TownTalk: More On Vance County Jail
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TownTalk: Sheriff Brame Discusses Detention Center With County Commissioners
As Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame sees it, this county needs a new jail, no two ways about it. He’s said it before and he said it again during an April 15 commissioners’ work session, during which commissioners reviewed several options from an architect’s needs assessment and received an update on current conditions from the sheriff.
Commissioners agree that something needs to be done, but as the old saying goes, “All it takes is time and money.”
Replacing the jail comes with a $42 million price tag, according to the assessment by Moseley Architects. An expansion would cost north of $31 million and repairing the existing facility would cost more than $5.2 million, according to the architect’s report. Board Chair Dan Brummitt speculated that even if the board decided now to build a new jail, it would be between five and eight years before the first detainee would be housed there.
There are no easy answers to the challenges that face the aging jail, but Brame said he’s worried about the lack of basic safety measures being in place – for detainees and for staff.
He said the jail has 20 staff openings right now, and that overnight staffing is sparse at best. Hiring is difficult, he said, partly because of the salary offered and partly because of the jail conditions.
“Pay does help,” Brame told commissioners. “We do need an increase in pay. But they will not come because they feel unsafe … those inmates could take over the facility any time they want to.”
The county recently spent half a million dollars to replace security doors at the jail, but Brummitt said they were not installed properly and the Georgia company that installed them has not returned to finish the job to the county’s satisfaction.
County Manager C. Renee Perry said she would look at the terms of the contract to determine if the county has any recourse in the matter.
There are other more routine maintenance issues that need attention, and the jail does have an employee who handles them, but other issues like replacing light fixtures and moving outlets away from inmates’ reach are things that require an electrician.
And tradespeople don’t want to do the work because it’s unsafe.
“We have an unsafe facility down there,” Brame said, “from the doors, to how it’s designed, to staffing.”
Commissioner Sean Alston said there are federal grants to apply for help with paying for a new jail and he is hopeful that recent talks with Don Davis and others are going to pay dividends in that area.
Perry said she had submitted to Davis two capital projects for funding consideration – the jail and a new EMS building.
It all comes down to safety, Brame said. “We’ve got a lot of dangerous people in our facility,” 40 in jail for murder. Between June 2021 and July 2022, there were 26 major incidents that occurred in the jail, including death, rape and assault.
From 2019 to 2024, Brame said there were 636 incidents at the jail that came in to 911 – from the jail. “Ninety percent of our people are violent offenders,” Brame said.
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TownTalk: County Commissioners April 1 Meeting Coverage
Monday’s (4-1-24) Vance County Commissioners meeting was an example of local government at work: there was a little bit of everything, from employee recognition, a few zoning requests, a proclamation, a public comment period and some motions made and approved to keep things moving in the right direction.
Frankie Nobles introduced Michelle Green as the Employee of the Month and said she had received several different nominations from colleagues at the Emergency Operations Department. As a telecommunicator, Green goes above and beyond, Nobles told commissioners. With a mind on teamwork, Green’s initiative and motivation are ever-present when she steps in and steps up to cover shifts or lend a helping hand to colleagues.
Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry officially introduced Stephanie Williams as the county’s new budget and finance director. April 1 marked Williams’s first day on the job and she had taken her seat beside Perry.
As a formality, the board appointed Williams and it became official. Williams told commissioners that she is looking forward to working with the board and to help all the citizens of Vance County.
Commissioners observed April as National Fair Housing Month, and also reminded residents that the NC DOT Spring Litter Sweep runs from April 13-27.
One county resident signed up to address the board about concerns he has about people discharging guns in the vicinity of his residence.
View the meeting in its entirety on YouTube.
The next scheduled commissioners’ meeting is May 6.
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The Local Skinny! County Commissioners Discuss Unified Development Ordinance
Vance County commissioners unanimously approved at the April 1 meeting a partnership with a company to help in the creation of a Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO, designed to bring consistency to county regulations with regard to property development.
The county’s Planning/Environmental committee reviewed a proposal at its most recent meeting in mid-March from NFOCUS, and County Manager C. Renee Perry recommended to the full board that NFOCUS be given the job of bringing under one “umbrella” document the various sets of regulations that govern development within the county.
Perry told the commissioners that funding the project is in the current budget, with the second half of the payment to be made next year.
A UDO is a comprehensive document that brings together the full complement of a county’s policies and regulations and works to eliminate conficting language among the various sets of rules.
Perry also told commissioners that part of the scope of work of NFOCUS would be to align county regulations with existing state regulations; NFOCUS, she said, had identified several inconsistencies in county documents that do not comply with NC General Statutes Chapter 160D that talks about minimum model regulations.
NFOCUS will provide support to the county for two years after completing the project.
According to information from the UNC School of Government, “Chapter 160D of the N.C. General Statutes consolidated city- and county-enabling statutes for development regulations and reassembled them into a more logical, coherent organization. While the new law did not make major policy changes or shifts in the scope of authority granted to local governments, it did provide clarifying amendments and consensus reforms.”
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TownTalk: Citizens Receive Property Tax Evaluation Notices
Now that notices have been sent out to Vance County property owners about the revaluation, there are a few things to keep in mind if you don’t agree with the updated figures. Just keep in mind that property owners who appeal the newly revised appraisals can expect one of three determinations from the appeals process: the figure could go down, remain the same, or it could go UP, depending on the evidence that is presented during the appeals process.
Informal appeals will take place first, during which county officials predict that many of the appeals will be settled. A formal appeals process will follow and if an agreement can’t be reached, property owners can appeal to a state review board.
There also are programs that are available to qualified homeowners that could result in a lower tax bill. One program is for the elderly or disabled homeowner and one is for disabled veterans.
Visit www.vancecounty.org, click on the Departments tab at the top and select Tax Administration Office. Details about the appeals process is located here, as well as information about the property tax relief programs.
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TownTalk: Property Tax Revaluation
Property owners in Vance County have been waiting – and waiting – for those tax revaluation notices to hit their mailboxes, but so far, it’s just bills, junk mail and candidates’ postcards.
At their board meeting on Mar. 4, commissioners were told that the notices would be sent out “in the next few weeks.”
In a followup conversation with Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry earlier Monday, Perry reported that Tax Administrator Porcha Brooks said the notices will go out by the end of this week.
County residents have been bracing for news of what most certainly will be an increase in the value of their property – it’s been eight years since the last revaluation, after all. Expected increases in Vance County range from 67 percent to 72 percent, with a base increase of 55 percent. And that doesn’t include the actual land values, said Ryan Vincent, who updated commissioners during last week’s meeting.
Most all of the county’s property owners will see an increase in their property revaluation – 93 percent, in fact. And it all will be revealed in those notices, which were originally supposed to be received in February.
In addition to indiviudals and businesses, however, county staff and elected officials also need that information to inform their budget process, which is usually approved before the new fiscal year begins July 1.
Once property owners get their new valuations, they have time to appeal if they don’t agree, said Ryan Vincent, whose company was in charge of this revaluation process, which began a couple of years ago.
“The plan is to mail notices in the next two to three weeks,” Vincent explained to commissioners on Mar. 4. The notices are NOT bills; tax bills would be sent in summer 2024.
Vincent said the deadline to appeal is May 6; after that, the county’s Equalization and Review Board would begin the process of deliberating the appeals.
Right now, the seven county commissioners serve as the E&R board; Commissioner Tommy Hester’s motion on Mar. 4 to form a separate board failed.
The 2016 revaluation saw 640 property owners appeal the tax value of their properties. Of those, all but 11 were settled during the informal appeals process and were settled within the tax department. Those 11 came before the board of commissioners, acting as the E&R board, for a decision.
This year’s revaluation most likely will bring a higher volume of appeals, simply because it’s been eight years since the last valuation, when some property owners even saw a decrease in their property’s assessed value.
Vincent said commissioners should plan to allow for “anywhere from 10 to 20 to maybe 30 working days to hear the appeals,” with those being full days – 6-8 hours each. “It’s a substantial time commitment,” he said, and something that likely couldn’t be done during regular evening meetings of the commissioners.
That’s on top of extra budget sessions that will undoubtedly be held over the next few months.
The E&R board must have a quorum – that’s four commissioners – to hold the hearings.
Perry stated “it’s definitely a tight timeline” but that “the plan is for the Board of E&R to open on May 6 and close on June 3. Appeals can be submitted as soon as notices are received. The last day to appeal will be June 3.” Vincent had noted to commissioners on Mar. 4 that the appeals window would be from April 1 to May 6, but Perry confirmed Monday that those dates had been adjusted since the commissioners’ meeting.
The City of Henderson also is dependent on the results of this revaluation process as it plans for the new budget, and City Manager Terrell Blackmon said he and his staff asked for – and received – the information from the county as soon as it was available.
In a written statement to WIZS News, Blackmon said, “Just for reference, the City is not just now looking at the schedule of values…and we have been using the data we have to begin working through the FY 24-25 budget process. The City’s Finance staff and I have already completed our preliminary budget meetings with all department heads and we are crunching numbers as we speak trying to balance expenses with projected revenues based on our current tax rate and other various scenarios tied to the new schedule of values resulting from the revaluation process. Staff and Council are aware of the potential burden taxpayers may experience when there is a revaluation and we will try to remain revenue neutral as a goal. However, we also have to keep in mind that the City’s tax base has remained fairly unchanged the past several years… but our expenses continue to increase due to employee retention and other inflationary factors that impact our service delivery and ability to improve the City’s infrastructure. We will work to find a balance that’s beneficial to both the City and our citizens.”
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TownTalk: Vance County Government Vacancies
Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry has wasted no time in posting job descriptions for several county positions that are either currently vacant or will be vacant in the next few weeks.
Perry is responsible for hiring a new budget and finance director – the previous director was terminated on Feb. 9 – and a new economic development director after outgoing director McKinley Perkinson leaves on Mar. 19.
It puts Perry in an unenviable spot of having to find new people to take important leadership roles, but she maintains a positive outlook.
“The only thing I can do is continue to recruit and look for the best candidate for each position and just hope and pray that when they come in the door they see me as a manager that wants to support them and take Vance County in a different direction,” Perry said in a recent interview with WIZS News.
The salary range for the job of economic development director is $80,076 to $104,099, according to the job posting on https://www.vancecounty.org/.
Benny Finch held that job for 25 years, but since his retirement in 2009, there have been a number of directors, each short-lived in their time with the county.
Perry said before Perkinson, “There were two or three people that didn’t stay long, so I guess my plan is just to try to get someone that wants to come here and make this home.” “It might be a little difficult…the only thing I can do is just take a chance and see how it goes – it’s definitely a revolving door.”
The salary range is a pretty healthy one, but candidates for the job should take a deep breath before taking a peek at the job description posted online: There are 14 bullet points under the heading of “Essential Job Functions” and 18 bullet points under the “Knowledge, Skills and Abilities” heading.
The ideal candidate has a four-year college degree and experience in the area of economic development.
In addition to those nuts-and-bolts skills that an effective employee needs, the economic development director also must possess those “soft skills” – think interpersonal skills, being a liaison among different groups exercising good judgment and meeting deadlines – that are so important when cultivating relationships and attracting new business.
The job description states that the economic development director works under the “general direction” of the county manager and economic development board.
Perry said as she seeks to fill the vacancies, she’ll be building a strong team to move the county forward.
“I’m hopeful that, with my leadership, things will be different…I just know that I’m looking at the end goal with making Vance County great. It’s already good – we’re just going to make it better.”
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The Local Skinny! Vance County Commissioners Meet
Dan Brummitt is the newly elected chair of the Vance County Board of Commissioners. The District 4 representative was selected in a 5-2 vote during the Dec. 4 regular monthly meeting.
Leo Kelly was elected vice chair in a 4-3 vote.
Brummitt thanked outgoing chairperson Yolanda Feimster for her time as chair, saying it’s been a “very trying year,” mentioning the search for a new county manager as one of the challenges on the county’s plate. “Thank you for your leadership through this process,” Brummitt continued.
The commissioners got an update on the two instances of elevated lead reported to the county by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
The samples were taken from residential taps as part of a routine lead service inventory. The next step, most likely, is to take samples from the water system. The county now is waiting to hear back from the state about what will occur next.
In her report, County Manager Renee Perry asked commissioners to consider allowing the fire department to purchase personal protective equipment that will most likely be needed before preliminary results of the fire study are released in early 2024.
In her first few weeks as county manager, Perry said she has been meeting with various department heads within the county government. The budget that was approved in June included a freeze on capital expenditures, and Perry asked the commissioners to allow the fire department to purchase the PPE.
Brummitt, who also chairs the Public Safety Committee, said this request should be reviewed by the Public Safety Committee before a decision is made. The next meeting of Public Safety Committee is Dec. 20.
Brummitt told Perry that the committee had asked fire officials for a complete inventory of equipment, with expiration dates noted.
As part of the ongoing employee engagement efforts, County Finance Director Katherine Bigelow recognized Kathy Hope, who has worked in the finance department since July 2021, when Bigelow said “we stole her” from the Department of Social Services. Hope began working with DSS in December 2006 as a Medicaid caseworker.
Bigelow said Hope is a “truly exceptional” employee who doesn’t merely complete her work, but she elevates her work to a higher level. Her innovative thinking, unwavering dedication and positivity make her a valuable member of the county’s team.
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TownTalk: Follow-Up On Report Of Elevated Lead Levels In Two County Locations
At a work session last week, one of the items that Vance County commissioners discussed was a notice from the state’s division of water quality about two instances of excessive lead levels in county drinking water.
Although the source has not been determined to date, the county’s Special Projects Manager Frankie Nobles told the commissioners during that work session on Nov. 20 that proper notification about the lead levels is one point that the county must address by Wednesday, Nov. 29.
In addition to publishing and posting flyers, Nobles said additional information would be sent out in upcoming bills.
The county buys its water from the city, and Kerr Lake Regional Water System director Christy Lipscomb told WIZS News Monday by phone that she was unaware of the notice received by county staff.
Lipscomb said regulations state that water systems must perform 60 point of testing every three years to check lead and copper levels. And KLRWS is on what Lipscomb called a “diminished schedule” of only 30 tests every three years because there are so few problems with elevated levels.
The most recent testing took place in August, Lipscomb said. The result? Zero “hits,” or problems.
The two locations – one on Warrenton Road and one on Vicksboro Road – showed twice the allowable levels of lead at .030 MG/L. The threshold is .015 MG/L.
“The local health department regularly tests for child lead exposure in our child health clinics (it’s a simple blood test),” said Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison. “If any levels are elevated, we have a team of one environmental health specialist together with one nurse who go together into the home to do further environmental testing,” Harrison told WIZS News in an email Monday.
Child health appointments can be made by calling the health department for those who wish to have their children tested. This can also be done easily at a local doctor’s office or pediatrician’s office. The GVPH team is notified regardless if there are concerns for any child tested for lead exposure, Harrison explained.
To learn more, visit https://www.gvph.org/services/environmental-health-services/childrens-environmental-health/
The source of the lead most likely is not from the water supply itself, but from pipes or other sources at the two individual locations. No details about the two addresses were shared at the work session.
Commissioner Dan Brummitt noted during the work session that the water system specs provided for construction without use of materials that contain lead, including the use of solder.
Water doesn’t naturally contain lead, but water can be contaminated with lead through lead pipes and other infrastructure used to bring water to individual households. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets and plumbing fixtures. Certain pipes that carry drinking water from the water source to the home may contain lead. Household plumbing fixtures, welding solder, and pipe fittings made before 1986 may also contain lead.
Find more information at https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/sources/water.htm
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The Local Skinny! Commissioners Approve Tax Revaluation Schedule
When Vance County residents get those much-anticipated tax bills early next year, just remember one thing: It’s been eight years since the last revaluation, so any increase – and most certainly there will be an increase – has occurred over eight years, not just one.
That reminder came from Ryan Vincent of Vincent Valuations, the company hired to complete the revaluation process.
Vincent spoke to the Vance County Board of Commissioners at the Nov. 6 meeting to request that the board adopt the scheduled values that were presented.
The commissioners did approve the request, so the next step is to publish the announcement in the local newspaper for four consecutive weeks and then they will be officially adopted.
And soon after that, tax bills will hit mailboxes throughout the county.
Commissioner Dan Brummitt explained in a phone interview after the meeting that there are values associated with different types of homes – brick versus stick-built, custom home versus tract-style – and inspectors assign each property to a level, which ultimately affects the tax value.
This most recent revaluation process involved individual exterior inspections of every residence, and walking the property to measure it.
“That’s typically not done every time,” Brummitt said.
Vincent said the county will work Atlas, a contract and mapping company, to help address disputes that taxpayers may have with the revaluation results.
He noted that there are “fairly substantial increases throughout the county” with this revaluation. The previous revaluation was done in 2016, which resulted in a drop in tax values.
Brummitt said the county encourages residents to speak up with questions they may have when they get their tax bills.
“Nobody’s going to understand it until they get their appraisal,” he said. “Some people will be validated in their complaints.”
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