Tag Archive for: #countyofvance

The Local Skinny! Commissioners Approve Tax Revaluation Schedule

/by

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.”

CLICK PLAY!

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Commissioners Hear Presentation From Vaya Health About “Diversion Center” Plans

/by

The Vance County Board of Commissioners got an update on plans by Vaya Health to turn a vacant retail space into a 16-bed “diversion center” designed for individuals who are in a mental health crisis.

There are still many hurdles to cross, Vaya officials said, but first steps include getting support – and ultimately money – from the county to operate the facility. Vaya representatives presented the plan and update during the commissioners’ Nov. 6 meeting.

The space is connected to Tractor Supply on Dabney Drive, and it’s where the former Big Lots store was located.

“There’s not a lot of current space available that can be modified,” said Elliot Clark, Vaya’s community relations regional director.

The site would have to be rezoned, and they’ve spoken with city officials about that, Clark said. “It’s the best option we could find at the best price point,” he said.

The $4.5 million estimate is now a few months old, so the final figure to complete the project may be higher. Vaya is contributing $1.5 million of the total, and they’re pretty confident they can secure significant state funding, but it helps to know that Vance County leaders support the project – financially and otherwise.

The diversion center would serve Granville and Franklin counties, too, and the Vaya reps will ask those two counties for support as well. No definite amounts have been determined, but it could work out to be something along the line of $500,000 per county.

The main idea for this facility it to help take some of the heat off hospital emergency rooms, which often aren’t equipped to handle the specific needs of individuals suffering from behavioral and mental health crises.

“There is significant need in the community,” said Vaya Vice President Donald Reuss, adding that while there are numerous providers across the system, there’s no comprehensive crisis center in place.

Of particular interest is the planned walk-in clinic. “It’s really the core piece,” Reuss said, to support those in crisis and to prevent crises. Individuals can walk in, have access to a therapist or psychiatrist and get meds filled at the in-house pharmacy.

The walk-in clinic will provide “timely access to care when people need it.” The walk-in clinic would follow normal business hours, but the urgent care side would be available 24/7.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Perry Named Vance County Manager

/by

The Vance County board of commissioners has appointed Renee Perry to the position of county manager. Perry, currently Halifax County’s deputy manager, will begin Nov. 1, according to a press statement issued Tuesday morning.

“I am grateful to the Vance County board of commissioners for the opportunity to serve Vance County,” Perry stated in the press release. “I appreciate their faith in me to further their mission and to make Vance County an even greater place to live, work and raise a family. I am excited to begin this journey,” she continued.

Board Chair Yolanda Feimster stated that a recruitment process over the summer resulted in Perry’s selection and that Perry “will assist the board in continuing to achieve its ongoing goals as well as execute major capital projects.”

Commissioner Dan Brummitt told WIZS News Tuesday that commissioners are looking forward to Perry coming on board. “We’re looking forward to her coming in and hitting the ground running,” Brummitt said, adding that Perry would bring “some good energy to the county.”

Before being promoted to the position of deputy manager in Halifax County, Perry spend five years there in leadership roles in Human Resources. She started her work in local government 17 years ago in Greensboro and then spent time in Rockingham County before going to Halifax County.

Perry has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from UNC-Greensboro and a master’s in Public Administration and Human Resource Management from Capella University.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

The Local Skinny! Vance And Granville Benefit From State Budget Appropriations

/by

 

State employees, current and retired, who live in District 32 join others across the state who will see bumps in salaries and retirement checks, thanks to provisions in the budget most recently approved in Raleigh.

In his first months in the N.C. House representing District 32, Frank Sossamon helped secure those provisions, but that’s not all the freshman representative has been busy with.

Sossamon has been involved in attracting a wide variety of programs and projects- with a pricetag of $44 million – to the district.

“I look forward to seeing the great impact these projects will have on my community,” Sossamon said in a press release. “This budget will allow our state to continue to receive recognition as a great place to own a business and live.”

In addition to salaries for teachers and other state workers, the state budget includes $2 billion for water and sewer improvement projects and more than $620 million for behavioral mental health programs. And Sossamon has secured large slices of the budget pie in those two areas to come right here to Vance and Granville counties.

Sossamon spoke with WIZS News Tuesday about being a legislator. “It’s amazing to me the kind of reception I’ve received from the very beginning,” he said, adding that he has been appointed to some important committees, including the powerful Appropriations Committee.

He said he talked with a lot of legislators to make sure District 32 was included in discussions. “I worked hard with every chairman and vice chairman. Not only did we do a proposal for each (project), but I verbally expressed why these projects need to be supported.”

And that hard work seems to have paid off.

Vance-Granville Community College is getting $11.5 million to create an Advanced Manufacturing Center in Granville County’s Triangle North Business Park. “It’s going to be a game changer,” Sossamon said. It will show prospective businesses looking in the area that District 32 can train workers and support business and manufacturing. “This is going to put us in a different position than we’ve ever been in” for recruiting business and industry, he said.

“This makes me feel good that this is now happening and moving forward,” he added.

And $10 million is flowing to the City of Oxford for water improvements with Kerr Lake Regional Water System.

Maria Parham Healthcare Center is getting $5 million to bolster its capacity and ability to improve mental health and substance abuse outcomes.

Other water and sewer projects – including $4 million for Vance County and $5 million for South Granville Water and Sewer round out the 7-figure awards.

Sossamon said the work he does in Raleigh is just part of the overall effort to effect change. “In addition to VGCC, Kerr-Tar COG and economic development leaders, he said “it takes every entity in the district, in each county, every municipality,” he said. “It takes all those, and others, to see these things come to fruition. Everybody has to be going – economically – in the same direction.”

Prospective businesses and industry choose communities for a variety of reasons, not just a pool of trained employees. Education and crime are key indicators, too, and Vance County is getting more than $691,000 to provide the sheriff’s office with body-worn cameras and support equipment. ”We have some appropriation chairs that are pro-law enforcement,” Sossamon noted. “Any time they can support law enforcement, they’re gonna do it.

Sossamon said he predicts the body cameras will be a morale builder for the sheriff and his officers. Having a state-of-the-art department will be a selling point for recruiting, he said.

I’m thrilled for Sheriff Brame,” he said. “I’m elated that this kind of money is coming to the different entities in Vance County to have a better quality of life.”

Hard work lobbying notwithstanding, Sossamon said he is pleased so far with the outcomes for his district.

“I’m trying to do all I can…(for) not just one, but every person.” And that’s what he says he’ll continue to do. “I really want to make our counties better than what they are now.”

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: County Commissioners Adopt Strategic Economic Development Plan

/by

The Vance County Board of Commissioners adopted a strategic plan for economic development at its July 10 meeting that creates a roadmap for future growth over the next few years.

Crystal Morphis, with Creative Economic Development Consulting, walked commissioners through the basic framework of the strategic plan, which she and her team developed over the course of the last year.

Following the presentation, Commissioner Archie Taylor expressed appreciation for the work that went into the plan’s development.

“The easy part is planning – the hard part is doing,” Morphis replied.

As part of the development process, Morphis shared results of a SWOT analysis – the acronym stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – derived from information from almost 100 respondents from across the county.

The plan lists “ordinance enforcement” as a weakness, and, when asked by Commissioner Taylor to explain in greater detail, Morphis said it dealt with appearance and first impressions when a newcomer or prospective business owner visits.

“Code enforcement is so important,” Morphis said, for a community’s beautification and appearance.

Morphis used information and data from the respondents to create a plan tailored to take into account the area’s strengths – interstate access and proximity to urban centers like Raleigh and Durham – while working to address some of the challenges – an unskilled workforce and a lack of available housing, just to name two.

The plan lists five goals and has a three-year implementation timeline that details specific items that need to be achieved over that period:

Goal 1 – Attract, retain and foster start-up businesses

Goal 2 – Make Vance County a choice location

Goal 3 – Attract, develop and retain talent to ensure a strong pipeline for the future

Goal 4 – Strengthen local and regional connections

Goal 5 – Strengthen the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission

During her presentation to the commissioners, Morphis provided information from the respondents on topics such as challenges to growing their business. Some of those challenges include workforce availability, wage growth pressure, workforce training, financing, housing for workforce and finding affordable space to operate a business.

Some of the areas that the respondents wanted to see the county invest more resources in were in attracting new business and retaining existing businesses, and developing amenities like retail, dining and recreation.

Almost half of the respondents – 49 percent – cited personal or hometown connections – to the county as the reason their company is located within Vance County, Morphis noted.

The Kerr-Tar region and the state are seeing a growth in population, but Vance County and its three municipalities all have seen a drop in their overall populations, according to data from the 2010 and 2020 Census. This can also affect the available work force, which also has shrunk in Vance County since 2017, when there was a workforce pool of 17,237 to a November 2022 level of 16,639.

Click Play

 

TownTalk: County Commissioners Hear from Vance Recovery

/by

Vance Recovery is part of the Vance County Substance Abuse Collaborative, a group of providers that work each day to help clients who are battling opioid addiction.

John Mattocks is Vance Recovery’s program director and he spoke on behalf of the county collaborative to Vance County Board of Commissioners during the public comment section of the July 10 meeting.

“We serve 400 people a day burdened by twin epidemics,” Mattocks said, referring to opioid use and overdose.

The individual groups joined forces as a collaborative to try to generate “energy and focus” in light of the risks brought on by opioid use.

“We are ready to serve in whatever capacity would be helpful,” Mattocks told the commissioners.

Vance County is scheduled to receive a share of the $26 billion nationwide opioid settlement and Mattocks said the collaborative stands ready to provide support to county leaders as they determine how and where to spend those funds.

Visit https://www.morseclinics.com/locations/vance-recovery to learn more about the services provided at Vance Recovery.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Commissioners Take Up Fire Services At Board Meeting

/by

Thanks to the wonders of technology, Vance County Board of Commissioners meetings are recorded for the public to play – and, in some cases, replay. WIZS replayed a portion of the July 10 regular monthly meeting during Tuesday’s TownTalk segment, during which the contentious topic of a fire study was discussed.

At its July meeting, the commissioners were expecting to hear from Interim County Manager Scott Elliott about the status of the much-discussed fire study, including staff recommendations that would move forward two of the six bids received from entities interested in completing the work.

Instead, Board Chair Yolanda Feimster invoked her privilege to send to the Public Safety Committee all six bidders for review, after which the committee would make recommendations to the full board at a future meeting.

“So we’re not discussing this tonight?” asked Commissioner Tommy Hester, upon hearing Feimster’s request, who in essence interrupted Elliott as he prepared to make his report to the board.

When Hester asked Feimster the reason for her decision, she replied that she didn’t have to give one. Hester argued that the whole board approved that a study be done, and Commissioner Leo Kelly, Jr. echoed Hester’s sentiments that it should be the board’s decision to make and not the Public Safety Committee.

Hester then made a motion that the whole board consider the fire study, which Commissioner Archie Taylor seconded.

That motion later was withdrawn, however, following discussion by various commissioners – sometimes talking over one another – about how the process should be carried out.

A subsequent motion was made by Hester, seconded by Taylor, to postpone any decision until the August meeting.

Commissioners Hester, Archie Taylor and Leo Kelly, Jr. voted in favor of the motion. Commissioners Dan Brummitt, Sean Alston and Carolyn Faines voted against the motion, giving Feimster, as chair, the tie-breaking vote. The motion failed on her nay vote and the issue of the fire study will be sent to the Public Safety Committee for review.

County staff reviewed the six proposals and recommended two for consideration by the board – the whole board.

But now, the Public Safety Committee will review – again – all six proposals and is expected to make its own recommendation to the commissioners in August.

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Interim County Manager Sees Potential

/by

Interim Vance County Manager Scott Elliott said he fell in love with North Carolina during an internship at the Forsyth County Planning Department during the summer when he was in college at the University of Wisconsin.

In the decades since that internship, Elliott has worked in various counties across the state. He retired after more than 20 years in Pitt County, coming off 15 years in Robeson, Alamance and Guilford.

If you’re counting, that’s only five of the state’s 100 counties, but Elliott said it didn’t seem to faze local leaders that their prospective interim manager had only seen Vance County from inside a vehicle traveling along I-85.

“I knew very little to nothing about Vance County,” Elliott said in an interview recorded for Wednesday’s TownTalk. “I think the board actually liked that,” because it meant that he could deal with situations in an objective way – “no preconceived notions,” he added.

Case in point: the county’s fire services. Elliott said commissioners did take the staff recommendation for a fire services study to take place. Requests for proposals went out last week as a first step toward resolution, and Elliott said a selection could be made this month.

The search process for a county manager is underway, and Elliott said there could be an announcement sometime in the fall.

He’s only been in place for about a month, but Elliott’s early evaluation is positive.

“There are a lot of good things here in Vance County,” Elliott said.  The I-85 corridor and the industrial park are just two bright spots that show potential, he said, adding that there were some job announcements “brewing” that could come to fruition soon.

Bringing consensus to the board room is always a goal, and Elliott said it’s always good when commissioners listen and approve staff recommendations. When dealing with any group – elected officials or otherwise – there’s bound to be numerous opinions and perspectives.

“There will always be disagreement,” Elliott said, “but it can be a productive disagreement.”

 

 

ICYMI: Vance County Fire Services

/by

In the ongoing conversations among county leaders about the future of the Vance County Fire Department, many things remain unresolved. But when county commissioners approved the 2023-24 budget on June 14, a couple of issues were addressed, including raising the hourly pay for part-time firefighter to $15 from $14 and agreeing to conduct a fire study.

Following the budget adoption meeting, Interim County Manager Scott Elliott told WIZS News, “At the July 10 meeting, staff will bring forth the proposed scope of the work to be conducted by the fire study and seek board approval and for execution of a contract.”

Dozens of citizens – many of them affiliated with one of the county’s fire departments – attended a meeting of the county’s Public Safety Committee on June 7. Over the last 45 days in particular, citizens and those in the fire service have continued to express their concerns about the proposal from the committee to restructure the Vance County Fire Department.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt, a member of the committee, maintained that the fire department will not be dismantled; rather, paid staff would be reduced by attrition and more volunteers would be added to that department’s roster. The ultimate goal is to provide 24/7 fire coverage across the county, Brummitt said, but it can’t all happen at once.

With the budget in place, a hiring freeze in place, and the study coming, the board, with a great deal of county staff help, has preserved its option to act on the study, including amending the budget.

After the June 14 meeting, Finance Director Katherine Bigelow said, “What is being approved is freezing the four vacant Vance County Fire Department positions and their capital expenses consisting of turnout gear and fire boots, for example,” as she went over some items with WIZS.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Discussion Continues On County Budget And Fire Services

/by

All sides of the current debate over county fire protection should be able to agree on one thing: the end goal is to provide the county with the best services with the resources that are available.

Resources include money, of course, as well as equipment like fire trucks and the people needed to work – either paid staff or volunteers – at the 10 departments that cover the whole county.

What is at the center of the debate, however, is which path to take to arrive at that goal.

The county’s Public Safety Committee has presented a plan to the full board of commissioners set to be reviewed on Wednesday, June 14, as part of the budget approval process.

At stake, it seems, is the future of the Vance County Fire Department/Golden Belt: Will it continue to be the only independent fire department or will commissioners adopt the committee’s proposal to have it be staffed with paid staff and volunteers, like the other nine fire departments that serve the county?

Commissioner Dan Brummitt insists that the Golden Belt district will not be dismantled; rather, it simply will add volunteers to existing paid staff. The staff would be reduced by attrition – positions would not be filled when people retire, resign or otherwise leave their jobs.

The proposal includes having four departments respond to structure fires, a move that Brummitt said would help departments that may not have a full complement of firefighters during all shifts.

“The avenue that this committee and board are approaching is being reactive instead of proactive,” said Chris Wright, chief of the Vance County Fire Department. Wright also serves as the county’s fire marshal.

And there is little support among the volunteer departments for the committee’s proposal. Many of them submitted written statements to the county to express their opinions, wishes and needs.

Cokesbury Volunteer Fire Chief Adam Pegram said his department is not in favor of the restructure plan. The commissioners’ decision to allocate part-time positions for all volunteer fire departments has had a positive impact on the county’s ability to provide fire services, Pegram noted in a letter submitted to the county. He and his team “would like to see an increase of personnel to build on to the Fire Service instead of taking away from the force that’s already in action. I believe we should take the recommendations of the County Administration to look at increasing part-time funding in an effort to increase personnel to add to, versus stretching it thinner and keeping the allotted funding and increasing the pay rate of hourly staff,” he stated. He favors a longer-range plan over 5-10 years to ease into 24-hour staffing while maintaining the current county fire department as it is.

“The Vance  County Fire Department is a big supporter for all other departments in many ways and delivers great support to all volunteers,” Pegram said.

The Bearpond Rural Fire Department’s board of directors weighed in and, instead of coming down on one side or the other, offered a series of ideas for the commissioners to consider, including paying part-time staff $17/hr. to be competitive with surrounding counties and increasing the $100,000 county allotment to help with equipment expenses.

“Our department has taken the burden of purchasing a ladder truck to better serve our industry and community and to lower our ISO rating at the time of the next inspection. We have more industries in our district than any other department,” the letter stated. Bearpond is the busiest department in the county, which translates to higher fuel costs, maintenance and upkeep. And if more firefighters complete more shifts, costs for utilities and more will increase as well.

If the county decides to place county personnel at Bearpond, “they must fall under Bearpond Rural Fire Department’s personnel policy and shall answer to the Chief and Assistant Chief.”

Powell Wilkins is the chief of Epsom Fire and Rescue and said he and his team are not in favor of the restructure plan, but do advocate for the $17/hr pay rate. They also like the idea of increasing staff at Hicksboro and Bearpond to attain 24/5 coverage. Wilkins stated that a long-range plan should be drafted to support the growth and work toward giving each county department 24/5 coverage.

Chad Blake, chief at Hicksboro, said his department wants more funding for the Thomas Road substation, which Blake said they’ve been asking for since 2009. So far, they have gotten a single $10,000 allotment. The Satterwhite Road substation, meanwhile, receives $33,000.

“We would  like to  request the same figure as them because we see it as the same. They are both substations and insurance rates will triple if they were not there,” he noted

Blake said the four-department response may be something that could work within the county. “This would be a start and then each year (we) build off of it.”

The firefighters at Drewry are “adamantly opposed” to the restructure plan, according to the letter they submitted to commissioners and said it is “clearly detrimental to the citizens of Vance County due to the lack of emergency responders that would be dispatched to assist at any given time.”

What they would support, said Chief Charles Holtzman, is a plan that would put in place 24-hour staffing in all volunteer departments and leaving the Vance County Fire Department as it is.

According to the letter from Drewry, a committee formed in August 2020 was given the task to develop a strategic plan for the departments. Having part-time staff in all departments was one item within that plan, and “it is time to continue moving forward with staffing our volunteer departments with 24-hour staffing. The safety of our community and the citizens and residents of Vance County will always be a top priority for the Drewry Volunteer Fire Department and we sincerely hope that the Board of Vance County Commissioners will strongly consider the information we have provided regarding our position with respect to the restructuring of the Vance County Fire Department.”

The 28 members of the Watkins Volunteer Fire Department along with its board of directors are not in favor of the proposed re-structure, stating that it would “severely disrupt” services and would make community members and visitor vulnerable. “We feel strongly that such drastic changes should be phased in over time and until the phase in is  complete, the Vance County Fire Department should continue to operate and provide services” as it has for many years.

They advocated for a $17/hr. pay rate for part-timers and an increase in the $100,000 allotment from the county.

Watkins Chief Brian Clayton and Board President Joel Harris signed the letter to commissioners, which also included a suggestion that more a than one representative from the  Vance County fire service should have a seat on the Fire Commission as well as on the Public Safety Committee

“We believe that the process of putting paid staff in the stations should continue as was started in 2012. During this time two departments were strategically picked to house personnel from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Several years later in 2019 all the departments were approved to have the same amount of staffing. To continue this trend with the goal of 24/7 staffing we believe that the next phase should be 24/7 people in two selected departments while maintaining the integrity of the Vance County Fire Department until ALL stations have 24/7 staffing. The remaining stations will receive 24/7 staffing over the next 10 years. “

In Kittrell, Chief Tony Dement said there is a need for updated living quarters, a kitchen remodel and a dedicated training room. The paid staff need a place that is apart from the common dayroom space.

That’s just for the employees – Dement said his department needs additional equipment, including an engine, a brush truck, pagers, a tanker and more to “give my citizens the coverage they need.”

 

 

CLICK PLAY!