Environmental health supervisor: food-handler classes, local development and staff cuts in Scotland County

Valentina Oxonant, Scotland County's environmental health and animal-control supervisor, briefed meeting attendees on recent activity and staffing in her division. Oxonant said a food-handler course launched May 20 at New Hope Church with 15 attendees and that the division is working with churches and community organizations to expand training for safe food handling at local fundraisers.

On local development, Oxonant said she has seen contractors leveling the Scotland Inn property and has heard reports that a Mave's Tire Shop may locate there, but she had received no formal plan submissions to the state or county for a restaurant at that site. "I've not gotten anything official except for that a Mave's tire is going there," Oxonant said, adding that chain restaurants submit to the state for plan review and local 'mom-and-pop' operations submit to the local environmental-health office.

Oxonant also announced staffing changes: a long-serving temporary on-site retiree (Sedrick Locklear) will leave June 30, and one animal-control officer (Mark Brown) is out on leave, requiring other officers to cover county calls and limiting shelter intake. Oxonant encouraged residents to reach out for course scheduling and noted the department will continue to coordinate walk-throughs and permit reviews as formal submissions arrive.

Oxonant closed by reminding the board of a local Juneteenth event at McDuffie Square and noting staffing limitations that affect inspection and animal-control capacity.