Rutherford County commissioners approve economic, disaster and appointments; authorize animal services contract and disaster funding

The Rutherford County Board of Commissioners approved a series of resolutions, appointments and financial actions on April 7, 2025, including support for an incoming employer, disaster-response spending tied to Hurricane Helene and a three-year management agreement for animal-control operations.

Key votes and outcomes

• Project Cold (economic development): The board approved a resolution backing a company identified as “Project Cold” to locate operations in Forest City. County economic-development staff said the project anticipates 88 jobs over the first three years, an average salary of $50,411 and a $6,450,000 capital investment. The resolution authorizes support through a local industrial grant equal to 50% of the assessed personal property taxes for up to five years, contingent on jobs, investment and wage levels being met. Motion: “Motion we approve the resolution.” Outcome: approved by voice/hand vote; no roll-call tally provided in the record.

• Animal-control management agreement: The county authorized the county manager and county attorney to negotiate terms and to execute documents to contract with Heart of the Foothills Animal Services to operate the county’s animal-control facility beginning July 1, 2025, under a proposed three-year agreement. Motion: authorization to negotiate and execute. Outcome: approved by voice/hand vote; no roll-call tally provided.

• GovDeals property sale: The board accepted the winning online-bid of $4,550 for a surplus county parcel and approved a resolution authorizing the sale (the resolution was amended to correct the bidder’s name in the third whereas clause). Motion: approve resolution as amended. Outcome: approved by voice/hand vote.

• JCPC (Juvenile Crime Prevention Council) funding allocation for 2025–26: The board approved the county funding plan for the JCPC. The county reported $225,234 available from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for community juvenile programs; an unallocated amount of $66,274 was left to solicit providers for remaining services. Motion: approve county funding plan. Outcome: approved.

• Budget amendments and school transportation facility line adjustments: Several budget amendments were approved, including disaster-related allocations, donations appropriations, DSS program reimbursements and an ICC (Isothermal Community College) HVAC/building repair request of $20,623. The board also approved internal line-item moves to complete the school-transportation maintenance facility project (contingency → furniture/equipment/technology). Motion(s): approve budget amendments. Outcome: approved.

• Hurricane Elaine disaster grant project ordinance: The board adopted a project ordinance and budget to cover ongoing disaster response and recovery work tied to Hurricane Helene (referred to as “Elaine” in materials). Officials reported a total program investment of $47,250,000 to address roadways, waterways, emergency protective measures and county properties; the county will use fund balance to finance work pending FEMA reimbursement. Motion: adopt grant project ordinance and budget amendment. Outcome: approved.

• State cash-flow loan for disaster response: The board adopted a resolution to accept a state cash-flow loan of $1,800,000 to support disaster-response cash needs. The loan is interest-free with a repayment schedule that begins with a token $1 payment at the one-year anniversary and larger percentage payments thereafter unless the legislature forgives the amounts. Motion: adopt loan resolution. Outcome: approved.

• Proclamations and recognitions: The board approved multiple proclamations and recognitions by voice vote, including a resolution honoring World War II veteran John Thomas Hill on his 100th birthday (declaring April 17, 2025 “John Thomas Hill Day”), line-worker appreciation (April 18, 2025), National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week (April 13–19, 2025) and Child Abuse Prevention Month (April 2025), and a National Day of Prayer proclamation for May 2025.

• Appointments: The board filled several advisory seats. Appointments included Sydney Pellegrini to the Social Services Board, Chuck (Charles) Flack to the Forest City Board of Planning and Adjustment (ETJ seat), Susan Eppley to the Transit Advisory Board (Medicaid-transportation representative) and Commissioner Hunter Hayes to the Partners Behavioral Health Management Board (to fill the manager’s outgoing seat). Motion(s): appoint listed candidates. Outcome: approved.

• Contract for revaluation services: The board approved a service contract with Wampler Ings Appraisal Group to perform the 2027 commercial-property revaluation (commercial properties only). Motion: approve contract. Outcome: approved.

What commissioners said and next steps

County staff and commissioners noted that several disaster-response items will be funded initially from county fund balance and reimbursed later by FEMA. Finance staff described the need to draw on fund balance in the short term to pay contractors and that the county has applied for a state cash-flow loan to ease timing pressures. Paul Holden and other presenters described JCPC allocations as state-funded through the North Carolina Department of Public Safety; the Elaine grant work will proceed while staff pursue FEMA reimbursement and potential Army Corps/PPDR (private property debris removal) actions.

Ending

Most votes at the April 7 meeting were carried by voice/hand vote; the formal records did not show named roll-call tallies in the transcript for those motions. Several of the disaster and budget measures proceed with the expectation of federal or state reimbursement and will require follow-up reporting and contract negotiation by county staff.