Avery County commissioners approve multiple budget amendments, appointments and ordinance changes; opioid spending tabled

Avery County commissioners met in August and approved a package of administrative actions including appointments, budget amendments, a change to the county tipping-fee ordinance and the acceptance of a surplus-property offer; the board also approved a resolution to accept opioid settlement funds but tabled a companion resolution directing how those funds would be spent until memoranda of understanding are signed.

The commissioners moved quickly through routine and fiscal items. Major items the board approved included budget amendments to roll forward grant funds, acceptance of minor proceeds, and authorization to pursue a sale of county surplus property. The board voted to amend the tipping-fee ordinance to set the county landfill tipping fee at $62 per ton and removed earlier municipal-credit language from the ordinance; that ordinance change requires two votes when fewer than a full board is present and the board took the required action.

Highlights of approved actions included accepting $54,000 in grants to the Department of Senior Services to purchase a 15-passenger van, accepting a $20,000 North Carolina youth sports grant for Parks and Recreation equipment, adding $20,000 proceeds from the sale of a K-9 to the sheriff’s department budget, and rolling $509,996 in vehicle purchasing authority for the transportation department into the next fiscal year. The board approved a payment of $11,452.50 from county funds to the High Country Council of Governments for addressing work after the E-911 board determined it was not an eligible 9-1-1 expense, and approved repayment of an ineligible FY 23–24 E-911 hotel expense of $221.50 back to the E-911 fund. The EMS department’s $30,000 North Carolina Community Foundation grant for hurricane recovery was rolled into the current-year budget.

The board also accepted an $8,000 offer for a county lot located off Florida Avenue and authorized the statutory upset-bid notice process for surplus property sales. The board appointed Lauren Ware to the Avery Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and approved a resolution designating two county staff as primary and secondary signatories for a hazard-mitigation grant program.

On opioid settlement funding, the board approved a resolution authorizing execution of settlement agreements with secondary opioid manufacturers and approving a third supplemental agreement between the state and local governments. However, when presented with the companion resolution that would direct expenditure of those settlement funds for fiscal year 2025–26, commissioners raised concerns that memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and provider agreements had not been received and signed. Commissioners agreed no funds should be disbursed until the county receives signed agreements; the board voted to table the expenditure resolution until a future meeting when the MOUs are available.

Other procedural actions included approval of the June 9, 2025 special-meeting minutes and a motion to go into a closed session under attorney–client privilege and contract-negotiation topics.

Votes at a glance (summary of formal actions recorded in the meeting):

- Motion to amend the agenda to move item 3.6 (closed session) on to the agenda — approved. - Designate NCACC voting delegate for the August NCACC conference — approved (delegate not explicitly named in the roll transcript). - Appointment of Lauren Ware to the Avery Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee — approved. - Approval of subdivision: 1911 Cranberry Phase 4 (planning-board-approved subdivision) — approved. - Adopt resolution to accept an $8,000 offer for a surplus lot (Florida Avenue) and begin upset-bid publication process — approved. - Approve total monthly collections for July, $112,835.44 — approved. - Release of $2,602.89 (historic holdover) — approved. - Amend the county tipping-fee ordinance (1998 ordinance) to set tipping fee to $62 per ton and remove municipal-user credit language — approved (requires two votes when fewer than full board present; board completed required action). - Revise Economic Development Advisory Committee bylaws to change meeting cadence to quarterly (January, April, July, October; last quarter month, 5 p.m.) — approved. - Approve resolution designating primary/secondary signatories for hazard mitigation grant program (designated Philip primary and Cindy secondary) — approved. - Budget amendments and grant acceptances (approved): • Senior Services: accept two grants ($27,000 each) for the purchase of a 15-passenger van; roll $54,000 into current fiscal year (budget amendment) — approved. • Parks and Recreation: accept $20,000 NC youth sports grant and amend budget — approved. • Sheriff’s Office: add $20,000 proceeds from sale of a K-9 to capital outlay — approved. • Transportation: roll $509,996 for vehicle purchases into FY25–26 budget (90/10 state/county reimbursement split noted) — approved. • Central Dispatch: authorize $11,452.50 from county funds to pay High Country Council of Governments for addressing work (not 9-1-1 eligible) — approved. • E-911: repay ineligible FY23–24 hotel expense of $221.50 to the E-911 fund — approved. • EMS: roll $30,000 North Carolina Community Foundation grant forward for hurricane Helene recovery into current-year budget — approved. - Opioid settlement actions: adopt resolution authorizing execution of opioid settlement agreements and approving the third supplemental agreement — approved; companion resolution directing the expenditure of opioid settlement funds for FY25–26 — TABLED until MOUs/signed agreements are received. - Approval of minutes (06/09/2025 special meeting) — approved. - Motion to move to closed session for attorney–client privilege and contract negotiation — approved.

What the meeting record does not specify: specific vote tallies for each motion (transcript records “All in favor, say aye” but individual roll-call tallies are not provided in the record), the name of the NCACC voting delegate was not explicitly recorded in the transcript excerpt, and the solicitor/provider MOUs referenced for opioid funding distribution were described as pending and unsigned at the time the board tabled the expenditure resolution.

Ending: The board set its next regular meeting for September 2 (noted to fall near Labor Day) and recessed after the closed-session motion. Further action on opioid-settlement expenditures will await receipt of signed agreements and MOUs.