The Craven County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 20 unanimously approved a package of actions that included granting a franchise for a nonemergency medical transport provider, submitting state transit grant applications, authorizing multiple budget amendments for public safety and public-health programs, approving a water-main relocation to be reimbursed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and signing a 25-year lease to expand parking at the Cove City Library.

Why it matters: The measures together affect county health and transport services, infrastructure work tied to a state road project, library access in western Craven County and the sheriff's office reentry and treatment work. Several items use grant or reimbursable funding, limiting immediate county budget exposure but creating near-term implementation tasks for county staff.

Most significant votes and details

Votes at a glance

- Franchise for nonemergency transport (Caroline Medical Transport): Approved. The board accepted a recommendation from the EMS Advisory Council and granted a county franchise allowing Caroline Medical Transport to operate basic-level convalescent nonemergency transport within Craven County; the company may transport patients outside the county under private contracts. No changes to service scope were made at the meeting.

- CARS: State Maintenance Assistance Program (SMAP) application: Approved. Craven Area Rural Transit (CARS) was authorized to apply for $130,920 allocated to the county for fiscal year 2025–26; the funds must be used by June 30, 2026. No public hearing was required.

- CARS: Rural Operating Assistance Program (ROAP) application (consolidated EDTAP/employment/RGP): Approved. The county was allocated $100,276 for EDTAP (elderly and disabled), $19,645 for employment, and $113,325 for rural general public (RGP), for a total FY26 allocation of $253,246; staff were authorized to submit the county’s portion of the application and required certified statements.

- Sheriff’s Office: COSAT grant budget amendment: Approved. The board approved a budget amendment drawing on the county’s multi-year COSAT grant award (three-year total $970,757) to add $240,162 for continued program operations and to fund a part-time reentry coordinator position described by the sheriff as “crucial” to jail-based opioid-addiction related services. The sheriff reported $469,881.99 of grant funds used to date and discussed the county’s use of contract beds with a community provider.

- Sheriff’s Office: employee payout budget amendment: Approved. The board approved two one-time payouts to cover holiday and vacation pay for two departing employees, listed in the packet as $52,960.84 and $45,188.77.

- Water main relocation (Gethsemane Church Road): Approved. The board approved a budget amendment of $399,567 to relocate approximately 3,900 linear feet of 4-inch and 950 feet of 2-inch water line that conflict with an NCDOT paving project. NCDOT will reimburse Craven County for the relocation and associated administration/inspection costs.

- Cove City Library lease and related budget amendment: Approved. The board approved a 25-year lease of an adjacent parcel to add a driveway and roughly 15 parking spaces off East Sunset Boulevard. Lease terms begin in January and call for an annual payment of $2,500 with a 5% increase every fifth year. A budget amendment of $44,415 (the packet shows the full-term accounting entry) was approved to record the lease obligation as presented.

- Health Department: use of fund balance appropriation: Approved. The board approved a $216,079 appropriation from available fund balance for multiple items at the county health department, including equipment (blood-draw chairs, dental equipment, an ultrasound for the high-risk maternity clinic, vision screeners, exam tables, EKG machines), expanded credentialing support and third-party rate negotiations with insurers.

- Surplus property: initial upset-bid offers (two parcels): Approved. The board authorized initial upset-bid offers to be advertised for two jointly owned parcels with the City of New Bern: 841 Pavey Ave. (initial offer $5,400; original past-due taxes and foreclosure costs $6,064.65; tax value $5,400) and 841 Bloomfield St. (initial offer $6,000; original past-due taxes and foreclosure costs $4,176.40; tax value $6,000).

- Appointments: Approved by acclamation. The board appointed Jack Veidt to fill the ABC Board seat (short term), appointed Charles Dudley to the Fire Tax Commissioner’s Board and reappointed Susan Mills to the Vanceborough/Craven County Library Board.

Discussion and context

Franchise for Caroline Medical Transport: Emergency-services staff explained that Craven County’s ambulance/franchise ordinance requires providers who pick up a patient within the county to hold a county franchise. The presenters said Caroline Medical Transport would initially operate at a basic/convalescent nonemergency level and had been recommended by the EMS Advisory Council. Commissioners clarified that providers franchised in Craven County may transport patients outside the county under private arrangements, while out-of-county units that pick up within Craven County must also be franchised.

Transit grant applications: Kelly Walker, speaking for CARS, told commissioners the SMAP allocation of $130,920 matched last year’s allocation and that no public hearing was required. For ROAP, Walker provided the breakdown of the three program allocations totaling $253,246 and noted the application deadline and the requirement for certified statements signed by the county manager and finance officer.

Sheriff’s items: Sheriff Hughes described recent drug-and-weapons enforcement operations and asked for the COSAT amendment to continue jail-based addiction-response programming; the request included funding for a part-time reentry coordinator position and continued contract payments to a recovery-provider that pays for a portion of treatment beds. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the contract provider and bed coverage.

Water main relocation: County staff explained that the NCDOT secondary road paving project on Gethsemane Church Road conflicts with existing county water lines and that NCDOT will reimburse the county for relocation and inspection costs. Commissioners asked about pipe sizes and adequacy; staff said the proposed 4-inch and 2-inch lines were sized for the road segment as proposed.

Cove City Library lease: A county library representative described limited parking at the Cove City Library (roughly 10–15 spaces) and proposed leasing a 50-foot-wide strip to add 15 parking spots and improved access for buses and future expansion. Vice Chairman Mitchell disclosed a distant family connection to the lease proposer and the board recorded that disclosure before taking the vote.

Health Department request: The health department presented a detailed list of equipment and credentialing/rate-negotiation services the $216,079 would buy and justified the requests with patient-access and operational needs, including adding an on-site ultrasound capability for the high-risk maternity clinic.

Surplus property offers and appointments: County attorney presented initial upset-bid offers and reported the City of New Bern had given initial approval to proceed; the board approved advertisement for upset bids. The appointments were made by nomination and approved by acclamation as recorded.

Process and next steps

Most approvals were unanimous and taken by roll call or voice vote; affected departments were directed to proceed with applications, procurement or contract steps consistent with the voted authorizations. Several items rely on outside approvals or funding (NCDOT reimbursement, state grant awards and certified submissions to NCDOT for ROAP/SMAP), so implementation will depend on those external steps. The board recessed for a work session after commissioner reports.

Ending

Commissioners also used the meeting for routine business: prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance opened the session, staff introductions included new Water Services Director Chris Mullis, and commissioners made several community announcements and scheduled upcoming meetings and events.