Votes at a glance: commissioners approve HUD grant management award, timber sale, plats and internal-control policy

At its Feb. 4 meeting the Wayne County Board of Commissioners approved a consent agenda and a series of related motions including award of HUD grant administration services, multiple budget amendments, the sale of a surplus parcel in Mount Olive, a timber sale at the county landfill, preliminary and final subdivision plats, and adoption of a countywide internal-control policy required for certain state ARP grants.

Agenda adjustments and the consent agenda: County staff added one item to consent: a request to award grant administration services related to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) project to support EMS Station 12 on Elm Street. Staff said the county issued requests for proposals in December 2024 and January 2025 and received a single proposal from Insight Engineering Planning of Wilmington; the review committee recommended awarding the contract to Insight, and the item was placed on the consent agenda.

Budget amendments: The Board approved multiple budget amendments on the consent agenda. Highlights presented by finance staff included: budget amendment 188 (appropriating $50.97 in electric capital credit earnings), 211 (appropriating $2,972.88 in public donations for SheriffOffice use), 216 ($34,500 to realign professional services to fund required language services in several health programs), 219 ($4,940 to purchase a priority dispatch interface with Central Square CAD), a $29,840 allocation for the COVID-19 vaccination program equipment and supplies, transfers to adjust salaries and fringes across departments for budget season, $6,818 for a heat pump at the development alliance building, $45,000 to complete a county WebEx project contract, and a $6,200 reallocation at the Wayne Executive Jetport for HVAC work.

Surplus property: Commissioners considered a resolution declaring surplus real property and approving the sale of 107 Short Street in Mount Olive. Staff said the property was acquired in a foreclosure and has been county-owned since about 2014; the county received an offer of $3,000 from Christopher Michael Jones and will proceed with the statutory upset-bid process, then forward the sale to the Mount Olive town council if there are no successful upset bids.

Timber sale: The Board approved the final bid for timber on about 39.84 acres at the Wayne County landfill advertised under a provision the staff cited as "North Carolina general statute 169" in the transcript. The county said it received an upset bid and re-advertised; the final accepted upset bid was reported at approximately $29,359. The timber sale contract requires the buyer to clear timber and remove material within 90 days and includes a buffer along Overman Farms.

Subdivision plats: The Board approved a preliminary plat for Ellis Park Subdivision (north side of Hunter Road) with about 125 proposed lots and average lot size roughly 25,000 square feet, and a final plat for Hudson Village (on South Bison/Benson Road) with 78 lots and average lot size about 21,570 square feet.

Internal-control policy: Commissioners adopted a countywide internal-control policy to comply with Uniform Guidance (citing 2 C.F.R. 200.302-303) after staff told the board that the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality requires the policy for two state ARP-funded grants at the Jetport (sewer and stormwater projects). Staff said legal reviewed the policy.

Appointments and reappointments: The Board approved a slate of appointments and reappointments to advisory boards and councils (adult care-home community advisory committee, tourism development authority, juvenile crime prevention council, Wayne Health Corporation board, and other local boards). Several reappointments and new appointments were listed on the agenda; one appointment to the planning board was moved to a motion to table.

Closed-session outcome: After a closed session, a motion recorded in open session directed staff to notify the school system that the county is not interested in procuring Fremont Elementary School (motion recorded Feb. 4). The transcript does not include a roll-call vote for that motion.

Votes and tallies: The transcript records motions and that the consent agenda was approved. Individual roll-call vote tallies for many consent items were not specified in the meeting transcript; where a formal recorded tally was not available the articles mark the vote details as "not specified" and list the official outcome as approved or accepted when the board acted on the motion.

Staff and commissioners indicated the items approved on consent will be implemented or processed through the appropriate county offices, including finance, facilities and planning.