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TownTalk: Vance County Commissioners Vote To Accept Audit Report

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners received and accepted the most recent audit report as part of its Feb. 3 meeting.

It’s a routine matter for the board, but County Attorney Jonathan Care asked a few questions of Alan Thompson, who presented the report to the board and reviewed highlights.

Care wasn’t so much concerned numbers or findings – he simply wanted to know the auditor’s opinion about the level of cooperation his firm had received from current staff.

In the previous audit presentation in June 2024, commissioners heard a number of concerns ranging from a lack of training and cross-training of staff to lack of oversight by the previous finance director.

“Do you have the same concerns that you had about some of our staff this year that you had in previous years?” Care asked Thompson.

“No,” Thompson replied.

Care continued, saying “You made it sound like you had a lot more concerns than any of us sitting around this dais understood or gathered from your previous presentations. So, rather than relying on your reports and presentations, I’m asking you specifically: Do you still have those concerns about any of our staff and the findings that you found during this audit process?

Again, Thompson’s answer was “No.”

He added to his answer and explained that he had contacted Finance Director Stephanie Wiliams and County Manager C. Renee Perry on a regular basis during the most recent audit and got “positive responses.”

Perry began her job as county manager in November 2023; Williams came on board in April 2024.

Board Chair Carolyn Faines commended Perry and her administrative staff for their work on the most recent audit. “They have done a wonderful job and they have worked very hard to put this audit together. I commend you all and thank you all for a job well done.”

Perry accepted Faines’s remarks, adding her own thanks to Williams and the finance staff because “she inherited a mess and I think we all know that.

“For us to have turned it around in the short period that we have, I’m very proud of my staff.”

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TownTalk: Community Partners For Pets Grant Approved By Vance County Commissioners

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners approved spending $10,000 to satisfy a matching grant to spay and neuter dogs and cats waiting to be adopted at the animal shelter as well as pets of county residents.

The grant comes from Community Partnership For Pets, Inc. through the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society. The county match will come from fund balance.

“My top priority … is to this community and to the citizens in this community,” said Animal Services Manager William Coker, adding that this grant program would provide spay/neuter services to residents regardless of income level.

An existing spay/neuter program provides assistance for residents who qualify because they receive state or other government assistance. “A lot of people could use the help…but I can’t give it to them,” Coker explained, because they don’t qualify. This $20,000 infusion of funds to get pets spayed and neutered will help in the constant battle to control the unwanted pet population.

Coker said the Animal Services staff spends much of its time picking up stray dogs and feral cats. When he spoke to the board on Feb. 3, Coker said the shelter had five litters of pups and were expecting two additional litters to be surrendered before the week was over.

The funds can be used for spay and neuter services only, but in addition to dogs and cats being adopted from the shelter and for people’s pets, it includes feral cats and colonies as well as free spay/neuter for pit bulls or pit bull mixes.

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Commissioners Approves Food Truck Policy On County-Owned Property

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County commissioners approved a policy Monday to regulate food trucks – where they can be, and for how long – on county-owned property.

The Properties Committee – commissioners Dan Brummitt, Leo Kelly and Valencia Perry – met on Jan. 27 to review the policy that was recommended for approval by the full board at the Feb. 3 monthly meeting.

Food trucks – or Mobile Food Service businesses as the policy states – increase foot traffic to public spaces and foster “a vibrant and inclusive community environment.”

The policy defines Mobile Food Service as “a readily movable cart, trailer, motorized wheeled vehicle” that is used and equipped to serve food.

Food trucks offer customers additional dining options and can also support “the incubation and growth of entrepreneurial/start-up businesses,” the policy states.

Food truck operators still have to comply with all the state regulations, including having a valid health permit that has to be prominently displayed.

They also have to follow any city zoning ordinances, provide their own trash receptacles and be at least 100 feet away from the customer entrance of an existing restaurant during its hours of operation, unless the restaurant owner says it’s ok to be closer.

TownTalk: Commissioners Will Continue Jail Discussion At Special Called Meeting Feb. 10 At 4 P.M.

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting on Monday, Feb. 10 to focus on short-term and long-term steps concerning conditions at the county detention center.

Sheriff Curtis Brame and Maj. William Mitchell spoke to commissioners at their regular monthly meeting Monday night and emphasized the need to reach some decision about addressing the needs at the jail and to develop a plan of action.

After a lengthy discussion of needs – ranging from repairs to extra space to how and where to house current detainees while repairs are taking place, Board Chair Carolyn Faines said she’d like to schedule a special called meeting to focus on next steps for the jail. That special called meeting will begin at 4 p.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room, according to information received Tuesday morning from County Manager C. Renee Perry.

Following its most recent inspection in December, state inspectors have extended until Feb. 21 the deadline for Brame and staff to address 88 deficiencies outlined in the inspection report.

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“We have a serious problem at our detention center,” Brame told commissioners.

Mitchell said he’s been working on the jail situation for just the past two weeks, and implored commissioners to “pic a direction that we’re going to go in – sooner rather than later.”

Brame and Mitchell said they’ve been in contact with District Attorney Mike Waters, and are developing a plan that targets the “depopulation” of about 20 detainees over the next few weeks.

The idea is to identify low-level offenders currently in jail and either get their bonds reduced or get a plea entered and get them out of jail.

Monday’s census was 161 detainees – 20 or 22 over capacity.

Whether the county decides to make costly repairs to the 50+ year old jail or to build a new one, Mitchell said there’s no two ways about it: “We’re going to have to empty the facility.”

That will mean making arrangements with nearby jails who are willing to house the detainees – for a price. Mitchell said he believes it’ll cost roughly about $70 per detainee per day, but Vance County would still be responsible for all associated costs – from bed frames to canteen items.

“The more we can get out through adjudication,” he said, “it’ll be cheaper on the citizens of Vance County.”

With figures of $5 million for repairs to $40 million-plus for a new jail, commissioners have a lot to think about.

Repairs do not include any expansion of the current facility, and building a new jail could take several years, in County Manager C. Renee Perry’s estimation.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt said the county can’t afford to house inmates elsewhere for five years while a new jail is being built. “We’ve got to make repairs now,” he said.

Perry suggested that the county re-engage with Moseley Architects, a Raleigh firm that has worked with the county in 2022 to provide estimates.

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TownTalk: Vance County Commissioners Meeting – County Water

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County residents who are trying to decide whether to tap into the countywide water system have an incentive: Vance County commissioners have set the signup fee at $125 and have extended the reduced rate to be effective for the duration of construction of Phase 1B.

As Commissioner Tommy Hester explained it, “We’re trying to get as many customers as we possibly can, and the easier we can make it for those customers, the more chance you have for people to come sign up, and so I would like to see us for us to go with …125 no matter what side of the road it’s on for the length of the time of construction.”

Commissioner Dan Brummitt made a motion to do just that, and included all taps throughout the county, not just in the area covered in Phase 1B that includes the Kittrell area.

Special Projects Coordinator Frankie Nobles provided an update to commissioners during the Water Board portion of the Feb. 3 meeting.

He said there was an uptick in signups – 13 additional signups on Feb. 3 alone.

The county will need to schedule a couple of community meetings, Nobles said. Commissioners requested that County Manager C. Renee Perry handle scheduling those meetings in locations in the general Kittrell area.

There are signup forms at the county website www.vancecounty.org.

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library For February

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People are quick to blame social media for many of society’s ills lately, but Melody Peters, Youth Services Librarian at Perry Memorial Library, gives it credit for a growing interest in crafting. So she’s riding that wave and launching a monthly gathering for young people to learn the art of crochet.

“It is a ‘thing,’” Peters said of the renewed interest in the art of crochet, “and a lot of people are doing it.” The first class is Feb. 18 and will continue monthly.

Sticking with a retro theme, the First Friday program continues this Friday, Feb. 7. Participants will make lava lamps, Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

With materials that include baby oil and Alka-Seltzer tablets, Peters said the craft project /STEM activity will come together.

Pre-schoolers will gather at 10:30 a.m. for the activity, and then a mixed-age group of homeschoolers will convene at 1 p.m. to create their lava lamps.

Mental Health Monday is a a new program that Peters is kicking off on Feb. 17 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. It’s a teacher workday, and students are out of school, so she’s offering a special day for teens – ages 12-20 – to take part in a variety of activities including art therapy, “food for your mood” cooking and some time with animals from the local shelter.

The program is designed to help teens focus on “different ways to boost your mood and feel good,” Peters said.

Later in the month, there will be different scavenger hunts that spotlight Black History Month, she said.

And Vance County Commissioner Valencia Perry will be a special guest for Kids Connect on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 4 p.m.

Visit perrylibrary.org for a complete listing of programs, events and services.

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NC Community Foundation Scholarship Info

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The North Carolina Community Foundation administers nearly 140 college scholarships totaling close to $1.8 million. Most of the applications are open until Mar. 3 for students looking for ways to help pay for college.

There is no cost to apply and students can apply online using NCCF’s Universal Scholarships Application, which matches student information with criteria for about 130 scholarships for which they may be eligible.

There are a dozen or so other NCCF scholarships that have separate applications with different due dates. Students should review the criteria for those and follow instructions on how to apply.

All scholarships are established through endowment funds at NCCF with criteria determined by the donor. In 2024, NCCF awarded almost $1.5 million in scholarships to 360 students.

Visit nccommunityfoundation.org/Scholarships for detailed application instructions.

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Cooperative Extension with Micah Sharpe: 4-H Events Happening in the Spring

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On Vance County Cooperative Extension with Micah Sharpe:

The Dinah Gore 4-H Healthy Food Challenge is happening in March. Vance County will take on other teams from other counties in the State. This is a perfect opportunity for kids to showcase their culinary skills.

There will be a Game of Drones Competition in April! Kids have been working on their drones using block code.

Family STEM Night will happen on March 20th at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market from 6pm-8pm. It’s going to be an interactive hands-on evening full of STEM activities for the whole family.

Calling All Teachers! The 4-H Science Embryology Program sign-ups are now open. It’s an opportunity for your students to learn about the life-cycle of chicks. Spot are limited.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension Offices are located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536.

For any questions or to reach out to Micah Sharpe you can contact (252) 438-8188 or mosharpe@ncsu.edu

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