The Vance County Board of Commissioners and county staff spent Friday, Jan. 31 at a planning retreat to discuss a wide range of issues, ranging from conditions and maintenance needs at the county detention center and creation of a possible emergency services complex to changing the property tax revaluation cycle and next steps in filling the District 3 vacancy.
Instead of holding a special called meeting to discuss the potential appointees, the commissioners opted to use the scheduled Feb. 17 work session to possibly choose the person who will fill the District 3 seat, previously held by Sean Alston. The work session is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
County Manager C. Renee Perry said although five individuals had submitted their names for consideration, one of them does not meet the criterion of being affiliated with the Democratic party – therefore, that individual’s name will not move forward in the process.
Perry did not name the individual.
The retreat took place in the commissioners’ meeting room, and the first agenda item was capital improvements – specifically the jail, EMS/Fire Main Station, EMS substation and the commissioners meeting room.
Among those speaking to commissioners were Sheriff Curtis Brame and Major William Mitchell, who shared information needed maintenance and repairs and answered questions about existing conditions at a facility that was described as having a “history of neglect.”
Brame and Mitchell had plenty of examples about conditions at the jail, from broken doors to antiquated monitoring systems.
Jail staff got a quote of $85,000 to rehang brand-new heavy steel doors on big, heavy steel hinges that inmates managed to dismantle in less than a minute.
“It took less than 30 seconds – they wedged broom handles behind the hinges until they were sprung,” Mitchell explained. This is not a repair job that the current maintenance staff can complete without help, he continued.
County Manager C. Renee Perry said she intends to ask commissioners to consider a plan for jail maintenance at their February meeting, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3.
Commissioners also discussed a second possible site for an EMS substation in the northern part of the county. Perry said she would provide information at the Feb. 3 meeting for commissioners to consider. The board previously had agreed to pursue another tract, but a couple of commissioners expressed concern about the slope of the property. This second tract is 6.5 acres and significantly flatter, according to Frankie Nobles, special projects coordinator.
After a lunch break, the commissioners discussed pros and cons of the current tax revaluation cycle.
Vance County is one of 30 counties across the state that uses an eight-year cycle.
Warren County uses the 8-year cycle; Franklin and Granville counties are on 6-year cycles; Halifax, Lee and Person counties are on 4-year cycles.
Commissioners expressed concern about the cost of more frequent revaluations and the financial feasibility of using in-house staff to complete the reval process instead of hiring outside contractors.
As for progress being made in using the close to $2 million in opioid settlement funds that the county has received so far, commissioners would like to reconvene a meeting of community stakeholders, from county leaders to mental health experts, public health staff, DSS, law enforcement and others to gather input about how to spend the money.
So far, the county has disbursed zero dollars, according to Special Projects Coordinator Frankie Nobles.
Perry said she would work to convene a meeting of stakeholders in March.
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