Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Services Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents and Guardian ad Litem urge county to prioritize children’s mental‑health and poor road conditions
Summary
During the informal public‑comment period, a guardian ad litem and a district administrator urged the county to use settlement funds and prioritization to expand mental‑health, developmental and emergency services for children in custody; another speaker detailed hazards and damaged culverts on Valley Trail and Willie Ray Road and asked the board
Several residents and child‑advocacy professionals used the informal public‑comment period at the April 21 Burke County commissioners meeting to press the county on child welfare and road safety.
Kelly Pearson, a guardian ad litem and adoptive parent, asked the board to consider settlement funds for expanded mental‑health services for children with intellectual and developmental delays and for child‑focused emergency psychiatric care. Pearson said current resources are overwhelmed and that crisis care is often reduced to “the ER hallway at Grace Hospital,” which she described as triage rather than treatment.
Amy Kincaid, district administrator for the Guardian ad Litem program, thanked the board for proclaiming Child Abuse Prevention Month and urged the county to place children in custody “on the highest list of your agenda,” citing staff turnover at Department of Social Services and troubling reports that some children are being kept at DSS facilities at night. She asked the board to prioritize investments that would stabilize placements and staffing.
Kathy Helms spoke on behalf of an elderly homeowner, Nancy Harden, and described hazardous conditions on Valley Trail and its offshoot Willie Ray Road (non‑state roads off Jamestown Road near I‑40 Exit 96). Helms said damaged ditches and a failing culvert—made worse by hurricane Helene—have made the roads “slippery and treacherous in wet weather” and that at least 30 homes use the roads. She asked the commissioners to advocate for repairs and assistance, noting the area includes elderly and Hispanic residents with limited resources.
The chair closed the public‑comment period after the three speakers. Commissioners and staff have heard these topics in prior meetings and several commissioners later acknowledged the concerns and indicated follow‑up would continue through the appropriate county departments and budget processes.
Why it matters Speakers framed the issues as urgent needs for vulnerable populations—children in custody and elderly rural residents—requesting county prioritization and resource allocation beyond routine proclamations. The comments tie into broader budget decisions the board will make during the FY 2025‑26 process.
