Harnett County commissioners adopt CIP, accept $35,000 EMPG, waive animal‑shelter permit fees and approve Magnolia roof amendment

Harnett County Board of Commissioners on Monday, Jan. 6, approved its recommended capital improvement program for fiscal years 2026–2032, accepted a federal emergency management performance grant (EMPG) for $35,000, waived special‑use and future permit fees for the county’s planned animal shelter and adoption center, and authorized a $100,000 budget amendment toward replacing the Magnolia School roof.

The decisions came during the board’s regular meeting at the Harnett County Resource Center and were made by voice vote after staff presentations and brief discussion. County staff said the EMPG is a recurring grant used for emergency management equipment and software and requires no additional county cash; the Magnolia School amendment covers half of a new roof that I‑95/I‑40 Alliance agreed to split with the county.

“Happy to report that VAMPO has agreed to include [a transit study] in their work plan for FY 2026,” County Manager (identified in the meeting as “mister Trav”) said during his report on capital projects and planning work, noting other items in the CIP and the county’s legislative priorities.

Board members made the motions by voice and the clerk recorded the approvals as unanimous. No roll‑call tallies were announced in the meeting transcript.

Votes at a glance: - Adopt recommended Capital Improvement Program (FY 2026–2032) — Motion approved (voice vote; recorded as unanimous in meeting). Action: adopt CIP and move projects into planning (no dollar totals specified in the motion recorded on the transcript).

- Accept Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG), $35,000 — Motion approved (voice vote; recorded as unanimous). Staff noted the county’s in‑kind match is met via existing salary costs.

- Waive special‑use permit fees for the county animal shelter and adoption center, and waive future permit fees related to the project — Motion approved (voice vote; recorded as unanimous). County attorney and staff will present the special‑use permit to the Board of Adjustments on Jan. 13, 2025; the purchase of the property is under contract contingent on permit approval.

- Approve budget amendment — Magnolia School roof repair, $100,000 (county share) — Motion approved (voice vote; recorded as unanimous). Background: the I‑95/I‑40 Alliance had been awarded a county grant to renovate the old Magnolia School; an ongoing construction review identified a leaking roof. Staff reviewed warranty repair (~$86,000) versus full replacement (just under $200,000); the Alliance agreed to split the replacement cost with the county, and the board approved allocating $100,000 to cover the county’s half so the renovation can resume.

- Approve tax rebates, refunds and releases as requested by the tax administrator — Motion approved (voice vote; recorded as unanimous).

- Approve updated legislative priorities for 2025 — Motion approved (voice vote; recorded as unanimous). The priorities enumerate economic development (broadband, site development, gas), airport/runway funding and related hangar projects, school funding/low‑wealth funding concerns, and a request that the legislature consider removing schools as polling locations and improving absentee/provisional ballot counting procedures; the board approved the priorities as a working, amendable document to present to the county’s legislative delegation.

Discussion vs. direction vs. decisions: The meeting combined formal votes on the items above (decisions) with staff reports and policy discussion (discussion). For example, the county manager reported that VAMPO (the regional metropolitan planning organization) has agreed to add a transit study into its 2026 work plan (discussion/update). On the Magnolia School item, staff described both the warranty estimate and the cost of a full roof replacement and then presented the proposed county amendment for approval (formal action).

Questions and next steps: Staff said they will proceed with permit and construction work once approvals are in place; the county attorney and county staff will present the special‑use permit request to the Board of Adjustments on Jan. 13 for the animal shelter parcel. The airport/runway and other large capital projects remain dependent on legislative and federal timelines and funding (see legislative priorities discussion recorded later in the meeting).

Ending: The board recessed after approving the legislative priorities and other motions and later held the scheduled legislative luncheon with state legislators and delegation staff to discuss the priorities and airport funding timelines.