Wayne County commissioners approve proclamations, appointments, budget amendments, contracts and hire county attorney

The Wayne County Board of Commissioners took a series of formal actions at its March 4, 2025 meeting, approving proclamations, consent-agenda budget amendments, reappointments, land-use plats, a contract award, board goals and an employment agreement for the county attorney.

Key actions approved or considered at the meeting:

- Social Work Month proclamation (2025). Veil Ham read the proclamation recognizing March as Social Work Month; the board moved and approved the proclamation.

- Women’s History Month proclamation (2025). Commissioner Bevin Foster presented the proclamation recognizing March as Women’s History Month; the board moved and approved it.

- Reappointments to the Latino Council. The appointment committee recommended reappointing Larry Pierce, Maria Santa (surname spelled variably in the record), Adi Cotto and Elizabeth Ochoa to the Latino Council. The board moved the committee recommendation and the reappointments were included in the board’s routine approvals.

- Pikeville planning board ETJ appointment (Josh Mazingo). The appointment committee recommended appointing Josh Mazingo to the Pikeville Planning Board ETJ seat, but the committee said the formal appointment would be brought to the board at the next meeting for a vote; no final appointment was recorded at the March 4 meeting.

- Joint resolution with the Wayne County Board of Education to amend allocation of a $7,000,000 state capital infrastructure grant. The board approved the joint resolution (covered in a separate article).

- Budget amendments (consent agenda). The board approved the following budget amendments as described by staff: - Budget Amendment #251: Health Department environmental health realignment moving funds originally for two vehicles back into travel and vehicle supplies (total $5,388 as presented). - Budget Amendment #252: Department of Social Services realignment for move preparation (total $28,250). - Budget Amendment #253: Department of Social Services realign funds in in-home staffing services due to increased client demand (total $10,132). - Budget Amendment #255: Health Department realignment to cover salaries and fringes for the remainder of the fiscal year (amount not specified in the transcript summary). - Budget Amendment #259: Department of Social Services increase in foster care-related lines (total requested $450,000; staff said this includes a $225,000 increase from the state and $125,000 from the department’s fund balance).

Staff explained the foster-care amendment was requested because of an increase in children entering care, higher levels of care needed and limited availability of treatment placements. The board approved these amendments as part of the consent agenda; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the public transcript.

- Late present Use Value application. Staff said one late use-value application had been vetted and was ready for approval; it was included with routine approvals.

- Plats. The board approved the preliminary plat for Bella Point Subdivision and the final plat for Lyon Estates Phase 1 (see separate article for details).

- Stream debris removal contract award. The board approved awarding a request-for-bids contract for stream debris removal to Snatchit Clearing, identified as the low responsive bidder; staff noted one bidder was found nonresponsive. An approximate contract figure appeared in staff notes at about $90,000; staff asked for board approval to move forward with the low bidder.

- 2025 Board of Commissioners goals. The board approved the set of goals discussed at the board’s retreat.

- Employment agreement employing Andrew J. Neil as Wayne County Attorney. Following closed session, the board returned to open session and approved an employment agreement employing Andrew J. Neil as county attorney. Commissioner Dockter made the motion; the board approved the agreement and welcomed Neil as the county’s staff attorney.

Several items were handled as routine or consent-agenda business and did not have individual roll-call tallies in the public transcript. Where the transcript provided dollar amounts or other specifics, this summary records them; where staff gave approximate or uncertain figures, those are noted as presented and not independently verified.