Bertie County commissioners pursue regional jail talks, weigh public defender space and film commission; approve opioid settlements and several contracts

Bertie County commissioners on Sept. 8 heard detailed proposals on long‑term public‑safety planning, criminal-justice office space and a regional creative‑economy initiative while approving a package of litigation settlements and county contracts.

The most consequential discussion came from Martin County Manager Drew Bates, who asked the board to permit further work toward a multijurisdictional approach to the Bertie‑Martin Regional Jail. Bates described staffing and facility shortfalls at the current 90‑bed facility and said combining resources with nearby counties could raise capacity, reduce per‑county operating burden and make it easier to recruit and retain staff. "I have to present to my board just to ask for permission for me to continue to pursue this as an option for the county," Bates said, asking Bertie County to allow its managers to continue negotiations. Commissioners did not vote to join a partnership at the meeting; Bates asked only for permission to keep exploring a regional arrangement and to return with details.

The commission also heard space and confidentiality concerns from District 7 public defenders. Tamika Spello, administrative assistant for the District 7 public defender's office, and the district's chief public defender outlined that the office currently occupies part of an old sheriff's building and said the staff of about 17 (one attorney vacancy reported) needs more contiguous space to meet privately with clients and to host team meetings. "We have to be very conscious of that because if we don't protect our clients," Spello said, "there could be consequences." County staff said office space is limited and committed to discussing options at a work session; County Manager Juan Vaughn said he was uncomfortable committing the entire building now because county employees also lack adequate offices and recommended a work‑session review.

Patricia Ferguson, founder of a local film festival and a former county commissioner, gave an extended presentation urging the county to help lead a regional film commission and to treat creative industries as an economic strategy. Ferguson said the festival has attracted national submissions and remote presenters and asked the board to reconvene a prior vote that established a film commission and to support vendor readiness and location‑listing work. "The vision is that Bertie County becomes the number 1 venue in all the world for movies $5,000,000 and under," Ferguson said, adding that the festival currently runs with volunteers and needs administrative support to grow.

Town officials from Allander pressed county staff for clearer accounting of fire‑tax revenue, questions about foreclosure notifications and asked for an interlocal agreement to secure sheriff deputies for town patrols. Mayor Brian Morris and town administrator Bob Jones told commissioners they had received answers from county staff that the town found incomplete; commissioners and the county manager said the manager’s office is the central point for those records and promised follow‑up. County staff and the tax administrator clarified that some unspent fire tax dollars remain in a restricted account pending establishment of a county fire service commission to allocate the funds.

On legal and financial matters the board took several formal actions. The commissioners voted at the meeting to opt into a set of national opioid litigation settlements and related state supplemental agreements: they approved resolutions to participate in the Purdue bankruptcy plan, the Sackler family settlement, the so‑called “group of 8” manufacturer settlement and a separate Sandoz settlement (the county had named Sandoz in its complaint). County counsel and the county’s opioid litigation consortium recommended joining the settlements; the board passed the motions by voice vote and authorized the manager and attorney to complete required filings.

The board approved multiple procurement and disposition items. Commissioners authorized the county manager to sell two surplus trailer campers by private negotiated sale (statutory authority for personal property sales under North Carolina law was cited) with a board‑set minimum of $1,000 and directed staff to publish the required notice. The board also awarded a contract to Horizon Structures (identified in the meeting materials as the responsive bidder) to build the county’s new animal shelter, authorizing the manager to finalize and sign an agreement; county staff said the project will use available ARP and state funds and estimated construction and site work would keep the project within the allocated budget.

Emergency medical services was a recurring budget topic. Finance staff reported that county overtime is running high early in the fiscal year and pointed to staffing shortages, workers’‑comp and light‑duty assignments as contributors. Commissioners approved a standby‑service contract that allows entities requesting EMS coverage for events to pay the county a negotiated hourly fee (the board discussed a rate floor of $75 per unit hour to cover overtime and equipment costs), with county EMS staff and the manager to implement notification and contracting procedures.

The board adopted an updated franchise ordinance and application process for nonemergency ambulance/transport providers to bring the county ordinance into compliance with current state guidance; the update sets an annual franchise application fee (the board discussed $3,500) and gives the county authority to deny or not renew franchises that fail to meet requirements. Commissioners also scheduled a Sept. 29 work session to continue several pending items, including the jail study, office‑space follow‑ups and the inclement‑weather policy.

The meeting concluded with routine minutes and financial reports approved by voice vote and a closed‑session item, after which the board adjourned.

Why it matters: the jail discussion and the opioid settlements carry financial and operational consequences for county government; the public‑defender space request and film commission pitch reflect local needs for office space and economic‑development strategy; and the EMS and franchise decisions affect county budgeting and emergency‑response operations.

What’s next: county managers said they will follow up with the Allander delegation on fire‑tax accounting, meet with District 7 public defender representatives before the board’s work session, and pursue the next steps on opioid settlement filings and execution of the animal shelter contract. Commissioners scheduled a Sept. 29 work session to continue deliberations and receive more detailed proposals.