The Burke County Board of Commissioners met in a pre‑agenda session on Dec. 1 and approved routine procedural motions while hearing a series of administrative and budget items that will move forward on the regular meeting agenda.

The board approved the amended agenda after Commissioner Berry moved to add Budget Amendment No. 7 (vote 5–0). Later in the meeting Commissioner Burns moved to accept the Department of Social Services October report (vote 5–0) and to examine and approve county public‑official bonds as presented (vote 5–0). The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.

Budget Amendment No. 6: County Manager Brian Manning outlined a $136,600 request to budget two funding sources: a $20,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs (no local match required; staff referenced Session Law 2023‑134) to establish veteran support activities including a donation closet and meals, and $116,600 from state special adoption funds to cover expenses such as outside counsel for adoption cases (to address conflict‑of‑interest needs), travel to an adoption legal conference, training slots and advertising/storage.

Opioid funds and staff addition: Katie Samuels, opioid settlement coordinator, asked the board to budget approximately $8,100 to add Dr. Thomas Meek, D.O., an addiction medicine specialist, as assistant medical director for the PORT team; the item was placed on the consent agenda for the regular meeting.

Budget Amendment No. 7: Manning explained the county needs to budget $37,400 in insurance proceeds and transfer $168,000 from unreserved capital to replace vehicles and repair an animal services vehicle after recent failures and an accident. Line‑item transfers proposed included $80,000 to EMS, $70,000 to the fire marshal and $55,400 to animal services.

Surplus property: Manning described a resolution to allow staff to post declared surplus real property on GovDeals for online competitive auction, automating bidding and treasury deposits while preserving reserve‑price and legal notice requirements; staff will contact existing bidders to transition them to the online platform.

Appointments and consent items: The clerk presented multiple consent and decision items that remain on the regular meeting agenda, including reappointments to the Tourism Development Authority, filing of a resolution supporting America's 250th celebration, and several board and advisory‑board appointment items with requested follow‑up on attendance records before decision.

Public calendar and reminders: Staff noted holiday closings, the Morgan Hill Christmas parade, department head holiday breakfast and county office closures Dec. 24–26; the landfill and convenience sites will also close on the same dates.

What happens next: Several items (budget amendments, surplus resolution, ordinance amendments and appointments) remain on the regular meeting agenda for potential board action on Dec. 15; the foster‑care RFQ proposal will return for direction if the board directs staff to proceed.