Bladen County commissioners approve emergency respirator program, PARTAF amendment for pickleball courts and several routine actions

Bladen County commissioners on March 17, 2025, authorized county staff to proceed with an emergency respirator-fit-testing program, approved an amendment to a PARTAF grant application to add two pickleball courts, authorized courthouse HVAC replacements and approved several routine board appointments and administrative items.

The actions came during a regular meeting where commissioners handled a range of operational items and scheduling tasks. The emergency services action and the grant amendment were the most substantive items that included formal motions and votes.

Emergency services: respirator-fit testing program

Emergency Services Director David asked the board to authorize staff to enter a proposal with On Target Preparedness to bring the county’s respiratory protection program into compliance. "What we want to do is to make sure we're in compliance with fit testing procedures, because we do not have all the equipment necessary ... and plus the requirements to have to calibrate it every year is just not cost effective," Emergency Services Director David said. He told commissioners the intent is to establish records, purchase necessary equipment, and train staff on a qualitative testing method the county can maintain in-house going forward.

A motion to approve the request was made and seconded; the board voted in favor.

PARTAF grant amendment: pickleball courts

Parks representatives asked the board to approve an amendment to a PARTAF grant application the county filed in October 2023. The original application sought resurfacing of tennis courts; staff said the courts did not qualify for full resurfacing funds, so the department sought to restripe the existing courts and add two new pickleball courts instead. "We're gonna put new lines on old courts ... we'll be able to build 2 new pickleball courts," the presenter said.

Commissioner Bullock made the motion to approve the amendment; Commissioner Britney seconded. The board voted aye and approved the amendment.

Courthouse HVAC replacement

General Services Director Scott Stanley reported firm quotes had returned for a new chiller and boiler at the courthouse and recommended proceeding with replacement. Stanley said the plan schedules the boiler work for summer to avoid service disruption and the chiller work for winter. A motion to approve the procurement was made, seconded and carried.

Dunkin' State water-service proposal

The board considered a contractor quote related to water service work at a site referred to in the meeting as "Dunkin' State." The county received a $75,000 quote from Maxwell Merson Construction; staff said the proposal as submitted lacked detail and that they had asked for a more descriptive cost breakdown. Commissioner Hester moved to proceed and Commissioner Cameron seconded. Commissioners briefly discussed that work could not move forward without a firm date and clearer cost details; the board nevertheless recorded an affirmative vote. The county clerk or staff noted they had requested the additional detail from the contractor before work begins.

Appointments and other votes

The board approved various routine appointments and committee actions during the meeting, including representation to the Cape Fear River Assembly and appointments to local fire and drainage district committees. Votes on those appointments were made, seconded and recorded as approved.

Budget, operations and other business

Finance Director Lisa Coburn presented an eight-month financial dashboard showing general fund revenues at about 60.82% of budget and expenditures at 55.71%. Coburn also reported school resource officer staffing: "School resource, we have 5 currently," while noting there are 12 authorized positions and the county is using deputies and investigators to backfill the vacancies.

Other operational notes included a planned temporary closure of the county transfer station for recertification training, ongoing work to inventory county vehicles and creation of a purchasing committee to centralize vehicle purchases, and scheduling of budget-workshop dates. The water department said staff are exploring locations within the county where farmers could purchase bulk water (one existing option noted in Elizabethtown) and will return with recommendations.

What the votes mean and next steps

Most items approved at the meeting were administrative or operational and will move to implementation steps handled by county staff. For actions that require further detail — notably the $75,000 contractor quote for water-service work — staff have requested more descriptive cost information and, where needed, firm start dates before physical work proceeds. The board also set dates for upcoming budget workshops and a premeeting session for state-required voting-machine training.