Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Library director says regional library provided computer access for guaranteed‑income pilot applicants; commissioners seek clarification from paper and library
Summary
Commissioners questioned whether the Beaufort‑Hyde‑Martin regional library sponsored a guaranteed‑income pilot. Library director Paula Hopper said the library was listed as a computer‑access venue but was not a program sponsor and agreed to contact the Washington Daily News to confirm reporting.
During the Oct. 28 meeting commissioners raised concerns about a newspaper article naming Beaufort County as a site for a guaranteed‑income pilot (the RISE initiative) and suggested the Beaufort‑Hyde‑Martin (BHM) regional library might be a program sponsor.
Paula Hopper, regional director for the BHM library system, told the board the library was approached by a grant writer and that the library had been listed as a venue where applicants could access computers to apply; she said the library was not serving as a program sponsor or performing program administration. "We are not serving in the capacity to process or politicize them to the program, but merely providing Internet access for those individuals," Hopper said.
Commissioners pressed for clarity and asked staff to confirm the library's role and request a retraction from the Washington Daily News if the article incorrectly identified the library as a sponsor. One county commissioner and a board member who also serves on the library board said they would follow up. Staff said they would meet with the library director and consult the county attorney if legal questions arise about use of public funds.
The board directed staff to follow up with the library and the regional paper and said it expected an update at a future meeting.
