GASTON COUNTY, Jan. 14, 2025 — The Gaston County Board of Supervisors voted on a package of resolutions and motions during its Jan. 14 meeting. Below are the formal actions recorded by the board and brief context for each item.

Summary of actions (outcomes recorded in meeting minutes)

- Resolution 2508 — Approve 2025 County five‑year DOT program (Resolution 1.1): Approved. Staff said the amendment pulls a parent project tied to the Federal Lands Access Program for improved access to the Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge into the 2025 program and also includes the project in 2026 to align with letting in April. Staff warned that two temporary construction easements (for Jerry Kane and Kevin Wiggins) were still outstanding and that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had issued a special-use permit for its property instead of an easement.

- Temporary construction easement — Public highway parcel ID 16083006 (agenda item 2b): Approved. Staff said certified-mail outreach and phone efforts are being used to secure additional easements; letting may be delayed if the remaining easements are not obtained.

- Officer training liability agreements (three separate approvals): Approved. The board approved officer training liability agreements for Deputy Wyatt Dillon, Deputy Troy Dailer, and Deputy Michael Sprague (academy and field training status was discussed in the meeting).

- Resolution 2509 — Jasper County jail fees for 2025: Approved. The resolution codifies jail fee policy for 2025; the daily rate for inmates was included as $60 per day, with a maximum cost example of $480 for an eight‑day stay. The clerk and sheriff’s office noted city charges and out‑of‑county arrangements affect recoupment practices and upfront payments.

- Resolution 2510 — Hiring: Permanent part‑time deputy sheriff, court services (Jeffrey Morrison), effective Jan. 16, 2025: Approved.

- Resolution 2511 — Hiring: Part‑time telecommunicator / 911 dispatcher (Savannah Olsen), effective Feb. 1, 2025: Approved.

- Subdivision approval — (Flat/Plat 1, Newton Fast Pitch SB Complex): Approved. Staff said when a subdivision lies inside city limits the action is primarily administrative for recording and indexing.

- Professional services agreement — Library Land Services LLC to survey and create a land‑use easement for crisis canines site ($2,650): Approved.

- Claims paid through Jan. 14, 2025: Approved.

- Board of Supervisors special meeting minutes (before Jan. 7, 2025): Approved.

What the board said and next steps

Staff emphasized that one project (the Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge access project) contains funding in a parent project and several subprojects; staff corrected earlier guidance and said the parent should appear in 2025 and 2026 programs so it can proceed to letting. For construction related to that project, staff said two temporary construction easements remain outstanding (owners Jerry Kane and Kevin Wiggins) and that failing to secure those easements would require pushing back the letting date.

On jail fees, Sheriff Schatz explained the county's approach to recouping meal and housing costs for inmates and noted the county's policy for out‑of‑county prisoners and city‑brought inmates. For the hiring resolutions, board minutes list the effective start dates and brief background information on the hires (e.g., Jeffrey Morrison’s farming background and availability; Savannah Olsen’s background and training prospects).

The board advanced all of the above items by voice vote; no roll‑call tallies with individual member votes were recorded in the transcript excerpt.

Actions (structured)

Each of the above items was moved and seconded during the meeting; the transcript records unchallenged "Aye" votes and motions passing. Where specific names or numbers were not included in the transcript, those fields are listed as "not specified" in the detailed actions array below.