Votes at a glance: Nash County approves road additions, safety improvements, franchise agreements, grants and budget actions

At its April 7 meeting the Nash County Board of Commissioners approved a slate of routine and project actions, including four resolutions required by NCDOT, a medical transport franchise, grant‑related approvals and a set of budget and administrative motions.

Key outcomes approved by the board (motions and movers noted where recorded):

- Addition of subdivision roads to state maintained secondary road system: The board approved a resolution supporting addition of Oxfordshire Road, Bedfordshire Road, Rutland Court and Dorset Court (Castleberry Section 2 subdivision) to the state maintained secondary road system. Motion moved by Commissioner Wilkins and seconded by Commissioner Bellfield; motion passed.

- Support for NCDOT left‑turn lane on East NC‑97 at London Church Road: The board approved a resolution required by NCDOT so the project can pursue high impact, low cost (HILC) statewide funding to build a westbound left‑turn lane at that intersection. Motion moved by Commissioner Davis and seconded by Commissioner Leggett; motion passed.

- Approval of franchise agreement for Midwest Medical Transport (d/b/a North State Medical Transport): The board approved the required second appearance under county ordinance for the company’s franchise agreement. Motion moved by Commissioner Leggett and seconded by Commissioner Howell; motion passed.

- Authorization for Westmount Volunteer Fire Department apparatus purchase financing: The board approved Westmount Fire Department’s plan to replace a 2006 engine with a 2025 model (sale price $490,000), financed with a $400,000 loan from Southern Bank and a trade‑in to cover the balance. No county funds were required. Motion moved by Commissioner Leggett and seconded by Commissioner Howell; motion passed.

- Proclamation: National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week: The board adopted a resolution recognizing April 13–19, 2025 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Nash County. Motion moved by Commissioner Bellfield and seconded by Commissioner Howard; motion passed. The county noted the Nash County 9‑1‑1 center dispatches more than 114,000 calls for service annually.

- Scheduling Board of Equalization and Review: The board scheduled the first meeting for Monday, May 5, 2025, and set the second meeting for June 2, 2025 to accept appeals. Motion moved by Commissioner Wilkins and seconded by Commissioner Bellfield; motion passed.

- Acceptance of monthly tax report and approval of two tax refunds: The board accepted the tax collector’s information report and approved two clerical tax refunds. Motion passed.

- CDBG Neighborhood Revitalization grant administration contract: Nash County accepted a $1,655,000 Community Development Block Grant (Neighborhood Revitalization) award and approved contracting grant administration services to McDavid Associates; $165,000 of the award is budgeted for administration (subject to county attorney and manager review of the contract). Motion moved by Commissioner Howell and seconded by Commissioner Bellfield; motion passed.

- Agricultural plan grant local match: The board approved a $5,000 local match commitment to strengthen an application to the North Carolina Agriculture Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund for an agricultural plan update and related work. Motion moved by Commissioner Davis and seconded by Commissioner Howell; motion passed.

- Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) application and match: The board authorized a PARTF application (maximum $500,000) and recognized the county acquisition cost of a park property at 981 Old White Oak Road as the required local match; no additional county funding was required. Motion moved by Commissioner Bellfield and seconded by Commissioner Howell; motion passed.

- Session law 2023 appropriations (four project resolutions): The board approved resolutions and authorized the county manager to accept letters of intent and funding documents for four projects funded through the 2023 state appropriation act: Central Nash water system enhancements (groundwater well and water main extension, $7,800,000); a Town of Nashville manhole sealing project (about $775,000 of the town’s $1.5 million allocation); Northern Nash Water System Phase 2 Contract 2 ($231,475); and a smart meter and meter management system project ($800,000). Motions were moved by Commissioners Wilkins, Leggett, Davis and Leggett in sequence and all passed.

- Budget amendments and administrative items: The board approved six budget amendments (senior services grant funds, Whitakers fire‑district fund balance for tanker purchase, parks donations, emergency services education funds, and increased water purchase estimates for Central and Northern Nash water funds). No additional county general fund dollars were requested. Motion passed.

- Board appointments and vacancies: The board reappointed Emmanuel Schell and Charles Rose Jr. to the Nash County Board of Adjustment (terms through April 30, 2028) and heard requests for nominations to fill vacancies on the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments, the Consolidated Health and Human Services Board, and the Turning Point Workforce Development Board.

Several items had brief discussion but little public comment. Presenters noted that some approvals (for example the UDO text amendment addressed separately) enable future applications but do not approve site plans or construction; those will require subsequent conditional rezoning and permitting steps.