:04over to you.

54:05>> Thank you, Madam Chair, and good

54:06evening, Commissioner, staff, and

54:08guests. The agenda items before you have

54:10been briefed and hopefully questions

54:11answered. Agenda item number six is a

54:13resolution authorizing quantum marrow

54:15payment to the North Carolina Associate

54:17Association of County Commissioners in

54:19the amount of 151,600

54:22for completing fiscal year 23 and 24

54:25Medicaid cost settlement reports for our

54:27emergency medical services.

54:30Motion to approve.

54:33>> Move to approve.

54:34>> Motion to approve by Commissioner

54:36McDaniel.

54:38>> Second. Second by Commissioner Bessie

54:40and Commissioner Limble. Is there

54:42discussion?

54:44All those in favor, please say I.

54:46>> I.

54:47>> I.

54:48>> That is unanimous. Agenda item number

54:50seven is an amendment to the education

54:52capital projects ordinance to approve a

54:53transfer of remaining 2016 bond proceeds

54:56and completed for Scythe Tech projects

54:58into the learning commons project. This

55:00would allow for site tech to consolidate

55:02all remaining 2016 bond proceeds from

55:04completed projects into the learning

55:06commons project to be able to move

55:07forward with construction. Project

55:09balances from the Oak Grove and

55:11transportation projects total 5,319,331.

55:18>> Move approval.

55:19>> Move to approval by Commissioner Parker

55:21>> and I'll second.

55:22>> Second by Commissioner McDaniel. Is

55:25there discussion?

55:27All in favor, please say I. I

55:29>> opposed. That's unanimous.

55:31>> Agenda item number eight is an amendment

55:33to the fiscical year 27 budget ordinance

55:35to transfer funds to the county capital

55:37projects ordinance to pay cost of

55:38issuance related to the 2026 limited

55:40obligation bond and an associated

55:42amendment to county capital projects

55:44ordinance to appropriate the transfer

55:46from the general fund to pay cost of

55:47issuance for the 2026 limited obligation

55:50bond. The legal fees for PNC Bank came

55:52in higher than expected and an

55:54additional $15,000 is needed to cover

55:56all costs. This amendment transfers an

55:58additional $15,000 to the county capital

56:00projects ordinance from the general fund

56:02to pay for the additional cost.

56:04>> Is there a motion?

56:06>> Move approval by Commissioner Bessie.

56:11>> Second.

56:11>> Second by Commissioner McDaniel.

56:15Uh all in favor, please say I.

56:18>> I.

56:18>> Opposed. That's unanimous. Agenda item

56:21number nine is an amendment to the

56:22fiscical year 27 budget ordinance to

56:24appropriate funds from the North

56:26Carolina Department of Health and Human

56:27Services. This amendment to the fiscical

56:29year 27 budget appropriates $8,647

56:33made available to the First County

56:34Department of Public Health's Women,

56:35Infants, and Children's Program from the

56:37North Carolina Department of Health and

56:39Human Services.

56:40>> Is there a motion?

56:41>> Approval.

56:41>> Move approval by Commissioner Bessie.

56:43>> Second.

56:44>> Second by Vice Chair Wilson. Discussion.

56:48All those in favor, please say I.

56:51>> I.

56:52>> Opposed. That is unanimous.

56:54>> Agenda item number 10 is a resolution

56:56authorizing execution of a revised

56:57second amendment to the agreement with

56:59Duke University to receive additional

57:01funds for the research study on the

57:02effectiveness of delivering automated

57:04external defibrillators by drone on

57:06cardiac 911 calls and an associated

57:08amendment to the P public safety grants

57:10projects ordinance to reduce the Duke

57:12University drone AED research project

57:14budget by $44,739.

57:17Duke University has requested that the

57:20additional funding be reduced to by

57:22$88,537

57:24resulting in a revised total contract

57:26amount of $547,737.

57:32>> Is there a motion?

57:33>> Move approval.

57:34>> Move approval by Commissioner Parker.

57:43>> Second by Vice Chair Wilson. Discussion.

57:48All those in favor say I. I. Opposed.

57:51That's unanimous.

57:52>> Agenda item number 11 is a resolution

57:54authorizing execution of an agreement

57:56with Grant Telecommunications LLC for

57:58the replacement of Plain Old Telephone

58:00Service Lines. This is a three-year

58:02contract in a total not to exceed amount

58:04of $143,347.20.

58:10>> Motion to approve by Commissioner

58:12Bessie.

58:14>> Second. Second by Commissioner Parker.

58:16Discussion.

58:18All those in favor say I. I. Opposed.

58:22That's unanimous.

58:23>> Agenda item number 12 is a resolution

58:25authorizing execution of an agreement

58:26with information inc to provide hosting

58:28and maintenance services for II

58:30reception application. This is for a

58:32kiosk based system for the health and

58:33human services campus and is a one-year

58:36contract with two optional years. Fiscal

58:38year 27 is in the amount of $141,200.

58:41Fiscal year 28 is $148,700

58:45and fiscal year 29 is $157,530.

58:49Is there a motion?

58:52>> Move approval.

58:53>> Motion to approve by Commissioner

58:55Parker.

58:56>> Second by Commissioner Bessie.

58:59Discussion. All those in favor say I.

59:02>> I.

59:03>> Opposed. That's unanimous. Agenda item

59:06number 13 is a resolution authorizing

59:08the execution of an interlocal agreement

59:10between forcythe county and Winston

59:11Salem transit authority for provision of

59:13non-emergency medical related

59:15transportation services. This authorizes

59:17an interlocal agreement in amount not to

59:19exceed $1,000 during fiscal year 27 and

59:22with two optional years at the same

59:23annual amount of $1,000.

59:27>> Motion to approve by Commissioner

59:29Bessie.

59:30>> Second.

59:30>> Second by Commissioner McDonald

59:33McDaniel. I do that every time. I'm so

59:35sorry. Um, is there discussion?

59:39All those in favor say I. I. Opposed.

59:44>> That's unanimous.

59:45>> Agenda item number 14 is a resolution

59:47authorizing execution of an agreement

59:48with I3 Verticals LLC for website and

59:51operating system administration and

59:53maintenance. This is for the register of

59:55deeds office. It is a three-year

59:56contract in a total not to exceed amount

59:58of $25,734.

1:00:02>> Is there a motion?

1:00:03>> Move to approve. Motion to approve by

1:00:05Commissioner McDaniel.

1:00:07>> Second.

1:00:07>> Second by Commissioner Bessie.

1:00:09Discussion. All in favor, please say I.

1:00:13I.

1:00:14>> Opposed. That's unanimous. Agenda item

1:00:17number 15 is a resolution ratifying a

1:00:19contract between Forsythe County

1:00:21Department of between Forsythe County

1:00:23and the North Carolina Department of

1:00:25Public Safety and Youth Collaborative,

1:00:26Inc. for youth intensive intervention

1:00:28services from project X in an associated

1:00:31amendment to the fiscical year 27 budget

1:00:32ordinance to appropriate intensive

1:00:34intervention funding from the North

1:00:36Carolina Department of Public Safety.

1:00:37These are state pass through funds to

1:00:39serve juvenile justice involved youth

1:00:41ages 13 through 20 who are gang

1:00:43involved. It is a one-year contract in

1:00:45an amount not to exceed $123,296.

1:00:49>> Move approval.

1:00:51>> Motion to approve by Commissioner Bessie

1:00:53and Commissioner Parker.

1:00:55>> Second. Second by Commissioner McDaniel.

1:00:58Discussion.

1:01:01All those in favor, please say I. I.

1:01:04>> Opposed. That's unanimous.

1:01:06>> Agenda item number 16 is a resolution

1:01:08awarding and authorizing execution of an

1:01:10agreement for vehicle telematics and

1:01:12automated vehicle location system. This

1:01:14is a three-year contract with Curasoft

1:01:16Technology Corporation from Motive

1:01:18Technologies, Inc. in an amount not to

1:01:21exceed $264,88710.

1:01:25Is there a motion?

1:01:29>> Motion to approve by Commissioner

1:01:31Bessie.

1:01:31>> Second.

1:01:32>> Second by Commissioner Limville. Is

1:01:34there discussion? I've already expressed

1:01:36my concern about this uh particular

1:01:40uh recommendation u which is based on

1:01:44the fact that we

1:01:47have employees who are not using common

1:01:51sense when an engine light goes out and

1:01:53they continue to operate a vehicle and

1:01:55apparently problems tracking fuel uh

1:02:00consumption with regard to other

1:02:02government vehicles.

1:02:05But I understand the purpose of this.

1:02:07Um,

1:02:09which reminds me a little bit of big

1:02:11brother. Other than that, I have no

1:02:12further objection.

1:02:15>> Further discussion.

1:02:17All those in favor say I.

1:02:19>> I.

1:02:20>> Opposed.

1:02:21>> That's unanimous.

1:02:22>> Agenda item number 17 is a resolution

1:02:24declaring certain real property as

1:02:26surplus and authorizing publication of

1:02:28an offer to purchase county owned real

1:02:30property by negotiated offer,

1:02:31advertisement, and upset bids procedure.

1:02:33We received an offer to purchase a 19.88

1:02:36acre parcel of property located at 0

1:02:38Williams Road in Lewisville in the

1:02:40amount of 142,300.

1:02:43This resolution would begin the upset

1:02:45bid process at which time the board of

1:02:47commissioners may accept or reject any

1:02:49and all offers.

1:02:51Madame Chair, I move to reject this

1:02:55resolution declaring certain real

1:02:58property as surplus and authorizing

1:03:02public

1:03:04publication

1:03:05of an offer to purchase county own

1:03:09property by negotiated offer

1:03:12advertisement and upset bid process. I

1:03:16would just further say that um for those

1:03:19that might not know where it is, it is

1:03:22out on the um Yadkin River at least. Uh

1:03:26I've visited it before, but I have not

1:03:30this time. It's part of it's in

1:03:33Woodland.

1:03:35I don't know what percent it is, but it

1:03:37is not costing the county anything to

1:03:39keep it up. And

1:03:43that's part of the reason uh

1:03:47and the offer is [snorts]

1:03:50according to well the u Miss Wayne she

1:03:54gave us additional information not what

1:03:57she thought information that she had

1:03:59gotten from the tax office which the

1:04:02offer was pro about u half of what the

1:04:07tax But

1:04:11my motion

1:04:13just says that

1:04:17it is not surplus property in my

1:04:19opinion. So, and

1:04:24>> so that's it.

1:04:25>> So, your motion is to turn down the

1:04:28offer and do not do an upset bid.

1:04:31>> That's right. Yes. Ma'am.

1:04:33>> Is there a second? Second.

1:04:35>> Is there discussion?

1:04:39I'll vote in opposition of the motion

1:04:42because I believe that if we have

1:04:44surplus property that we do not have a

1:04:47purpose for that it should be sold and

1:04:51so I will vote in opposition.

1:04:54>> I do have a question to Commissioner

1:04:56Lynville. Is it your position that we

1:04:59could get more um for this land um or

1:05:05what what is your main opposition to

1:05:07selling? Well, I think we could uh my

1:05:10opinion and not just mine, the tax

1:05:13office as the number that uh

1:05:17uh Miss Wayne gave us that came from a

1:05:22tax office was

1:05:2528 284600

1:05:28284,600.

1:05:30I'm just opposed to selling it. It's not

1:05:32like a building upkeep just and

1:05:36that's my position on much of the

1:05:39property that we got. If it's um open

1:05:43land or land that does not have it's

1:05:49any structures on it that's costing us

1:05:52money if we if we sell it. Well, that

1:05:55that's just my position on it because

1:05:58the board me more members has heard it

1:06:00many times. So that's where it's at.

1:06:04>> So I think I'm hearing that it's not

1:06:05that you your position is based on the

1:06:08amount that we're selling it. It's just

1:06:10that you don't think it should be sold.

1:06:12And I'm my question to the county would

1:06:14be what is our upkeep [snorts]

1:06:16to keep the land

1:06:18>> on this particular property? Nothing

1:06:19because it's basically woods.

1:06:25>> Well, we have further information from

1:06:26the bidder. I think that was provided to

1:06:29the board here. very recently indicating

1:06:33uh a number of um deficiencies in the

1:06:37property uh limited uh area that was

1:06:41available for development and other

1:06:43concerns in that regard. I have been

1:06:46impressed for the last few years with

1:06:48the reluctance um we seem to have to

1:06:52unload property that's held by the

1:06:54county when we get a an offer to uh

1:06:57dispose of it. Uh, and you know, we've

1:07:01got an offer here that's worth about

1:07:03$7,000 an acre. Um, and I don't know the

1:07:07basis necessarily for that value that's

1:07:10otherwise been assigned in a higher

1:07:12number, but it appears to me that the

1:07:15gentleman who wishes to purchase this

1:07:17property in order to build a homestead

1:07:20there u is well familiar with it and

1:07:23with the limitations that it has. And

1:07:25for that reason, um, I would be willing

1:07:29to let this property go for the bid

1:07:32price that has been offered.

1:07:34>> And I would just say, and I I know, um,

1:07:36Commissioner Bessie, you're getting

1:07:37ready to speak too, but I just want to,

1:07:39um, put on the record that I do agree

1:07:43um, with Commissioner Wilson. And I also

1:07:46think that because the um individual

1:07:49wants to build a home that that is um

1:07:54something that I'm, you know, a

1:07:55proponent of and and obviously um they

1:07:58would be paying taxes on that property,

1:08:00but just to um know that someone is

1:08:03using it to, you know, um put a home on

1:08:06it, which would, you know, overall I

1:08:08think benefit um the county. So, thank

1:08:11you.

1:08:13I would say this is certainly a

1:08:15legitimate item for debate, but I think

1:08:17that Commissioner Lynville has made two

1:08:19independent arguments here. Um, one of

1:08:23which is that he thinks that the uh the

1:08:25value offered or the price offered does

1:08:28not uh come close to meeting the actual

1:08:33uh

1:08:35amount that we could get uh for property

1:08:39of this nature. Uh and his other

1:08:41independent point which I also agree

1:08:43with is there's no rush to sell this

1:08:45property. Um uh and to in support of

1:08:49both items I would note this is Yadkin

1:08:53Riverfront property.

1:08:56There's not a lot of that available for

1:08:58sale. Uh, and this property, as I

1:09:01understand it, was originally donated to

1:09:03the um to the county uh with the idea of

1:09:08developing it into a riverfront park.

1:09:11Um, and so I think that's those are two

1:09:15quite reasonable under the totality of

1:09:17circumstances here objections moving

1:09:19forward with uh this uh accepting this

1:09:22price and putting it up well as the

1:09:25initiation of a of bidding process. uh

1:09:29and uh we'll vote for the motion to

1:09:32reject the resolution.

1:09:35>> Further discussion.

1:09:37All those in favor of the o of the

1:09:39motion, please say I.

1:09:41>> I.

1:09:43>> Could we do this with a show of hands?

1:09:47Okay.

1:09:47>> This is the motion to reject.

1:09:50>> All those opposed to the motion

1:09:55we have. So, the motion fails four to

1:09:59three.

1:10:00>> Well, Mr. Attorney,

1:10:03well, [sighs]

1:10:05I can't make it.

1:10:13I think you ought to think about say

1:10:16this. Uh, I think the board needs to

1:10:20think about

1:10:22even considering an offer

1:10:26for property, county property

1:10:29that is half of what

1:10:33the tax office estimates its value.

1:10:39I don't know how I don't know how the

1:10:41board gets around that, but I guess

1:10:42that's that's about all I got left I can

1:10:45do. Well, that's why we're going through

1:10:47the upset bid process.

1:10:50>> If you [clears throat]

1:10:52Well, I can't make another motion since

1:10:54they've already uh Can I, Mr. Attorney,

1:10:57if you can figure out how I can do that?

1:10:58I got another idea.

1:11:00>> Um, is there a motion to approve

1:11:05this item?

1:11:07I'll make the motion. Is there a second?

1:11:11>> Second.

1:11:12>> Second by Vice Chair Wilson. All in

1:11:15favor of discussion.

1:11:17>> Okay, go for it.

1:11:20>> So based on the

1:11:25concern from Commissioner

1:11:28Lynville around now, there is a price

1:11:30point that he's

1:11:33tax and what the offer is. And I do

1:11:36understand that that's why we're in the

1:11:39upset bid period. I would lean towards

1:11:44supporting Commissioner Lynville. Hey,

1:11:47we want to set the price right here, you

1:11:50know, and and therefore we're not at

1:11:53that price. So, we want to I guess I

1:11:56don't know where we would be,

1:11:58attorney,

1:12:08I guess.

1:12:09>> So, so at this point, um the the bid is

1:12:12on the table. So, you as a board can't

1:12:14change that amount for the upset bid

1:12:16process. So, if if you did not feel that

1:12:19was adequate, you you would vote against

1:12:22the motion. that is currently before

1:12:24you.

1:12:24>> And how would it proceed after?

1:12:30>> If it said if it said no, we're back to

1:12:33the starting point and then we could

1:12:35either market the property, we could do

1:12:36nothing. The somebody else could make a

1:12:39bid or the same bidder could make

1:12:41another bid. But

1:12:44>> so would you restate the motion, Madam

1:12:46Chair? Well, it's simply what's written

1:12:49on here is to approve um agenda item 17,

1:12:54which is to put this up for an upset

1:12:57bid. We we will negotiate an offer.

1:13:00We'll advertise it and go through the

1:13:04upset bid process.

1:13:05>> So, starting at the um the amount that

1:13:09the agenda item cost,

1:13:10>> correct?

1:13:11>> With that, I'll make a substitute

1:13:13motion.

1:13:15And the motion is if

1:13:22I don't have enough votes to do what I

1:13:24originally want to do, but the

1:13:25substitute motion is to start. I'm going

1:13:29to round the numbers off of the 2846 to

1:13:34put the floor on it. 285,000

1:13:39because that is right on the number that

1:13:42the tax office not not mine the tax

1:13:45office

1:13:46says. So that's

1:13:51>> that would not be something the board

1:13:53can do because you can't change the

1:13:55amount the person has put on the table.

1:13:58So So really at this point you're voting

1:14:00it up or you're voting it down. can I

1:14:02not reject the offer and to put an

1:14:06reject it and then

1:14:09the board offers uh a floor of the

1:14:13amount of money that we would accept to

1:14:15start at.

1:14:16>> You could do that.

1:14:18>> That's my motion that we reject the 142

1:14:22and put a floor on it to start it at

1:14:25285.

1:14:28So just clarification, if you reject it,

1:14:30then you would basically want staff to

1:14:32like market it. So you're rejecting his

1:14:34offer and then we would be going out to

1:14:36the market to try to sell it.

1:14:40>> That what you want?

1:14:41>> Well, if the count if the county is uh I

1:14:46don't going to sell it, it's better to

1:14:50get near what the value is than not. I

1:14:54mean, that's just

1:14:56I can't see it any other way than that.

1:14:59[snorts]

1:14:59>> Madam Chair, if if I may, I think

1:15:03there's some confusion about the

1:15:05technical details of our option. I know

1:15:07that um Commissioner Lynville uh was

1:15:10objecting, among other things, to

1:15:13declaring the property be surplus, which

1:15:16is a part of the of the motion that's on

1:15:18the table. Um, I I would like to make I

1:15:24believe a protected or not protected a

1:15:27um uh

1:15:30a motion that that takes priority over

1:15:32the um uh over the first one which would

1:15:36be to postpone further discussion

1:15:39uh to our

1:15:41um our next meeting on September uh

1:15:4428th.

1:15:47And you would ask

1:15:50>> I'd say at that and go along and see

1:15:52what uh

1:15:54see how what happens between now and

1:15:57October 1st.

1:16:00>> Um Sep September 28th I believe is the

1:16:03next meeting

1:16:04>> that that's the briefing I believe.

1:16:06>> Briefing exc pardon me. Um my apologies.

1:16:09October one.

1:16:14And if I'm remembering my Robert's rules

1:16:16correctly, that a motion to postpone.

1:16:18>> That is a proper motion and I believe it

1:16:22was seconded.

1:16:23>> Is that correct?

1:16:24>> Yes.

1:16:25>> Okay. Motion by Commissioner Bessie,

1:16:27second by Commissioner Limville. So, we

1:16:30are voting to postpone this item until

1:16:34our next board meeting. Is that correct?

1:16:37>> Yes.

1:16:37>> Okay. All in favor, please say I.

1:16:40>> I.

1:16:41>> Opposed?

1:16:44No.

1:16:46>> Um I say no also. So that is approved

1:16:49five

1:16:51um five to two with with um Vice Chair

1:16:56Wilson and myself voting in opposition.

1:16:59>> And if there's any information you need

1:17:01staff to provide in between that time,

1:17:03please just let us know.

1:17:04>> That's what I'd like to know. What do

1:17:06you think's going to happen? What what

1:17:08information do you all want the staff to

1:17:12bring to you at that meeting?

1:17:15>> Perhaps a uh clarity on the options that

1:17:19we have for consideration in this case.

1:17:23>> Okay. Thank you.

1:17:24>> I don't have

1:17:27>> I have what information that I need. I'm

1:17:31just one voted to with the motion to

1:17:35continue it or postpone it to see what

1:17:38happens because I'm not getting anywhere

1:17:40otherwise. So I don't have anything to

1:17:42lose.

1:17:44[laughter]

1:17:45All I'm trying to do is

1:17:48trying to protect the taxpayers's

1:17:51interest in the land that they own.

1:17:55[applause]

1:17:58>> Okay. Continue.

1:18:00>> Agenda item number 18 is a resolution

1:18:02authorizing execution of an amendment to

1:18:04the lease agreement between Forsight

1:18:06County and North Carolina Baptist

1:18:07Hospital for the lease of property

1:18:09located at 501 North Cleveland Avenue.

1:18:12This amends the contract with North

1:18:13Carolina Baptist Hospital beginning

1:18:15December 1st, 2026 through June 30th,

1:18:172027 for 2862

1:18:20ft of space at an annual rental amount

1:18:23of $21,5243

1:18:26to continue operations at the dental

1:18:28clinic.

1:18:29Is there a motion? Move

1:18:30>> to approve.

1:18:31>> Motion to approve by Commissioner

1:18:33McDaniel.

1:18:34>> Second.

1:18:35>> Second by Commissioner Parker. Is there

1:18:38discussion? All in favor say I.

1:18:41>> I.

1:18:42>> I. That is unanimous. Agenda item number

1:18:4519 is a ordinance revising chapter 6

1:18:48consisting of sections 6-19, 646, 647,

1:18:52648, and 651 of the force county code

1:18:55entitled animals. This ordinance amends

1:18:57the current forcythe county code in

1:18:59order to become compliant with North

1:19:01Carolina law concerning microchipping of

1:19:03animals and surrender of animals.

1:19:04Additionally, these changes update

1:19:06current code language to reflect the

1:19:082022 discontinuence of pet licensing and

1:19:10to authorize the issuance of spayneuter

1:19:12vouchers for animals adopted from the

1:19:15shelter when the shelter is unable to

1:19:17perform the procedures on site.

1:19:19>> Is there a motion?

1:19:20>> Move approval.

1:19:21>> Motion to approve by Commissioner

1:19:23Bessie.

1:19:24>> Second. Second by Commissioner McDaniel

1:19:26and Commissioner Parker. Is there

1:19:28discussion? All in favor, please say I.

1:19:32>> I.

1:19:32>> In opposition,

1:19:34that's unanimous.

1:19:35>> Agenda item number 20 is a resolution

1:19:37revising the 2026 Commissioner Committee

1:19:40appointment summary, and I will turn it

1:19:42over to Chair Wizzen.

1:19:44>> Thank you so much. Um, we had some

1:19:46appointments we needed to uh have more

1:19:50uh folks to apply for since uh uh Dr.

1:19:55Martin has left. He held some uh uh

1:19:58committee appointments and so you all

1:20:01told me which ones you wanted and I

1:20:04that's what I did. I gave you the ones

1:20:06that you had asked for and so I ask that

1:20:10we approve those.

1:20:12>> Approval. Motion to approve by

1:20:14Commissioner Bessie.

1:20:15>> Second.

1:20:16>> Second by Commissioner McDaniel. All in

1:20:18favor, please say I. I.

1:20:21>> That's unanimous.

1:20:22>> And I will turn over the rest of the

1:20:24appointments 21 through 30 to

1:20:26Commissioner Bessie.

1:20:29>> Thank you very much. Um we have

1:20:34appoint 10 appointments uh to the adult

1:20:36care home community advisory committee.

1:20:39Uh four appointments to the animal

1:20:40services advisory board. Uh, one

1:20:43appointment to the Commission on Ending

1:20:44Homelessness, three appointments to the

1:20:46Forsythe County Juvenile Crime

1:20:48Prevention Council, one appointment to

1:20:50Experiment and Self-Reliance Ward, one

1:20:53appointment to the Forcy County Home and

1:20:56Community Care Block Grant uh, Advisory

1:20:59Council, uh, eight appointments to the

1:21:01nursing home community advisory

1:21:03committee, two appointments to the

1:21:04Piedmont Triad Regional Regional

1:21:06Development Corporation, uh, three

1:21:09appointments to the zoning board of

1:21:10adjustment for Scythe County,

1:21:13if we could have the the phone turned

1:21:16off, please. Uh and one appointment to

1:21:19the zoning board of adjustment Winston

1:21:20Salem. Um

1:21:24some of these can be made these

1:21:26appointments can be approved by

1:21:28acclamation. Uh others uh should be

1:21:31postponed and still others can be voted

1:21:33on this evening.

1:21:35The following applicants can be

1:21:37appointed by acclamation. Uh, adult care

1:21:41home community advisory committee. Alice

1:21:43Adler to open seat.

1:21:46Animal services advisory board. Amanda

1:21:49Clark, officer in a to the seat for

1:21:52officer in a foresight county animal

1:21:54welfare organization. Uh, and Kincaid,

1:21:58officer in a purebred animal registry

1:22:01organization.

1:22:03Uh, for South County Juvenile Crime

1:22:05Prevention Council. Uh, Colleen Gamrell

1:22:08to the sheriff designate spot. Uh,

1:22:12nursing home community advisory

1:22:14committee for South County. Michael

1:22:16Lishki to the open spot. Uh, and zoning

1:22:20board of adjustment from Winston Salem.

1:22:22Gregory Haristen, regular member who

1:22:26lives outside the city limits of Winston

1:22:28Salem. And I move approval by

1:22:30acclamation.

1:22:31>> Motion by Commissioner Bessie.

1:22:34>> Second. Second by Commissioner Parker.

1:22:36All in favor say I. I. That's unanimous.

1:22:40You may vote for one. Oh, I'm sorry.

1:22:43>> Thank you.

1:22:44>> I was late on the next page.

1:22:45>> All right. Um, the following boards have

1:22:47remained remaining vacancies or did not

1:22:50receive applicants. Um, madame clerk,

1:22:52please continue these appointments to a

1:22:54future meeting. Uh, and the following

1:22:58appointments will require a vote. Um,

1:23:01first one is the animal services

1:23:03advisory board. Please vote for one of

1:23:06the citizens wishing to serve

1:23:08applicants.

1:23:18>> Oh,

1:23:22can read the names out loud.

1:23:23>> I'm sorry. Been asked to read the names

1:23:25out loud. Uh the atlarge applicants are

1:23:29uh Susan Barrett, Michael Abunda,

1:23:33Caitlyn Dunigan, Julie Long, and

1:23:35Katherine Williams. And we vote for one

1:23:38of these.

1:23:40Where?

1:24:21Madame Chair, no one received majority

1:24:24vote, so we will need another vote. Um,

1:24:27Katherine Williams received three votes

1:24:32and the ne and everyone else who applied

1:24:35received one vote.

1:24:38>> Who received three votes?

1:24:41>> Katherine Williams

1:24:44and all other applicants listed received

1:24:46one vote.

1:24:51>> Do we have runoff ballots?

1:24:54>> You have to do them there. Would

1:25:04you like me to read the names again?

1:25:06Would that be helpful to the board?

1:25:08Okay.

1:25:09>> Susan Barrett,

1:25:11Michael Bunda,

1:25:13Caitlyn Dunigan,

1:25:16Julie Long, and Katherine Williams.

1:25:27Did you?

1:25:33>> There's the list. Sorry.

1:25:38>> Oh, yeah. Here's the list.

1:25:45>> Oh, you did you make some notes?

1:26:03I see.

1:26:05There she is.

1:26:23That's

1:26:48right.

1:26:49Okay, [clears throat] thank you.

1:27:01[cough]

1:27:04>> Madame Chair, Katherine Williams

1:27:06received unanimous vote.

1:27:08>> Thank you.

1:27:09>> Thank you. Let's see if I get this right

1:27:12this time. Um

1:27:14the uh next uh appointment will be to

1:27:17experiment with self-reliance. one

1:27:18appointment for three-year term expiring

1:27:21September 2029. There is one open seat.

1:27:25Um, please vote for one of the following

1:27:28citizens wishing to serve. Tama Carter,

1:27:31William Morgan, and Maria Moskiier.

1:27:40I always forget. Thank you.

1:28:19Madame Chair, Maria Moscara received um

1:28:22unanimous vote.

1:28:23>> Thank you.

1:28:26>> Thank you. Um the next appointment is

1:28:30[clears throat]

1:28:32for Scythe County Home and Community

1:28:34Care Block Grant Advisory Council. There

1:28:36is one open seat, please vote for one of

1:28:40the following. Uh the incumbent wishing

1:28:43to serve Philip Recctor or citizens

1:28:46wishing to serve Quashanta Ford Baxter

1:28:50or Kendra Campbell Sher

1:29:56Madame Chair, Philip Recctor received

1:29:58majority vote.

1:30:01>> Thank you.

1:30:03>> Thank you. The um next position up for

1:30:07appointment is uh one county appointee

1:30:10to a three-year term expiring September

1:30:122029 to the Piedmont Triad Regional

1:30:16Development Corporation. Please vote for

1:30:18one of the following three citizens

1:30:20wishing to serve. Nick Smith, Marcy

1:30:23West, or Crystal Williams.

1:31:15Madame Chair, Marcy West received

1:31:17majority vote.

1:31:20>> I'm going to ask about that.

1:31:23Thank you. The remaining um uh positions

1:31:27up for appointment are

1:31:31three appointments to three-year terms

1:31:34expiring September 2029 to the zoning

1:31:38board of adjustment for for county. Uh

1:31:42two regular members, one alternative

1:31:45member. Um there seems to be some

1:31:48confusion here. The instructions say

1:31:51vote for two.

1:31:53That is correct. I'm happy to explain

1:31:55that. Please do.

1:31:56>> So, the applications received are all

1:31:58for regular member applicants. However,

1:32:02Nick Smith is a current alternate member

1:32:04on the zoning board and he wishes to be

1:32:07a regular member. None of the applicants

1:32:10want to be an alternate member.

1:32:12>> Okay. So, in that case, vote for two.

1:32:16>> That's correct.

1:32:17>> Of the following. Richard Barooi, Philip

1:32:20Rector, Nick Smith, Vincent Bianca, or

1:32:25David Andrich.

1:33:33Madame Chair, Richard Barooi and Philip

1:33:36Recctor received majority vote.

1:33:38>> Thank you. May I ask madam uh madame

1:33:41clerk um uh what should we note will

1:33:46take place regarding the alternate

1:33:48member position?

1:33:52>> So the alternate member position will be

1:33:55um it will be continued to the next

1:33:58appointment cycle.

1:33:59>> Very good. However, Nick Smith is a

1:34:01current alternate member and he will

1:34:02remain on the board, but the vacant

1:34:04alternate member position will continue

1:34:06to to the December appointments.

1:34:09>> All right. Thank you.

1:34:11I think that completes that. Um,

1:34:14>> thank you.

1:34:15>> That report uh you from the rookie in

1:34:19charge.

1:34:20>> That was great. Thank you.

1:34:22>> Thank you.

1:34:22>> That is all of our agenda items, madame

1:34:25chair, and we have a discussion item.

1:34:28That's fine.

1:34:29>> Okay. Um, so our discussion item is our

1:34:32Winston Salem for Scythe County Schools

1:34:34update. Superintendent Don Fipps is here

1:34:36to present. Welcome, sir.

1:34:48>> Good evening, Madam Chair. I want to

1:34:51echo the remarks of many others and wish

1:34:52you a happy birthday. Thank you.

1:34:54>> I'm honored to be spending a part of the

1:34:55day with you on this special day.

1:34:57>> Okay. and you're standing between me and

1:34:59my party.

1:35:00>> And I certainly

1:35:02even more reason to be briefed if

1:35:03[laughter] if I may.

1:35:04>> I'm just kidding.

1:35:06>> How do I get the presentation going

1:35:07here?

1:35:19>> Thank you. And I want to note that Chair

1:35:21Kaplan and Vice Chair Bohannan are here

1:35:23as well, and I appreciate their support

1:35:25uh being here. I want to give you an

1:35:27update as we roll into the beginning of

1:35:29the school year. So, we're in the

1:35:31beginning of the first quarter and we

1:35:33it's signific significant time for us

1:35:35because it marks hopefully a turning of

1:35:37the page of a of a number of items that

1:35:40we've stood before you and and you'll

1:35:42see some of that hopefully bringing some

1:35:43closure together. But I wanted to begin

1:35:45with the 2526 accountability data

1:35:48release. uh the documents that we have

1:35:50in terms of testing results are there

1:35:53many volumes that we could share with

1:35:54you and I'll be glad to give that to

1:35:56you. I will tell you that in every

1:35:58single area in the academic areas that

1:36:01we measure every single one we made an

1:36:03increase with one exception and that was

1:36:05in an area called work keys which is

1:36:07where we assess our scores for students

1:36:10that are in CTE program and that

1:36:12declined slightly but our numbers are

1:36:14almost 300% higher than they

1:36:16[clears throat] were uh over the last

1:36:17five years. So, is an area that we're

1:36:19going to work on, but some celebrations

1:36:21and highlights that I wanted to bring to

1:36:23your attention. The first is Walkertown

1:36:25Middle School. They have the best

1:36:27academic growth score in our school

1:36:29system. And I wanted to note that

1:36:30they're in the top 1% in the state based

1:36:33on growth. And what that means, if you

1:36:35rephrase it in the opposite direction,

1:36:37is they outperformed 99% of the schools

1:36:41in North Carolina, which I think is

1:36:42phenomenal. Lewisville Middle School and

1:36:45Reagan High School were in the top 4% in

1:36:47growth, which if you reverse that means

1:36:49that they scored better than 96% of the

1:36:52schools in North Carolina. So, we

1:36:54certainly have some high flyers there.

1:36:56Iraham Elementary School increased their

1:36:58school performance grade from an F to a

1:37:01C. And if you go back and look at what

1:37:03they've done over the last three years,

1:37:05remarkable progress. We had six schools

1:37:07that exited the state identified low

1:37:09performing status. We had the uh third

1:37:12grade reading scores for us we believe

1:37:15as a foundation mark in terms of what

1:37:17we're doing in early literacy K2 and and

1:37:20what we see in K in the grade three

1:37:22reading. Our grade three reading scores

1:37:24were the highest that we've seen in the

1:37:25last 10 years which is certainly a great

1:37:28marker. And then our graduation rate was

1:37:30the second highest that we've had in

1:37:32district history. Now, there's a lot

1:37:34that I could share with you in terms of

1:37:35areas of growth and things that we need

1:37:37to focus on, but what I want to stress

1:37:39to you is that in a year, and you all

1:37:41know, you've lived here, you know what

1:37:43we've been through. I don't know that

1:37:45anybody can imagine what the pressure

1:37:47and the angst and the anxiety has been

1:37:49like for our teachers and our

1:37:51administrators and our support staff in

1:37:53our schools. And if they could have ever

1:37:55had a time to throw their hands up and

1:37:57people might have understood it, it

1:37:59would have been this past school year.

1:38:00But you can see from the results, they

1:38:02didn't do that. They got in their

1:38:03classrooms, they controlled the things

1:38:05that they could control, and they did

1:38:07what they do best. And they instructed

1:38:09our children. And the people who support

1:38:10their work did that work. And our

1:38:12administrators led and were able to show

1:38:15great results in a time that was a very

1:38:17dark period in our history. And I can

1:38:19just imagine where we're going to be

1:38:21when we don't have that type of

1:38:22distraction and we're able to remove

1:38:24that as we move forward. So, I wanted to

1:38:26to praise our individuals. This was a

1:38:28graphic that we had that just shows the

1:38:30schools that came off of our the low

1:38:32performing list. We had uh in in our

1:38:35third grade, we we've exceeded the pre-

1:38:37pandemic outcomes in third grade

1:38:39reading, which was sort of a high water

1:38:40mark that we wanted to get to. Improving

1:38:43letter grades. You can see what that

1:38:44looks like. And then highest test score

1:38:46since the pandemic in all of our areas.

1:38:48And again, I'll share more details on

1:38:50that if you'd like to see it. something

1:38:52that we're monitoring and this is

1:38:53something that I that I think you all

1:38:54need to be aware of as well. A statewide

1:38:57trend exists in public schools in North

1:38:59Carolina of student enrollment decline.

1:39:02Uh in fact, the last data that I saw,

1:39:05110 out of 115 school systems had

1:39:08declines in the last numbers that we

1:39:10saw. Our declines were great last year.

1:39:13We were down 1551 students. There are a

1:39:16variety of reasons for that. uh the

1:39:19beginning as we look at this year. I

1:39:20want I wanted just to show you this as a

1:39:22visual depiction and you can certainly

1:39:24see uh what the trend looks like and if

1:39:27you take out the 21 year that we had for

1:39:29COVID and connect the dots the pattern

1:39:31is is very obvious there that we're on a

1:39:34downward trend. Uh our 10day student

1:39:36count is just over 47,000 students. I

1:39:40think that probably is what our our new

1:39:42normal is going to be as we level out

1:39:44with what our what our our data will

1:39:46reflect. We're down significantly this

1:39:48year, but we don't have the official

1:39:50numbers in. So, uh, we rece we were to

1:39:53receive our official day 20 ADM number

1:39:56for this year and we have to wait for

1:39:58the next 20 days to get our day 40

1:40:00number and which of those two are the

1:40:01highest becomes our official number. Why

1:40:04that's important for us is that next

1:40:07year's funding is based on this year's

1:40:09number. So once we determine what our

1:40:11number official number is, the best two

1:40:13of 20, then we can we can fast forward

1:40:16and start to begin to plan for August of

1:40:18next year in terms of what state

1:40:20aotments may be. And you all know we had

1:40:22that conversation where there were about

1:40:24300 positions that were impacted as we

1:40:26moved into this year, but we did that

1:40:28early enough and were able to do it

1:40:30through attrition and that didn't have

1:40:31anything to do with the the riffs and

1:40:33the other things that went on. But these

1:40:34are the moving parts that happen. You

1:40:37know, we want to know why this is

1:40:38happening. We know it's happening in a

1:40:39lot of other places. We had a group

1:40:41called the Hatcher organization that's

1:40:43done some market research for us and you

1:40:46and and community members will hear a

1:40:48great deal more about that in October

1:40:50and November as the researchers share

1:40:53with us what individuals have have

1:40:55shared and it puts our system I think in

1:40:57a vulnerable situation. I mean we've

1:40:59been probably as vulnerable as anybody

1:41:00could ever be with all the eyeballs that

1:41:02were on us over the last year and I

1:41:04think we've managed that. We're in a

1:41:06better place. But I think when we

1:41:08publicly talk about the things that

1:41:10individuals site as reasons why they've

1:41:12chosen to move to other schools for

1:41:14whatever reasons or why they may be

1:41:16considering moving to other schools,

1:41:19every other school district in the state

1:41:21will lean in to listen to that. But the

1:41:23target will be on Winston Salem for

1:41:25Scythe County Schools. And I think it

1:41:27takes some strength and resolve to put

1:41:29yourself out there. But I think the the

1:41:31the the what and then the why to are two

1:41:34pieces that have to be understood. The

1:41:36question once we can determine why some

1:41:39of these things are happening is what

1:41:40are we going to do as a result of that?

1:41:41So what is our plan? What kind of a

1:41:43roadmap can we build and what's

1:41:45reasonable uh to assume that we're able

1:41:47to hang on to? I'll tell you a number

1:41:49that's interesting to me. If you look at

1:41:50the number of students that we graduate

1:41:52at the end of a school year and that

1:41:54would be all of our seniors and then we

1:41:56have a reduced credit diploma where

1:41:58students are able to graduate early now

1:42:00through action of the general assembly.

1:42:02We're we're graduating about 800 more

1:42:06students than we're having come in at

1:42:08kindergarten. And if you take that 800

1:42:10difference and you multiply it out over

1:42:12a couple years, the numbers become large

1:42:15very quickly. And that's one of the

1:42:16pieces that we want to dig into is

1:42:18what's happening at the kindergarten

1:42:20level. And we know there's a lower birth

1:42:22rate, but that doesn't explain at all.

1:42:24So what are we looking at in terms of

1:42:25choice options? What are we looking at

1:42:27in terms of magnet options? and whether

1:42:29or not we're getting results from that

1:42:30and then what can we do in a world of

1:42:32choice to make sure that parents believe

1:42:34and feel that our school system is the

1:42:36best choice available and we want to be

1:42:38able to do that and promote and then

1:42:40address the things that are areas of

1:42:41concern. Uh the next slide is one that

1:42:44you all have seen in our board meetings

1:42:46and also the presentations to you. Uh

1:42:48the slide looks exactly like you see

1:42:50right here and the question was do we

1:42:52really want to do this? And I wanted to

1:42:54visually share with you and the public

1:42:56that there's not anything to put on the

1:42:58debt resolution slide because the debt

1:43:00has been resolved. There's nothing

1:43:01there. And and I'm very proud of that.

1:43:04But I can't this slide wouldn't be

1:43:06blank. It wouldn't be empty. I'd be

1:43:08talking with you about what our schedule

1:43:10of payments are and what things look

1:43:11like if it weren't for generosity to

1:43:14starts at the county commissioner level

1:43:15and the things that you all did very

1:43:17early on to help us get into a better

1:43:20place. And I truly believe that what you

1:43:22all did for us allowed the momentum to

1:43:24happen that happened in the community.

1:43:26Uh we're almost we're over $10 million

1:43:28was raised by private donations to allow

1:43:30us to retire the debt. Now that doesn't

1:43:33mean because there's not anything on the

1:43:35slide, there's nothing for me to share

1:43:37visually. There's a lot for me to share

1:43:39with you in terms of practice. And one

1:43:41of the most important pieces is

1:43:43understanding how we got in the

1:43:44situation that we got into and what do

1:43:47we do to make sure that we never let

1:43:48that happen again. And I think if you mo

1:43:51if you watch our work sessions and you

1:43:52see the work that we're doing in terms

1:43:54of finance financial reporting with our

1:43:57budget to actuals, there should never be

1:44:00a period more than one month period

1:44:02where anything gets out of whack at all.

1:44:04And if there was anything that looked

1:44:05like it was a red flag, it would allow

1:44:07us to ask questions. But we continue to

1:44:09look at what we have in terms of our

1:44:11local monies. We look at our federal

1:44:13dollars and certainly our state dollars.

1:44:15And we take a look at where we should be

1:44:17given the where we're at in the in the

1:44:19year. for example, 17 or 18% for two

1:44:21months in and then looking at what our

1:44:23spending is to make sure that that

1:44:25matches up. Uh a number of other

1:44:27standard operating procedures that have

1:44:29been written, the Tyler implementation

1:44:31I've got down is I think is one of our

1:44:33updates I wanted to go through. Um and

1:44:35but I I'll talk about Ashley here in a

1:44:37minute. The debt reduction piece tied in

1:44:40with that is the Tyler implementation.

1:44:43We feel like long run that allows us to

1:44:45automate more of the procedures. It

1:44:47eliminates opportunities for human

1:44:49error. It makes it even more important

1:44:51that the data is right at the front end

1:44:53because that front-end data carries

1:44:55through the system and it really works

1:44:57from the point of a person being

1:44:58onboarded as a new employee and then as

1:45:00we go through payroll and then

1:45:02ultimately when they retire or resign

1:45:04from the school system. So it really

1:45:05covers the whole breadth of the HR world

1:45:07and brings in a lot of finances. So for

1:45:10payroll, we wanted to run payroll three

1:45:12different cycles. And we started the

1:45:14first cycle in July because we have

1:45:15fewer people that work in the month of

1:45:17July. And we ran a payroll period. And

1:45:19we compared what's called the AS400,

1:45:22which is the old system. And if you're

1:45:23as old as I am, you remember green

1:45:25screens. That's what it is. We're still

1:45:27operating with the green screen. And

1:45:29then we ran the at the same time the the

1:45:31new ERP that we've got called Tyler. And

1:45:33we compared those and we went back to

1:45:35figure out where we had mismatches to

1:45:37try to correct them. We had a little bit

1:45:38larger payroll, a lot larger payroll

1:45:40last month, somewhere in the

1:45:42neighborhood of about $28 million. We

1:45:44were off $211,000,

1:45:47which is a lot of money. Doesn't mean

1:45:48there were errors made. It just means

1:45:50when we compared the two to one another,

1:45:52there was a difference of $211,000.

1:45:54That's less than 1% of the overall

1:45:56payroll. And we took a look at it, there

1:45:58were things like uh individual increases

1:46:01of how much they wanted to have withheld

1:46:03out of their federal check. So, we've

1:46:04gone in and we've had a chance to fix

1:46:06that. and we'll run payroll in our due

1:46:08payroll format, dual payroll formats

1:46:10again uh for this payroll coming up and

1:46:12then do some comparisons and our plan

1:46:15would be if if if everything is where

1:46:16where it should be that we'll be on the

1:46:18Tyler uh format from this point moving

1:46:20forward. we are on most of our other

1:46:22processes that we have uh we've we've

1:46:25been able to work through we're not

1:46:26going to say close the books the things

1:46:28that the state auditor has shared with

1:46:29us that we've shared with you all we've

1:46:31gone through and made a timetable of the

1:46:33of the pieces and implementations and

1:46:35actions that have been put in place but

1:46:37in an area for example standard

1:46:39operating procedures I don't know that

1:46:40you ever get to a point where you say

1:46:42we're finished with that because

1:46:43there'll be something that comes up that

1:46:45needs a procedure written or maybe one

1:46:47needs to be revised because we're doing

1:46:48something in a different way and that'll

1:46:50be an ongoing process that we go

1:46:52through. I wanted to share with you a

1:46:54topic that's got a lot of interest and

1:46:55that's the Ashley update. There'll be a

1:46:58lot more about this at our October uh

1:47:0013th building and grounds committee

1:47:02meeting. You can see the bullets that

1:47:04were on on here trying to go back. Most

1:47:06recently, our staff presented to the

1:47:08board in August. The board directed our

1:47:10staff to consolidate the construction

1:47:11design to fit into the current funding

1:47:14available that we had and work is

1:47:16underway to do that. At our meeting next

1:47:19Tuesday, our board will be asked to

1:47:20approve additional funds to the

1:47:22architect to complete that request. And

1:47:24then on the 13th, the building and

1:47:26grounds committee, assuming those funds

1:47:28are are approved. The new construction

1:47:30documents will be provided for review

1:47:32and consideration. And that would be uh

1:47:34what we what the design looks like

1:47:36working within the parameters of the

1:47:37dollars that we have to spend. Uh the

1:47:40board will also be asked to the board

1:47:42will also be asked as part of the new

1:47:43business to approve the construction

1:47:45documents so the bidding can take place

1:47:47to bring a guaranteed maximum price to

1:47:49the board for consideration. We don't

1:47:51know. You all know that when we're doing

1:47:52construction, you're putting an estimate

1:47:54out based on some factors that you have.

1:47:56But until you actually go into the

1:47:58marketplace to get a budget the bid

1:48:01process, you don't know what those real

1:48:02numbers are going to be. And that if we

1:48:04get to that point would allow us to see

1:48:06uh if if we've come in under budget,

1:48:08over budget in terms of what we forecast

1:48:10and plan. So I wanted to to share that

1:48:12with you as well. Couple of other things

1:48:14I wanted to to mention I think I shared

1:48:16earlier. One of the pieces area of

1:48:18emphasis for us and I put this on a

1:48:20couple of months ago when I spoke to you

1:48:22uh earlier is that we've got to have a

1:48:25focus in our curriculum in our in our

1:48:27communications department with us being

1:48:30able to do more public relations, more

1:48:32communications, more information about

1:48:34creating a narrative about the things

1:48:36that are going on in the school system.

1:48:38And some of those would come out of the

1:48:40work that the Hatcher group did with us.

1:48:42and some are going to be in other areas

1:48:44where we feel like we need to lead the

1:48:46narrative as as opposed to responding to

1:48:48the narrative that's created there for

1:48:50us. So you you'll see a great deal of

1:48:52that work being done. Uh we're working

1:48:54right now internally. Uh you all know

1:48:57there's going to be a big change over on

1:48:59our school board. Uh we'll we'll be

1:49:00looking at a minimum of six brand new

1:49:03members that'll be on that nine member

1:49:05board. It's going to be a heavy lift for

1:49:07that group when they come in. So, we're

1:49:09we're working right now already planning

1:49:11what orientation for them would look

1:49:12like in January to make sure that

1:49:14they're up to speed very early on and

1:49:16they have some things in place so

1:49:18they've got some background knowledge

1:49:19and some context to allow them to do

1:49:22their work. The board met today and

1:49:24interviewed candidates for the interim

1:49:26position uh with with a swearing in

1:49:28being scheduled on October the 1st and

1:49:31I'll defer to them uh when they feel

1:49:33appropriate if they've made that

1:49:34decision. I'm I'm not privy to that

1:49:36information, but the the plan would be,

1:49:38just so you know how that works,

1:49:40there'll be an interim in place through

1:49:42the month of June. And then the new

1:49:43board when they come in is going to have

1:49:45to start working on the full-time

1:49:46replacement permanent position. And I

1:49:49hope we find somebody who's here for 10

1:49:50years and does wonderful work with the

1:49:52school system. We need that continuity,

1:49:55but it takes a long time to go through

1:49:57the process of hiring a full-time

1:49:59individual. And if you've got an

1:50:00individual who's working now, uh they're

1:50:02going to have to give a a certain amount

1:50:03of notice. So, the the brand new board

1:50:06in addition to working on budget and

1:50:08doing all the other work is going to

1:50:09have to pick up that work on hiring the

1:50:11superintendent and working through all

1:50:13of that. Uh, I will make myself

1:50:15available uh to the board to to lean on

1:50:18and and work with them in any way that

1:50:20they feel comfortable. Uh, I want this

1:50:22district to be successful. And from the

1:50:25time that I've been here, this could be

1:50:27should be the premier school system in

1:50:29North Carolina. There's no other place

1:50:31that has a community that leverages the

1:50:33work that goes on in the school system.

1:50:35There's no school board that works

1:50:37harder and I know they've been under

1:50:38fire and there have been a lot of strong

1:50:40opinions. I would say there's no group

1:50:42that works from the cabinet level

1:50:44through the through the uh central

1:50:46office area into our schools and all of

1:50:48our support roles. Folks are doing hard

1:50:50work. We're down over a thousand

1:50:51employees from this time last year. And

1:50:53the work hasn't changed. It's heavy

1:50:55lifting and a lot of folks having to

1:50:57help each other out. And we do that uh

1:50:59because because we really truly believe

1:51:00in teamwork. And then uh the the updates

1:51:03I've mentioned the annual audit is

1:51:05underway. We're providing that

1:51:06information to our audit firm. This

1:51:08would be the outside audit that we look

1:51:10forward to that should be ready in in

1:51:12December. I've updated the interim

1:51:14superintendent search for you. The

1:51:15market share work I've talked to you

1:51:17about. Tyler conversion and then

1:51:19community collaborations are critical to

1:51:21the work that we do. I don't know that

1:51:23we can ever point to any one thing that

1:51:25we are able to accomplish that we don't

1:51:27have somebody in the community whether

1:51:29it's an individual groups of individuals

1:51:30or organizations that are helping us do

1:51:33that work. And we just completed

1:51:34yesterday the world of work which was a

1:51:36wonderful uh opportunity for our high

1:51:38school some of our high school students

1:51:40to come in. Literacy collaboration is

1:51:42incredibly important. And then you'll

1:51:44see us beginning to expand our community

1:51:46college partnership which is one of the

1:51:48greatest uh partners that we have in our

1:51:50community. and wanted to wrap my time up

1:51:54by saying to you all, thank you. Uh it's

1:51:56it's hard for me to imagine that I've

1:51:58been here 10 months. Sometimes it feels

1:51:59like 10 years. Um and and sometimes it

1:52:02feels like it's just just been a couple

1:52:04of months because things move so

1:52:06quickly. I can't thank you enough on

1:52:08behalf of the school board and and the

1:52:10people that are associated with the

1:52:12school system, what you all have done

1:52:14and the difference that it's made to

1:52:15have a local group of county

1:52:16commissioners that support our work and

1:52:19support our work can show up in many

1:52:20ways, but certainly showing up the way

1:52:22that it has in terms of the support that

1:52:24you've provided. But the individual

1:52:26conversations that you all reaching out

1:52:27and asking questions or giving me an

1:52:29opportunity to explain or discuss a

1:52:32topic with you all means more than than

1:52:33you'll ever know. So, I'm grateful for

1:52:35your leadership throughout the county.

1:52:37I'm grateful for your leadership as it

1:52:39impacts our school system directly and

1:52:42I'm grateful for your leadership as it's

1:52:44impacted me as a leader in the school

1:52:45system. And I know uh with your

1:52:47leadership and the type of support that

1:52:49you've provided, whoever follows me will

1:52:51certainly be in a good place to fill

1:52:53that support as well. So, in in

1:52:55deference to uh our chair, I'll open it

1:52:58for questions if there are any and be

1:53:00ready to wrap it up whenever you tell me

1:53:01to do so.

1:53:02>> Are there questions?

1:53:03>> Yeah. Yes,

1:53:04>> Commissioner Parker.

1:53:06>> Thank you, Chair. Uh Dr. Fipps, uh thank

1:53:10you for your service. Just wishing it

1:53:12was a little bit longer. You have made

1:53:14an impact on our community and we do

1:53:16appreciate that. I just had uh a couple

1:53:19of questions. One is could you update us

1:53:21on teacher vacancies?

1:53:23>> Yeah, I don't have the numbers

1:53:24immediately in front of me. I'll get

1:53:25those for you and let's take a look. we

1:53:28had some surplus uh situations where our

1:53:30when our our our average daily

1:53:33membership numbers on the first 10 days

1:53:34didn't come in at the number that the

1:53:36state projected. So while they don't

1:53:38take monies back, we have to go back and

1:53:40take a look at where our schools are at

1:53:42and if they were overalled. So we were

1:53:43able to deal with some vacancies through

1:53:45surplus. But I'll get you a current

1:53:47up-to-date number in terms of what that

1:53:49looks like.

1:53:50>> Okay. And then um

1:53:53a question I have is with such declining

1:53:56enrollment um that we've been seeing,

1:53:59has there been any consideration and

1:54:01analysis about new school construction?

1:54:04>> Well, I think the conversation that will

1:54:06continue will be new school construction

1:54:07and then also consolidation and merger

1:54:09of existing property. And we have to

1:54:12look at what our attendance numbers look

1:54:14like, what capacities are at schools,

1:54:16and then make some determinations on if

1:54:18mergers are are something that we need

1:54:20to seriously consider. And I and I would

1:54:22say that there are a number that need to

1:54:24be put on the radar. I don't know what

1:54:25the outcomes of that would be. That

1:54:27would certainly be something that our

1:54:28new that's on our list of conversations

1:54:30that we want to have for our our board.

1:54:32And then in that same vein and

1:54:33conversation, I think new new school

1:54:35construction uh fits into that in terms

1:54:37of of what those that prospect looks

1:54:39like. And you know, we we've got to look

1:54:41at growth patterns. Uh, one of the

1:54:43things that we've talked about with our

1:54:44board is considering putting a a a cap

1:54:47where there's a trigger that when a

1:54:49school gets to a certain threshold

1:54:51amount of capacity that we no longer

1:54:53allow choice uh enrollment at that

1:54:55school because people who buy houses in

1:54:57certain areas need to have some

1:54:59assurance that they're going to be able

1:55:00to go to the school where they're

1:55:02assigned. And and then we would we would

1:55:04allow those students who were there on

1:55:06choice to continue and their s if they

1:55:08if the board chose to do it this way,

1:55:10the siblings perhaps allowed to continue

1:55:12but no other new transfers and that

1:55:15provides space for folks that live and

1:55:17buy property there. And then as students

1:55:19metriculate, you have that opportunity.

1:55:21But I think the new school construction

1:55:23piece and the consolidation and merger

1:55:25conversations certainly need to be had

1:55:28uh over general in just in terms of of

1:55:30general numbers to the school system

1:55:32because of our our enrollment. Certainly

1:55:34>> because of the report that that got

1:55:37passed through us the over 400 page

1:55:39report on facilities. I didn't see a

1:55:43total number on that but based on what

1:55:45got passed to the state it looks like

1:55:46there's over a billion dollars. And

1:55:49obviously if you come before us in the

1:55:53say some type of bond referendum, I

1:55:55would expect that we would have some

1:55:57type of priorities on that.

1:56:00>> Yes.

1:56:00>> Um from that.

1:56:02>> Yes. That's and we and we've talked

1:56:04about what our priority piece would look

1:56:06like as we've done our building and

1:56:07grounds work. And you know that that may

1:56:09be a a specific item and conversation

1:56:11that we need to have a little bit later

1:56:13down the road and be able to share those

1:56:15details with you and and certainly the

1:56:16new board members would need to hear

1:56:18that as well. Thank you.

1:56:21>> Uh I do Oh, go ahead.

1:56:23>> Okay. Thank you. Um and formerly, thank

1:56:26you so much, Dr. Fipps, for your

1:56:28leadership here in um Winston Salem for

1:56:31Scythe County Schools. I think that you

1:56:33have absolutely showed a a strong level

1:56:37of statesmanship, but also um being um

1:56:41very intentional with your work here,

1:56:44which was to help um our community, the

1:56:46school system. um move out of a debt

1:56:49situation um with with our finances and

1:56:52for you to come and have a a blank um

1:56:56slide. I thought that was ingenious. I

1:56:57just it's gone. It it doesn't exist

1:57:00anymore. So, thank you for um that

1:57:03moment of absolute relief to this

1:57:06community that we can turn the page and

1:57:08move forward with um a financially

1:57:11stable um school system. So, um again,

1:57:15thank you absolutely so much. I do have

1:57:18um two points and and I wish you and

1:57:20your family well too. Yes, absolutely. I

1:57:24do have two points um as it relates to

1:57:28the interim superintendent search and

1:57:31I'm not going to belabor you because I

1:57:33know that's a personnel issue that

1:57:35you're not really per se involved in. I

1:57:38appreciate your highlevel

1:57:41um um commentary on it, but I do see of

1:57:45course two of the school board members.

1:57:47I think this community would love to

1:57:49hear um if there is any additional

1:57:52commentary about where we are with the

1:57:54interim search and um you know just to

1:57:59give you know more insight. But the last

1:58:01point as they are coming up um would be

1:58:05I do um have you know a little bit of

1:58:10unease around we're still at changing

1:58:13the design of Ashley which is belaboring

1:58:17the timeline of Ashley. I do understand

1:58:21that with the request of the board to

1:58:23change the design to fit the dollar

1:58:26amount that there is to spend it. It is

1:58:30what it is. So, um I look forward to um

1:58:35understanding better how we're still um

1:58:39trying to figure out the design of

1:58:41Ashley to u accommodate the amount of

1:58:44funds that pretty much have is is no

1:58:47secret. Um, so, um, that that does

1:58:51concern me a little, but I look forward

1:58:53to the updating. Um, I think in October,

1:58:56you said, with what's going on more with

1:58:58Ashley.

1:58:59>> Thank you.

1:58:59>> But I think um, Vice Chair Bohannan and

1:59:02Chair Kaplan are here to maybe say a few

1:59:04words about the interim search.

1:59:07>> Um, good evening. Um, Madame Chair, Mr.

1:59:10Vice Chair, commissioners. Um what we

1:59:13can provide uh as additional information

1:59:16is just that we are engaged in a robust

1:59:19process to review applications and um as

1:59:22uh Superintendent Fipp said, we met

1:59:24earlier today and so we are on track to

1:59:27make sure that we have someone in place

1:59:29by the time Superintendent Fipp's time

1:59:32with us uh is over at the end of the

1:59:34month.

1:59:36>> And and I will add that we have some

1:59:38very good um candidates. Um, so it's

1:59:41it's it's been it's been a good process

1:59:43and we are on track and happy birthday.

1:59:46>> Thank you very much.

1:59:48>> Thank you all so much.

1:59:49>> Thank you.

1:59:51>> And if if I could extend that just a bit

1:59:54and share this with you. I've had six

1:59:56individuals that I think are topshelf

1:59:58superintendents that have reached out to

2:00:00me about the full-time job. And I think

2:00:03when that position is advertised and

2:00:04we're looking for a permanent

2:00:06replacement, I don't I don't think

2:00:08there's a stain on this particular

2:00:10system or this job. I think there are

2:00:11individuals that are high flyers that

2:00:14are willing to come in and and take on

2:00:16things. So I I feel great about where

2:00:18we're going to be over the next seven

2:00:19months or so and then also the prospects

2:00:21of where we can be down the road. So

2:00:23that's that to me that's good news when

2:00:25individuals have reached out to to

2:00:27express some interest like that.

2:00:28>> Thank you.

2:00:30Other questions? I'd just like to say

2:00:32thank you for all your your work. Uh

2:00:34it's been an extraordinary uh transition

2:00:38um and uh look forward to seeing a copy

2:00:41of the presentation uh to take notes on.

2:00:44Thank you.

2:00:44>> Yes, sir.

2:00:46>> I'd just like to um echo a lot of the um

2:00:50comments already previously made. You

2:00:52are one incredible leader. I have

2:00:54watched you for many many months um as a

2:00:57caregiver for my parents and my

2:01:00grandparents as well. I know how um

2:01:02important that is. So I wish you and

2:01:04your family well and blessings as um as

2:01:07you go along your way. But I do have one

2:01:10question for you if you can. It's

2:01:12relative to the EC teachers. I hear that

2:01:15there's a bit of rumbling and I'm not

2:01:18quite sure where that's coming from. Is

2:01:20it regarding the vacancies or is it a

2:01:23funding issue? it it shouldn't be a

2:01:25funding issue because we have the 1.3

2:01:27that the commissioners in fact I've got

2:01:28a written proposal I'll share with the

2:01:30county manager early next week uh about

2:01:32the use of those funds for for

2:01:34personnel. Um, so we, you know, we're

2:01:36working on that through our vacancy

2:01:37pieces, uh, and then also reallocating

2:01:40some of those positions into areas where

2:01:42they're needed. And, and part of that

2:01:44could be behavioral support, but it's EC

2:01:46teacher assistants, uh, EC classroom

2:01:48teachers, and then, uh, a small number

2:01:51of case managers just to allow teachers

2:01:53to be able to focus on what they need to

2:01:55to focus on in in the classrooms. But,

2:01:58uh, I hope that we'll have that, and

2:01:59I'll I'll share that with the county

2:02:00manager on Tuesday to hopefully

2:02:02alleviate that. And I hope it number one

2:02:04it will add additional positions but

2:02:06also will send a message to our folks

2:02:08who are working that hopefully help help

2:02:10us on the way.

2:02:10>> Okay. Thank you for that. I appreciate

2:02:12you.

2:02:14>> I don't have any questions. I just like

2:02:16to thank you for the work that you've

2:02:18done the time you've been here to help

2:02:20the school system to be in a better

2:02:22place than it was at a time. It's

2:02:25>> a team effort and thank you all too. I

2:02:28think we're all very grateful for what

2:02:30you've done and uh it's it's amazing

2:02:33what you have done in a very short time

2:02:36>> and we're grateful.

2:02:37>> It truly is a we and there are many

2:02:39people that have had a hand in it. I'm

2:02:40just glad to have been a part of it. So,

2:02:41thank thank you all so much.

2:02:43>> Thank you. We appreciate it. Have get a

2:02:46motion to adjourn.

2:02:47>> So move second.

2:02:49>> So moved by Commissioner Parker.

2:02:51>> Second.

2:02:52>> Second by Commissioner Lynville. We are

2:02:55adjourned.