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Commissioners approve Wi‑Fi grant, federal radio equipment grant with $250,000 local match and extend school bond authorization
Summary
The board accepted a $20,000 Land‑of‑Sky grant to upgrade community‑center Wi‑Fi, approved acceptance of a $1 million federal COPS radio equipment grant with a $250,000 county match, and adopted an extension order preserving the remaining $68 million school bond authorization through 2028.
At the meeting the board approved several funding actions intended to support recovery and long‑term infrastructure needs.
The board accepted a $20,000 grant from the Land‑of‑Sky regional program (no county match required) to replace aging Wi‑Fi equipment at 11 community centers and expand outdoor coverage. IT Director Nathaniel Carver said the upgrades will improve connectivity for communities and can support future designation of community centers as anchor institutions to unlock additional funding.
On a separate item, county staff asked the board to accept a federal COPS radio equipment grant valued at about $1,000,000 to replace radios that are no longer supported by the manufacturer. The total purchase price will be approximately $1.3 million; the county approved using $250,000 from the emergency‑services assigned fund balance as the local match and agreed to a multi‑year replacement schedule to avoid future large single‑year purchases. The board approved acceptance of the grant and the $250,000 match by voice vote.
The board also adopted an extension order to preserve the county’s authority to issue the remaining portion of a $68 million general‑obligation school bond through 2028; the manager said the first sale is scheduled for this week and noted the county secured strong bond ratings after the storm.
Other items that passed by voice vote included the consent agenda earlier in the meeting, the appointment of April Cameron to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and the selection of Commissioner Chapman as the county delegate to the NCACC legislative goals conference with Chairman Chappell as alternate.
