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Hawkins presented a summary of an earlier courthouse assessment and data showing rising court caseloads and a higher jail population. “Gaston County Sheriff's Office and detention officers are responsible for processing approximately 1,900 individuals through the main entry of the courthouse on a daily basis,” he said in the presentation packet. He noted the courthouse houses 12 courtrooms used daily and that court security needs vary by courtroom: district court typically needs one deputy per courtroom under “perfect circumstances” and superior court typically needs two deputies per courtroom, with more deputies required for high-profile proceedings.

Hawkins told the board the courthouse’s operating footprint is large — county materials prepared with public-works figures listed roughly 270,000 square feet total (with about 184,000 square feet in regular use) — and that current courthouse sheriff staffing in February showed 21 full-time supervisors, deputies and detention officers assigned to the courthouse. He said the jail population has increased significantly since 2013, from an average daily population of 493 in 2013 to 661 in 2024, creating more inmate transports and court movement duties for sheriff’s staff.

The sheriff described multiple operational responsibilities that consume deputy time: front-entry screening and bag searches (the office lacks an X-ray machine), daily movement of inmates between jail and holding areas, courtroom coverage, security sweeps, three daily money escorts and frequent responses to disturbances throughout the building. Hawkins said some other courthouse offices have increased staff in recent years — the district attorney’s office added five positions since 2021 and the clerk’s office added 14 since 2000 — while courthouse sheriff staffing has not increased proportionally.

Commissioners pressed for detail and context. Several commissioners said they had observed empty courtrooms on afternoon Fridays and asked how deputies are scheduled and whether staff are being maximized. Captain Ben Henderson, on the sheriff’s team, said many courtrooms run in the morning and slow by early afternoon; that does not eliminate other courthouse duties, he said, and judges may extend or alter courtroom schedules on short notice. Deputy scheduling is influenced by judges’ lists: sheriff staff request the courtroom schedule and inmate lists by 4 p.m. the prior day to plan deputy assignments.

Commissioners requested more data to analyze staffing patterns and utilization. Commissioner Scott Sheehan and others suggested a walkthrough on a typical court day and a deeper staffing analysis to identify where deputies are assigned and whether resources can be reallocated. The sheriff said he will provide requested staffing and movement data; he also said five courthouse positions he requested in an earlier budget presentation remain a stated need and that the county had sought to offset some positions through state funding discussions.

Clarifying details from the sheriff’s packet: the presentation lists 12 courtrooms in the Gaston County Courthouse, roughly 184,000 sq ft in regular operation, 13 courtroom spaces with 12 used daily at the time of the packet, jail daily average population of 661 in 2024 (compared with 493 in 2013), and approximately 230 courthouse employees (including staff from multiple offices) who work in the courthouse. Hawkins asked commissioners to review staffing data and consider additional courthouse manpower in future budget discussions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Gaston County Board of Commissioners August 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Sheriff Chad Hawkins asked commissioners to address long-standing staff shortages at the Gaston County Courthouse, citing increased caseloads, a larger county population and operational strain on deputies who manage inmate movement, courtroom security and courthouse operations.","taxTitle","Gaston County, North Carolina","taxId",4853,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6502118,"Gaston County launches Engage Gaston platform to expand online public engagement",670,2344000,3014000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5566427-93723479c2d858acf25cfa05318c76e3&start=2344&end=3014","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5566427-93723479c2d858acf25cfa05318c76e3/thumbnail_2344000.jpg","/articles/6502118/Gaston-County/North-Carolina/Gaston-County-launches-Engage-Gaston-platform-to-expand-online-public-engagement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6502118-30103fec5e111c6a29c4d29722e68891/orig.mp4?Expires=1775407351&Signature=IIx3ZnZsdecc5-kJklQg34Vyreb88sxiynK2cQ62NdpWw~~AtYWCeJ870R9gL7wAx07v1kt-ZSQe45HwkoC1dOf8-qk957iYaVv9Li1FQabFkgV3DArgGbvhuEZ0VE4KiFaClwH7-ZeJZBnwiJ9kH7B38g6OaRGyZSu1iT3PWQBQkbXEFi6uL-spWlfPOGumGMGI1CdkcKro9koWwjHnVJpoIAdwiaJeE-rbBdFe06xB5TZzencfRCY-wV~QSKAWj6-4VH8CoIUC5aZgjVvcG~kMhx6AH9ts75bdVjit6iVu5~HVcA0Aka5eAcOPifo2Elyu1IPvrdqef-aEGrye7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Gaston County planners and staff demonstrated a new online engagement platform on Tuesday called Engage Gaston, built on the Social Pinpoint platform, that county staff said will let residents take surveys, drop comments on interactive maps and review project materials online.

Transportation planner Juan Garcia and Jamie (Jamie Kimberlu in the transcript) from Planning and Zoning explained that the platform hosts multiple project hubs — including an Envision Gaston project and the comprehensive transportation plan — and provides tools such as interactive maps, online surveys, comment upvoting and document hosting for large plans and site plans.

“As we go through, the consultants will be updating these slides for us,” Jamie said while describing the Envision Gaston project home page, the online survey and a map feature that lets users place comments and view other residents’ contributions. The presenters showed a conditional rezoning case (Holly Springs) that produced higher levels of online engagement through the platform than the county had previously seen for similar cases, with several hundred comments for some projects.

Juan Garcia said the platform’s built-in analytics help transform thousands of public comments into summarized insights for consultants and staff. Central features staff cited: the ability to host large documents (site plans of 20 pages or more), multilingual support (including Spanish translation), comment moderation options and a mailing list for updates. Centralina and other county departments were listed among early project participants.

Commissioners asked about language accessibility, moderation of “NIMBY” or abusive comments and how staff will use the output. Garcia said the platform can present content in multiple languages and that comment moderation may be configured per project; staff said they will work with the county’s legal team to develop a comment-moderation policy that balances open public input with legal transparency obligations. Jamie said consultants will synthesize comments into analytics reports and that the county can provide comment reports to commissioners, including for rezoning cases.

The county said Engage Gaston is already being used for the comprehensive transportation plan and several planning cases and that staff will expand use across additional departments. Garcia and Jamie invited commissioners and residents to engage with the sites and said the county will run a second round of public outreach for the transportation plan in the coming months.","County planning and other departments introduced a Social Pinpoint-powered portal called Engage Gaston, showing project hubs, interactive maps and analytics to gather public input for planning and rezoning work.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6502123,"Gaston County staff present updated countywide strategic plan, emphasize employee culture and efficiency",708,1499000,2207000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5566427-93723479c2d858acf25cfa05318c76e3&start=1499&end=2207","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5566427-93723479c2d858acf25cfa05318c76e3/thumbnail_1499000.jpg","/articles/6502123/Gaston-County/North-Carolina/Gaston-County-staff-present-updated-countywide-strategic-plan-emphasize-employee-culture-and-efficiency","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6502123-d255165b17822ba91bbc038edbf3d8e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775407351&Signature=i~xr30KaobRxV8jSkumG4r3qyJXHBokd4Lb21C~DCVaZco58UA9sfvhSgKp8A1I01in51z7pvbrzL~3AXa28Lg1QOUHyNsBeO9f2byILs8wdYWvYOAQwVQXCoRo0cue9sbclb8JkbEz8AbCGJbEfcOJtOnxyCVKO73h-RksjOsHtjCmTskYabs00QOsBMUcniNSI~uI6d3uUxyOlbnQFDhwta0G3-4bUrFNMCOG7lQtSQHa~1f6Sh9TEhAM1cVQepyZTmAcAJxiCv1tW4pOuAK-SDoP2LVIk8ChqP3Qd5IlZIfsD62KIkvKyMnSj~VZadctwrVe1mgb-CWOYlwUcmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — County staff presented an update to Gaston County’s fiscal year 2428 strategic plan Tuesday, laying out revised vision and mission statements, five strategic goals and the next steps for department-level planning and reporting.

Scott Adaway, financial and management services director, told commissioners staff began the update with the board’s January budget retreat and continued through a series of leadership workshops, staff focus groups and public engagement events involving the county’s nearly 1,900 employees. “The manager is very intentional about making this a ground up process of involvement throughout the whole county’s almost 1,900 employees,” Adaway said.

The updated vision presented by staff reads: “Gaston County Government will be a model of intentional collaboration, innovation, and efficiency to expand local opportunity and attract global investment.” The mission was summarized as “service driven, intentionally led, and resident focused.” Adaway described five top-level goals: workplace culture; efficiency and effectiveness; civic infrastructure; sustaining a growing Gaston County (transportation, education, tax base diversification); and talent (recruitment, retention and development).

Staff outlined specific strategies under each goal. For workplace culture, strategies include refining employee appreciation programs, improving countywide feedback and increasing information sharing about board priorities. Efficiency objectives include cross-department collaboration and process improvements; civic infrastructure strategies focus on nonprofit partnerships and regional coordination; growth strategies include infrastructure investments and countywide planning; talent strategies include in-house leadership training, mentorships and standardized recruiting and onboarding.

Adaway said county staff will use benchmark data (including North Carolina Association of County Commissioners materials) to develop a concise set of metrics and a reporting structure. Department-level strategic plans will align with the countywide plan and become more granular in September and October, he said. Centralina Council of Governments was identified as the contracted facilitator for the planning process.

Chairman Chad Brown and other commissioners asked questions about Centralina membership dues and whether the county receives credit toward technical services; Kasia Thompson, director of strategic engagement technical services for Centralina, said dues are “just under 50 cents per capita” and that members receive discounted pricing for services beyond membership. Commissioners also discussed ways the strategic plan has already influenced county actions, including a new “all care” employee benefit referenced by the chairman.

Adaway said the county will reduce the strategic plan’s metrics to a small number of outcome measures and will present department plans in the fall. The plan update is intended as a guiding document to be embedded into departmental work plans and budget priorities.","County management outlined a five-goal strategic plan update focused on workplace culture, organizational efficiency, civic infrastructure, sustaining growth and talent development; department-level plans and metrics are next steps.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6502128,"Gaston County outlines opioid settlement spending plan, sets RFP schedule and annual community meeting",410,1236000,1646000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5566427-93723479c2d858acf25cfa05318c76e3&start=1236&end=1646","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5566427-93723479c2d858acf25cfa05318c76e3/thumbnail_1236000.jpg","/articles/6502128/Gaston-County/North-Carolina/Gaston-County-outlines-opioid-settlement-spending-plan-sets-RFP-schedule-and-annual-community-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6502128-a7156983dc389647bd85550d92f75bf5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775407351&Signature=OOYkB7AqbyKksTlnEIEL9c~M~EnIqAWLog1aWxCgdXPjmOyDmsqKUaLZ~z~HBJCzL14TcDWL0WBzece213M8buU-wV3fB~zohSa~0IXp4jddKtHcfavkZbJOOJcX3fNhzY3cddaa6Z-SV5IgXZgnv9IjnBOMPncxCFwN2ZLYUYh0ojcykAUR9BGeSISMxi-S7LuFO9y1U0c2RJKl7RlOVdBkF3g1L2Hm6j-8qa0KCQ1~EbQkXC8qBLt9T60ETAUuFIIJHT9xs-ID5nzqCrJoDJohIu3xSmVbcm4Lh9m-izQE1gGvMe8oqHli39YkNnIlGfvFt7S4Njq0q7wezjvG8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Gaston County public health staff presented an update Tuesday on how the county intends to use opioid settlement funds distributed through the state, saying the county will receive $41 million over 18 years and has already received $12.88 million.

Abigail Newton, Gaston County assistant public health director, said $8.3 million is currently allocated to nine programs and that the county is funding “option A” strategies under the state’s framework. “One of our currently funded projects is the community paramedicine program... This program has just been refunded for two more years and has demonstrated a large positive impact in the community,” Newton said.

The plan supports a mix of treatment, prevention and recovery services: community paramedicine, recovery transportation to medication-assisted treatment and other appointments, medication-assisted treatment delivered by partner providers, peer support specialists embedded in the Department of Social Services, medication-assisted treatment in the county jail, early-intervention work in schools, mobile units and recovery housing. Newton named Contegra Health and a county community paramedicine provider among current partners and said one partner reports 81% client adherence to treatment six months after induction.

Why it matters: Settlement funds are a multi-year revenue stream that local officials said can expand treatment and recovery infrastructure that the county currently lacks. Newton said collaborative strategic planning and community engagement were required under the settlement (referred to in the presentation as “exhibit B”), and that the county will post a request for proposals within the next two months and issue RFPs annually thereafter based on the settlement team’s recommendations. She also announced an annual community meeting on Sept. 16 at the Citizens Resource Center in Dallas.

Board members asked about the mix of services. Commissioner Kathy Cloniger asked whether providers funded under the plan operate inpatient services; Newton replied that medication-assisted treatment the county currently funds is outpatient. Commissioner Chad Brown asked whether any funded programs would qualify for other county funding sources; Newton said they could be examined for other county or foundational support.

A county staff member from the presentations said the settlement strategy requires extensive community engagement to comply with state requirements and to shape local priorities.

Clarifying details recorded in the presentation: Gaston County’s total state allocation over 18 years — $41,000,000; amount received to date — $12,880,000; amount currently allocated to programs — $8,300,000; number of programs funded currently — nine. Specific funded programs named included a community paramedicine program and a recovery transportation program; partner providers included Contegra Health. Newton said the county will post an RFP in the next two months and hold an annual public meeting on Sept. 16.","County public health officials described how $41 million in state opioid settlement funds will be disbursed in Gaston County over 18 years, noted programs already funded and said a request for proposals will be posted within two months.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sheriff urges more courthouse security staffing as court caseloads and jail population rise

Gaston County launches Engage Gaston platform to expand online public engagement

Gaston County staff present updated countywide strategic plan, emphasize employee culture and efficiency

Gaston County outlines opioid settlement spending plan, sets RFP schedule and annual community meeting