Edgecombe County commissioners approve budget amendments, personnel changes and grants; set hearings for ordinance changes and two special-use cases

The Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners on March 3 approved a slate of budget and personnel changes, awarded community recreation grants, approved health department fee adjustments and scheduled several public hearings.

Votes at a glance - Budget amendments: Commissioners approved budget amendments 1–5, moving funds among solid-waste and other departmental lines and appropriating additional donated funds for the sheriff's D.A.R.E. program. - Longevity pay: The board changed the cutoff date for longevity-pay eligibility from Nov. 1 to Nov. 21 to align with the county pay period start date. The motion passed unanimously. - Compensation plan: The board approved amendments to the county compensation plan to add a Truck Driver II (grade 4) and a Social Worker Trainee (grade 2) and to reclassify the existing truck driver to Truck Driver I (grade 3). The Social Worker Trainee provision passed on a recorded vote of 5–1; commissioners debated whether creating a trainee classification would retain staff or depress wages for existing workers. - Health department fees: Following a recommendation from the Human Services Board, commissioners approved multiple fee changes for Environmental Health services. - School capital reserve ordinance: The board approved an amendment to the school capital reserve project ordinance to adjust final receipts for FY 2024 and add anticipated receipts for the current fiscal year. - Parks and Recreation mini-grants: The board authorized awards for 20 community recreation projects under a $50,000 program (maximum $3,000 per project). The 20 proposals requested more than $60,000 in combined funding; the board approved awards listed in the meeting packet and authorized the parks director to execute agreements. - Tipping-fee ordinance public hearing: Commissioners voted to call a public hearing for an amendment to the county solid-waste management ordinance that would allow limited waivers of tipping fees in narrowly defined, public-benefit situations; the hearing was set for the board's April 7 meeting. - Special-use hearings called: The board called for public hearings at its next meeting on two new special-use permit applications: case 25SUP10 (Piney Grove Farm LLC — sand mine on NC 97 West) and case 25SUP11 (county convenience site building replacement on Hart's Chapel Road). - Contracts and change orders: Commissioners approved an adjustment with T.A. Loving for Water & Sewer District 6 (USDA-funded), a change order for Trash Haulers LLC (solid waste hauling), and a sole-source contract with Siemens Industries for HVAC controls at the Rocky Mount health department. - Appointments: The board approved recommended appointments and reappointments to the Human Services Board and the Agriculture Advisory Board and authorized convening the Board of Equalization and Review on the next meeting date to receive any appeals.

Details and context County staff presented the budget amendments and explained the program and line-item moves. Regarding the longevity-pay change, staff said aligning the eligibility date with the county pay period (the 21st) would avoid a full additional year wait for many November hires. On the compensation changes, staff said creating a social-worker trainee classification would broaden the county's applicant pool by allowing candidates who have completed coursework but lack a social-work degree to be hired and trained; several commissioners expressed concern that trainees might displace or undercut pay increases for current social workers.

Kelvin Jones, parks and recreation director, described the mini-grant selection process: the county budgeted $50,000 for the program, rated 20 applications and recommended awards; combined requests exceeded $60,000, and the board approved awards for 20 projects and authorized the director to sign agreements.

The board also received administrative reports, including a water-and-sewer update and monthly financials. County management reported a Moody's upgrade of the county's issuer rating to Aa3 and improved debt ratings, a development county leaders said reflects strengthened reserves and a growing tax base.

Ending: Several items approved at the meeting require follow-up actions by staff — including site-plan and permitting steps for items sent to public hearings, execution of grant agreements, and processing of contracts and change orders — before projects or services may proceed.